Reviews: Phantom, Mace N Chain, Iron Slaught, Axemaster (Matt Bladen)

Phantom - Not Midnight Yet (High Roller Records)

It's been quite a good year or so for Mexico's Phantom, signing to High Roller Records, they have opened up their back catalogue to a wider audience with reissues and now they are poised to let loose their speed metal assault for the first time on the label.

Not Midnight Yet is a moment in time inspired by that mid to late 80's speed/thrash sound where everything was faster than everything else. Twin axe harmonies everywhere as the guitars collide and combine through rough riffage and firework display solo.

The rhythms are relentless, inhuman drumming, with bass gallops like the four horsemen and screamed/shouted vocals torn from the bowels of hell. These comparisons are all deliberate by the way as Phantom are primarily all horror or occult themed in their lyrics, inspired by Mercyful Fate, Razor and Venom.

Phantom are right at that point where thrash meets black metal, making the NWOBHM style more dangerous and aggressive, however on their third album Phantom also increase the complexity, with some prog rock textures, clean guitars and event clean vocals, but these add to rather than overpower, as Phantom so don't throw out your leather and chains and it's Not Midnight Yet for this Mexican metal machine. 7/10

Mace N Chain - Crowned In Grey Skies (No Remorse Records)

I think you could make quite a good Venn Diagram about how many members of death metal bands end up forming classic heavy metal outfits.

Sweden's David Nilsson is the singer in Feral as death metal band but in 2023 he debuted Mace N Chain with Among The Ancient Pillars, a swords and sorcery inspired solo project that brought out his sword and armour gleaming in the sun, with music inspired by Manilla Road and Manowar.

On the debut he wrote and played everything but with this sophomore record, Crowned In Grey Skies, he's joined by drummer Joey Mancaruso (Fortress/Gravesword) this time around but still plays; acoustic and electric guitar, 4- and 8-string bass, acoustic bass and also sings.

Though a few solos on this record come from special guests in bands such as Smoulder, Vintersorg and Feral. With a drummer now involved Mace N Chain does feel a bit less like a "studio project" there's a more organic flow though the songs and the writing has become diversified due to not having to write to a computer but a real drummer.

Crowned In Grey Skies offers new variations on a theme but never moved too far from classic heavy metal. 7/10

Iron Slaught - Metallic Torments (Gates Of Hell Records)

More classic heavy metal speed from France now as Gates Of Hell Records bring us the second album from Iron Slaught. Formed in South West France in 2011, Iron Slaught are old school, hitting the accelerator with opening instrumental Harbinger Of Afflictions, which gallops like Maiden track.

Increasing speed again on Ghastly Obsession where the thrash and black metal inspiration comes in through the intense blast beats, razor sharp guitar sound and raw vocal shouts, though these move towards more traditional vocals on Soldier Of Fortune.

It's been 11 years since their debut record and in that time Iron Slaught have matured their underground metal approach with advanced melodies, excellent guitar harmonies and a more cinematic atmosphere, all refined well by the two members with tales of medieval battles, witchcraft and more.

The bass leads the charge, and while the drum programming does sound a little artificial, Iron Slaught deliver lighting quick classic metal in both English and their native French on this second record, but they never scrimp on the speed, all of these songs gallop, full speed ahead and nothing less.

Is it worth an 11 year wait? Well yes, but, at the moment this is good studio project that is crying out to get on the road to reach full potential. 7/10

Axemaster - Of Beasts And Plagues (Cosmic Fire Records)

Enough of all this heavy metal revival stuff. Axemaster are the real deal.

Formed in the US Of A in the 1980's they're as authentic as you'll get as with most bands from this era there's been line up changes, periods of inactivity, reformations but always carrying the heavy metal flame is founding guitarist Joe Sims.

Of Beasts And Plagues sees an almost fully revamped line up with vocalist Geoff McGraw the only carry over from their last record in 2017. His voice is gruff but suits the style Axemaster bring to the table as classic metal meets thrash and doom, most of their tracks sit in that mid-pace chug.

The gloomy atmosphere of the doom/occultism influence shifting to slower and rawer moments while they can get fast when they need to, bringing aggression on Dealers and Danse Macabre, and while the production style does vary quite a lot on the record, it's still a good collection of authentic 80's heavy metal. 6/10

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

Reviews: Primal Cult, Medusa's Wrath, Pulsar1081, Chants Ov Obscurity (Matt Bladen)

Primal Cult - Dark Passage (Northern Silence Productions)

Eve Alchemy and Aro Raven formed Primal Cult in 2012 and since then they've become a melodic black metal force in the Hellenic extreme metal world. Their music has "themes connected to nature, inner conflict and ancient imagery" as the duo combine ferocity and atmosphere like so many of the leaders in the genre from their country. 

Tremolo guitar, keys, melodic passages and blast beats all at the heart of the this cult. Their debut came out in 2018 so has this gap between releases changes anything? Well no, maybe there's something that's a bit more refined on this one, the creative mind of Eve Alchemy composing songs that are still carry a significant black metal darkness but offer glimmers of light with the clean guitars and synths.

There's also cello, piano (Shore Of Echoes) and more textures to broaden the sonic appeal of this record, spoken word parts and traditional Greek instruments come on the title track while there are acoustics that begin Below The Wave. Dark Passage keeps Primal Cult firmly in the grip of the Hellenic extreme metal world, not about speed but about power and cinematics. 7/10 

Medusa's Wrath - The Seventh Plague Of Babylon (Sleaszy Rider Records)

The second album from Medusa's Wrath doesn't change the formula of their debut, Pavor Exitium Mors too much. You can expect epic, US styled heavy metal which reminds me of the early records from Iced Earth when the vocals were overall a bit harsher, but the music still retained that classic heavy metal goes thrash style. 

With lyrics inspired by history this Athenian five piece still carry that epic heavy metal flag of Manilla Road (Shadows Dance), Iron Maiden (Eternal), Mercyful Fate (Breaking The Spell), Judas Priest on We Cannot Breathe and Lament Of The Serpent with more than a dash of Sabaton too. 

Medusa's Wrath do what they do, playing heavy metal which merges that robust US version with the speedier UK one. The Seventh Plague Of Babylon is a decent follow up to their 2024 debut. 7/10

Pulsar1081 - L’inizio Della Fine (FYC Records) 

Ok let's get into this one yeah? Pulsar1081 are a duo who have caught the ear of D.I.Y label FYC Records. Always having an ear to the ground and penchant for the creative FYC area perfect home for the ambient industrial soundscapes of Eterno and Momento. 

Between them they use keys, guitars, synths, samples, noises, takes and even some vocals to create these layered pieces of music where the synthetic and analogue instrumentation are blended with chants (Darkness), making a seven recordings that have an unnerving sense of dread that flows through all these pieces. 

I say pieces as they aren't really songs, they're soundtracks of a film that doesn't exist but you know would be psychologically terrifying. This isn't a metal album but then FYC has always been a place for the experimental underground and Pulsar1081 is very experimental. 7/10

Chants Ov Obscurity - Bloodstained Monuments (Self Released)

Some blackened deathcore now from Thessaloniki based Chants Ov Obscurity, with influences of Abigail Williams, Ov Sulfur and Cabal, this is fast, furious stuff, the grunt of death metal with the rage of black metal. 

Bloodstained Monuments low guttural vocal croaks/screams (Demios Sam), heavy breakdowns (Kostas Oiko) and symphonic elements (Maria Brkc) but ultimately doesn't do too much different from those bands I mentioned. 

I felt like most of the song bled into another but then deathcore is not always my preference, still fans will be chomping at the bit to pit to these tracks I'm sure, for me it's the Reincarnation In Blasphemy that's stands out as the best on the EP.

As I said blackened death if you're a fan you'll like it if not, then it won't convince you. 6/10

Reviews: Lost In Kyiv, Oh Hiroshima, Hanry, Million Moons (Matt Bladen)

Lost In Kyiv - We're All Going To Be Fine (Pelagic Records)

Some more fine French fancies from Lost In Kyiv and their new album We're All Going To Be Fine, over a decade of post rock excellence continues with this latest release that seamless integrates cavernous enveloping riffs and twitching electronic ambience.

This new record taking down a heavier/darker path than before, one that has been spearheaded by them looking inward for inspiration, drawing from their own lives to craft personal and emotional songs that delve into the less upbeat parts of their collective psyches then transferred into music that has also been inspired by Carl Gustav Jung.

A refocus rather than a reinvention, We're All Going Yo Be Fine is a record that the band describe as "the first record of a new version of the band", which has lead the name change from Kiev to Kyiv because if that's the way the Ukrainian capital describes itself then this change is reflected in the more tumultuous atmospheres on this record.

With so many "post" bands dynamics are at the heart of what they do and Lost In Kyiv master dynamism with every cut on this record, with electronic and analogue instrumentation weaving into each other throughout.

There's acoustic beauty, pulsating breakbeat, waves of synth melody, repeating clean guitars lines but also bigger and louder distorted riffs that take the band into those more ominous, metallic tones. The addition of their new drummer, giving them more powerful grooves powered by adrenaline and even aggression, while the guest vocals of Rebecca Need-Menear on Becoming again brings another dynamic to their sound.

We're All Going To Be Fine is a record from a band who were in a state of flux, but have slowly and carefully rebuilt themselves into a more potent force that has a stronger connection with their audience. 8/10

Oh Hiroshima - And The Dead Tree Gives No Shelter (Pelagic Records)

The duo of Jakob Hemström (guitar/bass/vocals) and Oskar Nilsson (drums and percussion) have been refining their full spectrum musical approach for years now, the Swedish based band curate a place for cinematic introspection, intensity builds, emotions are driven by the colossal soundscapes and soulful vocals.

Oh Hiroshima make music that climbs, like a slow ascent up a musical mountain, they take cues from Mike Oldfield and his ability to layer repeating rhythms over each other as another step of the journey. Inspired by T. S. Eliott's The Wasteland, there's a sense of hopelessness to the album that is communicated through these eight songs, an innate sadness for a failing world where guitars and drums are joined by stirring strings.

There's also moments that spark joy and hope, the feeling that perhaps we can change the world, The Tree Of Life leaning on Celtic tones while Broken Sunlight goes through flute driven grunge while Exit Cloud features organs, orchestras, electronics, horns and the biggest riffs of the record to close it out.

And The Dead Tree Gives No Shelter is an album that features musical complexity and emotional turmoil, a lament for the world explored through expansive music and emotive vocals, Oh Hiroshima continue to impress. 7/10

Hanry - What Came From Silence (Pelagic Records)

Another instrumental post rock group now with What Came From Silence by Hanry.

Despite only being formed in 2022 they have already positioned themselves as ones to watch in the world of post rock, so with their debut album they look to firmly define themselves as a band with it. Written and recorded during a harsh winter in Brittany, the fierceness and isolation of this process can be felt on this album.

It's a record where all the songs begin in cold and frigid tundra' but build into luminous vistas as the introspection evolves into acceptance, the band say: "What Came From Silence is a meditation on emergence, on how resonance is born from restraint, how sound gathers weight from quiet beginnings" which in my view sums up the album perfectly.

A virtuoso five piece that share a musical bond that's is strong across the record, a trio of guitars create the lush layered effect of melodies, harmonising and counteracting with the hand picked synths to make sure that this is the sound they want to be associated with, never over-complicating anything but defining their approach with the multiple guitars, synth lines and cello while the drums are propulsive and create spatial awareness beneath it all.

They also credit the addition of pianist Mariposa as bringing extra depth, for me though their mastery of electronic music is what makes this record exciting, inspired by Explosion In The Sky, Boards of Canada, and even Massive Attack, a track like Remains could be an easy entry into that 90's synth/triphop scene as would Time's Collapsing.

Their blending of electronica and post rock give a Hanry a unique position on the post rock scene, signing to Pelagic has helped them discover how creative they can be with their debut album. 7/10

Million Moons - You Be Good, I Love You (Ripcord Records/Dunk! Records/A Thousand Arms Music)

Continuing my current run of reviewing mainly post rock/metal, I have some animal conscious post metal from Scotland/London based band Million Moons.

On their new album You Be Good, I Love You, they approach it with the idea that animals are "different, yes—but never less than" their human counterparts.

I'd have to agree as I've had more intelligent and profound conversations with animals than many humans over the years but I digress as this album takes things further than I could have, delivering into consciousness. The title coming from the last words of parrot who learnt to communicate with his handlers developing a consciousness of his own, away from animals.

Outside of the band they are all very much involved in conservation so these themes are very close to their hearts, leading to songs that are there to inform rather than rebuke, though it's Secret Histories that does point the finger through the record heaviest moment.

Their music is a selection of structured soundscapes that are meant to reflect certain animals, the swooping movements of flocks of birds, the stillness of floating iridescent sea creatures, the epic journeys of mammals and even on Echoes In The Abyss, the 52-hertz-frequency call of whale 52 Blue.

Guitars are used for intricate but soaring melodies, the rhythm section thunders and floats, letting moments of heaviness consume, while when stripped back allowing the groove to settle in.

Electronics bristle and the band have also brought in sax and organ to swell their cinematic sound, captured by Lewis Johns (Rolo Tomassi, Slow Crush, Employed To Serve) who makes sure every single moment of this bright and bold record can be heard. 8/10