Reviews: Godsnake, Shadowlands, Cnoc An Tursa, Ural (Spike & Mark Young)

Godsnake – Inhale The Noise (Massacre Records) [Spike]

I’m going to start with a confession: the cover art for Godsnake’s Inhale The Noise nearly put me off the record before I’d even hit play. There is a specific visual language associated with snakes and hard rock that triggers a deeply buried, visceral aversion in me, specifically anything that reminds me of Whitesnake. 

As a band, they’ve always occupied a space I’d rather not visit, and the serpentine branding here felt like an immediate warning of hair-metal posturing to come. But as all music-related triggers go, the only way through it is to shut your eyes and listen. Once you do, you realize that Hamburg’s Godsnake are far more interested in high-velocity thrash precision than they are in the spandex-clad ghosts of the 80s.

The record opens with Scream For A Bullet, and the shift in reality is immediate. This is modern melodic thrash with a heavy-set, mechanical heart. The production is sharp and professional, providing a clinical clarity that allows the riffs to breathe while maintaining a healthy amount of grit in the low-end. It’s followed by Lost & Forgotten, which showcases the band’s knack for a rhythmic "shove", a sound that owes as much to the technical precision of early Trivium as it does to the classic German school of metal.

What gives Inhale The Noise its specific weight, however, is the collaboration with Jean Bormann of Rage. His presence on tracks like the title track, and Rotten To The Core adds a layer of veteran authority and a "Rage-esque" muscularity to the songwriting. It’s a sophisticated bit of genre-blending that keeps the record from ever settling into a "business as usual" thrash routine. The melodies are sinister yet catchy, cutting through the distortion with a surgical precision that feels properly dangerous.

The middle of the record features Digital Dumbass, a title that is admittedly a bit blunt, but the music is undeniable. It’s a biting, high-velocity jolt that targets the modern era’s digital anxieties with a level of vitriol that feels entirely earned. The guitars don't just cycle through riffs; they construct a vast, shifting architecture of noise that feels like it’s vibrating in your bones, leading toward the more expansive moments of Fear Is The Key and the finality of The Price We Have To Pay.

Godsnake have managed to deliver a record that successfully overcomes its own branding (again this is a me thing – it will never impact you dear reader….). Inhale The Noise isn't the sound of veterans playing it safe; it’s the sound of a band that still feels like they have everything to prove. By the time the final vibration of the closer eventually cuts out, you aren't left with the 80s associations I feared; you're left with the realization that German thrash still has a hell of a lot of life left in it. 

It’s an honest, unvarnished bit of reality that proves the best discoveries are often the ones that force you to look past the packaging. If you’ve still got a pulse, this will find a way to rattle it. 8/10

Shadowlands – 004 (Seeing Red Records) [Spike]

There is a specific, rain-slicked tension that Portland’s Shadowlands has spent four albums trying to perfect, and with 004, they’ve finally hit the frequency. It’s a record that feels like it was recorded in the blue hour, that hazy, indeterminate space between the end of a long night and a very cold morning. By leaning into an "80s-inspired horror synth" aesthetic and draping it over a post-punk framework, the band has created a signature sound that is as much about the "shimmer" of shoegaze as it is about the "shove" of darkwave.

The experience begins with Burdens, a track built on a foundation of spine-tingling harmonies that feel almost mechanical in their precision. It’s a cold, clinical start that provides a rigid skeleton for the guitars to eventually swamp. This sets the stage for Clicks and the rhythmic, searing energy of R/AGE, where the band proves they can handle high-velocity friction without losing the melodic "infectiousness" that defines their vocal performances.

The absolute standout here, however, is Let's Fall Apart. It’s a six-minute masterclass in the crossover from goth to shoegaze, a transition handled with a level of pained, cinematic elegance that demands a repeat listen. The track moves with a slow, tectonic momentum, building from an introspective dreamscape into a massive, skyward wall of sound. It’s the kind of songwriting that doesn't just entertain you; it inhabits you, revealing new layers of fuzz and grief every time the needle drops.

The second half of the record, Nothing Has Changed, Wounds And Relics, and Substance doubles down on the "kaleidoscopic" blend of styles. The riffs soar and sear in equal measure, backed by rhythms that feel urgent and essential. By the time we reach the finale, The Worst Light, the atmosphere has become total. It’s a brilliant, shimmering closer that refuses to offer a simple way out, instead leaving the listener suspended in that specific, hazy twilight where the band thrives.

Shadowlands haven't just delivered another darkwave album; they’ve created a climate. 004 is a lush, sophisticated triumph of tone that prioritizes the feeling of the fall over the safety of the landing. It’s the sound of a band finally embracing the beautiful, shimmering mess of their own collapse, and it’s a necessary soundtrack for anyone who prefers their pop melodies with an dark edge. 9/10

Cnoc An Tursa - A Cry For The Slain (Apocalyptic Witchcraft) [Mark Young]

A change of pace and intent now, with a touch of Black Folk from Falkirk’s own Cnoc An Tursa, who focus on their Scottish heritage to act as a rich tableaux from which they craft their unique sound. Now, I am not always down with folk metal, I’ll be honest with you as I lean more into that aggressive/speedier side of things.

Putting my personal taste to one side, A Cry For The Slain is an album that is steeped in atmosphere. Its knows exactly what it wanted to sound like, and in mining that rich heritage makes them sound unique to themselves. Na Fir Ghorma introduces us to them, and then its full on with The Caoineag, whose combination of high intensity black metal with what I can only describe as a swinging slow measure comes next. In terms of setting out the album, their approach and what you can expect then its captured here in these two songs. 

The Caoineag has all the hallmarks of an epic song, its expansive length and dense musicality that is built around that central melodic line, sees the song grow in a controlled manner whilst doing so off an emotional kick. They bring the speed and aggression but temper it with a soft hand where necessary and suddenly you have spent 10 minutes with them that has gone in a flash. 

The use of a central theme runs through each song, and to an extent you can recognise it at the start of each track. Calleach And The Guardians Of The Seven Stones comes in with what you could expect to be a traditional Celtic melody, one that evokes the raising of glasses and raucous nights. It’s the way they build around those melodic line which sees them do something different each time whilst keeping each song in context.

Any fear on my part that the folk side of things would possibly take precedence over other aspects of the sound is kept to a minimum. Baobhan Sith picks up the mantle of taking us forward through the middle of the album and has a darker edge to it. The melodic touches are there, as is the atmosphere and they are supported by an emotive lead break that lifts the whole piece to another level. The command of their material is top notch, as is the way they can switch from the light to the dark and back again whilst dropping in some quality riffs. 

Moving through each song, they constantly navigate a path that sees each track move in a certain way. The songs don’t repeat the same ideas, far from it they just use a certain methodology to start them off. Alba In My Heart explodes into life, pushing forward at every turn, using changes in tempo to add a layer to the sound. And that is something else, the album sounds fantastic. Heavy where it needs to be, pared back elsewhere. 

This and Address To The Devil lean more into the black metal, which is always welcome from my perspective. There is something primal about the attack manifested on these two songs, and yet when they do slow things down to a pause, those mint harmonious touches are front and centre. Now for a constant listener of this music, it might be old news but to these ears it sounds vital and worthy of my time. 

The closer, The Nine Maidens Of Dundee is a gentle instrumental which for me is probably in the right place. Had this been positioned earlier in the album, It would have lessened the impact of the songs before and after. Still, the strength of this album is there for all to hear. Everything about this album is quality, from start to finish (ignoring the instrumental – sorry) and for fans of this genre it is an essential purchase. 8/10

Ural - Anthropic Genetic Involution (Xtreme Music) [Mark Young]

Psycho Crossover Thrash Metal! Essentially this is an easy review to do, because it ties in nicely with my Heavy Metal flow chart which in this instance would go like this:

Like Thrash Metal – Yes / No?

If you answered yes, than you will find an extremely worthwhile way to spend your time, listening to some new/old thrash metal that is delivered with focus and determination. Being honest, it’s a love letter to the time of white high tops, of energetic downpicking and what were simpler times. Maybe not better times, but I digress.

Extreme Paranoia kicks things off, and you could be back in 86 or 87, with early lead breaks, gang vocals and a mazy riff build. Throw in a suitably driven lead break and you have a traditional slice of thrash metal. No bells or whistles, just simple thrash. They aren’t attempting to change the world with this, nor are they thinking that it will make them the next big thing. Its just honest thrash. The songs follow the standard build you would expect and don’t really deviate from that approach. I mean, why would you?

I could go on and try to wax lyrical about each track, attempting to make it more than it is, which would be pointless from my perspective. The album unfolds exactly as you hope it Two quick fire songs into God Of Lies, which starts slowly, methodically until they bring the lead guitar fire and return. It’s a great collection of riffs, executed in the right way. 

If you are a veteran (i.e. from the first time round) this is like the aural equivalent of putting on a comfortable pair of slippers and relaxing with friends. It should act as a reminder of why you got in to this music in the first place. The downpicking on Wasteland, the whammy abuse on Rat In A Cage, all of this should be welcomed with open arms.

This is the 4th full length release of their career, with their first demo coming in 2011 and the fact that they have managed to keep going is a testament to their talent. If you answered No earlier, then there isn’t anything for you here. For those who said Yes, I think you already know what they are all about, and exactly what you are going to get from them. 7/10

Reviews: The Last Ten Seconds Of Life, I Am The Avalanche, Stud Farm Mafia, DA (Spike & Matt Bladen)

The Last Ten Seconds Of Life – The Dead Ones (Unique Leader Records) [Spike]

If you’ve spent any significant time in the deep end of the deathcore scene, you know that The Last Ten Seconds Of Life don’t really do "lightweight." They’ve spent over a decade perfecting a sound that feels like a slow-motion car crash, rhythmic, terrifying, and impossible to look away from. 

For me it’s been a while since I listened to them and on The Dead Ones, they’ve managed to take that "unpleasant" noise I was expecting and sharpen it into something remarkably clinical without losing the snot-and-tears grit that made them a necessity in the first place.

The album ignites with the title track, The Dead Ones, and it’s a proper jolt of reality. The first thing that hits you isn't just the volume, but the specific "thud" of the production. It’s a level of distortion that feels like it’s physically occupying the room with you. 

It leads directly into Make It To Heaven, featuring Signs Of The Swarm, which is a masterclass in the balance of symphonic scale and blunt-force trauma. It’s a collaboration that actually justifies the "epic" tag, providing a cinematic weight that keeps the listener pinned to the wall.

What makes this record a bit of a milestone for the long-term fans, though, is the guest list. Getting Nate Johnson (ex-Fit For An Autopsy) on Rat Trap is a stroke of genius; he brings a veteran snarl that anchors the track’s frantic, heart-attack pulse. 

But the real tectonic shift happens on the closer, XXXXXXXXXX, with the return of original vocalist Storm Strope. For those of us who remember Soulless Hymns, hearing that voice back in the mix is pure catharsis. It’s not just a nostalgic call-back; it’s a high-velocity confrontation that proves the band still understands its own skeletal roots.

The middle stretch of the record, Freak Reflection, 1-800-DO YOU WANT TO DIE?, and Stiletto, moves with a predatory intent. 1-800-DO YOU WANT TO DIE? might win the award for the most confrontational title of the year, and the music backs it up with a rhythmic instability that reminds me of early 80s industrial-punk friction. It’s unpolished, honest, and possesses a level of “crustiness” that is sorely missing from the high-gloss metalcore circuit.

The production avoids the sterile traps of modern tech-death. You can hear the snare crack and the strings groaning under the weight of tracks like Dollar To A Dime (featuring Distant). It’s a sound that sounds like it was recorded in a space where the air is too thin to breathe; properly suffocating.

By the time the finale eventually snaps, you’re left with a ringing in your ears that feels like a well-earned bruise. The Dead Ones isn't an album that asks for your time; it’s one that demands your total submission. It’s a pained, sophisticated bit of survivalism that suggests that even after all these years, the Pennsylvania lot still knows exactly how to weaponize the void. 8/10

I Am The Avalanche– The Horror Show (Rude Records) [Spike]

Six years is a long time to keep a motor idling, but for Brooklyn’s I Am The Avalanche, the silence since 2020 hasn't resulted in any rust. If anything, The Horror Show feels like a band that has spent that half-decade sharpening their teeth in the dark. 

It’s a record that occupies that rare, holy ground in punk rock: it sounds exactly like the band you fell in love with a decade ago, yet it carries the heavy-set gravity of people who have seen a few more winters and have the scars to prove it.

The needle drops on God's Travel Plans, and you're immediately hit by that unmistakable Vinnie Caruana rasp, a voice that sounds like it’s been conditioned on urban exhaust and hard-won resilience. There’s a specific, bruised-rib honesty to the delivery here that sets the tone for the entire record. 

It leads straight into the title track, which serves as a masterclass in melodic friction. The guitars have a "room-sound" grit that prevents the anthemic hooks from ever feeling too sanitized; it’s the sound of a band playing for their lives in a basement where the lights keep flickering.

What really stands out on this release is the pacing. You’ve got these brief, high-velocity jolts like Osprey and True Legends Never Die that act as palate cleansers, maintaining a heart-attack pulse that keeps the record from ever settling into a mid-tempo slump. I Miss California And Every Dog I've Ever Met is arguably the heart of the album. 

Beyond the spectacular title, it’s a pained, melodic standout that captures the specific, road-weary exhaustion of looking backward while trying to keep moving. It’s the kind of songwriting that makes you realize "melodic" doesn't have to mean "easy."

The production throughout, hitting its peak on tracks like Alive On 14th Street and Rogue Knife, avoids the high-fidelity traps that rob so much modern punk of its soul. It’s dirty, honest, and properly loud. You can hear the floorboards groaning under the weight of the rhythm section on the closer, Trébuchet, a track that finally allows the band to stretch into a more expansive, cinematic finish without losing the snot-and-tears intensity that got them here.

By the time the final vibration of Trébuchet grinds to a halt, you aren't just left with another set of punk songs; you're left with the realization that this band is a necessity. I Am The Avalanche have managed to bottle that un-killable Brooklyn frequency, the one that turns a decade of urban decay into a three-minute anthem. It’s a messy, glorious bit of reality that proves veterans don't have to play it safe to stay relevant. 

My only real grievance is the calendar; after a six-year gap, this feels overdue. Let’s just hope we aren't waiting another half-decade before the getting another serving. 8/10

Stud Farm Mafia - Did You Have Good Weekend? (Self Released) [Matt Bladen]

Modern alt rock bow from Stud Farm Mafia who tell tales of the absurdity of modern life with some arena ready hooks and a massive addition of British sarcasm. Compared to band such as Royal Blood, Skindred and Queens Of The Stone Age, Stud Farm Mafia do have a lot of those influences on their music.

It's modern rocking made for big stages, huge choruses that will get you singing along and clever lyricism that lifts them higher than many bands of a similar ilk. There's thought on these five tracks, you'll find yourself tapping your foot or banging your head but also maybe a smile or a smirk when they use that inherent British humour to offer you a situation you may be intimately familiar with.

Be it the constant 9-5 existence, pretending you're fine, or the thousands of blokes who do nothing but look at themselves in the gym mirror, there's an honesty and heart to these songs, taken from real life but featuring the bands ideologies through them as their S.O.S was written for the charity ActionAid and shows a band who wear their hearts on their sleeve taking aim at many of the issuses that people will definitely understand and relate to.

The grooves, breakdowns and choruses here will sound massive on any stage as they're big enough on the EP. Stud Farm Mafia are aiming for big things with Did You Have A Good Weekend? a collection of tracks showing that time is the only real currency worth anything so we should have a damn good time while we're here. 8/10

DA - DA (Self Released) [Matt Bladen]

Almost overlooked this one but glad I didn't as London band DA have produced a debut album that draws from a lot of what I like in a metal band and brings it all together.

In terms of those influences the biggest are Judas Priest, Dio and Sabbath (Ozzy and Ronnie), stuck right on that cusp of late 70's early 80's heavy metal where you could still be atmospheric and theatrical before the punk elemts made everything faster and harder. I'd also say they have a link to Blue Oyster Cult in their sound too especially in the hard rock tracks here.

A lot of where they come from musically is in the history of guitarist Robin Brancher who was formerly in NWOBHM act Desolation Angels and vocalist Matt Oakman who is a former vocalist of power thrashers Stormborn, their combined influences are all over this record, from heavy metal, to thrash, classic rock to even moments of power metal, there's a veteran appeal with a modern edge.

Joined by Neil Craddock on bass and Dan Smith on drums, their debut album is a classic metal feast full of air guitar toting riffs and massive choruses from Oakman's wide Halford-esque vocal style on tracks such as Higher, while elsewhere Rock It features a strutting riff and plenty of organs, The Devil's On My Side is pure anthemic Priest, while the final track You Gotta Believe It is almost a two part affair with a pulsing rocker striding into a Zep like epic.

DA are a new force with veteran instincts, fans of old school heavy rock will love this self titled record! 8/10

Reviews: Lords of Altamont, Stepmother, Stainless, Kate's Acid (Rich Piva & Matt Bladen)

Lords Of Altamont - Forever Loaded (Heavy Psych Sounds) [Rich Piva]

Jake Cavaliere is a busy guy. Last year, his new project, Black Honey Cult, his Velvet Underground/13th Floor Elevators/post punk band, had a top ten album of the year for me. Now Jake is back with the project most people know him for, Lords Of Altamont, who bring us their new record, Forever Loaded, via Heavy Psych Sounds. 

Record eight was recorded all over the world (most of his bandmates live in Europe, while Jake is in California) and continues to bring that punky, garage rock, kick out the jams energy that all of their other great records do, but with some subtle changes that makes Forever Loaded stand out a bit more than the others.

If you just heard the opener, Got A Hold On Me, you would know the Lords are back in full form, kicking down the garage door for the whole neighbourhood to hear their Blue Cheer/MC5 stylings in all their glory, and you would be right because it kicks ass. Fuzz and filled with wild energy, the opener declares The Lords are back in town. 

What’s Your Bag is some late 60’s garage punk greatness with the keys leading the way making this one even more killer. Devil Rides is next, and boy do I love this one, and also where you start to notice this record is way more keys forward than I am used to, with it behind the sound lifting it up and adding to a fuller Lords experience. The ripping solos are still around too. This one has it all!

Rusty Guns is so much fun. It reminds me of The Modern Lovers if Jonathan Richman would have been less lovesick and more into motorcycles. There is not a skip on Fully Loaded, but my favourites include Get Out Of My Head, which reminds me of The Cramps, Got You On The Run, which picks up the pace and rips it up, guitar and keys hand and hand, and Disconnected, which makes me handclap along with it. The closer, an almost seven minute epic (for them), is this punk, psych, krautrock journey that exists to bend your mind in multiple different directions. Trippy and so very cool.

I always feel like The Lords Of Altamont are a few steps away from imploding, and I hear that on Forever Loaded, which is probably why I love it so much. Garage/punk/psych/whatever, Forever Loaded rips, more synths and all. All hail the Lords Of Altamont, once again. 9/10

Stepmother - Absurdus Manifestus (Tee Pee Records) [Rich Piva]

The Australian band Stepmother may be on TeePee Records, but don’t think you are getting some riff heavy psych stoner band. This is straight up punk rock right from the garage. I loved their 2023 record and am psyched to see the band is back with Absurdus Manifestus, 13 more tracks that just rip the place up.

Stealing from their Bandcamp bio because I can’t say it better…

“Fusing high velocity Motor City proto punk with fuzz, feedback and electric psych…”

Yes, yes indeed. The trio turn on the engine, put it in drive, and floor it for 33 minutes or so. The first two tracks are all you need to know what’s going on, as the MC5/Blue Cheer ripping destroys your speakers and your ability to sit still. The interesting thing for me is I hear some power pop eeking through too. What’s New, while ripping it up Detroit punk style, also reminds me of Cheap Trick (really good thing). 

The guitar work on Gimmie Mine veers into AC/DC territory and I am here for it. I swear this is not because they are Australian. The trio ventures into that power pop territory nicely on Beast And Man as well. Some of my other go to tracks on Absurdus Manifestus include the early punk rock goodness of Sick Thoughts, Space Invaders, which would have fit perfectly on a Screeching Weasel record from the 90s, and the closer, Journey To The Center Of The Mind, that has amazing fuzzy guitar work that closes out this energy blast from Down Under perfectly. No skips here, just put it on repeat and let it blast for three times or so.

I am very happy Stepmother has a new record and I am extra happy (not surprised) that Absurdus Manifestus rips it up. If you are into pure garage punk energy with underlying pop sensibilities and fuzzy ripping guitar work then Absurdus Manifestus is for you. If not, go home and do your homework, square. 8/10

Stainless - Lady Of Lust & Steel (High Roller Records) [Matt Bladen]

Recorded as a trio but now expanded to a live five piece, Portland, Oregon band Stainless assault the sense with classic heavy metal with speed metal/thrash.

It makes for a snarling, galloping, muscular heavy metal that expands on their Nocturnal Racer EP with a "more accomplished sound" according to band leader Jamie Byrum who is primarily a guitarist but on the record plays everything except bass, and produces the record for that vintage cassette sound of the tape trading days.

Now I hinted that there's more than just classic metal here, with (Don't Cross Me) Fool they add a groove of Deep Purple Mark IV with Clifton Martin's bass ramping up the funk, Take A Listen Mama too dwells into the 70's with a bit of Scorpions-like atmosphere.

Stainless haven't totally gotten rid of that as the tile track and Restless An' Ready both have that vintage leather clad sound of Priest and Accept. The big draw are the gritty vocals of Larissa Cavacece who snarls, sneers and screams across the record, unleashing her most vicious vocals on thrashers such as Whorefrost and Danger In The Night.

Lady Of Lust & Steel is classic heavy metal with a wider brush to paint with, thrash and hard rock both come knocking on the door and Stainless welcome them on to create a retro metal showcase. 7/10

Kate's Acid - Hellbender (High Roller Records) [Matt Bladen]

In the history of European metal, there are few bands that can claim to be speed metal originators, but Belgian band Kate's Acid (then named Acid), can definitely be considered to be one of the first speed metal bands on Europe. Lars Ulrich probably loves them!

While they only burnt brightly for 3 years or so in 2019, vocalist Kate de Lombaert, decided to fire up the engines again with a new band behind her as Kate's Acid, returning to Keep It True (obviously) the wheels of this new machine hit the tarmac with the live record Blowing Your Ears Off culled from that set in 2024.

Hellbender sees a new version of the band featuring guitarist Geert Annys, drummer Ash and basist Camilo (Thunder Screamer) Ortega backing Kate for the first new material since the 80's, though you wouldn't think this a contemporary album as it's full of the power and the glory of those years when metal bands when it ruled the airwaves, wrapped up in modern production skill.

Kate's vocals still have plenty of power behind them with tracks such as Valkyrie and on Air Raid which is an unusual ballad from the band, closing the album on a reflective note, as Mate shows some fragility behind the bravado. With wheels firmly back on Kate's Acid, it's like they've never been away! Sit Down Lars! 7/10

Reviews: Abrams, Victorius, American Sharks, Catalysis (Rich Piva, Cherie Curtis, Mark Young & Matt Bladen)

Abrams - Loon (Blues Funeral Recordings) [Rich Piva]

When I interviewed Zach Amster from the Denver, Colorado band Abrams for the Rich and Turbo Heavy Half Hour about the band’s new record, Loon, Turbo commented that their fifth would be their “breakthrough” album. I could not agree more, as the band doubles down on what the folks of multiple generations seem to be really into these days; stuff that sounds like it is from the 1990s. 

Loon sounds more 90s than any of the Abrams records before it, but this is not the sound of some bullshit 4th wave grunge band. This is killer, post hardcore/grunge with frantic angry, scattered directions, and that hits all the right buttons to be a record that both sounds like it is from 2026 and 1993 at the same time.

Glass House kicks it off with this Quicksand/Nirvana hybrid thing going on, executed perfectly. I love how they just let it all go at the end of the track. The production on the record is perfect, with Andrew Schneider’s mix showing he really understands the band, the track White Walls showing this. This one also harkens to some of the Midwest “noise” rock bands, with maybe a touch of Jesus Lizard going on, even with those harmonies. How about Ryan DeWitt pulling out those double kick drums? Last Nail shows off how this band just gets melody. Rival Schools vibes all over the place. This would have been on the radio 30 years ago. 

The influence of Walter Schreifels is all over Loon (and really all over a lot of your favourite records, you may just not realize it). Said & Done stays around the Quicksand/Cave In realm of awesome and I am certainly here for it. I absolutely love Amster and Graham Zander’s guitar work on this one. Waves is certainly that same arena as well, as Amster’s vocals really show his growth as a singer. Abrams has always been a little shoegazey, and that lives on with A State Of Mind, bringing a kind of Swervedriver thing to the record. 

It fits in perfectly as it leads to more post hardcore goodness of A State Of Mind and Home, the latter showing off excellent the rhythm section of Taylor Iversen and the aforementioned DeWitt. Quicksand vibes are all over Remains, which has a complex melody and could be a Manic Compression b-side. Like any good 90s record, the longest song (under 5 minutes!), Sirens, is the perfect mix of all of the amazing stuff that came before it on Loon. The harmonized, layered vocals, the big chorus, the relentless guitar, the quiet loud quiet perfection. There could not have been a better way to close out Loon, reminding me of how Quicksand ended their second record with It Would Be Cooler if You Did.

Loon really is a breakthrough for Abrams. This may be what the band is truly meant to sound like. Loon is a 34 minute psychic blast that is here then gone just as quickly, but ready to be queued up and re-experienced immediately. There is so much happening and so fast; the energy captured by Loon could power the time machine that takes you back to the 90s to hear something that sounded even close to how awesome the new Abrams record truly is. 10/10

Victorius – World War Dinosaur (Perception) [Cherie Curtis]

Victorius brings us an inventive and highly creative, 12 track album. World War Dinosaur is high energy, wacky and uplifting with a strong sense of story and most importantly – Fun.

With this new album, Victorius shows us exactly what 22 years can do for a band as they are technically strong with viciously sharp and interesting riffs alongside racing drums bringing pure energy throughout. The tracks are anthemic and catchy with gloriously satisfying harmonies which makes for a very memorable power metal experience, because that’s what World War Dinosaur is – An experience. If you don’t want to make a nuisance out of yourself, you’ll have to try very hard to stop yourself from singing along, it's the kind of album you pick to score a an anime / cartoon series or an album you put on for drinks and late night karaoke.

Victorius as a band is on a similar level of humour and theatricality as bands such as Ghost and The Darkness. They lean into ‘Silliness’ and put so much, thought, care and energy it to their overall production, lyrics and sound that it really shines through, and you can tell just how much they love their career and creating exciting new stories through music.

Overall, it’s very well made, there’s nothing to critique here as it’s very well done. It’s safe to say that it isn't an album for me personally as I tend to play it safe when it comes to my everyday rotation, I feel like this one is a little too stylised and to speak plainly, mental, for myself but if you're looking for something new and fun and would also like a break from the everyday. Let these guys take you on an out of this world adventure. Go for it, give this one a listen as it’s joyous. 6/10

American Sharks - Not Dead Yet (Permanent Teeth Records) [Mark Young]

I always find it disappointing when I don’t get on with a release. I get moody, because I always hope to like everything I listen to and focus on the good things instead of just battering something because I just don’t like it. Today is that day with American Sharks and their latest Not Dead Yet.

The three piece from Texas has called in a plethora of heavy music ‘Who’s Who’ on this, ranging from GWAR to The Sword to Red Fang, so it gives you a bit of an insight into these songs are going to run out. If you imagine a pop/punk/metal hybrid, that should further clue you in and possibly attract you. Or repulse you, depending on where you sit.

It’s unfortunate that I sit in the ‘not my bag’ camp, the songs are as scuzzy and full of energy as you might expect but they just didn’t land with me at all. They kick straight in with Not Dead Yet, an in your face quick fire blast that comes from the school of get in, get out quickly and move onto the next one. Its admirable in that it does exactly that but does it without registering at all. Each of the tracks follow with varying changes in approach, moving from the manic to the sleazy and back again dependent on who has been enlisted to assist. 

Being honest the songs do work better when played at speed, Going Insane is an example of this, an urgent 3 minute bopper that you could dance to but that’s it. I find that I don’t have anything of real substance to say about the songs. They don’t elicit a strong reaction either way and I don’t want to say something just for the sake of saying anything. So let’s cut this short: If you like your guitar music to fall within the lighter side of heavy, with a dash of pop/punk then dig in. That’s about the strongest reaction I can give. 6/10

Catalysis - Serpentine (Self Released) [Matt Bladen]

Another chunk of Dundee based heaviness from Catalysis who are creeping up on their 10th anniversary as a band and while a lot of bands will have perhaps one or two releases in that period, these Scots have delivered two full length albums and five EP's.

Both of their albums have had critical acclaim and have featured guests from some high profile names from the groove/metalcore/modern thrash genres as well as some big slots on festivals and tours supporting recognised names.

However in 2024 they hit a big hurdle with their vocalist, guitarist and bassist exiting the band leaving just founders Drew Cochrane (lead guitar) and Calum Rennie (drums), to restart Catalysis from the ground up however only two months after this they returned to the stage with vocalist Andrew Downie, guitarist Jamie Paterson and bassist Robi Islam joining the band as Catalysis version 2.0.

Releasing another EP in 2025, they didn't slow down with tonnes more gigs and now their sixth EP Serpentine, which arrives with the hardcore driven Tremors and closes with the breakdown heavy Deathblow, filling the tracks in between with some loud but innately melodic amalgamation of groove, thrash and death.

The influences are notable but Catalysis craft them into their own style, from the dual vocal style of Trivium on Futile, or the savagery of Damocles which could be a Machine Head lost track, Catalysis are very firmly in their new era, as if the line up issues never even happened, it's all guns blazing with chapter two from one of Scotland's most prolific acts. 8/10

Reviews: Enter Shikari, Metal Church, Cryptworm, Melechesh (Matt Bladen, Rich Piva, Charlie Rogers & Mark Young)

Enter Shikari - Lose Yourself (So Recordings) [Matt Bladen]

I'm very much in favour of surprise releases, though perhaps a journalist trying to keep up with the mountain of new albums every month I shouldn't be, however I find bands who just drop an album to little fanfare seem to be the ones that really care about it. 

Frontman Rou Reynolds wanted people to hear this record "as a cohesive whole, no lead up, no singles, and no explanation." For Lose Yourself to be a full experience for their listener and for the band not "to be distracted by chart races, or accolades [just] music being presented in a natural way." 

All lofty sentiments but if the music isn't very good it's all bravado, however with Lose Yourself,  Enter Shikari enter their darkest, heaviest and most mature period with this new album, reflecting the very real sense of despair in the world at the moment, it's and album that has a thematic, dare I say, conceptual nature to it, perhaps Rou's stint with Jeff Wayne's War Of The Worlds has influenced him here? 

You need to start at the beginning and cling on right until the end, no picking and choosing tracks as a playlist but listening as complete album. Despite dealing with some pretty heavy topics, ones that Shikari have never been afraid to talk about, such as immigration, the government, desolation, poverty and just the outright futility that is rife through the planet. 

However with this stark realism there's always hope, always optimism, that little spark that things CAN change if YOU are the change. If you're a long time listener of Enter Shikari then you'll know politics and their ideology is at the core of what they do and you'll also know how dexterous their music can be blending electronics, metal, rock, emo and more, going deeper down the progressive rabbit hole here. 

Ambience builds into club ready beats for the title track, Rou's brilliant vocals adding to the anthemic dancy beginnings where the likes of Darude permeates through the chunky riffs. Those increased thematic elements mean the songs all segue into one another, Find Out The Hard Way is a jangly emotional rocker that shouts their ideology from the rooftops.

As the twitching electronics come back on the venomous Dead In The Water while they continue to link the tracks together as hope arrives on the D'n'B dreaminess of demons. I love how dense these songs are, the genres are all over the place, I can't keep my hands clean for instance has the rawness of RATM as it shifts towards the dreamy string driven it's OK, the lyrics on this one are particularly good and important in our current climate. 

Both of these songs are bookended by the two parts of The Flick Of A Switch, more of that 'classic' Enter Shikari approach which makes for an interest 'suite'. Speaking of suites the final three tracks are linked forming the full Spaceship Earth suite, introduced by the euphoric Shipwrecked! Spaceship Earth suite closes the record with a fantastic, cinematic, crescendo full of strings, passion and sheer brilliance, a sound of a band reaching a new nadir in their career with Lose Yourself.

If you think that they're the band with that "clap, clap, clap" song then I'd suggest pressing play on Lose Yourself and re-educating the way you think about Enter Shikari as they're perhaps the most innovative and impressive bands in the last 25 years. 10/10

Metal Church - Dead To Rights (Rat Pak Records) [Rich Piva]

A new Metal Church album. I think we are using the term “Metal Church” loosely here given the majority of the line up on the new record, Dead To Rights, has three members that joined only in 2025 (including Dave Ellefson and another new vocalist, Brian Allen), and besides original member and rhythm guitarist Kurdt Vanderhoof, the most tenured member of the band joined in 2008, far after the classic records that the band with the name above came out. 

So I am not going to compare this to anything to do with the old Metal Church that wrote one of the best metal songs of all time (Badlands) and put out some of the best metal records of the 80s, but we still have the main songwriter in the band who delivered some solid thrash songs for a record in 2026.

I am not sure the songs sound more like Metal Church or the latest incarnation of Overkill, but either way some of these songs rip. The opener, Brainwash Game, is killer. New drummer (new to MC, he has been around) Ken Mary shows how great he is on F.A.F.O and why he is a perfect fit for an old school metal band still ripping it up in 2026. 

Some of my other favourites include Feet To The Fire, which slows the tempo just a bit but still kicks ass, and My Wrath, which gives me the most old school Metal Church vibes on the record. I think the songs are a bit too one note, in that they pretty much all sound very, very similar. I am not sure I could tell the difference between any of them even after three listens. That is not saying they are bad, it is more that the songs all sound very much the same.

There is some good stuff on Dead To Rights, but all the songs sound way too much like the one before it and it does drag a bit because of it, but I love the fact, after all the years and the tragedy, that Metal Church still exists in 2026. Even if only a handful of the songs are memorable and stand out, and even if there is only one member who has been in the band for more than 25% of their existence. 6/10

Cryptworm - Infectious Pathological Waste (Me Saco Un Ojo Records) [Charlie Rogers]

Bristolian putrid gore merchants Cryptworm are back with a third full length offering, this one reeking of putrescence as much as those that came before. Punishing low tuned guitarwork, tectonic bass playing, and rapid style switching punchy drumming, all accompanying Tibor’s sewer burps - this lineup of Cryptworm saw their success from 2023’s Oozing Radioactive Vomition settled into their grooves and sought to replicate with aplomb.

The record is full of writhing, pulsating riffs that spew all over the fretboard, some tightly moving in sync with bass and drums, others left open for the guitar to run sawing tremolo leads while bass and drums hold the space. Not opting for over the top guitar gymnastics, but focusing on solid grooves that hook the listener in and demand your head bob along is what Cryptworm, and indeed much of Putrid Death Metal, opts for, and this record stays true to form. 

Manic up-tempo lines leading into mid paced stompy parts builds excitement before the payoff is delivered with a throbbing call to vibe. Some parts even decay into sludgy, mopes, drawing the corners of your mouth into that stinkface we all crave for - a great example of this is how the track Embedded With Parasitic Larvae feels like it bursts and falls apart from the mid-section running into the ending.

Tonally, it’s what you’d expect from bands of this ilk, with the guitars having a great balanced sound. The palm muted chugging chops just right, and the single note riffs dancing clearly over the rest of the band like a long legged aberration from The Thing. Bass is blended in so most of the time you just hear the bottom frequencies rumbling away under the guitarwork, but when the guitar dies away and we hear passages with just bass there’s a grating overdriven fuzz on the tone that holds it’s own. 

Drums are very clear, the snare especially is quite pingy and sounds fabulous. Jay’s balance of straight beats and manic fills are one of Cryptworm’s strengths and he really does the music justice here keeping the percussion dynamic and interesting. My biggest gripe is that there’s some harsh frequencies in the cymbal wash that cut a little to hard through, and listening at higher volumes can be a little painful when there’s a lot of overhead work. 

Vocals are generally going for sewer monster aesthetic, with giant frontman Tibor having some of the best burps in Britain currently. He varies it up with some choking, almost strangulation sounds on tracks such as Encephalic Feast that are downright stomach churning. Death metal should put you on edge, and pushing the vocal performance this way is certainly one way to do that.

Overall, this is a very strong record from one of the most exciting bands in the British underground right now, and any self respecting death metal fan should make it a priority to give it a spin at least 3 times. I’m looking forward to hurting my neck muscles seeing these tracks played live soon. 8/10

Melechesh - Sentinels Of Shamash (Reigning Pheonix Music) [Mark Young]

Sentinels of Shamash is the new EP from Melechesh, its release acting as a stop gap whilst they are working on their new full length album. The band themselves have noted that they have had a couple of setbacks on their trip but are not giving up. The EP itself has three songs, each one steeped in their own unique way of building things.

Melechesh take no time in going straight for the throat with The Seventh Verdict starting proceedings in grand fashion. Their bio announces them as Sumerian/Mesopotamian Metal, and those touches are evident from the off. There are rapid riff breaks, pummelling drums and a delightful fusion of black metal with their own unique stamp dominating every step. What they have is a strong opener, one that makes the most of this approach which makes sure that it satisfies the core requirements of our favoured music – fast, aggressive and intense. 

Personally, it is a little overlong but that is a personal opinion and one that is more than likely not shared elsewhere. With In Shadows, In Light they push this envelope further. I don’t mind long songs by any means as long as there is a substance behind them. If it’s a long song for the sake of it, then I’ll lose interest. They start it on that front foot again, moving it forward and mixing those traditional approaches in with the black metal. 

There is something to it in how they arrange it, its heavy without feeling bloated and the guitar tone is one that conveys the feeling of speed at every turn. Being honest, they could have trimmed this a little, but that is me. In their defence there is a structure to this, the game is to keep things moving forward at all times. It’s something that you can’t argue with as they don’t take the foot of the gas at any point.

Raptors Of Anzu channels the power cosmic in its opening passages, dropping into lightning fast black metal with an added twist. It’s definitely in keeping with the vibe that everything must be played as fast as we can, bringing a feeling of a train practically leaving the tracks. Its frenetic and for me is what you want to hear. As EP’s go, it’s a strong release that knows what it wants to do and how it’s going to get there. Riffs are front and centre and delivered with speed and skill and of course the drumming is exemplary, and there is very little to complain about. 

Personally, I’d have liked them to be a little more ruthless with the song lengths, but ultimately its their art and their endeavours. There is nothing here that is going to turn off existing fans, and certainly plenty to garner new ones. Its difficult to score because in effect there are no weak songs here from them. So, lets go with an 8/10

Reviews: Hardline, Starbenders, Glorious Bankrobbers, Fighter V (Matt Bladen)

Hardline - Shout (Steamhammer)

Hardline are a band now on their eighth album, though for frontman Johnny Gioeli, Shout is officially the 108th album he's been a part of.

In the current version of the band he's joined by keyboardist/producer Alessandro Del Vecchio, bassist Anna Portalupi, drummer Marco Di Salvia and guitarist Luca Princiotta who joined in 2023. Now Hardline have always been a band that have had a lot to live up to.

Their debut album, Double Eclipse featured the talents for Journey's Neal Schon and Deen Castronovo so they made a mark and established the band they wanted to be very early and while they have never again reached the heights of that record. They have been chugging away since then, their albums II and Danger Zone featuring an eclipse to celebrate the 10th and 20th anniversary of their debut, so it's always been a very significant part of their career.

In 2026 they again want to make music that has a connection to Double Eclipse, Gioeli going as far as saying “This band doesn’t want to reinvent its music." and with Shout they don't reinvent anything, this is an album that puts the retro with the modern.

With gloriously 80's rocking on the strutting Candy Love, Rise Up and It Owns You, while the title track, the emotive Welcome To The Thunder and the heavy Rise Above No Fear are all very contemporary.

There's of course balladry too with a cover of Scorpions' When You Came Into My Life, and Glow which is a song dedicated to the all the dogs Gioeli and Del Vecchio have had in their lives, the band even raise money for dog trust when they're on tour so it's something close to their hearts.

Ultimately Shout is a record of radio-friendly rocking that Hardline are known for and while they may never truly surpass Double Eclipse in terms of impact, they are still producing quality rock n roll for their fanbase and beyond. 8/10

Starbenders - The Beast Goes On (Sumerian Records)

Atlanta rockers Starbenders return with their fourth record of moody, glammy, synthy poppy punky, rock n roll. The Beast Goes On follows their 2023 record Take Back The Night, a record that put them more into the public consciousness but they don't play it safe with The Beast Goes On, writing music that feels right and will be picked up by mass media, not music that is explicitly written for it.

The Beast Goes On features new drummer Qi Wei joining band founders Kimi Shelter (vocals/guitar), Aaron Lecesne (bass) and Kriss Tokaji (lead guitar) for another blast of radio baiting riffs and shout along choruses that are sneered by Kimi over some bouncy riffage, twisty synth phases and a fusion of styles that create a sound that is both sexy but tinged with gothic danger.

Like the twisted cousin of Cheap Trick (Chantilly Boy and 21st Century Digital Boy), with a hint of Deep Purple on To Be Alright, they stick with the modern hybrid thrills of Palaye Royale and The Velveteers on Cold Silver, there's a post punk throb on Tokyo, Saturday borrows from The Cure while Forever Mine has the sexy gothics of Ghost, as Hello Goodbye dreamily shifts into 90's alt rock.

The Starbenders strut back onto the scene with guitars set to stun, beware the beast as it brings rock n roll. 7/10

Glorious Bankrobbers - Intruder (Wild Kingdom)

Swedish sleaze rockers Glorious Bankrobbers are legends in their native country. Their 1989 record Dynamite Sex Doze, became THE record in the Swedish sleaze/action rock scene, influential to bands such as Hardcore Superstar, Mustasch and The Hellacopters.

They broke into America with shows at CBGB'S and on Headbangers Ball. In a familiar story labels screwed them, band members changed and there was a split resulting in inactivity. They did return in 2007 but recently they have more adversity with drummer Oden passing away leading to another lengthy lay off.

However rock n roll never really dies and Glorious Bankrobbers come backed armed and dangerous with new album Intruder their third album since returning in 2023 following that years Back On The Road and 2024's Rock ’n Roll Church.

So GB are back, a meatier sound, veteran instincts and songs that bring sleaze, punk and bluesy rock n roll that will appeal to fans of The Quireboys, The Rolling Stones, AC/DC, Status Quo and The Ramones as they shove their attitude down your throat with rhythm blues on tracks such as the punchy Rabbit Hole and the rollicking Rollin' In Hollywood.

Signed to Wild Kingdom Records, Intruder has the band coming back, firing on all cylinders, rock that's as classic as it gets, inspired by sleaze, punk and proper rock n roll, Intruder will be a welcome guest in your house from these Swedish legends. 8/10

Fighter V - Déja Vu (Frontiers Music Srl)

Swiss 80's rock revivalists Fighter V return with their third album of music inspired by Journey, Survivor and Bon Jovi, imbued with a modern energy.

The title Déja Vu is perfect what they do as you'll feel like you may have time travelled back to those 80's glory days as soon as Raging Heartbeat pumps out of your speakers, you know just as Rocky gets ready to fight the big Russian, that sort of vibe.

Emerging with a debut album in 2019, it was on the follow up that they started to diversify catching their ear of Frontiers Music who picked them up for album three as Fighter V have that mix of nostalgia and modernity that Frontiers are known for.

From the glistening synths that are the lead instrument on Victory and Hold The Time, the clean guitar lines the strutting Stand By Your Side and For All This Time as there's huge vocal harmonies ala Def Leppard on Foolish Heart, the title track and let's face it throughout.

If retro AOR is your thing then Fighter V do it with flair and most importantly proper skill, grab your hairspray and get rocking. 7/10

Reviews: Holosoil, Golgotha, Gout, Resumption (Matt Bladen, Mark Young, Spike & Joe Guatieri)

Holosoil - Look Up EP (InsideOut Music) [Matt Bladen]

Holosoil FKA R3VO were fromers founded in 2019 but with a change of singer, Emelie Sederholm in, Eleonara Barbato out the remaining members of the band Victor Nissim (bass), Jan Kurfürst (guitar) and Altaïr Chagué (drums), thought changing the name and resetting as this new line up was better than continuing.

R3VO had been featured in Metal Hammer, performed at Euroblast Festival and supported Vukovi on tour, so Holosoil will be looking to achieve more under their new banner and the Finnish/German band come armed with a five track EP of inventive, explosive modern prog metal that spans multiple genres and influences.

Drawing comparisons to musical boundary pushers such as Björk, The Mars Volta, Muse and Tool, Look Up is based around the first single and opening track of the same name, about how insular humans are and that sometimes we need to look up, it's got janky, djenty guitar riffs, shimmering synth moments, propulsive analog/electronic drumbeats, off time grooves and vocals that have a lot of Anneke Van Giersbergen about them.

The inspiration of electronic metal comes through on the woozy Cracks, while Animal has a thumping pop metal motion to it, all very modern and very experimental, a track like Freakshow putting the intense vocals against bass grooves, ambient moments and flashes of riffage.

An intense, inventive EP from Holosoil and while the name has changed the musical adventuring continues. 8/10

Golgotha - Hubris (Abstract Emotions) [Mark Young]

Its always nice to be surprised, unless it’s a gas bill attached to an arrow, but generally it’s a positive. Such is the case with Golgotha and their latest release, Hubris. 

Once again, those pesky tags applied here don’t fully paint the picture of the band, and its sound noting it as being melodic doom/death metal. Its all of those, for sure but at the heart is the push/pull between those two singing styles demonstrated so well by Maria J Lladó and Andrew Espinosa. The cleans have that goth tinge, the sort that I grew up on and that was prevalent at metal nights.

It’s the kind that manages to convey so much without resorting to histrionics or unnecessary vocal gymnastics. Its pitched perfectly, so when the harsh vocals are deployed it’s a real shift. They get this rolling on the opening track A Simple Life, and lets not forget about the music behind, without a solid backing these vocals would be for naught. Its heavy in the right areas, melodic in others, as is The Weight Of The Weak where Maria dominates for the most part, but still it doesn’t forget the need for a heavy touch.

It sounds excellent too, the lows are low whilst staying clear, and a key example of this is Broken Toy, with a blackened start, bringing dense guitars into play before they bring Maria in once more. I appreciate that having the clean/harsh styles running through each song may be considered nothing new, but there is always room for bands who can do it well. 

Golgotha is one of these as they know how to arrange the music so it is all aligned. There is a sumptuous lead break here that comes in and flies without being overlong, and if anything could have been longer. As a statement, it’s a very strong one from them and considering that they are able to find new avenues to run down after being in existence since 1992 its no mean feat. 

There are moments of brutality here amongst the doomed beauty; Empty Minds with its ying/yang approach is immensely satisfying, as is Too Late with its lumbering early moments that roll over you. It’s an album that has a lot to say, and yes it uses the dual approach as its base it doesn’t repeat the same trick as it progresses. For fans of the band, and of this style of metal there is a lot to enjoy knowing that these will evolve once they play them live, especially the atmospherics of Blind which is made for the stage.

It’s a consistent affair, achieving a high level of quality early and then staying at that level right through. Its their approach to songcraft that makes the album so worthwhile, even to someone like me who leans into the more aggressive and quick forms of metal. There is a lot to recommend, so it’s a worthy 8/10

Gout – Actual Bastard (Independent) [Spike]

There is a certain type of noise that can only be manufactured in the shadow of a derelict industrial estate, somewhere between a broken intercom and a fistfight. Gout have managed to bottle that exact frequency on their debut EP, Actual Bastard. It’s a five-track jolt of street-level grit that refuses to be polite, trading the high-gloss sheen of the modern circuit for a sound that feels like it was recorded in a space where the ceiling is permanently sweating.

The EP hits the ground running with Inmate, and the intent is clear from the first vibration. This is pugnacious, low-end-heavy noise that feels like it’s been dragged through a hedge. It’s followed by Too Bleak, which lives up to its billing with a rhythmic instability that reminds me of that specific, early 80s industrial-punk friction, think the raw-nerve energy of The Birthday Party mashed into a modern, subterranean weight. It’s unpolished, honest, and possesses a level of "dirt under the fingernails" that makes most current metalcore look like it’s been through a car wash.

The absolute jewel in the crown here is track three: I Am A Beacon Of Health And Wellbeing. Beyond having arguably the best title I’ve seen on a track-list this year, it’s a masterclass in sarcasm-as-art. The vocals are delivered with a dry, caustic vitriol that perfectly punctures the self-help obsession of the modern age. Musically, it’s a slow-building monolith of tension that eventually explodes into a wall of noise.

The final stretch, Junk Sick and Tarmac doubles down on the attrition. Tarmac, in particular, feels like a literal representation of its name: hard, grey, and unforgiving. The production allows the guitars to scrape against each other with a surgical precision that hasn't been sanitized for radio safety. It sounds like a band playing in a room that is far too small for the ambition of the noise, which is exactly where this kind of music thrives.

Gout didn't come here to make friends or offer a "testament to resilience." They came here to document a very specific kind of urban rot, and Actual Bastard is the jagged, essential result. It’s a record that understands that the most vital art often comes from the people who have stopped trying to be liked and just started being loud. This is a reminder that the underground still knows exactly how to leave a mark. 8/10

Resumption - The Respite (Self Released) [Joe Guatieri]

Resumption is a one man Death Doom band made up of Wilhelm Lindh, who is known for being the guitarist in The Gardnerz. Previously he has also been involved in both Allamedah and Tristita, the latter band only broke up fairly recently in 2023. The man has been around the block, consistently putting out releases for years so it seems time for him to open up his solo account, how will he hold out on his own with The Respite.

The album opens with Self Reliance, it starts at a low frequency and puts you into a dark world, full of uncertainty. Scratchy guitars, plodding bass and pingy high hats make me dream up visions of staring up at a high tower in the rain. Everything feels at home being nestled underneath a blanket of Lo-fi production, as Wilhelm’s deep growl rumbles on for eternity.

Going into track three with Worship, it seems very familiar from the get-go. It starts with a call and response pattern that attempts to be evil. After some chugging, the guitars then go for a more hypnotic rhythm but it doesn’t capture what it sets out to do and sounds undercooked as a result. It refuses to let the song breathe and focus, simply by doing too much at once. The pace does pick up a bit at the back half but it doesn’t save the song, for me Worship is Death Doom 101.

Next is Leave It Alone, a track that marks a change of pace for the album, leaning into a more Death Metal style with drums that are so loud, they shout out into the void. The song is frantic throughout, like it’s running away from the unknown but that all comes to a crawl by 2:35 where we are presented with watery refrains. The bass shows it’s still alive, hitting after the guitars sing but then almost immediately after a seconds silence, we are thrown back into the same traffic again. The bulk of the song doesn’t change and that slow build up meant nothing.

Later on we’ve got track seven with Invest In Yourself. This sees a change from old habits as an idea is presented and built upon, sounding complete. The way that all of the instruments move together here has a really good sway to it, it’s like the hero in an action film, walking away from an explosion, it sounds regal. I think that there is a strong Crowbar influence here, it just cuts through you and this is complete with a Death Metal freak out by the end of the track, spider riffs for days! Definitely my favourite song on the record.

Despite Wilhelm Lindh’s evident prowess, this release remains uneventful. It might call out to classic Doom and Death acts, with a dash of New Orleans Sludge but it doesn’t act upon instinct, neither inventing something new. It commits a sin and that is doing something that most metal fans have heard before.

The whole experience of Resumption's The Respite is like stumbling on an apparent old metal demo on YouTube from the late eighties, or early Nineties that was recently uploaded. I am not impressed by this record. 4/10

Review: Crippled Black Phoenix - Sceaduhelm (Matt Bladen)

Crippled Black Phoenix - Sceaduhelm (Season Of Mist)



Another hour and a bit languishing in the "Macabre Rock" of Crippled Black Phoenix, a band who when we last met were reactivating old glories, offering not a celebration but a cementation that they are still here and still alive... just. 

It's that lingering just that inspires their latest creation Sceaduhelm, here Justin Greaves and his cohorts don't seek to bring grandeur and flash but rather look inward at the steady collapse of a human being as time progresses.

It's a theme of exhaustion, of unease, a collected set of works from a band who are not ok but can't do much else about it rather than just survive and live one day at a time. Sceaduhelm is their most emotional record in a long time.

While more recent works were filled with rage and outward hostility, here it's introspection and personal doubt that drives the overall narrative of the record, which was recorded sporadically, deliberately so, to make sure that the songs Greaves has written could remain fluid and adaptable until the time they were recorded with whichever vocalist was the best fit. 

As with all CBP records, it's a collaborative and while Greaves writes the music and plays a lot of the instruments, he is joined by co-conspirators and long time partners to flesh out his initial demos into the multi-faceted tracks you hear on the record, but there's very little grandeur this time around, it's an album of rawness and sparsity that makes for uneasy but compelling listening.

With songs that address topics like burnout, grief, surveillance, institutional violence, and damaged intimacy, there's lots to be scared of as time here is the enemy, and while they may have looked back momentarily on their last releases, they creep ever forward as individuals and as a unit, always looking to define CBP and their music as an exercise in persistence over anything else. 

In the liner notes there's a thank you to Converge's Kurt Ballou and with Sceaduhelm, CBP carry a flame for the US force of nature, particularly with that raw bite of the production. 

Beginning with One Man Wall Of Death (which is two men fewer than my last wall of death attempt), the record opens with a slow build, clean guitars set to samples for obscurity before the bass crashes in to make it a deafening start that fades off into some fret slides. 

Ravenettes locks into steady drumbeat from Greaves locked down by Wes Wasley's bass, who is the only other person to appear on every track, the guitars shimmer and glimmer with some post punk influence, Belinda Kordic's sneering vocals an ideal kick in the face to begin Sceaduhelm properly. 

The woozy Things Start To Fall Apart is the perfect debut for American artist/doom-punk Justin Storms to make his mark on the band, brings a psychedelic, blissed out quality to this post rock performance piece that thrives on conflicting atmospheres. 

For Ryan Patterson's first mark on the album, No Epitaph, we have the biggest 'band' yet Rene Misje and Andy Taylor joining for guitar as Iver Sandøy gives extra percussion with melotron and synths brought in to join the dulcet baritone of Patterson for an apocalyptic Western soundtrack. 

It wouldn't be a CBP album if there's wasn't a little borrowed from Pink Floyd and No Epitaph does so liberally in the middle, like the bastard son of Morricone and Waters as it segues into frantic The Precipice. 

Emotion is wrought here with shouts of "one step away from the void" as The Void brings more samples over instrumental dissonance, Lucy Marshall contributing the spectral synths, hanging around for off keel dirge of Hollows End, where you definitely understand that these songs were written by Greaves specifically to fit one of the trio of vocalists.

So much that it would sound odd if one of the others had sung it. The grungy Hollows End is followed by the grumbling, deep space, trip hop of Dropout where a Kaosolator is employed to make it properly fuzzy. 

I talked about Sceaduhelm not being as incendiary or grandiose, but that for me makes it a more interesting album, you can feel the humanity, in it, the passing of every second filled with pain and humility. Even when they get rocking, with tracks such as the gothy post punk of Vampire Grave, it's never over the top. 

Complexly arranged, Robin Tow adding percussion this time, but never too stately, rather grounded and fragile. Storms slithers back on Colder And Colder another slice of alt-Americana or maybe anti-Americana. Under The Eye, plays at being a ballad, although more of a Nick Cave murder ballad, instilling a sense of disquiet and distrust about our constant surveillance and how that can be exploited. 

The final two tracks on the record are two of the most potent. Tired To The Bone is one that resonates with me, right at the moment, it even moves at the same pace I currently do, as Belinda croons it's a song that "weighs heavy".

A dreamy apparition of a spectral load that covers your whole body, leading it's way into 8 and half minute closer Beautiful Destroyer which is the first proper duet. Though more of a confliction with Patterson and Kordic sharing the vocals on a brooding, bold, final moment, that paints a vivid picture of times ravages.

In addition to the 12 originals there's three covers on the special editions as they put their spin on A-Ha's Manhatten Skyline, False Prophet's Invisible People and That’s When I Reach For My Revolver from the film Mission Of Burma.

Maybe looking back to their first albums was a good thing as Sceaduhelm, feels like CBP pre Crafty Ape, an experimental collective of musicians creating personal, introspective music. Pink Floyd once mused "Hanging on in quiet desperation is the English way" and while CBP have always been a multinational outfit, and this record is not always quiet. 

Sceaduhelm dwells in that same sense of suffering in silence, that things may not always get better and if they do it won't be a change in itself just and acknowledgement of a change that is needed. 

I'm getting older, you are too, I've definitely been feeling it recently and god it's depressing, let Crippled Black Phoenix's Sceaduhelm be the soundtrack. 10/10

Reviews: Immolation, Archspire, Dying Realm, Hamarr (Matt Bladen)

Immolation - Descent (Nuclear Blast)

When death metal was in it's infancy there was a particularly fertile scene in New York City with bands such as Suffocation, Incantation and Immolation producing what would become genre classic albums and forging long careers destroying stages around the world.

37 years later and Immolation is still an absolute steamroller of a band, flattening everything in their path with ugly, ferocious death that pummels and punishes, occasionally giving you a moment of atmosphere, using orchestral moments or slow burns, to clear your head before the death machine fires up again.

Descent is their 12th studio album and it's wrapped up in all the dogma the gnostic teachings that the material world is actually hell and only with learning divine knowledge will humans be able to break free of it. So it has a sense of hopelessness about it that is easily captured by the crushing death charge of Immolation.

They're a band who have always moved in more cinematic/philosophical realms than their contemporaries, a testament to their stoic resiliance, they've never split, never aimed at the mainstream, never really had too many members change (a few drummers).

Mostly it's been Robert Vigna (lead guitar) and Ross Dolan (bass/vocals), driving Immolation forward with drummer Steve Shalaty on board since 2003 and guitarist Alex Bouks having been locking down the rhythm for a decade.

The disillusionment of the subject matter is brought through dynamic riffage, constantly switching pace, the melodic strains at the beginning of These Vengeful Winds soon destroyed by technical brutality, as they shift into full bore death on The Ephemeral Curse.

Thankfully as I've said they know when to slow down the pace a little drawing from doom on tracks such as Gods Last Breath and the rolling dissonance of Attrition, while the interlude Banished is a proper stop and movement to something else. These all help control the flow of the record, most still heavy and mechanical but it means that it's not just one blast fest from beginning to end.

Playing with dynamics and taking an intelligent approach to death metal has always been the way Immolation do things. So if you're new here and you love bands like Gorguts, Ulcerate and even Gojira, they all owe a debt to Immolation. 9/10

Archspire - Too Fast Too Die (Self Released)

There's a couple of ways you can describe Canadian band Archspire, they have dubbed themselves "the worlds fastest band", you can call them tech death but I suppose the most accurate would be absolutely f*cking ridiculous.

Their music is inhuman, right at the fringe of what extreme metal can be, virtuosity bleeding through every instrument with the most intense blast you'll ever hear, guitar solos and melodies that would scare Yngwie Malmsteen, bass playing that would require fingers made of steel and fry screams from Oliver Rae Aleron, that are often totally unclassifiable as sounds that can be made by the human throat.

This is their first album released independently, choosing to take the route of Kickstarter rather than a label due to royalties and cut labels make on bands records. It's also their debut with Spencer Moore behind the kit after winning a contest to be their drummer, though I'd demand a recount as he's clearly not a real person but some kind of percussion robot with sticks for hands and a jackhammer for feet.

His drumming is immense even when the riffs do slow into melodic chugs on Carrion Ladder, he's still going full pelt. However when every member of a band is playing at their highest level you need to be good, Dean Lamb (guitar), Tobi Morelli (guitar) and Jared Smith (bass) all fighting over who gets to play lead, shifting between technical carnage, classical acoustics and piano driven atmospheres.

Archspire are far Too Fast Too Die on album five, it's D.I.Y tech metal that will cause an aneurysm if you think about the complexity too much, exactly as it should be. 9/10

Dying Realm - Siege The Walls (Dry Cough Record/Cavernous Records)

Siege The Walls is the debut EP from Brummie death crew Dying Realm. Comprise of ex members of Iron Tomb, Bound By Blood and Nerve Agent, it's a four tracker that's an ode to the British death metal scene, which was so important to West Midlands back in the early 90's.

The ghost of Bolt Thrower coming on the mechanical chug of Grave Of Gods, while there's also inspiration from Carcass, Benediction, placing them firmly in the same group as Celestial Sanctuary and Cryptworm, as a new band playing an old school sound.

Villainous Incantations brings some harsher tones, inviting evil with pummelling blast beats and rapid grooving riffs. While the hardcore/grindcore influence comes with Mace Buried Deep, smashing you in the face with tremolo guitars and a lot of pit inciting.

Siege The Walls has all the UKDM/OSDM best hits across four tracks and as Abundant Mutilation keeps your head banging until it fades out. Dying Realm tell you exactly what they are with their debut EP, not big not clever but damn good death metal. 7/10

Hamarr - Necrotic Rituals (Iron Fortress Records)

It's called Necrotic Rituals, it's on Iron Fortress Records, it's got to be death metal right? Correct young grasshopper, Necrotic Rituals is the debut full length from Indianapolis duo Hamarr and it's going to be a must listen for those who love the buzzsaw riffs and occult darkness Entombed and Dismember.

This is raw, gnarly, d-beat driven death that has punk and grindcore moments of nastiness strewn through it. Languishing in the mid-pace crush with tracks such as Boneless II, Headstone, Necro and Wither, there's pinched harmonics, punishing hammer blow grooves and throat shredding shouts as they counteract these grinding marches with blasting on songs such as Mausoleum, Lich and Catacomb.

Chris Issac (vocals/guitar) and Nick Stephens (drums) bring the vulgar death display, as Caleb Lewis manipulates it to sound deafening (and gives it the low end). Joining them for extra clout are Alex Cloutier of Primal Horde and Kurtis Hall of 1 Body 6 Graves, resulting in debut album of HM-2 savagery. 7/10

Reviews: Crimson Glory, The Cosmic Dead, The Paradox Twin, Valyear (Matt Bladen)

Crimson Glory - Chasing The Hydra (BraveWords Records)

Whenever we're comparing a band to the US style of power/prog metal then we'll often refer to Queensyche, Fates Warning, Dream Theater and Crimson Glory. 

Having formed in 1983 they are seminal and influential band in the history of American progressive metal. As with many bands from this time there been gaps between records, the band pretty much ceasing activity on 2013 but with Chasing The Hydra, Crimson Glory return with their first new music in 26 years.

The band still features 3/5 of their classic line up with Jeff Lords (bass), Ben Jackson (rhythm guitar) and Dana Burnell (drums) still keeping the Crimson Glory flag flying with the off time grooves of Redden The Sun and Indelible Ashes, displaying that they've maintained their heaviness after all these years. However they aren't scared to play around as Beyond The Unknown puts Faith No More synths/bass drops with 80's street metal

Now while their last studio album features Wade Black (Leatherwolf) and they had Todd La Torre as touring singer since then, really it's original vocalist Midnight, who passed away in 2009, that any new vocalists will be compared too and Travis Wills is the perfect fit with that piercing histrionic high pitch that he shared with Midnight and Geoff Tate, adding the theatricality to Angel In My Nightmares and emotion to Broken Together.

Joining him as part new boys is lead guitarist Mark "Borgy" Borgmeyer who plays with that flair and fire you'd want from them on Armor Against Fate and the thrashy closer Triskaideka. With renewed energy but moulded by the same old hands, Chasing The Hydra, sounds like they haven't been away. Crimson Glory are legends, inspirations and still on top of their game! 9/10

The Cosmic Dead - Beyond The Beyond (Heavy Psych Sounds)

Prepare to fall into a trance with the 10th studio record from Glasgow band The Cosmic Dead. Like a musical Derren Brown, you will lose all notion of self and time when you press play as the band pull you into their black hole of psychedelic space rock to explore the furthest reaches of the universe.

Recommended when you have a slipped disc and are on strong pain killers like have been for the last few weeks, Beyond The Beyond, features four gargantuan slabs of riffage that gradually unfurls into mind bending brilliance. The urgency of their previous album is all but gone, replaced by slithering Middles Eastern rhythms that wouldn't be out of place in the Dune film series.

The wah is all over this record, every member playing it to create a cacophony of feedback and insistent riffage, it's especially prominent on the persistent blissed out grooves coming from Omar Aborida who handles bass and guitar, connecting both as the main rhythm muscle of this cosmic engine. Driven ever forward into a starless sky by the powerhouse percussion of Tommy Duffin.

Locked in and setting a course for uncharted territory they are the rudder of this psychedelic spaceship creating the foundations for Luigi Pasquini's swirling synth vortexes, making your head spin with their layers of electronic wonder as they make way for the lost ancient melodies of Calum Calderwood's fiddle, a superb addition to this huge noise cutting through with that tone that is often only heard in orchestras and folk bands.

Beyond The Beyond is a cacophonous record from a band who have no use for vocals, you're not supposed to understand it, you're supposed to feel it, a primal, bottom of your guts kind of sound that speaks to you like the earliest forms of tribal noise making. The Cosmic Dead go Beyond The Beyond with album 10, hitch a ride on their cosmic journey! 9/10

The Paradox Twin - A Romance Of Many Directions (White Star Records)

There's pretty decent odds that if an album comes via White Star Records, the label set up bud John Mitchell and Chris Hillman, I'll probably like it. Most of the time it'll be a band who languish in the modern emotive prog of the bands that Mitchell himself has been a part of, the kind where pop and prog mix for anthemic emotional choruses over technically minded melodic rocking.

The Paradox Twin have been on the label since it was founded and have released two albums previously to this gaining critical and fan acclaim. Their music is always conceptual, spring from the creative mind of Danny Sorrell (writer/vocals/guitars/keys) who approaches the progressive sound with darker style than most, inspired by 80's goth bands on Operator, as much as 70's prog dinosaurs with If Else.

There's a dark romance element to this album for sure, as the concept blurs the lines between real and digital worlds, strongly focussed on themes of isolation and the power of digital immersion, thus the synthwave moments on Null The System and My Main Function, but it's a record that comes from a very real place for Sorrell who has fought a lot of battles in the making of this record, channelling them into the most introspective album yet.

Joining Danny here are Graham Brown on drums and Sarah Bayley adding atmospheric co-lead vocals to counterpoint and collide, swelling out the cinematic elements of the band very well with John Mitchell's mix and master giving everything life while his bass playing locks the rhythms down on the heavier end of things such as Pixel Shader, though he can't resist a cheeky guitar solo on the final track.

A Romance Of Many Directions is yet another concept record from The Paradox Twin, a band who understand what a concept piece is and crates music unafraid of genre constraints to match the story they're trying to tell. Another hit for White Star Records. 9/10

Valyear - An Invitation To Chaos (SelfMadeRecords LLC)

Formed by Toronto based vocalist Chad Valyear, Valyear like many of the best alt metal bands take their name from the singer but are a fully fledged band featuring Geoff Wilson (guitars), Joe Petralia (bass), and Mane Rebeiro (drums) along with Chad.

So yeah I mentioned alt metal there and man, if you love Alice In Chains fused with some Faith No More, or Stone Temple Pilots joined by Godsmack then you'll want to accept this Invitation To Chaos, however be warned that Valyear sound an awful lot like these bands, mirroring the swagger. The riffs and the vocals phrasings at every moment possible, so if you have no time for that alt-metal/grunge sound you won't get much out of this second album.

Now as the band are based around their singer, it's his band basically, but I'm not the biggest fan of his voice if I'm honest, more so when he shouts, the sneering lows are decent, add to this that the riffs are just a little bit basic and don't do much for me either, Valyear are band I may not be returning too.

However like I said not much chance of losing the guy who formed the band so this is definitely my problem, so I suggest you give it a go if it sounds like your thing. 5/10