Review: Underdark, Saor, Deathchant, Ruynor (Matt Bladen & Spike)

Underdark - O Come Forth Annihilation (Church Road Records) [Matt Bladen]

Underdark have been delivering their own brand of extreme metal since 2015 however it's really with the release of their debut Our Bodies Burned Bright On Re-Entry that they booked their place as one of UK's must hear acts.

With second full length Managed Decline in 2023 they defined themselves as a band that has a unique sonic imprint and strong ideology behind them, a profound exploration of their own experiences and those from the world at large, dealing with the historical collapse of industrial Britain with a wealth gap that gets wider and wider.

With a sonic union that features ferocious anti-fascist, left wing, pro-LGBTQ+ musical assault drawn from black metal, post-rock, and post-hardcore, through atmospheric darkness and emotional catharsis.

All of these diverse genre ranges are found once again on Underdark's third album O Come Forth Annihilation they move from historical decline towards the here and now, the continual feeling of crisis that is part of the every day at the moment from ecological collapse, to the housing crisis, the wealth gap and the rise of the far right.

It's an album that carries the soundtrack to a population staring, horrified by what's happening around us but unsurprised, a nihilistic expression of rage that shifts between blasts of black metal rage and shoe gazing ambience on The Hit Piece, the post metal side of the band ramped up as the waves of percussion crashes.

The black metal intensity returns for Death Of A Toolmaker, the drums locking to a blast beat battery as the guitars deliver tremolo veracity and the vocals move between savage and guttural. You can feel the anger in this album, a record for a world collapsing in on itself, it takes Underdark to darker places.

This is true even when there's ambient moments such as Hollow Platitudes it feels desolate and dissonant, though the low end crush and viciousness return for Foucault Wept and the longing of Non Linear Warfare, Underdark welcoming the apocalypse with a strong cynicism and some finely tuned extreme metal on O Come Forth Annihilation. 9/10

Saor - Caledonia (Season Of Mist) [Matt Bladen]

Andy Marshall has spent more than a decade positioning Saor as one of the seminal Celtic/Folk black metal acts in the country.

Hailing from Glasgow, he's still the driving force behind the band to this day, performing all the vocals, guitars, bass, synths on the records, with guest musicians adding percussion, woodwind, pipes, strings to create the 'Caledonian Metal' inspired by the legacy and landscapes of his native country that have come to define the band.

The first albums were sprawling folk/black metal epics and while later records brought more focus, layering and defined lyrical storytelling the esoteric sound of Marshall's early work was never fully forgotten, and on Caledonia, he has looked back to go forward with record that features five compositions from Roots, Aura, and Guardian, renewed for 2026.

Marshall utilising his 13 years of experience as a performer, producer and arranger to redefine these early songs alongside producer Chris Fielding, in a way they have evolved on stage and elsewhere in the time since their first recording. With a much more expansive dynamic range and fully cinematic arrangements, that weren't able to be fully realised when they were recorded the first time.

For this reimagining of early greatness, Marshall has brought in drummer Carlos Vivas and violinist Àngela Moya Serrat along witg Ella Zlotos who not only adds angelic/haunting vocals against the harsher tones of Andy, along with tin whistle, low whistle, and Uilleann pipes, to fully flesh out the folk influences..

Not a reinvention but realisation, you will have heard these songs before if you've been following SAOR in the past 13 years, but you won't have heard them like this. The spirit of Caledonia is strong with this five track return to the early Roots of Andy Marshall and Saor. 8/10

Deathchant – Kova (RidingEasy Records) [Spike]

When fellow reviewer and trusted set of ears Rich Piva tells you you're going to love an album, you sit up, pay attention, and get the headphones on without delay. 

Rich rarely misses the mark on recommendations, and with Kova, the fourth full-length from Los Angeles crew Deathchant, he has knocked it clean out of the park. 

This isn't just another rowdy, tire-smoking hard rock outing; it’s an emotionally charged, raw-nerve eulogy that balances full-throttle rock 'n' roll swagger with the aching weight of brotherhood, grief, and survival.

Named in honour of their late best friend Davey Kova, a man who lived fast, white-knuckled life at full speed, and tragically passed away during the writing sessions, the record acts as both a raucous, Viking-style send-off and an unflinchingly intimate look at loss. 

Frontman and producer Thomas J. Lemieux (TJ) poured a brutal stretch of life directly into these songs: welcoming a child, navigating a divorce, battling the bottle, and mourning close friends. Mixed by Zach Weeks at Kurt Ballou's revered God City Studio, the sonic result is drier, punchier, and more deliberate than anything Deathchant have tracked before. 

The vocal reverb has been pulled back, putting TJ’s gravelly, soulful rasp right in your face where every ounce of strain and grit can be felt in real time.

The record hits the ignition immediately with lead single Enemy. Starting with groaning, distorted feedback, a sharp melodic guitar lick suddenly kicks the doors off their hinges, hurtling into a galloping duel of NWOBHM-infused twin guitar harmonies courtesy of TJ and Doug Stuckey. 

Built around the introspective realization that you are often your own worst enemy, the track pairs breakneck speed with screeching wah-drenched solos, proving that self-reckoning hits hardest at maximum volume.

That ferocious pace carries straight through Red Sun and Funeral Pyre, driven by the relentless, pocket-tight rhythm section of bassist Quinn-George Camacho and drummer Nick "Joose" McDonnell. 

It’s got that greasy, intoxicating West Coast collision of Thin Lizzy boogie, Motörhead grit, and doom-laden psych fuzz that Deathchant have honed across releases like Waste and Thrones, but sharpened into razor-tight hooks.

Where Kova elevates itself into a truly profound record, however, is across its deeply vulnerable midsection. After the brief, swirling breather of Reverie, Worshipper steps up as arguably the darkest cut on the release. 

Smouldering with heavy riffs and an eerie sample of singer-songwriter Shannon Lay drifting over distant, gothic string arrangements, TJ takes aim at the weaponization of spirituality and faux-righteousness by toxic narcissists. 

It’s bitter, heavy as hell, and played with palpable venom.

Then comes the centrepiece emotional double-punch of the six-minute epic Ruin and the title track, Kova. Moving between mournful acoustic strums where TJ sings with quiet heartbreak ("I heard that little boy go quiet, with heavy hearts we said goodbye") and a colossal, swinging stomp of triumphant power chords ("Call him the king of wild hearts").

It perfectly captures the two sides of Davey's spirit, the wild, self-destructive darkness and the generous, radiant light. It’s rare for a hard rock band to wear grief on their sleeve so openly without tipping into melodrama, but Deathchant pull it off with sheer authenticity.

Closing out with the dusty, blues-soaked guitar cries of Forgiveness ("Truth is a chamber of bullets and echoes of friends") and the haunting, cinematic exhale of Requiem, you're left feeling like you've just shared a late-night toast over a campfire in the middle of nowhere, swapping stories of absent friends until the embers burn out.

Kova is a total triumph. It’s heavy, cathartic, and packed with irresistible riffs, but anchored by a beating, bruised heart that gives every single groove lasting purpose. Rich Piva called this one early, and he was dead right, an essential, deeply rewarding record that deserves to be spun loud and often. 9/10

Ruynor – Metal To The Punk (Metalapolis Records) [Spike]

There are times when you don't need boundary-pushing post-metal soundscapes, seventeen-minute conceptual epics, or pristine, surgically corrected production. 

Sometimes you just need three blokes in a room plugging straight into the front of an amplifier, stepping on the gas, and playing filthy, high-octane rock 'n' roll like their lives depend on it. 

That’s precisely what Southern Germany’s Ruynor deliver on their fourth studio full-length, Metal To The Punk. Coming into this completely blind for a first listen, it only took about thirty seconds to put a massive, unabashed grin on my face.

Founded back in 2013 in Geislingen by frontman/guitarist Twisted-Felix Ruyn and bassist Dome Ruyn (later joined by drummer Sammy Sin Ruyn), the trio spent five years quiet on the studio front following 2021's Here We Go. 

But having Michelle Darkness of End of Green behind the mixing desk has paid serious dividends. They’ve returned louder, dirtier, and with a swaggering, beer-soaked sneer that hits with zero hesitation.

Right from the opening chords of Bring Bakk The Balls To Punk, the overarching influence smacks you square in the mouth: pure, unadulterated Motörhead. It’s got that greasy, fast-chugging Lemmy groove where the bass runs distorted and thick, the drums drive a relentless pub-rock beat, and the vocals sound like they’ve been marinated in bourbon, black tobacco, and gravel. 

Add in some unruly gang-shouted backing vocals, and it sets a riotous bar for the rest of the record.

They don't let up on 10 Years or Your Threats Don't Sway Me, blending the sawing guitars of classic UK punk (think The Damned and Sex Pistols) with the chugging, galloping riffs of early New Wave of British Heavy Metal. 

Then comes Metal Punk Commando, a sub-two-minute sprint that feels like an unhinged hybrid of Midnight and Ramones, fast, dirty, and made exclusively for spilling pints in a cramped mosh pit.

Across the twelve tracks, the band keeps the energy remarkably buoyant. Date Of Death leans heavily into their street-punk roots, while Twisted Daze & Hellfire Nites takes a fun, nostalgic detour into 80s hard rock. On Into The Mosh, Sammy’s hammering rhythm section drags you onto the floorboards.

While the guest appearance from Michelle Darkness on Nightmare (Horrific Scenes Of Days Past) brings a darker, horror-punk Misfits vibe into the recipe. By the time the incendiary riffs of P.C. Scum bring the curtain down, you feel like you've just survived a breathless Friday night pub brawl.

Sure, it's not trying to reinvent the wheel, and occasional tracks like Misanthropic Tendencies stumble slightly in momentum compared to the bangers around it. But Ruynor aren't here to lecture you, they're here to tear down polite genre boundaries and deliver raw, unpretentious fun with teeth. 

If you love fast riffs, filthy basslines, and that unmistakable Motörhead drive, Metal To The Punk is an absolute blast from start to finish. 8/10

Reviews: Little Angels, Deathbarrel, Bosco Sacro, Coilguns (Matt Bladen, Spike, Will Bond & Joe Guatieri)

Little Angels - Big Bad & Back (Self Released) [Matt Bladen]

Little Angels managed to capture lightning in a bottle when they first burst in to the scene in 1984, for a decade they were the UK's premier glam rock export with appearances on TOTP, support slots to Van Halen and Bon Jovi but with slow record sales they staged one last hurrah at the Royal Albert Hall.

In the interim all the band members joined other projects before they came back for a year in 2012 but this again was weighed down with other commitments but it seems that in 2026, Little Angels are Big, Bad & Back, this new EP featuring a return of the Jam-era line-up; vocalist Toby Jepson, guitarist Bruce Dickinson, keyboardist Jim Dickinson, bassist Mark Plunkett and drummer Mark Richardson.

They announced a very rare tour that comes at the end of this month, but once a creative always a creative, as they returned to their rehearsal space in Scarborough and started to create new songs which they went to Chapel Studios to record before the completed verisons made its way to mixing legend Mike Fraser.

Suddenly and without warning they had their first new music since 1994, recapturing that feeling of jamming together in the early days but finding new things to say as a band with a long shared history on all sides of the rock world from recording, to management, to radio DJing but as band who are also in their mid 50's.

It's not a new album, but a five track EP that kicks the door in with All For One, a defiant, politically charged, unifying rocker that features the big percussive power, the choppy guitars, those soulful vocals and of course the horns in the background, it builds towards a frenzy crescendo and announces that Little Angels are indeed back!

I've always had a soft spot for Little Angels, which comes from my admiration for Toby Jepson's voice, for me he's the perfect rock n roll front man and hearing him with the Dickinson brothers, and the two Mark's on tracks such as the bluesy Hero (That Was Then, This Is Now), it feels like they've never been away.

Small Town Boys channels the majesty and nostalgia of The Who, with it's pulsating organs, as You Want Love goes back into bluesing with this updated number from their Too Posh To Mosh EP, reminagined as a duet between Jepson and Doris Brendel, it's a great continuation from where they left off in 1994.

The EP closes with the rocking gospel-tinged, harmonica driven Raised To The Ground there is no doubt in my mind that Little Angels are Big, Bad & Back (hopefully for good!). 8/10

Deathbarrel– Life Resignation Notice (Soulseller Records) [Spike]

Metal has always possessed an uncanny ability to bleed into the weirdest, darkest fringes of contemporary music. Every now and then, a record comes along that sits way outside standard genre boundaries, daring you to figure out what shelf it actually belongs on. 

Hailing from Stavanger on the cold southwest coast of Norway, Deathbarrel proudly dub their sound "True Norwegian Outlaw Country." Borrowing the uncompromising, purist slogan of second-wave black metal.

Slapping it across dusty acoustic guitars, murder ballads, and Appalachian gothic dread, their latest offering and first full-length album in fourteen years, Life Resignation Notice, is an absolute marvel of niche, outsider storytelling.

Sitting down with this record, my mind instantly wandered back to the dusty, dust-choked desert gothic atmosphere of Dawnrazor by Fields Of The Nephilim, collided head-on with the macabre, bluegrass-fuelled darkness of The Dead South, and spun together with a genuine, heavy metal bite. 

It shouldn't come as any surprise that this landed on Soulseller Records, an imprint usually revered for underground black and death metal or that Norwegian metal royalty like Abbath publicly raved about it ("Haunting, authentic, well-honed and crafted... 

This stirs the Dust – Demons deep in the Canyons"), with guest spots featuring Hoest (Taake) and Dominator. The metal pedigree is in the marrow; it’s just being channelled through banjos, baritone groans, and the cold North Sea wind.

The album sets its bleak stage with a brief Intro before galloping into Pale Rider. Right away, the atmosphere wraps around you like a moth-eaten trench coat. 

Ottar B. Stangeland’s vocals are low, raspy, and marinated in stale whiskey and hard miles, trading between traditional outlaw country twang and a menacing, gothic drawl that wouldn't feel out of place on a vintage Sisters of Mercy record. 

Rolf Gjesdal’s electric guitar leads slice through the acoustic strumming with jagged, metallic distortion, proving they aren't playing polite Nashville pastiche.

Where Deathbarrel truly excel is across their murder ballads and character studies. Suffer You and the exceptional lead single Calm Before The Storm take classic country storytelling and drag it through icy Scandinavian fjords. 

There are no tidy happy endings, no radio-ready redemption arcs, and zero polite polish, just bad decisions, open graves, and driving rhythm work anchored by bassist and producer Tollak Friestad. The drum arrangements have a heavy, physical thud that gives every track genuine room-clearing weight.

The midsection pulls no punches. Going Down and Capsized Dance inject a jaunty, dark-cabaret stomp into the proceedings, sounding like a tavern band playing while the floorboards rot beneath their boots. Then you hit Four Sisters, a sprawling, cinematic tragedy where acoustic guitars and mournful string arrangements interweave with crushing emotional resonance.

Even when they lean into dark humour, it hits like a lead pipe. A Classic Christmas Song is as far from festive cheer as humanly possible, subverting the holiday trope with pitch-black folk tragedy and eerie folk fiddles. 

Down the back stretch, the apocalyptic dread of End Of Days clears the path for their rendition of the traditional standard O'Death. Running that iconic, mournful hymn through heavy distorted chords, cavernous vocal barks, and suffocating doom atmosphere makes it one of the absolute peaks of the entire record. 

Closing out on the defiant, exhausted strums of Don't Mind Me, you feel like you’ve just staggered out of a remote Norwegian roadhouse at four in the morning.

Life Resignation Notice is a rare, fascinating beast: a record that takes the grit of American outlaw country, the brooding melodrama of 80s gothic rock, and the unyielding coldness of Norwegian metal, fusing them into a seamless, deeply compelling statement. 

It’s dark, authentic, and utterly captivating. An essential spin for anyone who loves heavy music when it dares to roam off the beaten trail. Personally I love this. 9/10

Bosco Sacro - Inhabit (Supernatural Cat) [Will Bond]

Italian quartet Bosco Sacro blend elements of trip hop, ambient, shoegaze and doom, on their new record Inhabit. The dense soundscapes provide a surface for the vocals to dance on, weaving up and under while the sound morphs and transforms.

Inhabit opens the album with waves of reverb soaked guitars and sweeping pads, driven by meditative drums and bass. Gift From The Fog follows with a lamenting guitar and soft vocals just above a whisper, while rhythm emerges from the ambience. 

It is a soft, contemplative album, the music doesn’t so much hit, as it swells and breaks like waves of sound. It is incredibly wide sonically, I expect there are layers which are imperceptible to the listener, but which are deepening and backing up the sound.

Vertigo opens with a soft bass line with hints of flamenco under reverb soaked vocals, then drops into a haunted verse reminiscent of Portishead. It builds to a huge heavy section, seemingly achieved through layering of sound rather than through extra distortion. There are beautiful vocal performances throughout the record, with the band working together to create a cinematic ambience.

Trickster has a primal rumble to it, with repeated mantra like vocals, while swelling guitars build to a fuzzed rumbling later section. The Future Past finishes the album with an ambient intro leading to a menacing bass line. The track has an unsettling mood, and layer upon layer of sound grows, slowly engulfing the listener.

Inhabit evokes a feeling of late nights and introspection, with tracks moving from part to part without sharp changes, building and receding naturally. It is a record that requires multiple listens to really get a hold of as there is a lot at play here. 

Turn down the lights, put on your headphones and sink into an ocean of sound. 7/10

Coliguns - Everything We Love, We Destroy (Humus Records) [Joe Guatieri]

Coilguns are a long-running Noise Rock band from Switzerland, forming back in 2011. Over time they have amassed a great discography, covering all sorts of ground, with their last release being their 2025 EP, Lost Love.

I first heard of them when I saw them at ArcTanGent, back in 2025 but I have no footage to speak of, only my memory. I remember them impressing me with how loud and immediate they were. 

It’s safe to say that I was looking forward to hearing more from these guys and now I get that with 2026’s, Everything We Love, We Destroy.

We open with the album-titled track and we are presented with pulsating drums and bass which both feel on the verge of collapse with the vocals match that energy too. Then pianos appear in the chorus where a sense of calmness is felt, it’s humanity with a heartbeat. 

This juxtaposition can cause an itch if it doesn’t work but for some reason it feels welcome here, though the guitars do have less weight as a result.

Later on we go into track four with Platform Decay which displays more of Coilguns Mathcore tendencies with a busy approach. 

This is where I highlight my core critique with this LP which happened before, during and after this point where the band prioritizes melody over attack.

While their hooks are catchy and have a sharp and meaningful political edge to them, often they overtake the instrumental as it feels like the band slams on the breaks, focusing on the sound of the horn. 

Whilst this is unique for Noise Rock, everything needs to be loud in order for things to work in tandem with each other.

The further we go into Everything We Love, We Destroy, Coilguns change their tune, adding in some much needed volume to put in emphasis on where it matters. 

Track seven, Teach Ourselves, raises what I think is the most important subject that is brought up throughout the entire listen.

The song is about being ashamed at oneself for the damage that man has caused in all aspects of life, the fact that evilness has triumphed again and again and how people keep on getting away with it.

It mentions how if only people of different genders spoke about it, only so much can be done as men need to talk about it too. Some people sadly refuse to be educated and are ignorant about these matters and that’s not right.

This poor attitude needs to be stomped out of society at every single possible opportunity and men need to take responsibility and join in with this cause too as no one should ever be treated as less in this life. 

Coilguns approach the topic of Teach Ourselves with maturity, sincerity and good morals. It’s truly a moment that transcends the music as it’s something that you can apply to your life.

The last track on Everything We Love We Destroy is called Perfect Fit Content and is my favourite song on the record! It’s so tense and cutting, taking influence from both Grunge and Sludge Metal and has the effect of a punch in the gut.

The lyrics of this song insist on supporting human made art, fuck algorithms and typing in prompts. Find something that a person has crafted and put their soul into and love it, warts and all.

Coilguns have penned an album here that is a hammer on head in its directness. The words used throughout the runtime show a band that wants to change the world or at least people’s minds. 

Whilst I think that Everything We Love, We Destroy achieves the band's goals of putting meaning into every song, the music itself gets lost at some point along the way.

To repeat myself from earlier on, the further you dive into this album, the heavier it gets, having more impact in the musicality and this really should have been done from the start. It seems to me that Coilguns have put too many eggs into one basket and other areas lack a spark sometimes as a result.

Overall, with Everything We Love, We Destroy, Coilguns have constructed a bridge that has a rock solid foundation, it performs its purpose as intended but it lacks hand rails that guide you to the other side. 

The bio for the record on Bandcamp states “This is Coilguns writing urgent music in urgent times” and this sums up the entire listening experience perfectly. I’m very impressed here but this Rock, needed more Noise. 7/10

Reviews: Saturna, Hijss, Son Of Boar, Mushroom Beard (Spike & Matt Bladen)

Saturna – Light And Shadow (Spinda Records/Discos Macarras) [Spike]

I’ll be the first to admit that dropping a record tagged as "Heavy Rock" onto my desk usually means a bit of a recalibration. 

When you spend the bulk of your listening hours neck-deep in cavernous death metal, suffocating post-sludge, and abrasive hardcore, stepping into the realm of warm vintage valves, dual guitar harmonies, and classic 70s-infused swagger can feel like taking a completely different motorway. But good music is good music, regardless of how far it sits from your default corner of the underground. And across the forty-six minutes of Light And Shadow, Barcelona’s Saturna make a damn convincing case for stepping off the extreme-metal path.

Arriving as the Catalan quartet’s sixth studio full-length and backed by striking cover artwork courtesy of long-time collaborator Jondix (well known for his iconic visual work with Tool), Light And Shadow finds the four-piece operating with the seasoned confidence of a band that knows their craft inside and out. Rather than churning out an exercise in hollow retro-fetishism or tired nostalgia, Saturna understand that classic heavy rock only works when the songs have actual swing, genuine dynamics, and a beating human heart.

The record opens with the moody, acoustic-tinged setup of Unheard before rolling straight into Falling Apart, and the live-in-the-room feel hits you immediately. Frontman James Vieco brings a soulful, smoky grit to his vocal delivery that feels thoroughly authentic, channelling that golden era where vocalists actually pushed from the diaphragm without relying on modern pitch-correction crutches. Behind him, the guitar interplay between Vieco and Alexandre Eriksson crackles with warm analogue distortion, anchored by the heavy, fluid rhythm section of bassist Rod Tirado and drummer Enric Verdaguer.

The title track, Light And Shadow, is an absolute standout. It’s a driving, propulsive rocker that balances infectious blues-rock hooks with subtle flashes of proto-metal punch, capturing the push-pull lyrical tension between opposing forces, internal conflicts, and finding clarity amidst life’s fog. It bleeds seamlessly into Absence and About You, where the band demonstrates their greatest asset: sonic malleability. 

They can lock into a muscular, riff-heavy groove that nods respectfully to classic Thin Lizzy, UFO, or early Grand Funk, and then pivot effortlessly into breezy, melodic alternative rock and psych-tinged contemplation without missing a single beat. Across the second half, the record refuses to settle into a predictable groove. Cuts like So Long and lead single Self Told Lies pack infectious hooks and fiery guitar solos that beg to be heard through rolled-down car windows on a sunlit afternoon. 

Meanwhile, acoustic interludes like Opus One and the easy, soulful blues shuffle of Drifting provide brilliant atmospheric contrast, paving the way for the doomier, riff-thick rumble of Words Of Doom before closing out with the reflective, spoken-word-laced charm of A Strange Mix Of Humans.

Coming into this a little outside my usual sonic diet, Light And Shadow proved to be a thoroughly refreshing, deeply engaging surprise. It’s got warmth, killer guitar craft, exceptional songwriting, and zero pretension. 8/10

Hijss – Hijss (Heavy Psych Sounds) [Spike]

There is nothing quite like the feeling of going into an album completely blind. No baggage, no preconceptions, just dropping the needle and seeing what the hell comes out of the speakers. 

Hailing from the Autonomous Province of South Tyrol in Northern Italy (around the Bolzano and Laives valley), power trio hijss are a brand new name on my radar. After spending some quality time with their self-titled second offering, they’ve made such a massive impression that I’m already heading straight over to dig up their 2024 debut, Stuck On Common Ground. This is an absolute gem of a record.

Released via the ever-reliable Heavy Psych Sounds, hijss doesn't behave like a conventional, run-of-the-mill stoner or psych album. Instead of leaning into tired Sabbath worship or predictable retro fuzz jams, this three-piece, comprising Lois Lane (guitars, vocals, electronics), Pan (bass, synth), and Maurice (drums), takes the raw, physical collision of a noise-rock trio and launches it headfirst into cosmic, hypnotic "kosmo-kraut" territory. It’s got the unvarnished grit of 90s alternative rock and the biting attitude of post-punk, but wrapped around pulsating electronic textures, motorik krautrock rhythms, and deep space exploration.

The record opens with the seven-minute epic Drain Of Thoughts, and it pulls you straight into their orbit. Rather than battering you immediately with a wall of noise, they let the groove stretch out, breathe, and hypnotize you. Pan’s bassline carries a massive, physical presence that feels like it’s vibrating through the floor, while Maurice’s drumming provides an insistent, trance-like pulse. Over the top, Lane’s guitars grind and soar, weaving sharp, fuzzed-out distortion with eerie synthesizer tones that add a cold, mechanized edge to the warmth of the power trio format.

From there, Vicious Cycle and Parasite tighten the screws with nervous, punk-derived momentum. It’s heavy, but never clumsy; there's a constant, bubbling tension in how they circle around their riffs, making it feel like the music is perpetually gathering itself for a massive detonation.

The centrepiece of the album brings pure dynamic brilliance. Underwater is a gorgeous, melancholic curveball, a fragile, spacey ballad dripping with genuine atmosphere and heartache that completely disarms you before the driving, intoxicating electro-fuzz pulse of Dopamine takes over. Then you hit the seven-minute sprawl of S.W.A.N., which pushes into the shadowy, translucent edges of their sound, hovering beautifully between raw physical noise and ethereal drift.

Closing out with the jagged punch of Fatal Attraction and a moody, atmospheric Outro, you realize hijss have pulled off something exceptionally rare: they’ve made an album that works as a seamless, immersive journey from the first note to the last. They haven't abandoned the raw abrasion of noise-rock; they’ve simply discovered that noise hits with twice the impact when you give it room to travel and breathe.

Coming into this fresh, hijss has been one of the most thoroughly enjoyable surprises to cross my listening desk recently. If you love heavy music that dares to be hypnotic, adventurous, and gloriously unclassifiable, do not sleep on this band. Now if you’ll excuse me, I’ve got their debut album waiting to be spun. 9/10

Son Of Boar - The Hand That Reigns (Pale Wizard Records) [Matt Bladen]

Another recent Pale Wizard Records release, who are on fire with signing bands at the moment. The Hand That Reigns is the second album from Bradford stoner/doom band Son Of Boar, a band who have spent the last few years forging a formidable reputation on the UK live scene.

It's seen them support Conjurer, Desert Storm and Sergeant Thunderhoof which explains them joining Pale Wizard for this record. Their debut in 2021 was an example of their idea of 'Grim North', harsh, heavy and drawn from the the vista of Ilkley Moor to harsh concrete of their city's textile and steam industries.

Their music is a result of where it comes from, similarly to the NOLA scene in the USA, it's a reflection of their surroundings, through crushing sludge stomps, desert rock expansion and Sabbath worship, they honed their heaviness but with second album they take it further, in as many directions as they can be that getting louder, more atmospheric or harsher than on their debut.

Stepping into Corner House Studios with Kurt Wood, The Hand That Reigns saw the band members navigating hard times, which bleeds into their music, making for a four tracker that is full of gruelling sludge grooves, punctuated visceral hardcore screams, it's an aggressive record which channels dark times through the sound they have defined but far grimmer and murkier.

The frustration can be felt on first single In The Eyes Of Hatred, which reminds me of the mighty fuzz of Crowbar, or Down then they're at their steamrolling best, while Lord Dope is full of low end boom and an incredible slow burn, that builds with guitar solo driven Sky Valley psychedelia, though it struggles to match the glacial pace, emotional power and sense of catharsis that comes through on Warning Of The Witch.

The Hand That Reigns brings more sonic demolition from Son Of Boar, charged with emotion, armed with huge riffs, it's one hell of a monolithic record. 9/10

Mushroom Beard - Mushroom Beard (Pale Wizard Records) [Matt Bladen]

Stoke-On-Trent stoners Mushroom Beard have grown out of the desert blues rock of Quiet The Thief, three members of that band blooming into a psychedelic, stoner doom band that plays music that is slower, heavier, fuzzier, like audio treacle that is there to consume you.

The trio also seem to have an affinity with prog rock as their self- titled debut album is a concept record that tells a story across six colossal tracks through "cosmic journeys, woodland spirits, and strange encounters" the story unveils itself though chugging, thunderous riffs, spatial atmospheres and inventive storytelling.

It's all very deliberate as Stig Chell (guitar/vocals), Gareth Harding (bass) and Norbert Hussey (drums) wanted to explore the louder, heavier and an all together more sweeping style of music than in their other band, it's a hypnotic ride through their collective creative mindset that draws from Sleep, High On Fire and Cathedral.

The trampling riffs of March Of The Shroom Elephant begins this odyssey with some serious heaviness, all based on the grooven and propulsion, it's a fine way to begin this before Elden Beard, builds from an Al Cisneros-like bass throb into some blissed out voyaging across this ten minute ride.

Recorded at Paladin's Studio, the mix and master comes from the wizards Josh Gallop and this record is being released by Pale Wizard, who's co-founder and vocalist of Sergeant Thunderhoof, Dan Filcroft gives his voice to the chunky swirling psych of Speech Of The Leaf And Beard.

By appearing on the record and signing them to his label it not only adds another element to this band, but shows that they are making waves in the stone doom scene and Mushroom Beard is an impressive debut album from this band of the same name, huge riffs, woozy ambience and reverbed vocals.

It's a triumph of psychedelic stoner doom and as Fungal Haze unfurls into Khala-Shai, you want to relive this story all over again. Sublime heaviness from these hairy fun guys. 9/10

Reviews: Cirith Ungol, Stoned Jesus, Rattlesnakes, Black Royal (Matt Bladen & Spike)

Cirith Ungol - All The Shadows (No Remorse Records) [Matt Bladen]

Cirith Ungol are mentioned a lot in this publication and that's because they've influenced countless bands under the 'epic metal' umbrella with their unique sound.

Merging the NWOBHM, 70's heavy rock and doom metal they have had a potted history of existence since their formation in the 1970's.

They've been fully back since 2015, releasing two albums before this one, but it was their return to the stage that was hailed as the bigger deal as live shows were few and far between so their return to the stage has been lauded, but in 2024 the announced they would perform their last shows.

It seems it's hard to keep a good band down as they're now releasing their seventh album All The Shadows through Greek label No Remorse Records, as it's the Greeks who have seen the lions share of these shows since 2015 as they have an affinity with Cirith Ungol and epic metal on the whole. So what's All The Shadows like?

Well it's Cirith Ungol, heavy metal distilled, with the heavy riffage of the title track getting what the band called one of their "strongest efforts ever."

Going with all the heavy metal power you want, the doom comes This Mortal Stain and Turning Blind as Tim Baker's distinctive vocals howl at the moon on track such as Shallow Reflection and Empty Tomb.

They bring the epic feel of their music on the cinematic On Broken Wings, which has a lot of acoustic guitars and drama, that continues on Hollow Nimbus. 

By the time the bass driven Venus In Thirds closes All The Shadows, there's very little argument that this could be one of the best Cirith Ungol albums in their lengthy career. 9/10

Stoned Jesus – Songs To Moon (Season Of Mist) [Spike]

There has always been far more instrumental intelligence and emotional depth to Stoned Jesus than their weed-dappled moniker might suggest to the uninitiated. 

Anyone who pigeonholes Ukrainian mastermind Igor Sydorenko and his crew as a mere bong-rattling stoner outfit has clearly missed the last decade and a half of relentless sonic evolution. 

Following on from the sun-scorched, sprawling ambition of 2025’s Songs To Sun, Songs To Moon arrives on Season Of Mist as the second chapter of Sydorenko’s grand thematic trilogy. 

Make no mistake: where its predecessor basked in blazing heat and daylight urgency, this chapter plunges headfirst into the cold, introspective night of the soul.

Clocking in at seven tracks across forty-one minutes, Songs To Moon asks a fair bit from the listener, but it rewards your patience tenfold. 

Sydorenko has openly reflected on how so many of his narratives feature characters either falling from great heights or gradually losing their grip, and that psychological freefall forms the dark spine of this entire record.

The journey opens with Under The Skin, and it wastes zero time blowing away any lingering cobwebs. It hits like a thunderous slab of post-metal, heavy, dissonant, and bruising—before letting Sydorenko’s soulful, melodic vocal rise through the murk. 

It bleeds straight into Velvet, which Sydorenko playfully teased as "What if Nirvana was shoegaze?" It’s a brilliant description; marrying fuzzy 90s grunge riffs with intoxicating, reverb-washed doomgaze textures, it boasts one of the most irresistible, melancholic choruses they’ve ever written.

From there, the record enters genuinely adventurous progressive territory. ZYX rolls forward on a driving, syncopated rhythm, leading directly into Syzygy. 

Sitting right at the physical centre of the track list and falling precisely at the midpoint of the entire album trilogy, it serves as the band's first-ever pure instrumental, cleverly threading melodic motifs from each chapter of the three albums into an atmospheric tapestry.

The theatrical peak of the album arrives with Jackal. At nearly seven minutes, it is Stoned Jesus operating as an eccentric mini-prog opera, shifting between jagged rhythmic stops, howling guitar leads, and harsh backing barks from bassist Andrew Rodin that push the band right to the brink of chaos before pulling back into focus.

Where Songs To Moon truly leaves an indelible mark, however, is its final, stark descent. In the proud tradition of classic records taking an acoustic left-turn, think Led Zeppelin III, Opeth's Damnation, or Alice In Chains' Jar Of Flies, the band strips away the colossal fuzz pedals for the back stretch. 

The eight-minute epic Window In My Room explores quiet, intimate space like the band never has before, letting delicate acoustic strumming and hushed vocals carry the emotional weight. 

It transitions into closer One More Empty Day, where nylon-string acoustics and the faint, atmospheric sound of a rainstorm close the curtain on a note of weary, hard-won wisdom ("And when the sun goes down / It brightens up my mood").

Songs To Moon is a bold, challenging, and profoundly moving statement. It isn't afraid to let the silence hurt or trade crushing riffs for fragile beauty. As the halfway mark of this massive conceptual cycle, it proves Stoned Jesus are operating at the absolute peak of their compositional prowess. 

An essential listen. 9/10

Rattlesnakes - Shadows In The Night (Listenable Records) [Matt Bladen]

Do you know how good you have to be to be signed to a label like Listenable Records for your debut? Well that's exactly what has happend with UK heavy metal act Rattlesnakes.

They released their first EP, Deeper Shades Of Torment was released in 2025 and it got rave reviews, massive listening figures and saw Rattlesnakes arrive as one of the British heavy metal bands to watch. It also led to them getting signed with Listenable Records and they set about writing their debut full length.

A huge part of their appeal as a band is that they treat 80's NWOBHM with some serious respect, no tongue in cheek here, just fist clenching, leather clad heavy metal, drawing from the greats of the genre such as Judas Priest, Iron Maiden, while there's also a lot of influence from Warlock and Chastain while Breakdown reminds me of Motorhead.

Now if you've not heard of Chastain then go listen to them but Rattlesnakes share a lot of similarities with the US powerhouse, founded by guitarist David Chastain who was key person in Gus G's career, his love of speed and shred is shared by Josh Brown and George Charleston, on blistering Lost Nor Found.

While there's bouncy and deceivingly techinical grooves from Elliot Dryden (bass) and Nathan Gratton (drums) on Spellbound, heavy metal galloping on For Even Gods Can Die, as things get folksy on Where The River Meets The Sea, a track that even features some flute to really show the creative brilliance of Rattlesnakes.

Rattlesnakes' influenece of Chastain can be heard mainly in the incredible vocals of Rowena Neale , the right kind of rough, but delivered with muscle and might she also reminds me of Lzzy Hale on Destroyer, The Other Side Of Midnight which adds a shimmering glimmer/AOR sheen.

Rattlesnakes pay homage to their love of classic heavy metal on Shadows In The Night, the Nottingham mob do so wrapped in modern trappings and aggression but heavy metal is their game and they play it extremely well. 

Keep you ear to the ground as these snakes are poised to strike. 9/10

Black Royal – Abyssian (M-Theory Audio) [Spike]

Labelling Finnish sludge metallers Black Royal under one neat banner has always been a fool’s errand. 

Ever since they first emerged from Tampere, the quartet have proudly brewed an unholy, subterranean cocktail they’ve previously coined "death 'n' roll" or apocalyptic sludge-death. 

On their fourth studio album, Abyssian, they plunge headfirst into the crushing, lightless depths of the oceanic void. It is a record dripping with dark, suffocating atmospheres, built from an eclectic DNA strand where the greasy pub-sweat and driving bounce of Motörhead collides head-on with the blackened, ritualistic majesty of Behemoth and the melodic, battle-hardened stomp of Amon Amarth.

Clocking across ten tracks, Abyssian wastes zero time dragging the listener down beneath the crushing weight of the continental shelf. The journey commences with Abyssian Doom, setting a grim, cavernous tone that immediately showcases their affinity for classic Scandinavian buzzsaw HM-2 guitar tones paired with sluggish, tectonic sludge. 

Just when you think you’ve settled into a standard funeral crawl, Water Of The Crow and Extremophiles kick the tempo into gear with that unmistakable Motörhead-style engine block rumble, dirty, direct, and driven by a bassline that rattles loose fillings.

What keeps Abyssian so thoroughly engaging is its refusal to let the murk turn into a stagnant pond. On Suffocation and Vetehinen (named after the treacherous water spirits of Finnish folklore), the band weaves eerie, folkloric dread into huge, mid-tempo Viking-metal swagger. 

Sharfe's throat-tearing roars carry immense gravitas, sounding like an ancient titan bellowing through seawater, while Toni's guitars layer mournful melodic leads over crushing rhythmic downstrokes.

The standout centrepiece of the record is undoubtedly Drown The Seaweed. Premiered via Decibel Magazine, it condenses everything Black Royal excel at into a single, devastating package: rolling double-kick artillery, eerie aquatic sound design, and an infectious, neck-snapping groove that makes you want to smash pint glasses against a stone wall. 

It proves that heaviness doesn't have to sacrifice a killer hook.

Down the back half, In Dark Embrace and Tidal Wave deliver on their promises of pure dynamic violence, ebbing and flowing between atmospheric ambient lulls and crushing sonic floods. 

Closing out with the murky depths of Shallow Waters and the sprawling, apocalyptic weight of Beneath The Surface, the album leaves you feeling like you’ve survived a gruelling, oxygen-deprived dive into the Marianas Trench.

Abyssian is a massive, multi-genre assault that hits with physical, room-shaking force. By anchoring their crushing sludge-death attack to irresistible rock 'n' roll momentum and blackened atmospheric weight, Black Royal have delivered their darkest, heaviest, and most formidable statement yet. 

A crushing, essential spin. 8/10

Review: Crystal Throne, Powermönger, Avaland, Unchained Vengeance (Matt Bladen & Mateusz Stefanow)

Crystal Throne - Chantry Of Sacrifice (Self Released) [Matt Bladen]

The third band reviewed recently with Crystal in their name, but where as the other two were power and melodic metal this one is much proggier in its delivery.

With inspiration of Symphony X, Queensryche and Crimson Glory, all bands who love a concept and Crystal Throne are also drawn to a conceptual piece which is what Chantry Of Sacrifice is. A sci-fi record set in 5150, where the last human in the universe has to try and save Earth by altering the course of history.

Crystal Throne manage to tell their conceptual storyline through progressive metal town changes, genres shifts but also a lot of classic heavy metal in there as well as the twin guitar assault attacks, the bottom end gallop through every changing rhythms and a mixture of melodic moments and heavy cinematic soundscapes.

Guitar fans will find a lot to like on this record, it's got loads of shreddy moments even on the slower number such as Electrical Savior, there's a definite Queensryche influence on Walls Of The Silent Mourn and Insurgent Outcry while Antagonists features some female vocals to flesh out the characters.

This second album from the French band skillfully mix classic heavy with prog metal, another Crystal, another gem of a record. 7/10

Powermönger - Powermönger (Jawbreaker Records) [Mateusz Stefanow]

Some bands try to reinvent the wheel, and succeed, whilst others fail. Powermönger instead threw that idea in the bin and went back to 80s-era speed metal with their self-titled EP.

The self-titled title track is an immediate punch to the face, muddy mixing with a very subtle reverb effect on the vocals, with guitar riffs that slice through the mix much like a shark fin piercing through choppy waves. Powermönger know what they’re here to provide, and they provide it in bucketloads.

Leather Legions will be Powermönger’s moshpit song, it is fast-paced, punk-influenced, and reminds me heavily of Bonded By Blood by the Bay Area legends Exodus. Vocals steal the show here, raising the pitch up, before crashing down again.

Hellfighter is the song of the drummer, prioritising the percussion over the guitar in the mix, with those edgy satanic 80s metal lyrics that drew in all those oldheads back when. Off The Menu is shrieky and melodic, not to mention the fantastic percussive fills that continue the punk influences and gallop onwards to fist-pumping, head-banging heaven.

Order Of The Lich is heavy, thrashy and razor sharp, and personally I find it to be the high-point of Powermonger’s return to the 80s soundscape. Speed metal fans will immediately spot Max Overdrive for what it is- an Acid cover! Imitation may be the highest form of flattery, but this cover is not imitative, it stands on it’s own and shows respect to the dearly beloved greats of the scene.

Powermönger is a strong EP, it may not be the most unique addition to the scene, but it absolutely succeeds at calling back to what speed metal was, and what made it great. 7/10

Avaland - Chemical Poetry (Storytium SAS) [Mateusz Stefanow]

Chemical Poetry is the newest album of metal opera by Avaland, and right off the bat I was expecting something akin to Pavarotti, Price or Bocelli, but rather than that this album is more of a storyline with power metal musicianship, something in the vein of Ayreon.

Opening with When the Night Comes Alive, my immediate thoughts were that Avaland sound like a more mature Visions Of Atlantis, with grandiose sound design, with power metal lyrics and themes. Soaring synth segments lift the song up high, before we move on to the next track, Alchemy. Some complaints and weaknesses of this album start to crop up here, but I will touch upon these later.

Beauties And Beasts feels like it belongs in a 90s animated movie scene in a bar strangely enough, compounded by the back-up vocal sections, This speakeasy vibe is further continued with the blending of synths and guitar, and by the varying vocal styles explored in this song in particular. To Fool A Witch features Helle Bohdanoca doing growls, and Adrienne Mien, who are both super talented vocalists and a definite boon for this album.

As you may have pieced together already, this album feels rather bloated at 63 minutes runtime. It has definite strong points, but it is a diamond in the rough, and like this figurative diamond it requires the trimming of the chaff to highlight those strengths. 

Some of the songs, like Fate, or Alchemy do not bring much to the overall album, and have such repetitive sections that feel like they drag out the album and reduce the focus on what Avaland were going for. 5/10

Unchained Vengeance - Unbound And Unforgiving (Nameless Graves Records) [Matt Bladen]

Emerging from Portland, Oregon is new heavy metal act Unchained Vengeance, who combine two heavy metal veterans in former Vicious Rumors vocalist Nick Courtney and multi-instrumentalist Nick Wusz of Dolven/Travellers Rest.

This debut record is an ode to classic heavy metal, that features twin axe harmonies, powerful vocals and epic scores where there's acoustic beginnings that give way to epic theatrics on Only Ruins Remain, one of the ten "tales of warriors, conquest, revenge and redemption" that this album features.

Though one of them is an interlude which features dungeon synth musician Fen Walker to bring a cinematic tone to the record, but Unbound And Unforgiving is hinged on classic metal, from the swaggering The Whisper Of Sorrowbane, through the galloping Warrior Heart.

Unchained Vengeance then is a new project in veteran hands and this debut shows that I'm spades. 7/10

Reviews: The Eternal, Crystal Eyes, Embryectomy, Cardinals Folly (Spike, Matt Bladen, Mateusz Stefanow & Myrto-Panagiota Zacharof)

The Eternal – Obscured Horizons (Reigning Phoenix Music) [Spike]

Pulling off a multi-continental band dynamic is notoriously tricky, especially when your home bases are literally on opposite sides of the planet. Melbourne and Helsinki aren't exactly an easy commute. Yet Australian/Finnish dark metal collective The Eternal make that staggering geographical divide feel completely seamless. 

Anchored by the Australian founding nucleus of Mark Kelson (vocals, guitars) and Richie Poate (lead guitar), alongside the powerhouse Finnish rhythm section of bassist Niclas Etelävuori (ex-Amorphis, Flat Earth) and drummer Jan Rechberger (Amorphis), this crew has spent the last few years operating in a rich creative vein. Arriving on Reigning Phoenix Music as the follow-up to 2024’s widely praised Skinwalker and their recent Celestial EP, Obscured Horizons is their eighth full-length album and easily their most cinematic, textured, and emotionally heavy offering yet.

What immediately stands out across these nine tracks is how naturally The Eternal bridge classic gothic melancholia, crushing doom weight, and progressive metal sophistication. In lesser hands, blending the weeping sorrow of My Dying Bride or Paradise Lost with Finnish atmospheric majesty and the melodic sweep of progressive rock can turn into an over-engineered soup. 

Here, however, Kelson and Rechberger (who co-produced the record) have struck gold with the sonic mix: the guitars crunch with immense physical density, the low end is warm and massive, and Kelson’s vocals are front and centre, dripping with genuine, heartfelt gravitas.

The record opens in grand fashion with Lament For The Hollow. A slow-burning, melancholic build gives way to thunderous rhythm work from Rechberger and Etelävuori before Kelson’s voice soars into a towering chorus. 

Rather than surrendering entirely to bleak nihilism, the album sets its philosophical stalls early: confronting grief, fractured identity, and mental fog, but searching desperately for light on the other side. That defiance carries straight into Existing To Expire, a punchier, driving number packed with sharp guitar harmonies from Poate that evoke classic Finnish melodic metal without losing the band’s distinctive Australian gothic DNA.

The sequencing across the first half is exceptional. Colours Fade leans into sweeping, sorrowful melodies before Harmony Breaks takes the dynamic range up a notch. It’s got an infectious, bittersweet hook that burrows into the skull on the very first pass, contrasted by heavy, chugging riffs that hit with genuine room-shaking weight. Meanwhile, I've Seen The Dream serves up lush, progressive layers that bridge dark rock restraint with sudden bursts of atmospheric power.

Where the record truly enters elite territory, however, is on the sprawling B-side. Clocking in at seven minutes, Liminality is an absolute tour de force. It drifts patiently through atmospheric, keyboard-laced verses and delicate clean guitars before detonating into an expansive, progressive doom crescendo that feels tailor-made for closing your eyes and getting completely lost in. 

It flows effortlessly into the imposing title track, Obscured Horizons, which stands as arguably the defining track of the entire release. It condenses everything The Eternal excel at into five magnificent minutes: soaring vocal lines, razor-sharp melodic leads, and an irresistible rhythmic groove.

Down the back stretch, Yesterday's Gone catches you completely off guard with a punchy, technical opening that carries an unmistakable whiff of early Images And Words-era Dream Theater, before settling into a brooding, dark prog anthem. 

Closing out with the six-minute epic Awaken, the band brings the emotional journey to a triumphant, cathartic conclusion. There’s a palpable sense of renewal here, the clouds parting after a long, gruelling storm.

Obscured Horizons is a mature, beautifully crafted record that proves The Eternal are operating at the absolute peak of their powers. By balancing heavy doom-laden crunch with gorgeous progressive melody and sheer emotional honesty, they’ve delivered a dark metal masterclass that will stay on the turntable for a very long time. 9/10

Crystal Eyes - Thunder God (Massacre Records) [Matt Bladen]

For over 30 years Crystal Eyes have been delivering fist in the air power metal storght from the heart of Sweden. Thunder God is their ninth studio album and it's got all the elements of their sound you'd want from this band who have carved out their own niche over 30 years.

There's classic heavy metal of We Came, We Saw, We Conquered, some glam on Kids Of Rock N Roll, rampaging power metal on Follow The Storm and a few Maiden gallops courtesy of The Battle Will Be Won, it's a record with a lot of riffs driving the heavy metal anthems such as the the epic sounding Remembrance.

Mikael Dahl the voice and guitar and talisman of Crystal Eyes, laying down the melodic grooves on Metal Bound, celebrating the genre he's been so dedicated to since 1992 while a track such as A Silent Farewell allows them to bring a flair for the dramatic as Dahl really shows off his vocals here against a Blind Guardian-esque folk background.

With Thunder God, Crystal Eyes keep true to their Swedish heavy metal history, swords drawn high and Valhalla in sight, it's got a sense of the epic and lots of traditional heavy metal power. 8/10

Embryectomy – Vitriolic Baptism (Unique Leader Records) [Mateusz Stefanow]

The third full-length release from Greek slamming death metallers Embryectomy comes crashing in, titled Vitriolic Baptism, and listening to this album- yes you will feel like you’ve been dropped into a vat of pure unfiltered vitriol. Slam fans who do not recognise this band outright may recognise them from collaborations with Peelingflesh, .357 Homicide, Hacked Up and Slamskies, so their credentials in the scene check out.

The album opens with the melodic interlude Progeny Shredder, lulling us into a false sense of peace, before blasting into Ecumenical Lobotomy, where their drummer, Jake Gamble, clearly showcases his previous experience drumming for .357 Homicide, which does make the song feel like it could belong to either band. It is not the most rapid song, but it is heavy and crushing, before ending with an adapted Mortal Kombat sample.

Cranioclastic Infanticide and Psychoneurotic Hecatomb keep this slower paced tempo, but the lack of speed is compensated for by the razor-sharp guitar progressions and cymbal heavy drumming to keep up the hateful, heavy atmosphere.

Now Embryectomy pick up the tempo with more rapid songs, with the title track having the gnarliest breakdown of the album, before Chainsaw Symphysiotomy revs up like the titular chainsaw, with Marinas Tountas ripping our eardrums away with a stunning bass and guitar performance.

Newborn Martyrdom ends with a symphonic piano section that immediately seems glaringly out of place, but the disjoint actually adds to the disconcerting atmosphere.

By the time we reach Carbonized Genesis, we are introduced to an Evil Dead sample, immediately capturing the heart of this horror movie fan, while Kyriakos Destounis screams his vitriol down the microphone.

Overall, this is a very solid slam release, not offering anything particularly new to the scene but taken on it’s own merit it is very much worth a listen. 7/10

Cardinals Folly - Let The Posers Fall (Cruz Del Sur Music) [Myrto-Panagiota Zacharof]

Here we are with the brand-new, fresh and vibrant release from Cardinals Folly, Let The Posers Fall! 

The Finnish trio proudly pays homage to the classic heavy metal sounds of the 1980s and 1990s, drawing inspiration from bands such as Iced Earth, Grave Digger, Helloween, Candlemass, and Iron Maiden. The result is an album that feels both nostalgic and sincere, offering a refreshing dose of old-school heavy metal.

The first thing that catches the eye is the album artwork. Resembling a hand-drawn vintage movie poster, complete with elegant gothic lettering, it perfectly reflects the music within. From the outset, the band makes it clear that their goal is to deliver pure entertainment for fans of traditional heavy metal and doom metal, and for the most part, they succeed.

Lyrics in most songs are interesting, the trio takes inspiration from famous murders and world mythology. If there is one aspect that occasionally holds the album back, it is the vocals. At times, Mikko's voice seems pushed unnecessarily high, resulting in a somewhat strained and twangy delivery. Interestingly, whenever he sings in a lower register, the songs flow much more naturally and his performance becomes considerably stronger.

The album opens with House Of The Lords, an atmospheric introduction driven by commanding marching drums and prominent electric guitars that immediately establish the record's heavy-metal credentials. This leads into Hitch Hike, an honest and enjoyable old-school metal track that sounds as if it emerged straight from the crypt. 

Track three, Let The Posers Fall!, is a classic heavy metal anthem featuring galloping guitar riffs, technical drumming, memorable solos, and dynamic vocal shifts between low and high registers. It captures the spirit of the genre while remaining energetic and engaging.

The record continues with New York Ripper, which begins with a compelling minute-long introduction before launching into heavy doom-laden riffs. Its lyrics explore the intriguing concept of "What if Jack the Ripper had terrorised New York instead of London?"

Next comes I Am The Zodiac, another song centred around murder and mystery. Built on a backbone of heavy guitars, prominent bass lines, and deliberately paced drumming, the track creates a dark atmosphere and concludes with an especially satisfying finale. 

Track six, Luchador, is my personal favourite on the album. Opening with a slow and ominous introduction, it blends doom, heavy metal and sludge influences into one powerful composition. The lyrics, inspired by Aztec mythology and culture, add another layer of intrigue to an already captivating track.]

On Your Stallions Are Burning Tonight, the guitars take centre stage. The riff work feels empowering and energetic, while the drums remain impressively clear throughout. The vocals also shine here, benefiting greatly from a lower register that allows for excellent deep, growling interchanges.

Cultist Highway follows with an even stronger doom-metal flavour. Addressing all us heathens, the song combines crushing guitars with an interesting contrast between growled passages and more operatic vocal sections, creating one of the album's most distinctive moments.The final two tracks provide a fitting conclusion to the journey. 

Chiusura Invernale is a brief acoustic interlude that offers a moment of reflection before Providence closes the record in epic fashion. As the ultimate outro track, it effectively brings together the album's heavy and doom-laden atmosphere. 

With Let The Posers Fall, Cardinals Folly continue to build momentum and further establish their identity within the traditional heavy metal and doom underground. Despite some vocal choices that occasionally feel overstretched, the album delivers strong songwriting, memorable riffs, and an unmistakable love for classic metal traditions. 7/10

Reviews: Xentrix, Crystal Ball, Dragonland, Hostilia (Matt Bladen)

Xentrix - Allied With The Enemy (Listenable Records)

With a cover form Dan Goldsworthy that has Graham, their mascot dating back to 1990's For Whose Advantage, shaking hands with death, Xentrix have no intention of heading to their grave just yet as the UK thrash veterans return with their third album since they reformed in 2013.

It's also the third album with Jay Walsh on vocals/guitar, he joined Xentrix from Bull-Riff Stampede and has been instrumental in their resurgence, as founding members drummer Dennis Gasser and guitarist Kristian Havard along with bassist Chris Shires round out the band.

So does Allied With The Enemy offer anything you haven't heard before? No. Do you want it to? Also no. This is thrash, Xentrix style, born out of the American uprising and then shipped over to blighty, it was loud, brash, fast, furious and seriously politically motivated.

However when grunge was starting to rule the world, bands like Metallica and Megadeth were chasing radio fame, Xentrix were still flying the thrash flag right up until there first hiatus in 1997, returning, briefly they didn't start recording again until 2019's Bury The Pain but the fire is still very much there.

In fact I'd say the Xentrix of 2026 is probably the most aggressive version of the band, Jay's Tom Araya-like shout perfect for the political title track, while his rhythm guitar and Gasser's sharp drumming gives Killer Unknown it's propulsion, there's little time to take it easy, though On Burned Remains breaks out the acoustics and The Dark Eternal brings atmosphere.

It's a snap back to ferocity on Nil By Mouth which has Kristian adding flashes of guitar solo goodness with Chris Shires is the punch behind Doomsday Hook. Allied With The Enemy is another record of furious thashing from Xentrix, the bastion of British thrash still knock it out of the park. 8/10

Crystal Ball - Reset (Massacre Records)

25+ years and Crystal Ball return with new album and a line up refresh as new rhythm section as drummer Mike "Mr. Killjoy" Fahrni and bassist Chris Lauper join band founder Scott Leach (guitar), vocalist Steven Mageney and guitarist Peter Berger to form this next era of Crystal Ball

So don't call it a come back but rather a Reset which is where the album title has come from, as it seems Crystal Ball have set their sights on pushing their music further out of their native Switzerland than they have before armed with 12 new melodic metal tracks.

These range from the passionate rocking of I Wanna Know, to the speedy Just Because You Are and the strutting Revolving Door to the rousing European power metal of More Is Yet To Come. They're all full of big riffs, gritty vocals massive harmonies and some really good use of synths on every track, especially on the creeping Virtual Violence.

As the anthemic march of Good To The Bone and the driving Fire In Your Heels both highlight the renewed vigour of their new engine room, it feels as if Crystal Ball have been given an overhaul without surrendering anything that characterizes them from their earlier albums.

Still for fans of Pretty Maids and Jaded Heart, Crystal Ball, Reset but still write fist pumping melodic metal. 7/10

Dragonland - Prophecies (Scarlet Records)

Yeah they sound exactly what you think they will sound like.

Prophecies is the seventh studio album from Swedish symphonic power metal act Dragonland and if your a devotee of Rhapsody, Twilight Force (who they will be touring with soon), Stratovarius or Sonata Arctica then you'll be jumping up and down in power metal excitement as soon as that first light speed riff of The Prophecy Unfolds.

It's got that Euro gallop, songs about mythical creatures, adventurous journeys, fantasy worlds and more all played by a band who perfectly understand what's expected of them but aren't afraid to add some new textures too with synthwave moving through Survival Of Mankind and Dragonland.

Here they go radio bothering but before the long were back on blazing gallops set against epic orchestrations with Survival Of Mankind, the theatrical The Perfumed Jungles Of Chrysantion, the frankly brilliant Glory And Gold all having the best strings on the album as they showcase their keen ear for emotional balladry on Light Of The Sunset.

With their first album as a single guitar band, Dragonland have created their most varied music to date, revisiting the conceptual journey's of the past but with some new elements to conjure with. 8/10

Hostilia - The Curse Of Khamun (Hammerheart Records)

When looking for thrash metal you may not always head to Gothenburg. Usually the home of Melodeath, it seems the youngsters in Hostilia don't want to be the new In Flames, At The Gates or Dark Tranquility but rather want to emulate the Bay Area assault of early Metallica, Exodus and Slayer.

Their debut, Face The Fire dropped in 2025 and was welcomed by thrash fans everywhere as a return to the raw intensity of the 80's originators of the genre, having played tours with Dismember and Haunted, they went back to the studio to record their follow up The Curse Of Khamun, all organic, no digital augmentations just five musicians making a racket.

A racket that will be loved up by fans of the early thrash legends, back when they were full of youthful exuberance and raw intensity with buzzsaw riffage and widdly solos but they also show a maturity in their songwriting on Sleeping Water and they also expand their remit to the NWOBHM on Enchanter Of The Sea, which has a strong Phantom Of The Opera vibe.

With less than a year since their debut this new album gets going with The Awakening using B-Movie influences to welcome you into this record which features plenty of horror references, be they supernatural on The Ritual or in a warzone on No Mercy For The Weak and of course as the title track probably gives away the curse of Tutankhamun.

Early thrash, played by a young band that understand the genre perfectly, The Curse Of Khamun follows up in their debut with more precision thrashing that comes from the initial birth of the genre. 8/10

A View From The Rugby Club: King Kraken (Keith Boswell)

King Kraken / Deadwood – Maesteg Harlequins RFC, Maesteg, 31.10.26

Off the back of Steelhouse, Stonedead and Hella Rocks appearances this all Hallows Eve sees headliners King Kraken and supporting act Deadwood strutting their stuff in support of the Maesteg Harlequins RFC benefit initiative.

The night promises to be a good one with King Kraken playing both MCLXXX and also March Of The Gods in their entirety in two individual hour-long sets along with their most recent singles. Deadwood in support, will be playing a tribute set that they term as Maidallica with covers from both Iron Maiden and Metallica.

Deadwood kick off their set with Metallica’s Creeping Death followed up by the Iron Maiden staple Wrathchild moving steadily through song after song. It becomes very apparent that this band has a great degree of technical skill in that their delivery of the covers are near perfect with the lead vocalist also doing a great job out front. 

This excellent form continues throughout covering songs such as Sad But True, Wasted Years and The Trooper concluding their hour-long set with Hallowed Be Thy Name receiving a great response from the local crowd.

Time now for the headliners King Kraken who begin with their lead in sound track taken from the film Clash Of The Titans which ultimately gives direction to; release the Kraken!!

Immediately Karl Meyer on bass guitar unleashes the opening riff to Devils Night, the first track from MCLXXX. The crowd immediately start to bang their heads especially when the rest of the band come crashing into the song proper with Adam Kowalski Healy on lead / rhythm guitar and Rich Lee Mears on drums.

Vocalist, local boy, Mark Donahue starts to plough his way feverishly through the vocals like a man possessed. This opening salvo really sets the scene for the night to come, further tunes from this album follow including Bastard Liar and Green Terror both firm fan favourites mixed with the more unfamiliar live performed tunes in Walls Of Jericho and Proctors Ledge incidentally both of which are firm favourites of mine. I also have it on good authority that such tunes are unlikely to be played live again for some time so this was indeed a rare treat.

This first set concluded with Castle Of Bone maintaining the bands intensity in which Kowalski-Healy treats the crowd to an absolute shredding of the solo, it’s absolutely amazing and puts hairs up on the back of my neck every time.

After a well-earned interval the band emerge and commence the second set with one of their most recent singles; The Call To War and following on with the first song on the March Of The Gods album, Scream. Kraken then proceed excitedly and professionally through the album like the well-oiled machine that they are, playing such fan favourites as Berserker, March Of The Gods and Chainsaw Saviour.

The song, Hero, a big change in tempo, is up next. A song which is very much in the heart of Donoghue who invites the crowd to reminisce of lost friends and family. A very moving rendition of the song was given by the band receiving a great round of applause on its completion.

After a great night the set finally comes to a conclusion with the bands current single Shadows Fall, a song which epitomises the bands intent to deliver quality metal music which was well received by the crowd on the night.

It is clear that the progression as band from one album to the next in its complexity and sound is evident for all to see boding well for the future.

At the end of the show, I spoke to drummer Rich Lee Mears who remarked that the show was wild and the most interesting 2019 type show he’d been to but also maintained that it was fun but his hands were somewhat the worse for wear after that marathon!

King Kraken are due to play four dates this forthcoming week in support of Breed 77. After this twenty-three song extravaganza they could not be in a better place, look out! 9/10

Reviews: Hills Like White Lions, Shy Low, Caspian, Netherwilds (Spike)

Hills Like White Lions – Canary (Self-Released)

Every now and then, a record comes along that doesn't just meet your expectations for progressive and atmospheric post-metal, it completely redraws the boundary lines of what you thought the genre was capable of doing. 

Austrian quartet Hills Like White Lions have been quietly honing their craft over two previous conceptual records, but their third full-length, Canary, is an astonishing, monumental achievement. 

In an era where so many bands confuse sheer volume with sonic weight, this album lands with an architectural grandeur that feels truly galactic.

At its core, Canary is an ambitious coming-of-age concept album set against the vast, inhospitable canvas of deep space. Science-fiction allegories about human growth and personal trauma can easily collapse under their own pretension in lesser hands, but here, the narrative focus is laser-sharp. 

The band has introduced shouted, harsher vocals for the first time in their history to reflect the terrifying, disorienting horrors faced by the protagonist, and that emotional desperation grounds every single movement in genuine human stakes.

The record opens with the title track, Canary, a slow-burning masterclass in atmospheric tension that immediately shows off the ridiculous depth of Norbert Leitner’s production. 

The stereo field is jaw-droppingly expansive; instruments occupy distinct, physical three-dimensional spaces, allowing synths and delicate guitar figures to wrap around your head before the heavy rhythm section drops. It transitions seamlessly into Time Dilation, which pushes the polyrhythmic dynamic while maintaining an effortless, soaring melodic throughline.

What makes Canary such a triumph is how technique always bows to songwriting. Florian Wagner’s guitar tone is pristine, retaining immense low-end punch without ever turning to mud, and sparkling with clarity during complex, dense runs. 

Drummer Hannes Lettner and bassist Alexander Augustin give the heavy passages a tectonic, chest-rattling gravity, while Reinhard Farnberger’s synths feel like living, breathing atmospheric elements rather than decorative window dressing.

The guest appearances across the record are integrated with surgical brilliance. On Cosmic Loss, Pipi Gogerl adds haunting, ethereal clean textures that contrast gorgeously with the creeping weight of the riffs. 

Then comes Liminal Summer, where David Eklatanz of Heretoir lends his unmistakable post-black metal venom, elevating the track into a scorching, cathartic storm. These aren't just featured names slapped on a tracklist for internet clout; they expand an already majestic sonic tapestry.

The back half is where the emotional payload hits maximum velocity. Blown Away surges with kinetic energy, setting up And Again arguably the emotional centrepiece of the entire album. 

As the narrative reaches its fever pitch, the raw, impassioned shouts push through the mix with heartbreaking power, backed by guitar crescendos that feel designed to split open the firmament. 

By the time the sprawling, elegiac closer Iron Lung slowly builds to its transcendent, crushing conclusion, you are left sitting in absolute stunned silence.

Canary is an utter masterpiece of modern post-metal. It achieves what benchmark records like Opeth’s Ghost Reveries or Cult of Luna’s Mariner did in their prime: it creates an entirely immersive world where virtuosity and raw, vulnerable storytelling exist in perfect harmony. 

It demands to be experienced through the finest set of headphones you own, turned up loud, and taken in from start to finish. An instant, undeniable classic. This one was a stop review, buy physical album moment. 10/10

Shy, Low – Purity Spiral (Pelagic Records)

Instrumental records are always a bit of a high-wire act for me. 

Without a vocalist at the centre of the frame anchoring the emotional stakes, it’s remarkably easy for a band to drift off into background music, the sort of polite, meandering post-rock that noodles along pleasantly enough without ever grabbing you by the collar. 

To really stick, an instrumental heavy record has to construct tangible physical spaces, weave deep cinematic textures, and hit with genuine dynamic violence. On their fourth full-length, Purity Spiral, Richmond, Virginia quintet Shy, Low do exactly that.

Released once again via Pelagic Records (and a shout out to them here as I’m finding so much amazing stuff on this label), the album wastes zero time establishing its formidable sonic architecture. 

The record opens with Grace, a five-and-a-half-minute masterclass in controlled suspense. Rather than relying on tired, predictable build-to-crescendo formulas, Shy, Low build tension through intricate polyrhythms and sparkling, layered guitar lines that wrap around each other before detonating into suffocating, earth-moving heaviness. 

It flows seamlessly into The Bloat, which lands with a jagged, post-metal crunch reminiscent of Pelican or Russian Circles, anchored by Dylan Partridge’s thunderous, bone-shaking drum work.

What keeps Purity Spiral so completely gripping across its forty-seven-minute runtime is the incredible depth and physical texture of the arrangements. 

Guitarists Zak Bryant, Gregg Peterson, and Kai Zamora work not as competitive lead players, but as a three-headed atmospheric beast interweaving gossamer-thin clean tones, dark industrial tremolos, and crushing walls of distorted low-end. 

On Palmistry, that chemistry reaches a dazzling peak, gracefully navigating melancholic lulls, unexpected keyboard interludes, and ferocious, churning riffs that rattle right through your ribs.

After the brief, fiery breather of Burning Fields, the band unleashes what is arguably the most imposing stretch of their career. The Charging, Brazen Bull is an absolute monster of a track, marching forward with hypnotic, dread-soaked momentum before collapsing into pure, kinetic catharsis. 

The nine-minute title track, Purity Spiral, stretches their compositional ambitions even further, drifting through eerie, cavernous ambient depths before locking into a colossal, tectonic groove that feels like a mountainside sliding into the sea.

By the time the sprawling, eight-minute finale Greenwood slowly dissipates into delicate guitar echoes and resonant feedback, you're left with the distinct impression of having survived a physical transit.

Pulling off an instrumental record that demands your undivided attention from start to finish is no small feat, but Shy, Low have crafted a richly detailed, emotionally resonant, and punishingly heavy experience. 

If you think instrumental metal has nowhere left to go, Purity Spiral will gladly prove you wrong. An outstanding piece of work. 9/10

Caspian – Caspian (Wax Bodega)

When an instrumental post-rock band crosses the twenty-year milestone, the pressure of reinvention can become an albatross around their neck. 

The genre is notorious for backing artists into corners, you either spend your time chasing increasingly convoluted sonic gimmicks to prove you're still "progressive," or you surrender to tired, formulaic crescendos that fade into polite background ambience. 

Massachusetts quintet Caspian have spent two decades pushing at those boundaries, but on their sixth full-length and debut for Wax Bodega, they make an audacious choice: they stop trying to over-complicate things and simply trust what made them formidable in the first place.

Arriving six years after 2020’s On Circles, a record dropped right into the teeth of global chaos that left the band navigating what they candidly termed collective PTSD, Caspian feels like a profound exhale. 

With members now scattered across four different US states, the months of communal basement woodshedding that forged classics like Dust and Disquiet were impossible. 

Heading into the studio with producer Brett Romnes (Hot Mulligan, The Movielife), the band had to trust their first instincts. That enforced brevity has paid massive dividends; stripped of overthinking, this self-titled collection clocks in at a lean thirty-nine minutes across six tracks, and there isn't an ounce of wasted motion.

The album opens with Hiraeth, setting the tone with acoustic guitar arpeggios that intertwine with soaring violin, viola, and cello. It doesn't rush into a theatrical crescendo; it breathes, allowing the hypnotic, circular melody to expand naturally before bleeding seamlessly into Far Country. 

Here, Calvin Joss resurrects an old feedback pedal technique from their Waking Season era, sending the guitars splintering into glorious, fuzz-edged distortion that feels beautifully imperfect and thoroughly alive.

The centrepiece of the first half, however, is Remain. Anchored in the same key to create an unbroken nineteen-minute transit with the opening two cuts, it is a masterclass in slow-burning tension and dynamic release. 

Delicate piano keys and subtle side-stick percussion simmer before erupting into colossal, multi-tracked guitar swells that roll in like a thunderstorm off the Atlantic coast, only to retreat and surge again with even greater physical force.

When Caspian want to bare their teeth, they do so with genuine venom. A Great Fire, named with a nod to the Great Boston Fire of 1872 that adorns the album's cover art, rattles right through your ribs. Jani Zubkovs’ grimy, low-slung bassline paves the way for chugging, buzzsaw guitar riffs and serpentine leads, while drummer Justin Forrest beats the absolute tar out of his kit. 

Forrest doesn't just keep time; he conducts with thunder, giving the heavy passages a tectonic punch that reminds you Caspian can easily out-muscle most metalcore outfits when they step on the pedals.

Down the back stretch, the propulsive No One Left To Tell locks into a driving tremolo hook layered with subtle vocoder textures, before the elegiac Waltz For The End brings the curtain down. Written in barely half an hour, it’s a graceful, 3/4-time meditation that leaves you sitting in reverent quiet as the final chord echoes away.

Caspian doesn't bother trying to rewrite the post-rock rulebook from scratch, nor does it need to. By getting out of their own way and embracing the core DNA they've honed over two decades, Caspian have crafted an emotionally resonant, gorgeously textured, and punishingly heavy record that sits comfortably alongside their finest work. 

An essential listen. 8/10

Netherwilds – Peasant Rising (King Volume Records)

Just when you think heavy music has completely exhausted its capacity for strange conceptual diversions, something lands on your desk that completely defies conventional categorization. 

Hailing from Canada, Netherwilds is the wildly eccentric brainchild of David Monks (former frontman of 2000s indie-rock staples Tokyo Police Club). 

Trading in catchy garage-pop hooks for chainmail, pitchforks, and theatrical mud-slinging, Monks has plunged headfirst into the self-proclaimed realm of "peasant metal." The result is Peasant Rising, a mammoth twenty-two-track medieval narrative that walks the razor's edge between avant-garde hardcore lunacy and elaborate audio play.

I have to admit, Netherwilds was completely off my radar until this landed in front of me, and an initial glance at that twenty-two-song track list definitely had me raising an eyebrow. But once you press play, the blueprint reveals itself: roughly half of these tracks aren't full songs at all, but brisk, atmospheric scene-setters dubbed "Scrolls." 

Across vignettes like Scroll I: The Fair, Scroll II: The Mud Mages, and Scroll IV: The Dungeon, Monks acts as narrator, world-builder, and character actor, spinning an unbroken yarn of feudal oppression, dungeon escapes, wicker siege warfare, and a stolen goat. 

It’s an exercise in sheer storytelling commitment that owes as much to tabletop role-playing games and radio comedy as it does to extreme music.

When Netherwilds actually plug in and let the metal fly, there's surprising bite beneath the absurd aesthetic. The opening title track, Peasant Rising, kicks the barn doors open before spilling straight into Peasant Pit and Helm Yeah, pairing thrashy, punk-fuelled riffs with gang-shouted hooks that sound like Refused or early System Of A Down set loose in a 14th-century tavern. 

Monks’ vocal delivery is a total chameleon act throughout, bouncing between manic theatrical barks, gravelly shouts, and surprisingly vulnerable clean singing.

The middle chapter holds plenty of heavy charm. Siege Proof Hovel and Dungeon Song lean into jagged mathcore dissonance and bouncy hardcore stomps, while Farmer's Armoury and The Fall use the feudal uprising as a tongue-in-cheek allegory for modern working-class burnout. 

Meanwhile, cuts like Blight! and Wickermech deliver furious, blast-beat-adjacent explosions of pure kinetic chaos, culminating in the triumphant, ale-soaked charge of Return The Goat.

There's no denying that the band have gone completely all-in on the gimmick, and they execute the vision with remarkable technical polish and genuine enthusiasm. 

Yet, stepping back from the sheer novelty of it all, it leaves you pondering the long-term staying power. By leaning so relentlessly into this hyper-specific medieval framework, Netherwilds have crafted arguably the most niche vein of heavy music this reviewer has ever encountered. 

Does that make it bad? Not at all, the storytelling is clever, the riffs are punchy, and it puts an immediate smile on your face. But by turning the record into an interconnected narrative play full of recurring spoken skits, it naturally shrinks the audience and makes casual repeat listening a bit of a challenge once the punchlines are familiar.

Peasant Rising is mad as a box of frogs, wonderfully inventive, and played with zero fear of looking ridiculous. If you’re open to letting metal take a left-field detour into theatrical fantasy rebellion, it’s an entertaining trip that proves creativity in the underground knows no borders. 7/10

Reviews: Dark Funeral, Forbidden, Raunchy, Moonwraith (Myrto-Panagiota Zacharof, Matt Bladen, Spike & Keith Boswell)

Dark Funeral – A Beast To Praise (Century Media) [Myrto-Panagiota Zacharof]

When A Beast To Praise, the new live album from Dark Funeral, landed in my inbox for review at Musipedia of Metal, I thanked my dark stars and hoped Krampus had come early! Having recently seen Dark Funeral live on the In League With Satan Tour in London, I was eager to hear the record, hoping it would bring back the memories and emotions of that performance. 

Thankfully, it did exactly that. A live release from Lord Ahriman and his Åsgårdsreia warriors was long overdue. The Swedish black metal veterans have not released a live album since 2008's Attera Orbis Terrarum - Part II, making A Beast To Praise a highly anticipated addition to their catalogue. Living up to its title, this is indeed a beast of a record and one worthy of praise. 

Opening track Unchain My Soul immediately sets the tone. The atmosphere is electric, the audience clearly eager to witness the band's dark ritual unfold. Whistles and cheers fill the air as the band launches into a performance that sounds crisp without feeling clinical, pulsating with raw power driven by razor-sharp guitars and the growling, screaming vocals of Heljarmadr. 

The Arrival Of Satan's Empire follows with a commanding scream that feels like a summons to the dark hordes, calling them straight into the mosh pit. The drums thunder throughout, while the bass and guitars maintain that raw, unfiltered edge. Dark Funeral preserve their trademark blend of atmosphere and aggression, delivering melodies that are both powerful and invigorating. 

Then comes Leviathan, one of my personal favourites. Here, the guitars take centre stage, showcasing the band's distinctive sound and reminding listeners why Dark Funeral have remained one of black metal's defining acts. Their ability to balance sheer intensity with technical precision, atmospheric depth, and Heljarmadr's commanding vocal performance is what continues to set them apart.

The audience is left in suspense for a moment, trying to anticipate what comes next, before the opening notes of We Are the Apocalypse emerge. One simply does not argue with Dark Funeral. The band then reaches back into its history with Open The Gates, followed by When I'm Gone, during which Heljarmadr interacts with the crowd in both Swedish and English. The connection between band and audience is evident throughout, adding another layer of authenticity to the recording. 

Long-time fans are further rewarded with the legendary pairing of Goddess Of Sodomy and Vobiscum Satanas, two songs that continue to stand tall in the band's catalogue. Then comes another fan favourite, Nail Them To The Cross, which Heljarmadr jokingly suggests is particularly appropriate for Swedish Easter, provoking an enthusiastic reaction from the assembled dark faithful.

Continuing to rally their followers beneath the black metal banner, Dark Funeral tear into Let The Devil In, a more direct and less atmospheric assault, before revisiting their early years with The Secrets Of the Black Arts, driven by thunderous drumming and mighty vocals.The album closes with Where Shadows Forever Reign", a dark litany of heavy guitars dedicated to the lightless entities of chaos. It provides a powerful and fitting finale, ending the performance with tremendous energy and conviction. 

Without a doubt, A Beast To Praise is an album that demands to be played loudly. It will satisfy devoted Dark Funeral fans while also serving as an excellent introduction for newcomers to both the band and the genre. Capturing the ferocity, atmosphere, and power of a Dark Funeral concert, this release proves that after more than three decades of darkness, the Swedish masters remain at the top of their game. 9/10

Forbidden - Forbidden (BLKIIBLK) [Matt Bladen]

A self titled album, that's usually a band trying to re-establish themselves or try some bring new so let's see what Bay Area thrash veterans.

Coming originally as part of that second wave along with Testament, Death Angel, Vio-Lence and Exodus, the tale of Forbidden has been a bit more tumultuous splitting up and reforming twice in their lifetime, their last comeback in 2023.

So this record falls into the re-establish side, their first since 2010, it's Forbidden and their new line up shouting "We're back! Have a bit of this!" Defiant and dangerous the band are still led by guitarist Craig Locicero and bassist Matt Camacho.

They form these songs and guide the band as they have since the beginning.hat features the new blood of Norman Skinner on lead vocals, Jeremy Von Epp on guitars and drummer Chris Kontos, who seems to be collecting Bay Area thrash band memberships like Pokémon.

Forbidden, the album, takes the music of Forbidden, the band, to new places, it's got all the intense thrashing of their first few records, these old hands showing that they can still let the riffs fly but it also sounds like a record veterans should be writing, progressive moments abound.

There's tracks that shift though pace and time signatures such as Burning The Lungs Of Failure, ones that feature unusual instrumentatuon such as DCLXVI, 9 minute epics like Flower Of Life (Chaos By Design) and there's even a guest slot from Mastodon's Brann Dailor on Sycophantasy.

Forbidden is a snarling set of prog thrash from an act who have been through quite a lot of history but can still deliver a record of heavy metal excellence. 9/10

Raunchy – Prisoner (Mighty Music) [Spike]

There is a very particular brand of quiet that follows a band when nobody is quite sure whether they’ve split up or just crawled into a cave for a long winter sleep. In the case of Denmark’s Raunchy, that silence stretched out across twelve long years. 

Their last outing, Vices.Virtues.Visions., landed way back in 2014, and in the intervening years, the heavy landscape shifted repeatedly. But here’s the thing about Raunchy: they have never given a damn about current trends. Returning to Mighty Music, the exact Danish imprint that released their debut Velvet Noise a quarter of a century ago and once again teaming up with longtime sonic architect Jacob Hansen behind the mixing desk, Prisoner is a triumphant, unapologetic reunion that proves their peculiar, hybrid formula hasn't aged a day.

For the uninitiated, Raunchy have always occupied a twilight zone where purists fear to tread. In the early 2000s, they were too melodic for death metal gatekeepers, too mechanical and synthetic for metalcore traditionalists, and too riff-heavy for the industrial rock crowd. Prisoner doesn't make any polite apologies for that contradiction; it leans right into the throttle.

Right out of the traps, opener Frostbite lays down the law. A shimmering, mechanized keyboard intro gets completely obliterated by sharp, syncopated guitar chugs from Jesper Andreas Tilsted and Lars Christensen. Mike Semesky (who joined on vocals just before the long hiatus) and keyboardist Jeppe Christensen pick up their vocal dialogue as if barely a week had passed. Semesky’s throat-shredding bark and soaring clean hooks collide with Jeppe’s synth-pop sensibilities in a way that feels like an emotional debate rather than a canned studio duet.

That seamless chemistry carries straight into Stranded and Frameworker. One of the most satisfying elements across these ten tracks is the sequencing, songs bleed into each other, giving the forty-eight-minute runtime a propulsive, cinematic momentum. Morten "Molle" Toft Hansen’s drumming is massive and physical, driving tracks like Darkest Self forward with an irresistible groove that bridges European melodic death metal with 80s synth-wave hooks that are so huge they should probably be illegal.

When the band wants to bare their teeth, they do so with genuine, neck-snapping force. Designed Despair (the lead single that broke the radio silence earlier this year) drops colossal, stadium-sized choruses directly into mechanized industrial beatdowns that nod respectfully to Fear Factory and Strapping Young Lad. Later on, Revealing I lands like a proper artillery barrage, pairing double-kick blast bursts with some of the most soaring melodic counterweights on the record.

Down the back stretch, the seven-minute sprawl of Masquerade showcases their progressive depth, allowing moody, atmospheric verses to simmer before detonating into layered guitar leads. Meanwhile, Vanishing Act serves up razor-sharp triplet grooves before the uplifting, emotionally charged title track Prisoner brings the curtain down on a note of defiant optimism. Lyrically, the record wrestles with confinement, mental loops, isolation, aging, and surviving the chaos of the last decade, yet the overarching feeling isn't bleak despair; it's the thrill of breaking out of the cell.

Twelve years is an eternity in heavy music, but Prisoner proves that when a band has a truly distinct DNA, time simply works in their favour. It’s heavy, absurdly catchy, impeccably produced by Jacob Hansen, and delivered with the hunger of a band that still has everything to say. A cracking comeback. 8/10

Moonwraith – To The Woods (Apollon Records) [Keith Boswell]

The debut album, To The Woods, from the Norwegian heavy rock / stoner band Moonwraith is due for release on the 30th October 2026, available on the Apollon records label.

Interestingly, although this is a debut album for the band, they are not a new outfit, on the contrary they have earned their spurs through playing their music at the underground establishments of Oslo for the last two to three years, cutting their teeth in satisfying the ravenous metal fans of the capital.

Known for their chunky riffs and atmospheric vocals Moonwraith have created an album which would not be seen out of place in the 70’s with their obvious Zepplin and Hendrix influences. A great example of this is their first track Bring The Needle which oozes solid riffs and hooks with great lyrical delivery, just brings Robert Plant to mind stomping his flares and high heel boots on the stage in time to this gem.

This tempo and determination continue through the record in ups and downs. Lowering the pace through the bluesy Lilth and upping things via the impressive Oblivion and Fear and so on. Moonwraith keep the listeners interest at this point via a number of tempo changes illustrating the bands vocal versatility through Anna Jaeger.

Parasite, is the bands single from this album and it definitely rocks, in my opinion one of the meatier offerings and possibly the best. The album further delivers a number of songs that perhaps, are a little similar for my liking ending with the decent acoustic intro into the title track To The Woods.

A reasonable album for me, the songs in the first half were great I particularly liked the chunky riffs, unfortunately the second half was found to be lacking in a bit of punch. 7/10