A View From The Castle: Bowling For Soup Vs Frank Turner (Alex Tobias)

Bowling For Soup Vs Frank Turner & The Sleeping Souls + American Hi-Fi, Depot Live At Cardiff Castle, 04.07.26



There are few better settings for a summer gig than Cardiff Castle. Even beneath gloomy skies and with the threat of rain hanging in the air, thousands of fans packed into the historic grounds for a night celebrating three generations of pop-punk and alternative rock. With Boston veterans American Hi-Fi opening proceedings, Frank Turner & The Sleeping Souls bringing their trademark chaos, and pop-punk icons Bowling for Soup closing the evening, this had all the ingredients for a memorable night.

Opening a show of this size is never easy, but American Hi-Fi (7) looked completely at home from the moment they walked on stage. For many, the Boston quartet were one of the defining pop-punk bands of the early 2000s, and while they've now been together for well over 25 years, there wasn't a hint of rust on display. Having never managed to catch them live before, despite regularly revisiting their music over the years, I was excited to finally see what they could bring to such a large crowd.

The answer came immediately. Launching into Surround from their 2001 self-titled debut, the band wasted no time reminding everyone why they became such a staple of the era. Their trademark blend of crunchy guitars, huge melodies and infectious energy echoed around the castle walls as the early arrivals sang along from the very first chorus.

There was no drop in momentum as the set rolled on. The Breakup Song from 2003's The Art Of Losing was another crowd favourite, and one thing quickly became clear: audience participation was going to define the entire evening. From the front barrier to the back of the field, voices were already ringing out in unison. 

What impressed me most was how effortless everything felt. American Hi-Fi have the confidence that only comes from decades of touring, yet there was never a sense of simply going through the motions. They genuinely looked like they were enjoying every second on stage, and that enthusiasm spread throughout the crowd.

The closing one-two punch of The Art Of Losing and their biggest hit, Flavor Of TheWeak ensured the set finished on a real high. The latter transformed the castle into one giant singalong, with thousands dancing and shouting every word back at the band.

A fantastic opening performance from a group who have lost none of the spark that made them one of the standout acts of the 2000s.

As the skies darkened and a brief shower passed overhead, anticipation began building for the night's second act. I'll admit something straight away: before finding out I was covering this show, I knew very little about Frank Turner. By the time his set ended, I couldn't believe I'd overlooked him for so long. 

The reaction as Frank And The Sleeping Souls (8) walked on stage was deafening. From the opening notes of I Still Believe from England Keep My Bones, it was obvious this wasn't just another co-headline slot—it was an event. 

Over the course of an incredible 18-song set, Turner delivered one of the most enjoyable live performances I've seen in a long time. There were walls of hugs, circle pits, crowd surfing, constant audience interaction and barely a pause between songs. The energy simply never dipped.

Musically, the set was just as impressive. Every song carried clever, thoughtful lyrics wrapped inside huge folk-punk anthems, and even as someone unfamiliar with much of his catalogue, I found myself completely drawn in.

Highlights came thick and fast. 1933 landed with real power, while Wessex Boy offered a heartfelt reflection on the place that shaped him. Then came one of the biggest surprises of the evening as Bowling For Soup frontman Jaret Reddick joined Turner on stage for a brilliant rendition of I Knew Prufrock Before He Got Famous. The crowd, already in full voice, somehow managed to raise the volume even further. 

Perhaps my personal highlight was Recovery. It's one of those songs that feels deeply personal while remaining universally relatable, and hearing thousands of people sing every lyric back created a genuinely special moment. Turner is an exceptional songwriter—equal parts storyteller, poet and performer—and backed by The Sleeping Souls, every song hit with incredible power. 

The set closed in spectacular fashion with Four Simple Words" as the entire castle erupted into chants of "I Want To dance!" Thousands of people happily obliged, turning the closing minutes into one giant celebration. This was one of those performances that creates new fans, and I was certainly one of them.

After a short break, it was time for the night's headliners. Bowling For Soup (8) have always understood that entertainment starts before the first note is played, and the pre-show video featuring backstage antics and live crowd shots immediately had everyone laughing before the band even stepped on stage. 

They exploded into Almost, instantly sending the audience bouncing before following it with Emily. It didn't take long for the band's trademark humour to take centre stage either. After bassist Erik Chandler pointed out the enormous birds circling above Cardiff Castle, frontman Jaret Reddick attempted to work out exactly what they were. Suggestions from the crowd were quickly dismissed before Jaret confidently concluded, "They're dragons," earning one of the loudest laughs of the night from the Welsh audience.

The fun never stopped. The Phineas And Ferb theme song brought a huge nostalgic cheer before Reddick joked, "What other band do you know plays their biggest hit this early?"—launching straight into Punk Rock 101. The crowd absolutely erupted.

Midway through the song, the band paused to welcome an enormous dragon onto the stage for photos and laughs—a wonderfully ridiculous moment that perfectly captured Bowling For Soup's personality. Without warning, they crashed straight back into the song, sending the audience into another frenzy. 

One of the evening's biggest singalongs followed with Stacy's Mom. As the music briefly dropped out, the crowd carried the chorus on their own, creating one of those unforgettable live moments where the audience becomes part of the performance. Another lovely touch came with the band's ongoing guitar giveaway.

Watching the young winner brought onto the stage to receive the instrument was a genuinely heart-warming moment and one they'll no doubt remember forever. After The Bitch Song, the band took time to thank the touring crew, everyone involved with the event, and the Cardiff crowd before heading into Star Song.

There was only one way the evening could end. As the opening notes of 1985 rang out, the castle became one giant party. Thousands sang every lyric, bounced in unison and celebrated one of the defining pop-punk songs of its generation.

It was the perfect ending to a night built on nostalgia, humour and fantastic live music. Bowling for Soup remain one of the most entertaining bands on the touring circuit, proving once again that after more than three decades, they still know exactly how to put smiles on people's faces.

Three bands. Three completely different styles. One unforgettable evening.

American Hi-Fi reminded everyone why they were one of the standout bands of the early-2000s pop-punk explosion. Frank Turner & The Sleeping Souls delivered an electrifying performance that converted newcomers into lifelong fans. Bowling for Soup closed the night with exactly what they've built their reputation on—infectious songs, relentless humour and a show that never takes itself too seriously.

Even with threatening skies overhead, Cardiff Castle provided the perfect backdrop for a celebration of live music that was packed with singalongs, circle pits, laughter and unforgettable moments.

Sometimes that's exactly what a summer concert should be.

A View From The Stadium: Metallica (Alex Swift & Matt Bladen)

Metallica, Gojira & Knocked Loose – Principality Stadium, Cardiff, 28.06.2026

Alex: Metallica have performed in Cardiff three times in their over 40-year history. First, in 1986 on the tour for the genre-defining Master of Puppets, when they played the Great Hall. Then, in 1996 they performed to about seven thousand people at Cardiff International Arena.

Now, its 2026 and Caerdydd has set itself apart by defining itself as a Music City – No, not by protecting the kind of spaces that gave artists like our headliners their start, but by having multi-platinum selling artists play the city at every conceivable opportunity. And, as far as metal is concerned, you can’t get much more successful than ‘Tallica!

The atmosphere in Cardiff is electrifying. Metal songs blast from every bar, there’s a feeling of excitement among the fans who crowd the streets. Even me, who gets overwhelmed by crowds and finds stadiums daunting, was not going to turn down this opportunity.

Metallica are one of the most eminent metal acts still performing, and today they are playing in Wales! “This must have been how Oasis fans felt last summer” I think to myself as I push my way through the revellers to Gate Seven of the Principality.

Matt: I was already in my seat at this point watching Knocked Loose (7) navigate their way around the 'in the round' staging which did inhibit their performance quite a lot. They stomped around the stage though but for a lot of the show they had their back to the audience which limited their engagement with them and each other.

The half empty (not their fault in hasten to add) Principality was receptive to their style of punishing, breakdown heavy hardcore punk but they are a band better experienced in a more up close environment, still if a couple of 100 people came away from the show wanting to seek out more Knocked Loose who hadn't before then surely this obvious discomfort with the staging was worth it right?

Alex: I’m seated high in the rafters, looking down at the stage which sits gloriously in the centre, surrounded on all sides by towers which mount screens, aimed at “bringing the show closer” to those, like me, in the upper echelons of the arena.

That being said, the enormous sound reaches all levels with Gojira (10) proving that they can make their intense compositions resonate even among a crowd of over 70,000 spectators!

With the roof remaining closed throughout the show, the sound of pieces like Flying Whales/Wales and Stranded fill every crevice of the auditorium, surrounding crowd members on all sides and daring them to pay attention!

I have seen Gojira three times. First, in a peculiar support slot for Alter Bridge, second during their tour for Fortitude, and now supporting Metallica. On each occasion they have triumphed, and left me reeling from how effortlessly they command their craft!

Pointedly however, they feel completely at home on a platform of this size. After this support slot and their opening performance at the Olympics, they feel like natural heirs to the throne of longstanding metal institutions.

Opening with Creeping Death, Metallica (10) do not seem like an act on the verge of giving up, their performance is incredibly powerful.

These musicians obviously command a powerful legacy, which comes through in the audience members reactions to hearing these songs live, many for the first time.

I’d never seen Metallica before, and yet from the opening notes of For Whom The Bell Tolls, I was immediately reminded of my experiences discovering the genre of metal.

It’s songs like these that gave me appreciation for music as an art form. And so, getting to see them live, felt like a rite of passage.

Certainly, part of my appreciation for James Hettfield and co. came from their early ability to write long, detailed, and emotionally affecting compositions, a number of which are performed tonight.

The Unforgiven is as moving in a live setting as I had hoped, the transition from the sombre to the enraged sections, being executed perfectly.

Later, The Day That Never Comes and Cyanide provide the perfect combination of subtlety and intensity needed to keep the audience enthralled. Just to add a footnote to this point though, Lars Ulrich gets a lot of criticism for restructuring his drum parts in a live setting.

Indeed, while this is evident, he hits all the correct beats needed to either make these songs feel gigantic, or keep them subdued, and brooding.

Of course, any concert of this enormity demands a few theatrics, and Metallica have them in spades! Fuel features a dazzling display of pyrotechnics, as you’d expect in a song that so prominently features the motif of “FIRE!”.

Elsewhere, One begins with the sound of gun fire, and soaring planes, reverberating, and echoing around the stadium. Sparks and flashes of fire appear, before sizzling out, all serving to create anticipation before the opening riff sets in.

During Nothing Else Matters, the audience lend their own theatrical quality, as every corner is illuminated by the glare of phone torches, lending a beautiful intimacy to the song.

These might be tried and true tricks to those who have seen this band live before, but to me, they’re exciting parts of my experience. Indeed, what fans won’t have been expecting is a rendition of Tom Jones’ Delilah by Kirk Hammet and Rob Truijo, serving as a kind of interlude, while James and Lars presumably pass out for five minutes.

Sure, it’s silly, but is not without its charm, bringing a unique quality to the show! After thirty years, its feels good to know that Metallica still care about Cardiff!

As the show approaches its end, a camera pans in on Lars Ulrich who beckons it to come closer and closer. Again, the initiated know what this moment means. To find out that it heralded the moment I’d been waiting for was a delight.

Master Of Puppets was one of the first albums that I owned. To say that my reaction to the performance of the tilte track was excitable, would be to damn the experience with faint praise (I can’t underestimate the extent to which I felt like a child during the entirety of this show).

As Enter Sandman plays out, everyone in my section stands up, slowly at first and then all at once, the iconic riff ringing out like a victory cry! The Principality Stadim had been missing Metallica’s presence up until now – they have one of the most impressive, and unique shows of any metal act.

For many years it felt these four musicians would never return to our city, and yet they couldn’t not come back, could they? For them to finally grace Wales with their presence, as they reach legacy status, was an honour.

While I certainly wouldn’t refuse an opportunity to see Metallica again, I don’t expect that to happen, and I don’t think I even need to! There are some concerts that leave you begging for more, and others that embed themselves in your conscious, immovable and without regret!

The experience might be over, never to be recaptured but in spite of the longness of life, “the memory remains”

Reviews: Moonspell, Witchsorrow, The Pretty Reckless, Red Dwarf Star (Matt Bladen)

Moonspell - Far From God (Napalm Records)

It's probably not controversial to say that without Moonspell the Portuguese metal scene wouldn't have the popularity it has today.

Much like Rotting Christ in Greece, they're a band with 36 years of music behind them and have down a lot to define what the Portuguese metal scene is today. Their frontman Fernando Ribeiro even runs a label that promotes the future generation of bands, so they're an act who are always forward looking and their new album is just the same.

On their fourteenth studio release you may think there would be a tendency to rest on their laurels but Moonspell don't do that and with producer Jaime Gomez Arellano (Paradise Lost, Sólstafir, Ghost) at the helm they have release an album is already being compared to their 1996 opus Irreligious, a mighty strong comparison as songs from their record still form major parts of their live show to this day.

Is this comparison warranted though? Let's dive in and find out, and we're off to a good start with Cross Your Heart which carries that flame of pioneering gothic rock that Moonspell are so associated with but it does feel like a throwback that 90's gothic rock explosion where metal bands wanted to make moody, broody music, case in point Paradise Lost's Draconian Times/Icon or Type Of Negative's Bloody Kisses/October Rust.

This dark romantic sound has been the result of five years of soul searching, rediscovering who they were back then and joining it with the band they are now, this means more keys, more throbbing bass and less of a metallic heaviness, that they don't get rid of completely though as Our Freedom To Fall is a distorted, fret sliding crush that borrows from Gojira's power while the last track Reconquista keeps the metal style as a powerful end.

Far From God is an album of dark passion and emotional substance, which features Fernando singing often with a close up whisper into the mic as the guitars jangle in the background while the synths creates atmospheres and bass/drums march ever forward on tracks such as Your Promise Of Light and Biblical.

The whole record is inspired by the tragic but intensely sexual figure of the vampire who Fernando had fallen out of love with due to recent Hollywood depictions, but his attraction to this tragic and mysterious figure was rekindled by Robert Eggers Nosferatu.

Bringing back the vampire as the major inspiration behind this record and for longtime fans it's a pioneering band in the genre, defining what gothic metal can be with the title track the most direct to that film and those early vampire stories of Stoker.

Using vampires, werewolves and resurrection as metaphors for existentialism, romance, passion and obsession, there's a divine opulence to this record, Moonspell taking back goth metal from the countless bands inspired by them, crossing oceans of time to define themselves as one of the planets premiere goth metal exports! 9/10

Witchsorrow - The Devil And All His Works (Church Road Records)

To paraphrase Super Hans' Big Beat Manifesto "Big Riffs Are The Best, Get High All The Time", this is pretty much the manifesto of Witchsorrow, although they'd add "Hail Satan" at the end as the Hampshire doom trio pledged their souls to rock n roll, over 20 years ago and are still paying homage to The Dark Lord to this day.

I mean everyone knows Lucifer has all the best tunes right? Witchsorrow certainly do as they play the sort of occult doom that was pioneered by Black Sabbath on this first four albums, when metal was still evil, still ominous and was for the outsiders and the discontents.

For me doom has never strayed from this path, the best doom metal bands are the ones that totally shun modernism and the ever changing music scene, they just want low end fuzzy riffs, lyrics about demons and witchcraft and psychedelia that is driven by a love of controlled substances.

Bands such as Cathedral, Electric Wizard, Saint Vitus and Candlemass are all in this category and as well as kneeling at the altar of Iommi, Butler, Osbourne and Ward, Witchsorrow have been lighting a candle for these other bands since 2006.

Formed by Necroskull (vocals/guitar) and Emily Witch (bass) aka Nick and Emily Ruskell, Witchsorrow is a living embodiment of their die hard attitude to heavy metal, drummers have come and gone but those ominous, cavernous, name your adjective, guitar riffs and evil, foreboding atmosphere never goes away.

This is music for metalheads who wear it on this skin and who like loud as humanly possible. There must be call as Witchsorrow have played Bloodstock numerous times, as well as Download, Arctangent and Desertfest (of course), so there's a following, one I wouldn't even call cult as I'm part of that group where heavy metal is part of life and things without it seems pointless, it's probably why doom and stoner have always been my major loves as they're honest.

No ego, no posturing, just heavy riffs for the people. What can you expect on Witchsorrow's fifth album? Well doom metal, unbound and ear bleedingly heavy, doom metal, as always but crafted by a band who are now veterans so can manipulate these well worn auditory terrors in their own way to make sermons that would easily fit into the catalogue of Sabbath, Wizard or Cathedral but are also wholly their own devices of evil.

David Wilbraham plays drums on the record, creating the percussive punishment but going forward Scott 'Doom' Taylor will be behind the kit bringing his experience from bands such as Vnder and Garganjua, as Nick and Emily still have things low, slow and fuzzy, Nicks vocals drenched in reverb as the prophets dictate.

They welcome a guest into their church, as Sammy Urwin of Employed To Secret gives a guest solo to closer A Quintessence Of Dust, however the rest of songs are the close knit team of heavy metal lovers bringing more doom metal to the mass hordes that live for it.

That's the basis of it Witchsorrow play the music they want to, inspired by Iommi and in league with Satan, prepare yourself for The Devil And All His Works. 9/10

The Pretty Reckless - Dear God (Fearless Records)

It's safe to say the rise of The Pretty Reckless has maybe taken a lot of the rock crowd by surprise, immediately written off due to Taylor Momsen's previous life as a child and teen actor. They've grown into one of the most authentic hard rock bands in the USA, due to their mix of punchy alt rock, blues, punk and classic hard rock driven by the rockstar attitude and gritty vocals of Momsen.

From their 2010 debut the signs were there that The Pretty Reckless were more than vanity project, having developed into great hard rock band with their previous album Death By Rock N Roll cementing them as true arena headliners, so where do they go from there? Well with Dear God they bring us their most emotionally raw record yet, inspired by chaos and moving into an outer body state between heaven and hell.

With themes that include "mortality, self-discovery, chaos, and redemption" as track such as Love Me shouts loudly with a lament to trying to find someone to love you, even if it's just a deity. Produced by Jonathan Wyman, Taylor Momsen, and guitarist Ben Phillips, all the songs were written by Momsen and Phillips and they go further genre-wise than they have before.

Dragonfire comes from country/bluegrass, the title track has some bluesy Fender Rhodes, When I Wake Up bristles with punk rock, while Spell On You is a big swaggering rocker for all the bad witches listening, Eye Of The Storm takes a step into politicised balladry as the final track Dark Days broods and ruminates on the divine and the mortal.

With the three part, Life Evermore acting as an intro, intermission and outro, I perceive Dear God as a musical, tracks linked with the themes I've discussed above but sequenced in a way that they provide individual stories that work just as well as a whole. Dear God is an opus from The Pretty Reckless, rock n roll with the grandest vision. 8/10

Red Dwarf Star - Red Dwarf Star (Pelagic Records)

Coley Dennis is perhaps best known for his work with krautrockers Mazerarti as the guitarist for the electronic rock collective. Red Dwarf Star is his solo project which takes influence from elsewhere, mind altering dream pop wrapped in a bubble of Midwestern post hardcore, 90's alternative rock and those psychedelic tendencies from Mazerarti.

Inspired by a feeling of loss and uncertainty, stemming from a move from the USA to Switzerland in 2015, it's a record that's introspective and personal, emotionally and musically, songs written for Maserati but didn't fit the vibe, more akin to "90's, Creation Records/Post-Hardcore" written/recorded with a D.I.Y ethos and very little outside help, it's almost the antithesis to the collaborative nature of Maserati, a solitary figure creating music that is just for them.

What's interesting for me are the vocals which sound heavily distorted with a vocoder and effect layered against Allen Epley and Jenna Fournier to bring a textured interplay that brings a sense of inhumanity that works well with separation and loss aspect of the writing, while invoking those Krautrock and 90's styles simultaneously.

Although it started out as fully solo Red Dwarf Star is now a band with one or two outside collaborators helping the full realisation, Mathias Poese of Jeffk joins on guitar for plenty of jangling melodies that blend with Dennis' for these expansive soundscapes while Blaise Brechbühl locks down the undulating grooves joined in the backroom by the urgent drumming of Alessandro Pascolo.

In the press pack it suggests Red Dwarf Star is for fans of Failure, Quicksand & Hum, but I'd also add some Steven Wilson and Fear Factory in their as well due to effect-laden vocals here, a continuation, a new beginning, a reason for being all in one record, it'll be interesting to see where Red Dwarf Star goes from here. 7/10

Reviews: Vision Divine, Dominum, Amberian Dawn, Prime Creation (Matt Bladen)

Vision Divine - A Clockwork Reverie (Scarlet Records)

A reverie that serves as a reinvention, as Vision Divine reintroduce returning members Michele Luppi (vocals) and Oleg Smirnoff (keys) who both left the band in the late 2000's but fit back into things seamlessly on this new record that features four new tracks and three covers.

Alongside Labyrinth and Rhapsody, Vision Divine are one of the premier prog/power metal acts form Italy and it's safe to say that with Luppi and Smirnoff (not his real name), they established the first classic line up of the band.

While Vision Divine went on to be fronted by Fabio Lione, he's now too busy trying to recreate Rhapsody with keyboardist Alessio Lucatti. so this is the perfect time bring back Luppi, and Smirnoff, as it all goes full circle.

This isn't nostalgia though, far from it, Vision Divine are a band who can manage their past and their present, so these songs sound like the band they are today, performed by veteran musicians. Luppi's vocals soar, while Smirnoff's keys are the ideal foil for Olaf Thorsen's guitar, it does feel like they've been missing as the integration here has that classic Euro power metal sound.

Produced by Thorsen and Luppi, mixed by Simone Mularoni, it's definitely in the modern era with it's huge production meaning that the 2026 versions of their older songs all get an audio refresh and show how they will sound when the band head out on tour with this line up.

A Clockwork Reverie sets the tone for this new/old version of Vision Divine, don't call it a comeback, it's a rediscovery. 8/10

Dominum - Night Is Calling (Napalm Records)

The third album from Undead Power Metalheads Dominum, comes after the last record The Dead Don't Die was something of a chart smash in their native Germany. It's sort of a given as the theatrical style of metal that mastermind/vocalist Felix Heldt aka Dr Dead, creates is aimed at the masses.

The masks, stage show and sing along choruses are all for the metal fans at large taking the ball from Lordi, Ghost and others and moving it into the schlock horror realms of Alice Cooper, it's made for stages and the albums are just ways of adding more songs and extra storyline to the live show at this rate.

However this is doing them a disservice as they carry a complexity that is offset by their anthemic qualities, European power metal with modern metal heaviness, that has massive choruses and that theatricality or a twisted carnival that is directed by Dr. Dead.

From the heavy beginning The Circus Is In Town, through the electronic punch of Doctor Doctor, the bounce of Nosferatu or the duet with Battle Beast on the Title Track, heck there's even a metal cover of Thriller which is very entertaining.

Dominum are the epitome of modern power metal, made to sound big on record and bigger on stage, Night Is Calling, but will you answer? 7/10

Amberian Dawn - Temptation's Gates (Napalm Records)

Any band that plays symphonic metal and comes from the frozen north of Finland will probably do it well.

It is the defacto birthplace of the genre with some of the biggest bands in the scene come from there, so here's the newest record from Amberian Dawn who not only have a legacy to live up to from their forbears but also have to get away from being that band that covered ABBA on their previous album.

To do that they have had a line up shake up with founder/guitarist Tuomas Seppälä and co now joined by new singer Nicole Willerton who has a voice that belongs more to musical theatre than classical. She adds diversity to the record similarly to Sharon Den Adel or Amy Lee with a vocal that can soar but is rooted more in the rock sound, even adding screams to the mix as Amberian Dawn embark on their new era.

This new vocal presence is reflected with a different writing style that is informed by the catchy pop of ABBA, but also moves away from these associations, with modern metal, some Disney-like melodies on Life Is Art, 80's synthpop on Undying Colours and even sprightly neo-classical metal.

Finnish symphonic metal that has moved more towards the keyboard-driven, synth heavy version that is so popular, Temptation's Gates brings Amberian  Dawn into what the genre is today, national legacy and Swedish pop superstars be dammed! 7/10

Prime Creation - Souls Of The Fallen (ROAR)

Some Swedish melodic metal now that has one potential fatal flaw, as the fourth record from Prime Creation features music I can get on board with but a vocalist I can't.

Formed in 2015 and with three albums behind them, it's really guitarist Robin Arnell and vocalist Esa Englund who are left from those foundations so, perhaps I'm wrong but to me England's vocals are all over the place one minute he sounds like Joakim Broden, the next Mr Lordi, then a snarling punk singer.

It did confuse me for the first couple of listens, as he sounds like a few different people but I did get used to it, especially as Prime Creation play a blast beat heavy style of power metal with dark lyrics and down tuned guitars, it's well produced and will definitely appeal to lovers of the US style of power metal.

While they won't change the world, if you like the vocals you'll enjoy Souls Of The Fallen from Prime Creation. 6/10

Reviews: Inscape, Struggler, Mould, Verletzen (Matt Bladen)

INSCAPE - C.I.T.R.U.S (Self Released)

Released one day prior to them winning the South Wales Metal To The Masses final 2026 at Day Of Wreckoning, Electronic/Alternative rockers INSCAPE have booted up their A.I inspired concept EP ready for it to take over the world.

C.I.T.R.U.S is the story of a renegade A.I that corrupts the minds of androids forcing them to kill their human overlords, inspired by the 2004 film I, Robot which has loose connections to the Asimov book of the same name. Essentially this EP is a dystopian story that has some parallels to the very quick integration of A.I we face today.

Science Fiction is a the perfect themeing for the music of INSCAPE as fans of Enter Shikari and Don Broco will find a lot to like here as INSCAPE are an act on the cutting edge of what modern rock/metal can be, musical virtuosity wrapped up in energetic, involved music that makes you want to move, balancing the lighter moments with heavier ones brilliantly.

Distinctive vocals that soar to high cleans and dive down into guttural screams, while the guitars and rhythm section bring groovy riffs and breakdowns. Everything though is shaped around the pulsating synths and electronics that sit omnipresent like the titular A.I, a synthetic backbone to the organic expression.

Formed over 14 years ago, it seems that now is the time for Ethan Shields, Joel Williams, Luke Morgan, Alex Murley and Liam Hawkes, to show the world who they are. Watch INSCAPE storm the New Blood Stage, but delve into the world of C.I.T.R.U.S beforehand. 8/10

Struggler - We Must All Fade To Black (Self Released)

South Wales melodic metalcore heroes Struggler have released their debut album after a long time coming. Since the last time I saw them they have had a change from frontman and a few health issues, that really allowed them to record these tracks, but these hardships have only seemed to have bolstered their position on the South Wales scene gaining them some high profile supports and countless headline shows in their own right.

With the likes of Killswitch Engage, All That Remains or any band that brings together breakdown heavy metalcore, melodeath-like guitar prowess and vocals that are distorted screams, there's plenty to like about We Must All Fade To Black and if any of those things appeal then you'll be drawn in from the slow build intro of Omen.

I'm not sure if this is needed, as the title track which opens the album properly has its own atmospheric intro so Omen feels jarring but the title track definitely establishes who Struggler are, start-stop moments made for pits, an anthemic chorus and shifting rhythms that are backed by some synth/string things.

The influence of groove metal acts such as Lamb Of God (The Abyss) and even the more extreme deathcore which comes on Do You Walk With Me, the pace quickening for Invisible String Theory while Gone By Not Forgotten is probably the most emotive song on the record, adding clean vocals into the mix for the first time.

Politically charged, emotionally resonant modern metalcore, Struggler show their strength and resilience on We Must All Fade To Black. 8/10

Mould - Bayou Dweller (Hyrbid Dwellers)

I'm not sure if there's a Bayou in Swansea but Mould are a band you could definitely call Bayou Dwellers. Their sludgy, down-tuned and rage filled style of heavy doom is exactly the sort of music anyone who loves Eyehategod, Iron Monkey and Acid Bath will play at full volume while they imbibe substances for enhanced relaxation.

Locked into massive basslines from Tom George, I Am The Mould brings the volume and is a kick in the nether regions as the fuzz of Elliott Rees is overdriven to ridiculous lengths and the throat shredding vocals of Amos Davies are screamed at the loudest they can be.

This is a band who like their music with as much volume and bile as they can, taking sludge to the extreme end of the genre though Self Preservation has a riff that does some Sabbath worship.

They never scrimp on the aggression with Bayou Dweller, every track, even the ones that have a bit more clarity and groove such as Damnation Under The Sun (we've all been feeling that lately) the vocals will need a lozenge.

It's not all long form, slow death either as Psilocybin Suicide gains speed though this is followed by Crippling Cold/Pompeii a massive sludge/doom machine driven by Henry Frend's drumming.

The spirit of NOLA is alive near Neath as that Bayou scene bleeds through this debut record from the Mouldiest band in town. 8/10

Verletzen - Usurping The Throne Under The Crown Of Blasphemy (Wulfhere Productions)

Welsh band, German name, West Wales black metal trio Verletzen emerge from the rugged and windswept vistas if their homeland with their sophomore album Usurping The Throne Under The Crown Of Blasphemy.

Released through Wulfhere Productions, on tape (of course), on CD and digitally Verletzen are a band who bring black metal back to the roots of the genre. Unstoppable blast beats from Dementae, furious tremolo picking and squawking vocals from Nazgul all come from a general feeling of frustration helped by the rawness that comes from the very limited production values.

Now usually I would be critical of this, as I've been a fan of something that sounds like it was recorded in a toilet however Verletzen have done this as deliberate homage to the bands that inspired them, because of that you can pick out the individual instruments, the bass playing of Azog especially, rather than it all folding into one treble heavy mess.

Verletzen play nihilistic black metal, so it's not music for a sunny day, unless of course you hate the heat, rather they're a band whose music creates images of rain soaked mountains and ruinous castles with spectral visitors and ancient legends that will scare the local children, this blackened trio packing in a lot across just 31 minutes.

Usurping The Throne Under The Crown Of Blasphemy is an intense, raw, visceral record from Verletzen, fans of trve cvlt pay worship. 8/10

Reviews: Scordatura, The Heavy Eyes, Verdun, Far From Refuge (Mark Young, Rich Piva, Adz Redpath & Matt Bladen)

Scordatura - Led Into Oblivion (Everlasting Spew Records) [Mark Young]

10 Songs in 30 minutes. That is what this weather is talking about. Brutal sounding, brutally recorded death metal that takes no prisoners and is not interested in the latest fads or whims of the public. And of course, its via Everlasting Spew Records.

So, in the interests of doing this quickly, let’s get the negatives out of the way first. They are calling it their most ambitious and punishing work to date, which in fairness a lot of bands do say. Concentrating on the former, this would suggest that their earlier works must have seen them dragging knuckles as they put it to tape. That’s it. That’s the negative. Unless you don’t like Death Metal, in which case there is nothing for you here.

By saying that, I’m not suggesting it as a diss, simply put the collection of songs that lay before you are punishing, because they have set out do nothing else with them. It’s a case that they have brought enough technical nous together with a primal urge to desecrate your ears here. And that is exactly what it does. Nothing more, nothing less. There is nothing on these songs that shouldn’t be there and you can argue that the introduction (all 40 seconds of noise) could have been excised.

Led Into Oblivion just comes in, ushering in a savage beatdown that stays until the last bell rings on Begging To Die. There is no room for subtlety or melodic interludes, atmospheric keys or Jazz, this is just pure adrenaline and aggression from start to finish. This is death metal that is refined to the point that it’s a desiccated set of bones that are barely holding onto to each other in an effort to retain its form. 

Some bands say they are primal, or that this is ‘fill in the blanks with buzzwords here in the press release’ without actually backing up what they mean. Scordatura approach each track as if it’s the end of the world. They are furious, manic and often sound as though they are about to run off the rails. Despite this there are some classic riffs in here, some real stone breakers as each of the parts come together in an unholy union. There is section on Oppressed Repressed where they are flying and then kick it up a gear, its practically psychopathic.

Looping back, the negative (if it can be called that?) is that this is pure Death Metal, purely for fans of Death Metal. Now, in this day of inclusion you could ask yourself are they doing enough to attract say other genres of metal into their fold? No idea, but it you like music played fast, uncompromisingly so with little regard for those light melodic touches offered by others then this is for you. 

If the idea of 9 songs flying past you like a bullet train doesn’t fill you with glee, then definitely look elsewhere. 8/10

The Heavy Eyes - Focus (Magnetic Eye Records) [Rich Piva]

Memphis, Tennessee’s The Heavy Eyes play the heavy blues spiked with psych and stoner goodness and have been doing so for over 15 years. Their latest record, Focus, is a great title for the eleven songs on this record, given it seems like the band is locked in and ready to blow us away with their version of heavy ass Memphis stoner blues after six year absence.

The opener, That Cold Goliath, is a minimalist, haunting acoustic number that leads perfectly into Concrete Halloween, which is a flat out ripper driven by the bass that sets up the tone nicely and shows the heavier rocking side of the band. What a track. Speaking of the bass, It's All Simone is driven by the bassline until the heavy riff kicks in and pairs perfectly with it. Excellent fuzzy goodness on this one. 

Sarissa is another great track that gives me 90s vibes to go along with their version of heavy blues rock. I get a grungy feel from the riff on Corporal Upham, and this one has some of my favourite guitar work on Focus. Bass riffs drive a number of the songs on the record, including on Troublesome Priest, which gives me Jack White vibes and brings the chunkiness. 

The title track is a more classic bluesy riff and shows off their stoner blues side while Greener is a simple and killer three minute quiet-loud-quiet master class in stoner blues. These guys have some filthy riffs, and the filthiest one comes from the bluesy Words. That Cold Goliath (Might Return), nothing slight about this one, as the riff is like a switchblade, while the closer, Holy Envy turns up the psych and the atmosphere, a great comedown from this stoner blues bar fight.

The Heavy Eyes have a great discography, and Focus fits right with the rest of their great records. These guys know what they are doing and this record is some of the best bluesy stoner rock you will hear this year. 8/10

 
Verdun - Abyssal Womb (Transcending Obscurity) [Adz Redpath]

Verdun hail from Montpellier in France, formed in 2010 bringing us Sludge/Doom metal at its core here on their third full length album. 

This has a more modern tinge and truly kicks with an authentic and natural production with at my guess zero programming involved, this release evokes the kind of angst and tension you would hope for from an album like this. Feeling like Neurosis just met early Loathe in a bar fight it's filled with an abundance of weighty tracks and attitude.

The production is well balanced allowing everything to have its own space in the mix, a great use of keys and overdubbing guitar wise adding to the tension that this gives of with aplomb. A surprising amount of groove and huge hooky riffs from Jérôme Pinelli especially on tracks like Silent Witness and He Who Killed The Devil keep this engaging throughout and at no point really feeling like it drags which is a trope so many doom and sludge bands seem to fall into unfortunately.

The rhythm section is seriously strong here and punches at a level that I would expect from the upper echelon in the genre, the vocals from David Sadok are great with a black metal feel most of the time but not one dimensional, having a variety and emotiveness so many miss especially on a track like Les Noces Du Neant which has huge power and a sense of anguish that really translates adding in cleans and real variety.

This is certainly a release worth your time and money, play it loud and annoy the neighbours. 7/10

Far From Refuge - Pillars Of Language (Self Released) [Matt Bladen]

Genre blurring prog metal now from Cambridge band Far From Refuge and any fans of Periphery, Northlane or any act that manages to straddle that Djent/alternative/metalcore sound.

It's modern heavy music with a wide vocal range that are angsty cleans, low gutturals and harsh screams, the emotion coming from here as the instrumental section impresses with groovy plan muted riffs, blasts of extreme metal, widdly solos and electronic atmospheres that sit behind the Title Track.

Pillars Of Language is their debut album and has nearly been a decade in production, inspired by sci-fi and gaming culture, it's been refined to create a soundscape that puts nuanced intricacies with massive breakdowns.

It's all very technical, performed to a high level but nothing really catches me, and I also think that they need to decide whether they want to use harsh vocals all the time and go down the In Flames route on Ceres or they want to use the angsty cleans and be an alt metal band.

You may like Pillars Of Language if you love that modern metal sound and an experimental attitude so it's worth a listen. 6/10

Reviews: Deep Purple, Todomal, Harsh, Dichotomy (Mark Young, Matt Bladen, Cherie Curtis & Adz Redpath)

Deep Purple - Splat! (earMusic) [Mark Young]

Deep Purple have got to that point where they have outlasted a number of their classic rock peers, some falling by the wayside before they got their second wind. The fact that its actually more of a surprise when they aren’t touring says a lot about this band, and about how high they are still regarded. 

I’m not even going to attempt to run through line-ups, its redundant, boring and pointless. This is their 24th full length release, a trip that started with bouffant hair in 1968 and paisley shirts and despite members who are nearing 80, there is no sign of easing up just yet.

So, I won’t pretend to say I’ve like all of their stuff, like some I tend to gravitate towards In Rock, Fireball and Machine Head, which has some of their (and Rock’s) best moments. They were always different from Sabbath and Zeppelin, at least to me and their later stuff I felt didn’t have the same oomph to it and a lot could be attributed to band politics. Getting rid of Blackmore actually released them find that power again and despite losing Jon Lord, you would have thought that the line-up with Steve Morse in it would be it until they packed it in. 

So when my lad (Hoy Alan!) announced that they were getting a new gunslinger I was surprised, and when this landed with me, I was really surprised at how hard it goes. This is a very good album from them, one that shows that when the handbrake is released, they can still motor. The voice that Gillan had is an echo on here, but its enough, everything that you associate with Deep Purple is present and correct on here; the musicality, the scorching leads, drums for days and lyrics that are well typical Gillan. 

New guitarist, Simon McBride is stepping up into his role now and the songs are now manifesting a heavier edge, imbued with an energy that was missing previously. Take the opening track Arrogant Boy, this is classic Purple bounding forward and it sets the scene with some fiendish playing by McBride and Airey. And speaking of classic Purple, Diablo takes you back to the early 70s. They are infectious and joyful in their execution. Its an energy that stays in place right the way through and for me it’s the best thing they have done in an age.

It’s the fact that they have gone into the studio and just hammered out a banger, one that sounds like a band trying to make up for lost time and wants you to hear this. Its not the sound of a band who have settled here. Is it going to convert new fans, probably not. Its likely the name conjures up Grandad Rock with some; all I can say is that don’t let that the name or any preconceived ideas about them put you off. This is classic rock, executed at the highest level. It sounds great, delivered by a band that has got the winds at their backs. 

They are touring the UK later this year and wholeheartedly recommend that you make every attempt to catch them live. 9/10

Todomal - Graveyards Of Joy (Season Of Mist) [Matt Bladen]

If in 1980 Roger Waters hadn't left Pink Floyd and they had continued to go down the dark and bitter route he had taken them on from Animals onwards, I would like to think he would have been very interested in the developing doom scene that was happening in Europe during the late 80's and early 90's.

Especially when bands such as Anathema, Katatonia and even Paradise Lost all went tonight to include quite a lot of Floyd in their latter day incarnations, with Cathedral especially the influence of Waters et al had always been there through the elongated songs and psychedelic exploration.

Why are you talking about this? I hear you ask well for my money Anglo-Spanish band Todomal would be the result of Pink Floyd going doom, the complex song structures, a trio of vocals, pastoral moments, huge ominous passages and emotion over exhibition.

This is doom at its most beautifully atmospheric, the duo of composer/multi-instrumentalists Christopher B. Wildman and Javier Fernández Milla, forming the band in 202 after years in the Spanish underground. Their goal was to create music that was esoteric and ecclesiastical, more akin with cinema soundtracks (mainly Morricone) than with traditional metal.

A fusion of styles that brings together Spanish traditional instruments, string arrangements, and church organs to prog/psych rock and apocalyptic doom. They have already released two albums before this, with Graveyards Of Joy serving as a final part of a trilogy that deals with grief, isolation and tragedy.

Joining Wildman (vocals/guitar) and Milla (vocals/bass) in their live band Javier Félez (guitar), Javier "Bud" Martínez (drums) and Cecilia Tallo (keyboards/vocals), swelling the numbers on stage but in the studio the way this record is approached is the same it's always been, two instrumentalists playing everything with a few guests to join in.

Perhaps though having this live band has made them think a bit more about their music as Graveyards Of Joy is more expansive in and more melodic in tone, keeping their doom beginnings but bringing the melancholic metal that Katatonia, Soen and others have made their own.

I think I'm a little bit in love with this album, if this third record is what Todomal will sound like going forward, then absolutely count me in. 9/10

Harsh – Feels (Fireflash Records) [Cherie Curtis]

Harsh is a relatively new band from Paris who brings the velvety hooks and hard rocking, Glam Rock nostalgia from the 80s revamps it and delivers it with a clean, modern-day spin. A sentence like that may scare some people away, because why fix it when it isn’t broken? I agree, it's very hard to make Glam Rock better, and bringing it into the modern day doesn't make it better; it gives us more. That’s what Harsh is bringing with their newest Feels.

Every track within this album is punchy and electric; each one amps you up and is catchy enough for you to sing when the second chorus wraps around. Forever Yesterday is anthemic and passionate with western rock and roll feel. The heavy drums are pacing with clear fast riffs with dreamy reverbs, and the vocals are incredibly sharp and strong without being overpowering. Dancing Dancing is a sleazy banger, and I imagine it would have made it as a club classic 40 years ago. 

However, the glistening jewel of Feels is Maniac, a high-speed thrilling cover. Its jam packed with the hard rock bells and whistles we love, with incredible texture and layering and leaves no breathing space, it’s loud with wonderful noise with a gut punching with a technical guitar solo and a vocal sustain Hall And Oats can only dream of and they do it all with ease. They singlehandedly took an 80s pop classic to the beer slick and dingy floor of a hard rock gig. This was a very nice surprise, and I'm glad it landed on my desk, I'm a sucker for a rock cover.

All in all, it's a very promising album. It has all the marks of traditional glam rock; electricity, power and an infectious amount of fun and refined it with the technology of today without stripping the soul and passion away. Harsh brings us voltage and maintains it as well as staying consistent with their sound and overall image without it feeling like a tired gimmick, which is a very real risk. As great as I think this album is, it’s not going to be for everyone. 

You must be a fan of the genre to really get a kick out of it otherwise it would sound unremarkable, like something you've heard many times before which is good for most but not for some but I think you should give it a listen anyway and have some fun. 7/10

Dichotomy - Lucifer Owns The Fence (Rottweiler Records) [Adz Redpath]

Jordan Varela the one man beast and multi instrumentalist behind this Charlotte, North Carolina based tech death project is a law unto himself and has quite the track record in the industry as I'll allow you to research yourself, not least being a member of the likes of legends of brutality, Lividity and Lust Of Decay. 

What we find here in Dichotomy is a true death metal project harking back to peak era Deicide, maybe lacking the level of refinement of the aforementioned overall but certainly at a high professional and musical level with ferocious and unyielding pace throughout.

Everything on show here is hitting hard, each track has clear intent and furious vision, the mix is executed well and holds the attention. however a slightly thicker guitar tone that's layered more heavily to fill the mix would probably help in future and a more forthright multi tracked vocal mix would help to really convey the aggression on show here. 

That being said this is 90's era death metal that crushes and if it had been released during that period im certain it would have made waves in the scene especially as it is the vision and performance of just one individual it is to be highly commended.

An over use of pinched harmonics in the guitar work do distract by the time you're half way through this album and an overuse of certain time signatures and riff ideas do unfortunately distract from what is overall a very strong release overall. 

If you're a fan of Deicide etc during the 90's you will probably find a lot to like about this album and it certainly holds nostalgia heavily in its tracks. 

Some more fine tuning in the future and maybe working with a producer in depth on the overall songs as well as production will no doubt expand this project to being something that turns heads on the road ahead, not a game changer but well worth checking out. 6/10

Reviews: Troy The Band, Nxmad, Martyrs Saint, Soothsayer (Matt Bladen & Adz Redpath)

Troy The Band - (des) (JPEG2000/London Doom Collective) [Matt Bladen]

London experimentalists made a mark on me when I saw them at Masters Of The Riff Festival a few years ago. 

Their brain frying mix of doom, shoegaze, noise coupled with eye bleeding video visuals made for something that at the time caught me off guard but weeks after they were band I thought about most.

Not a gig but rather an experience that I wasn't quite ready for but wanted more of. They released their previous album Cataclysm in 2024 and while this was supposed to be a direct follow up, (des) had to become something different when their vocalist left.

That meant that (des) became a collaboration between artists, the band writing songs and inviting friends to come and sing on them, its also drummer Jack Revans' first official release with the band and recently they announced Ana-Maria Terr Bordei as their vocals it going forward.

Recorded with Wayne Adams at Bear Bites Horse Studios, the great and the good of the UK heavy music scene appears here, initially they had the idea of a few vocalists but each track has a different one, making the album a celebration of Troy The Band and their impact on their scene.

Porous begins the record with a woozy atmosphere and colossal doom riffs, the vocals of Soozi Chamelone (ex-Dead Witches) perfectly suited to this occult doom sound.

As a side note it's great to hears Soozi's vocals on something heavy again and they return for Denial, another grooving doom track which pays homage to Sabbath and also features Matt Sutton of Tayne at the end.

Journey's End dials up the psychedelia with some throbbing bass and swirling feedback driven passage through paranoia which features Peter Holland of Elephant Tree and Kay Elizabeth of Black Orchid combining their clean drawls.

It also has Caine Hemmingway of Believe In Nothing screaming with rage, he comes back on The Moment which is abrasive hardcore with a thick bottom end letting him loose.

Rage is also the name of the game on Nothing where an angular guitar riff underpins the sludge heaviness and Jake Packham's (Black Groove) throat shredding vocals. 

Final track Choke proves to be the heaviest here with Hemmingway, Packham joined by David Burdis of Black Shape and Ryan Denham for an unholy noise of an ending.

While Holland and Elizabeth get a chance to once again take Troy The Band into the stratosphere with and eight minute journey into the psychdelic stoner reaches of their sound.

Adding a throbbing bit of distorted groove from bassist Sean Durbin and big fills and jazz timings from drummer Jack Revans as guitarist Sean Burn moves between the ambient and aggressive.

Ana-Maria appears here on Adoration Of Ill Luck, showing off her versatile and soulful vocals sound that fits Troy The Band perfectly, in places even sounding like Cher, which is a huge compliment even if it might not sound like one.

With Ana-Marie behind the mic the future of Troy The Band is safe, until the album they have already written together is done, know that there's no false promise or wooden horse here, just a collaboration between one of the UK's noisiest bands and their talent friends. 9/10

Nxmad - The Second Fall (APF Records) [Matt Bladen]

The Second Fall carries the legend "recorded and mixed by Joe Clayton at No Studio/mastered by Brad Boatright at Audiosiege" now a sign of a record that will attack you like a belt sander to the face.

There are few production teams that can get an intense rawness and a polished sophistication, so it's why they are in demand for any band who come from the hardcore/sludge underground scene and make a lot of noise.

Nxmad make a lot of noise, be that swaggering sludge grooves, breakneck hardcore blasts or something in between, they shout, scratch claw and brutalise on their new album The Second Fall, released through those denizens of all things heavy APF Records.

Formed in Manchester all the way back in 2012, they were previously known as Nomad, releasing their debut album Feral in 2019 on APF Records, I remember giving the record high marks, as it took doom to the outer reaches of the genre, with sludge, hardcore and more rougher textures fighting their way through.

As with a lot of things after 2019, there was a lull, a hiatus and with a change in drummer they have rebranded as Nxmad, getting angrier, much angrier. 

Offering similar sludge riffery as early Mastodon, where the slow crush of doom is frittered away into a more direct sound that goes for the throat with rampaging tracks such as Vertigo or the angular bite of Bridge Burner.

After this break Nxmad have gotten a lot more pissed off, streamlining their assault but not reducing its impact, The Second Fall is relentless. Savage from the first moment, there's very little time to rest or reflect on what you're listening too, just the expectation of another beating laying around the corner.

Nomad no more, Nxmad keep the legacy but take their music into nastier places on The Second Fall. 8/10

Martyrs Saint - From Strength To Strength (Self Released) [Adz Redpath]

Bristol based Thrashers Martyrs Saint build on old school thrash adding in a modern tinge and a hardcore strength that absolutly rips, this release is fire. 

These guys have lots in common with the likes of Hatebreed etc and it shows in the best possible way. 

This release sounds great with a killer production throughout with an especially crushing guitar tone from Amarè Hurley and plenty of bottom end shining through along with some healthy use of samples here and there. 

The bass and drums here are very strong as you would hope for from this style and the vocals from Brandon Goodair attack the listener at every turn, the e.p.'s title is very very apt indeed.

The playing and musicianship on display here are adept far beyond the youth of the band and it is undeniably energetic and bouncy throughout and will only improve im sure with every release, this is a band that I hear crush it live and I'm not surprised given the frenetic power on show here. 

Some more time and even better production could well catapult these guys to the upper echelon of the genres and put them up with the likes on Malevolence etc.

Im notoriously strict on scoring as many in the reviewing culture so easily give out high scores when they are unwarented and don't understand the underlying aspects of a release and the industry however in this instance these guys are the future of UK thrash/hardcore scene and I can not reccomend them enough.

I will be following their socials and reccomend you do also and chekc them out live asap these guys deserve the support. Every track is a banger play it loud and buy their merch. 8/10

Soothsayer – The Unbinding (Apocalyptic Witchcraft) [Adz Redpath]

Newly signed to Apocalyptic records Soothsayer are forging ahead with their second full length release The Unbinding, Based out of County Cork in Southwest Ireland. 

This five piece are a what I would class as an old school doom metal band with hefty influence from the likes of My Dying Bride and Paradise Lost and wearing it on their sleeves serves them well. 

The Unbinding is a well produced and atmospheric release with a more natural and classic sound, not feeling overproduced or quantised overtly it has character that many are lacking in the current music scene, everything being recorded in a studio as opposed to programmed to infinity and beyond. 

There is noticeable peaking in the guitar tracks and fluctuations in the drum tempo that speak to a morelive sense in the studio and certain eqing that maybe comes from a less modern metal production and has a more raw aspect built in on purpose.

The vocals air more on the death side of early doom but with a healthy balance of cleaner more emotive parts. The guitars work well with melodic and doom tones having their own space and balanced with the rhythm section well giving everything a voice within the mix. 

Soothsayer may not be breaking any new ground stylistically or sound wise with this release in fact quite the opposite as a more classic sound is embraced throughout but It feels right and not forced.

The final track on this release A Vague Shimmer for me is a true standout on this release and speaks to a band that could progress a lot further musically and if given the right direction and tour slots carve their own space in the doom scene. 

I would certainly recommend giving this your time if the aforementioned influences are something that peak your interest as this Is MDB, Turn Loose The Swans era doom done very well and should satisfy that classic hunger for something more raw and classic. 6/10

Reviews: Masterplan, Stonecast, Vorax, Doomherre/Ordos/Hexjakt/Kaiser (Matt Bladen & Mark Young)

Masterplan - Metalmorphosis (Frontiers Music Srl) [Matt Bladen]

With their first new music since 2013, power metal legends Masterplan return on Frontiers Music with Metalmorphosis, their sixth studio album of originals and the culmination of this bands journey so far as they fully step away from their label as a Helloween offshoot.

Now Roland Grapow (guitars) didn't do himself or the band any favours with 2017's PumpKings covers record but after and extended hiatus it seems Masterplan return revitalised and infused with a new creative energy that is all over this new album.

Since their emergence in 2001, they've been through a number of line up changes most notably vocalist Rick Altzi replacing Jorn Lande, but the current line up of Grapow, Altzi, keyboardist Axel Mackenrott (since 2003), bassist Jari Kainulainen (since 2012) and drummer Kevin Kott (since 2017), have all been a part of the band long enough to understand their roles in Masterplan and bring what fans expect.

So what do they expect? Well power metal melodies, prog metal technicality and theatrical diversity that makes for epic songwriting, anchored on this record by the Title Track which displays the heavier sound Masterplan have returned with on this album. 

Tracks such as Through The Storm have their foot to the floor with full pelt European power metal while The Call goes deeper into the prog realms across 8 minutes.

This Masterplan's Metalmorphosis, shedding their hiatus to return with sharper songwriting and heavy hitting music. Veterans of the game it's great to have them back! 8/10

(P.S. I can't wait to see them at Quest Fest 2026 this year)

Stonecast - Expand Crimson Chaos (Pitch Black Records) [Matt Bladen]

I said in my review of French band Stonecasts last album. I, Earther that they "bristle with heavy metal glory" well with Expand Crimson Chaos they continue to just that. 

Creating heavy metal that merges the British and American styles, one moment they're Manowar, the next they're Judas Priest, but for most of Expand Crimson Chaos they stick with Iced Earth.

The seven year gap between the records taking into heavier paths and while Jon Schaffer's band is now a fractured mess of split members, insurrectionism and libertarian insanity, Stonecast can easily slip into that gap due to their thrashy power metal, which is the cornerstone of the American style.

The riffs come from guitarist Seb Casula (leads from Thomas Tiberi), bassist Lionel Antonorsi and the huge vocal prowess of Frank Ghirardi. 

Their IE credentials boosted by Brent Smedley behind the kit, with a track such as King Of Hell blasting like something off Burnt Offerings, switching between a stomping groove and more occult elements of theatre where they can flex their prog prowess as they transition into the blistering gallops of early Manowar.

They even drop a classic metal song in their native French, which is then given a piano version on CD bonus track, so Stonecast aren't afraid to take risks but they make their mark with some more muscular heavy metal. Play loud, raise your first and bang your head to Expand Crimson Chaos. 9/10

Vorax - Volcano Shock (Independent) [Mark Young]

Occupying the different side of the extreme metal coin is Vorax, and their full-length release Volcano Shock. 

Its surprising that no one thought to combine old school death metal and Dinosaurs, well at the least the apocalyptic part of that particular past. The band themselves are wholeheartedly onboard with this and treat this as a deadly serious exercise in music.

And let me tell you, it sounds serious from the off, they have nailed that 90s Swe-death guitar tone to a tee and basically run rampant with it. Magma Ocean is first, and well if you park any opinions on the song titles and just concentrate on the music this is a well-wrought opening salvo of nastiness. 

It just sounds like it stepped out of 1994, and the way that the songs are put together is that they are basically put in gear and are let loose, percussive and propulsive death metal that only moves in one direction. 

The vocals are gnarly, completely suited to the material on hand. Devouring Raw Flesh, with its slower tempo is no less immediate, as is the title track Volcano Shock which possesses that classic death metal super-strum to it. The question is whether you can stay the course with them, and wholly dependent upon your appreciation of OSDM, especially one that tips its hat towards Scandinavia. 

Fans of that era and that location should be able to get onboard with this with no trouble. The songs are good songs, lead breaks are broken out in all the right spots and they never miss with their riffs, which is always massive for me. The other thing is their approach; this is not meant to be a joke or something half-arsed, at least from as far as I can tell.

Yes, the subject matter could be considered to sit on the humorous side of things, but when you look at metal in general there are some sub-genres that raise an eyebrow or two. At least Vorax are bringing a relative a-game to proceedings. I keep going back to its sound, its something akin to stripping the enamel from your teeth. 

Add in that they don’t take a backwards step at any point on here and you have an album that succeeds in terms of offering you 8 songs that place great emphasis on craft. You can’t fault them for that. 7/10

Doomherre, Odos, Hexjakt, Kaiser - Four Altars Of Sin (Majestic Mountain Records) [Mark Young]

Well, this is certainly the treat!!

Four Altars Of Sin gives us a 4 way split of some top class Nordic doom/stoner via Majestic Mountain Records who somehow have combined some of the frostiest metal to be released during an extreme heat event in the UK.

Doomherre – Blood Relics Of Old

Ordos – Inferno

Hexjakt - Svartkonst

Kaiser – Sonic Satan

Putting improbable coincidence to one side, It’s a monumental slab of noise that is a dense as their names suggest. This feels as though Majestic Mountain have carefully curated this split, with each band offering the listener something that is different from the other without sounding out of place. 

The key is that each one delights in being unfathomably heavy whilst imbuing a sense of movement in each of their tracks. Some of the riffs are massive, just as you would expect and there is no way you will come away from this disappointed if this is your bag. 

Doomherre kick things off with Blood Relics Of Old, dropping a bass that is so low its likely to cause waters to break in the pregnant and a riff build that elicits a ‘Fuck yeah’ in right minded individuals everywhere. 

This is a quality start and positions the bar high for Ordos to follow with Inferno. This looks inwardly with a restrained sound that just builds along with one of ‘those arrangements’ that has that itch to it no matter how distorted it is. 

When it does kick in, it’s the vocals that do the heavy lifting, switching from cleans into the harsh. Like Doomherre, they are here to move you and I defy anyone not to get behind this.

Hexjakt start side 2 and just dive in with Svartkonst. This one rides that traditional doom train, again with a focused but fuzzed out mania.

Its central riff is like a monster, simple but massive and when you think about it, they don’t need it to be anything else. Its simplicity is devastating, punctured by a lead break that has that emotional lift to it. Again, at the core is a simple truth which doesn’t mean that this is without merit. It is pure, unspoiled doom. 

Bringing this to a close is Kaiser, with Sonic Satan. Its extended opening sirens and voice over grating until the guitars drop in. I did say that they all shared a similar sound, and this is true in that each band bring massive riffology. 

Kaiser do things differently in the vocal sense due to their lean into stoner territory rather than doom. They still have engage in immense tones, with a fabulous lead break that dominates their entry and ultimately wraps their entry to a close.

For fans of Doom/Stoner, and of Majestic Mountain Records in general, this will surely scratch an itch and introduce new followers to their flock. Hats off to Majestic Mountain with this, brilliant release 8/10

Reviews: MONO, Junius, Plaindrifter, Gin Lady (Matt Bladen & Rich Piva)

MONO - Snowdrop (Temporary Residence Limited) [Matt Bladen]

It’s difficult to lose a friend, difficult to lose a colleague, difficult to lose someone who you have been intrinsically linked with for so long, but when Steve Albini passed away in 2024, Japanese band MONO lost a collaborator, colleague and friend all at once.

His unrivalled production skills has featured on hundreds of albums, this made him one of the most recognisable and revered names in his field, but to MONO he was more than that, he was their “fifth Beatle” the concrete foundation upon which their work could be built upon, with a scientific understanding and emotional connection to their working process and exactly what made MONO tick.

This led to a period of uncertainty the grief of losing a friend but the more practical fear of losing such an integral part of the band, they must have asked themselves if they would ever sound the same again?

That is until they found Brad Wood a friend and devotee of Steve Albini, he too is a producer having made records with Touché Amoré and The Smashing Pumpkins, so he sat in the chair at Electrical Audio, Albini’s studio and alongside conductor Chad McCullough, a 10-piece orchestra and an 8-piece choir and rebuilt MONO, the group creating Snowdrop and record that this as intense as it is intimate, fuelled by the love of a brother.

This is a record that celebrates rather than commiserates, celebrating life rather than mourning death. It pays tribute to Albini, through Wood being sympathetic to the production style he had locked in with MONO, but also sees the band embracing their new working relationships and a jump into the unknown.

Snowdrop begins with the elegant title track, the guitars shimmering across the stereo spectrum, defined left and right instrumentation throughout, you must listen to this on good headphones or through good speakers to really hear it. The title track is like the first buds of spring flourishing at the start of the record before unfolding into the stunning duo of Winter Daphne where the orchestra and choir really come into their own and the triumphal feel of Gerbera, the drums like a distant marching band keeping the time against the orchestral swells.

From here Statice has me thinking of film soundtracks, it's the repetition, the piano and the whole general feel of it I think, especially comparing it to Hedera where the guitar is king, shifting back to the post rock early days of the band. However MONO's music has always been cinematic, songs built for never-ending horizons and long distance travels through beautiful vistas.

Fans should not fear, their first record without Albini behind the desk since 2014's The Last Dawn/Rays Of Darkness double release, is a tribute to the great man from those that loved him while also being another epic, evocative performance from this band who communicate through their virtuosity in an unspoken way. 9/10

Junius - Sotera (Prosthetic Records) [Matt Bladen]

Boston band Junius return after nearly a decade with their new album Sotera, which in the words of founding member Joseph E. Martinez "feels like a rebirth for the band".

Which it sort of is as vocalist/guitarist Martinez and drummer Dana Filloon are the only founding members of the band left, the rest of these soundscapes brought to life by Eoghan Mccarthy (guitar), Matthew Vincenty (guitar) and Orion Wainer (bass).

So yes folks it's another post metal band with three guitarists, but when you hear the density of Junius' music you'll understand why three guitarists are the minimum, shifting from colossal heaviness into introspective atmospheres, there's so much to unlock musically with this record, is no wonder they've been compared to the likes of Tool, Deftones and Cult Of Luna.

Produced by Martinez and Tom Syrowski (Blackberry Smoke, Mastodon), Sotera is a collection of songs where dynamics are key, undulating between ominous distortion and bright ambience, the angst of Deftones, sneer of Tool and the gothic brooding of Type O Negative all prominent in the expressive vocals of Martinez.

You could apply the term symphonic shoegaze to the album as while they do a lot of repeated shuffling and looking at their toes, the instrumentals layer across each other for a wall of expression and shifts in volume that comes from that 90's era of alt rock experimentation.

A record dedicated to Hekate and divine feminine powers, it's their first album not to be confined to just the conceptual but carry a narrative thread, rather than storytelling rigidity, so maybe Sotera is Junius relaxing into being a band after nearly 20 years.

The various genre tags that can applied all getting a bit muddled, as these tracks always offer something different to the last, yet retain a musical dexterity that's hard to define. A clash of sounds that create a post-something noise any devotee of the 90's alternative music scene will feel very comfortable inside. 8/10

Plaindrifter - Gestalt (Ripple Music) [Rich Piva]

Germany's Plaindrift have figured out the perfect and delicate balance of being both proggy and heavy on their amazing new record, Gestalt, brought to us by the best label in heavy rock, Ripple Music. These six songs walk the proggy/stoner/metal tightrope with the greatest of ease, bringing the best of all three of those genres to Gestalt.

Amazing vocals, killer musicianship, and the songs…the songs are breathtaking. Immediately you feel this with the opener, Moth Murmuration, which goes in lots of directions but never waivers too far to allow you to keep guessing but never questioning the direction chosen. Eternal Season is right with it, with some amazing guitar work and next-level songwriting. 

Hyborian Age starts out like it is getting you settled in for what will be quite the journey and that is exactly what you get for those seven amazing minutes that makes up my favourite track on the record. The heaviest song and riff, of course, has Ryan Garney guesting on it, as the middle psych-y part of this seven and a half minute trip leads to Garney’s killer vocals to close it out. Great stuff. Debaser closes Gestalt, pretty much defining what heavy prog should sound like moving forward.

Plaindrifter is just locked in on Gestalt. This record should be held up next to any album proclaiming to stay heavy and still wander into progressive territories, without ever being a parody of itself but instead helping to define what this genre should sound like. Another amazing Ripple Music release. 9/10

Gin Lady - Toads And Diamonds - Volume I: Live in Spain (Ripple Music) [Rich Piva]

If the Allman Brothers were from Sweden they may have toured with Gin Lady, and this set, from Gin Lady’s 2025 tour of Spain, shows that the band would have hung with those legends on stage, given how great Toads And Diamonds - Volume I: Live In Spain sounds.

Gin Lady has been around for a while now and has a great back catalog that they sample a lot of on Toads And Diamonds - Volume I: Live In Spain. The highlight for me is I'm Your Friend, where the guitar work and the harmonies are so precise and beautiful while still giving this raw live feel. I also love the chunky Flower People, with this Neil Young thing it has going on, Crazy Horse background vocals and all. 

Another amazing live band, My Morning Jacket vibes emit from Far Beyond The Sun while the most Allmans track musically, Brothers Of The Canyon, could not have been a better closer, leaving the crowd moving and wanting more. The Byrds-like harmonies pair perfectly with the Southern jamminess of the song. The sound of Toads And Diamonds is great, capturing the band in all their glory while also getting all the little intricacies of their sound.

This would have been quite the show to attend, but at least we get Toads And Diamonds - Volume I: Live In Spain for those of us who have not had the honour of seeing the amazing Gin Lady live and in the flesh. A killer live record in a time where they are few and far between. 9/10