Review: Pantheist - Uncanny Times (Matt Bladen)

Pantheïst - Uncanny Times (Argonauta Records)



Formed in 2000 by vocalist/keyboardist Kostas Panagiotou, Pantheïst are a doom metal band that very much lean toward the funeral side of the doomed spectrum.

Over the last 26 years they have been in existence with Kostas at the helm, they have released six previous studio albums, and three EPs, all featuring members who have gone on to or have featured in other doom metal bands. In the time since their inception they have become underground legends and one of the pillars in the funeral doom sphere.

Across those 20 years they have transcended through several countries, several cities and more than several members however in recent years, i.e post pandemic they have become probably the most active version of the band especially live and with the addition of Linda Dumitru on co-vocals, they have played all across the UK and Europe reclaiming their title as one of the premier funeral Doom acts.

As for the recorded side of what they do they recent times they have released an EP, Kings Must Die, that featured the 14 minute title track plus their live show from Organic Doom Vol 1 at Huddersfield Cathedral which featured David Pipe on the Church Organ and gained mainstream press.

This was the first recorded version of this new version of band and it has in my opinion revolutionized the Pantheïst sound with the divine soprano vocals and let me be honest more than just that if you've seen them live, of Linda, juxtaposed with the harsh demonic growls and screams of Kostas making for vocal dynamite.

Alongside the band of Fanel Lefterache (drums), Atanas Kyurkchiev (guitar) and Matt Strangis bass, they have breathed a freshness into these funeral doom epics even going as far as re-recording and reinterpreting versions of their songs, that many would have heard time and time again, to sound completely different.

This was shown on the 25 Years Of Pantheïsm collection from last year which was a celebratory compilation that featured demos, covers, b-sides and new versions, in conjunction with a Quarter Of A Century as a band.

With this EP and Compilation setting the tone it was only a matter of time before Pantheïst recorded the follow up to 2021's Closer To God, their first full length as this most recent line up. Having heard a few of these tracks live already and heard how they have developed, I was eager to hear the definitive recorded versions so as soon as this record dropped into my inbox it was in my ears.

Featuring six tracks in total Uncanny Times is anchored by two songs that you will have heard of you have seen them live in the last year, starting the record is the melancholic, existentialism of The Final Journey. 

Inspired by a philosophical conversation between Kostas and his friend Ricardo in Panama, it's a track that has been gestating for 15 years. The music was written but due to the nature of the song, it was felt vocally it needed to be just right in order to properly recorded.

Written similarly to a classic music score in movements, it was only when Linda joined the band that Kostas felt ready to record it, her classical soprano lending the song a pathos and emotional depth that it so truly deserves.

It's an epic, that welcomes you to these Uncanny Times with a haunting leap into the profound and a discourse in what awaits us on the other side.

Starting with a singular twinkling piano and clean guitar line, the the introduction feels important and sets the perfect tone to let this for this slow building that all about patience, as all good doom is, as soon as the rest of the band join in, we're on familiar territory with a repeating riff coming from Atanas and Matt.

Downtuned and deliberate in it's pacing, against the expressive and measured drumming of Fanel, it's a Funeral march towards the infinite abyss, touching themes that have always been a huge factor in the lyrics of Pantheïst, the huge organ stabs leading to the first soaring moments of Linda's soprano.

After this intro its full doom ahead as organs, riffs and searing guitar leads shift the pace, with Linda shifting into the lower register before really letting loose at around 8 minutes in, like a thunderous, forgotten hymn emerging from long lost church to doom, as the heavy and demonic side explodes, the growls emerge towards the end of this incredible opener.

The other track that anchors this record is Ithaca Out Of Sight, a sound of a cello begins this second epic, like the mighty thrum of Odysseus' bow when strung by it's master, it's a song that tells the story of Odysseus, give all seen the film but this one is more about the book itself with the cello fading, a rosey-fingered dawn brings the first blast of heaviness.

Which subsides back into just those soprano vocals and organs again, the combination of the ambience and heaviness joined together by a guitar solo, played by Jeremy Lewis of Mesmur who performed on Closer To God. In the main body of the song the histrionics of this historical epic are at their most potent, collapsing into an ethreal break where Linda plays acoustic/classical guitar, adding more musical skill to Uncanny Times.

In the final part we're back into snarling blackened doom, tremolo picking, blast beat drumming and intensity, the horrors taking control once and for all on the eventual end with Ithaca so far away but the story far from over.

Laughing Falcon is faster, at the beginning, as it goes into death doom, Fanel hitting double kick blasts before the whole track evolves into some massive traditional doom metal, with a big bass section from Matt in the middle of the song with atmospheric keys all around.

Laughing Falcon is perhaps the most straightforward track and also the meanest, on the record but it does showcase that Pantheïst don't have to do move at glacial pace to be effective, they can bring something a bit more agile to bear.

Kuebiko, a Japanese deity of knowledge that takes the form of an immobile scarecrow, comes next slowing again, hooked on huge church organ and the duet between the vocalist again that light and shade so important on this creeping, crushing slab of gothic doom metal.

Sitting in the middle of this album both of these are new to me but have a mixture of the Pantheïst of old and with a dash of newer flavours coming in from the new members, this is also obvious on the instrumental Entropy where traditional instrumentation, percussion and great guitar work is used in a rhythmic dispursal of energy.

A single piano opens the closing Requiem For Your World, the final movement, 15+ minutes of it vocals and piano, the classical start as the gothic grandeur, enthrals you in it's massiveness. It's another track built for organ and soprano vocals, behind which is the trampling riffage.

At the nine minute mark, the psychedelic effects give way to the immense middle section before the crescendo at the end gives closure to the thunderous ending.

Uncanny Times defines this current era of Pantheïst, honed on stage, they expand the funeral doom template with this record, the influences from all the members infiltrating Kostas' core musical template, this is doom for classical music fans, sweeping and majestic.

You won't find a more fervenlty expressive, colossally mournful and brillaint doom record this year. 10/10

Photo by: Konstantina Frasia Photography Cardiff

Reviews: Elysion, Abyssus, Skags, Casket Dwellers (Matt Bladen)

Elysion – Identity (Massacre Records)

Dark, atmospheric metal is the genre tag for Elysion and that's what you get with their fourth studio album Identity.

Symphonic elements, gothic overtones, atmospheric moments, hearty metal chugs and powerful vocals all contribute to the sound Elysion have been creating for 20 years. It feels like they've been trying to reach this album since their inception.

Obviously not losing the styles from their earlier records they have decided to make a more adventurous record this time around, one that retains their gothic/alternative metal edge but draws inspiration from other places too, edging them in a more mature and sometimes extreme direction.

This latter point highlighted by Sakis Tolis of Rotting Christ bringing vocals to the swaggering Harvest, while Konstantinos Togas of Nightrage joins for The Last Ride, which makes it sound a lot like Paradise Lost. The production of Fotis Bernardo is a strong factor in this too with his history in the extreme metal scene letting the Johnny Zero's riffs on Dead Loves really bite.

It's a band doing what so many in the gothic/symphonic realm do, getting heavier but more direct in their songwriting, letting the synths/keys/orchestrations do work but never fully dominate the grooving riffs and anthemic vocals from Christianna who displays her full range on the industrial tones of Phoenix.

Matching the creative evolution musically are lyrics are more impactful dealing with serious topics such as identity, resilience and unity in what is often a very overwhelming life. Identity then is Elysion firmly showcasing what they identify as on Declaration Of Darkness, which is their defining track surely?

Identity expands on what Elysion are as a band. Keeping the gothic/dramatic elements but sharpening their style with some aggression and broader influences, it's them defining themselves as a band who have been on a long journey to here but now it feels they're poised for something bigger! 8/10

Abyssus - The Reign (Fireflash Records)

Abyssus have been providing Greece with blistering death metal since 2012.

Their third album The Reign sees them recording as the long time duo of Konstantinos Analytis (vocals) and Panagiotis Gkourmpaliotis (rhythm guitar), so the snarling vocals and buzzsaw riffs are all present and correct from the opening flesh ripper The Meaning Of Pain.

However they've got some friends to fill out the other parts of the record as Konstantinos Foukarakis of Rotting Christ plays lead and rhythm guitars, Chris Zoukas of Sacral Rage handles bass and Fotis Benardo (him again) plays drums, which thankfully doesn't give the record that unnatural, robotic sound you get from prograammeed drums.

Abyssus wouldn't stand for that, they play death metal that's supposed to be an artillery barrage inspired by Bolt Thrower, Obituary and Death, it's real people, real instruments causing real audio harm as the blasting battery shifts into stomping grooves and ominous atmospheres, just like the OSDM sound from the 90's.

Ferocious and relentless, Abyssus aren't all about just hammers to the skull as Destined To Die has a melodic solo section and At Any Cost, blazes like the pyres of Witchfinder Matthew Hopkins, it's subject matter, but then there's just more formidable riffage coming on Killing Tendency and Await The Final Call.

As the final track Trapped In Purgatory nails that slow building final song that features on so many classic death metal records, Abyssus are a modern OSDM that do everything you want them to just right, and with a full live band ready to take these tracks to the stage, take care as Abyssus are coming for you. 9/10

Skags - Inertia/Ad Nauseam (Self Released)

Skags return with their third album and in they continue their crusade against the technology age with another record of dystopian themes that frames our digital society as increasingly nightmarish place.

Where greed is considered the be all and end all and those with the most money can buy whatever they want meaning that the creatives who work the hardest are reduced to fighting A.I and big tech to try and get heard.

It's a record about tech overload how screens keep us docile and obedient while big companies walk all over us, and for those of us that see this are rendered almost powerless and as such in constant state of Inertia/Ad Nauseam.

Skags have been warning if these dangers with their last two record so don't expect them to change their tune any time soon, but this exploration of technological control works really well with their cinematic alt rock which can evolve into progressive metal on the closing epic Violence.

The conceptual nature of their records driven by the influences of Porcupine Tree and The Gathering, on opener America there's a similarlarity to Panic Cell, through the driving rhythm section of Sotirios (bass) and Ilias (drums) on tracks such as bouncy Devotion or the poppy Falling To The Ground.

Harris' guitars bring the riffs that are very diverse for this record, with the heaviness coming on the mountainous, Creed-like riff of Glass Houses and the sprawling neo prog solos on Propaganda, his varied guitar sounds always link very well with with Christina's keys and synths.

Christina carrying some jangly gothic tones on the post rock of Pleasure while she brings pumping Muse-like electronics and grand piano to Control. In vocalist Spyretta, Skags have a singer whose crystalline vocals are just sublime throughout the album, carrying emotion and fragility with power, showcasing all of that on the finale.

Inertia/Ad Nauseam is another great record from Skags, reaching musical heights they haven't before and experimenting with more soundscapes it's a consuming and inviting listen. 9/10

Casket Dweller - River Of Slumber (Nuclear Winter Records)

The debut from Casket Dweller comes at you with a nine track blast of evil death metal, drawing it's inspiration from Swedish, Floridian and Dutch death metal scenes, coarse and bleak with razor sharp riffs at the crux of what they do.

Formed in 2022 they have been causing a riot in the Athenian underground and across Greece, they have trained their attack to unleash savage death metal and with this first album their lyrics and overall aesthetic is derived from gothic literature and 1940's horror cinema, the album even carrying an introduction that announces it as a soundtrack to a horror movie that doesn't exist yet.

Casket Dweller make a racket that is much louder and bigger than a trio should be, with George Karvouniaris' guitar, Chris Pallas' bass slinging the riffs on Creatures Of The Night as Vangelis Deligiorgis' drumming is blistering on tracks such as He Rows while his vocals are extremely harsh, ripped from the bowels of hell themself.

No slumber here just dirgy, filthy death metal from the Athenian gutters, these Casket Dwellers are very much alive on their debut. 8/10

Reviews: Moloken, Wolfshead, Bombstrap, Mines (Will Bond, Keith Boswell, Spike & Matt Bladen)

Moloken - Moloken (Discouraged Records) [Will Bond]

Sweden’s Moloken have returned after six years of silence with their new self titled album Moloken. A frozen journey through the wilds of old Scandinavia presented over seven tracks of expansive sludge.

The Burden Of Our Awareness opens like a siren, warning of the carnage to come. It builds up to the edge of a cliff, until it drops into the bass led intro of the second track. Eternal Sleep creeps eerily forward until it hits like a sledge hammer with anguished call and response screams. The track gathers intensity, pummelling the listener into a bleak bliss.

21.12.21 opens with a drum led groove with drifting guitars and wandering bass before erupting into chaos. The music pushes and pulls expertly, occasional clean sung parts highlighting the quiet within the storm. Fault Line begins with a dark 3/4 rhythm, offering a different flavour. Melodic clean vocals sit well at this point in the album, before opening into heavy growls in the chorus. This track leans into the blackened side of sludge, with an interesting contrast to the melodic verses.

The album keeps you guessing, shepherding you along for the ride, like Virgil to the protagonist in Dante’s Inferno. It is supremely well written music. The production is vast, with every instrument sounding huge, and the amalgamation of it all is far greater than the sum of it’s parts.

Fragments Of Dark Matter is a steamrolling sludge beast full of tension and release. Moloken are masterful at building a track up and hitting the listener with an explosive payoff bigger than they could have expected. En Lek Med Doden is a composition of layered acoustic guitars, letting the album breathe before the final track.

A Night Of Vision Revealed (Asterion, Pt I) opens with heavy spacious doom before bringing in beautiful harmonised vocals. With lyrics of visions of the sea, temples of axes and drawn swords, the track puts you directly into the tundric wilderness of old Scandinavia.

It is hard to find fault with this record. It is beautiful, savage and wide ranging. Listened to from start to finish, it feels like not a moment hasn’t be thought through meticulously. The open spaces and moments of claustrophobia contrast each other perfectly. This is music that takes you with it, and when the journey is over it stays with you. 10/10

Wolfshead – Wolfshead (Jawbreaker Records) [Keith Boswell]

Hailing all the way from Auckland, New Zealand, are a five piece hard rocking band set up in 2022 known as Wolfshead. They describe their music as, ‘authentic and untamed’ which on first listen I am inclined to believe.

Operating with a blend of classic heavy metal, hard rock and indeed elements of thrash / hardcore within, Wolfshead have created a self-titled debut album. It consists of eight songs, two of which have been released previously as singles, totalling forty-three minutes of metal fury.

I load the album in anticipation of the first song Tyranny And The Hunter which begins with a melodic guitar strewn piece launching into a great baseline groove. The track further morphs into a great deluge of good old NWOBHM Iron Maidenish gallop, which instantly has my feet tapping. Vocals ensue with dark almost creepy tones making this song one of the best in my option.

Keeping up the quality through the album the next track Ashen Fawn delivers a hard gritty edge not reminiscent of early bay area thrashers Exodus. As I delve into the subsequent songs, I can see a definite group of ingredients that Wolfshead has in its basket to create their music, each track uses these ingredients in a different way and in differing intensity.

The use of further baseline grooves reappears for Dust And Smoke which are of a really good quality, interspersed with different vocal types and guitar riffs often of thrash in nature makes this song memorable for me.

More vocal varieties, gallops, riffs and thrash type drumming / guitar playing ensues, the album as a whole is good listening, the singer has a very interesting voice and supports the music and is delivered well. 

All in all, a good album which offers a great base to progress and I look forward to more from Wolfshead in the future. 7/10

Bombstrap – Big Enemy (Tartarus Records) [Spike]

Every now and then, a record lands on your desk that feels less like a collection of rehearsed songs and more like an unexploded ordnance going off in a confined room. 

Hailing from the anarchic squatter community of Rotterdam’s Poortgebouw and split between the Netherlands and Manchester, Bombstrap have spent the last twelve months carving out an underground reputation for pure, unadulterated hostility. 

Their debut full-length, Big Enemy, arrives wrapped in talk of nihilism, black alchemy, and ultraviolence, a ten-track, caustic bullet aimed right between the eyes of authority, corporate greed, and modern complacency.

The intent behind this record is completely beyond doubt: it wants to tear your skin off. The album kicks straight into gear with the title track, Big Enemy, setting a frantic, primitive pace before launching into Master Alchemist. 

When they step on the gas here, they turn every dial to the absolute maximum. It’s got that bruised, feral spirit that bridges early 90s noise-rock and grunge with the caustic bite of classic riot grrrl, but delivered with the bone-breaking velocity of Total Abuse or No Trend.

Half of these songs barely nudge the two-minute mark, and cuts like Machiavellianism blaze through in barely sixty seconds of teeth-gnashing urgency. Meanwhile, Bakhmut brings a venomous, satirical edge that carries more than a whiff of classic Dead Kennedys, before Poppy Seeds closes out the run with a surprisingly swaggering, manic rock 'n' roll riff buried beneath the noise. 

Lyrically, there’s no high-minded poetry or philosophical hiding; it's a relentless, exasperated barrage of primal invective and literal "fuck you’s" aimed at the parasites at the top.

Yet, sitting down with Big Enemy for repeated spins, I can’t help feeling that the recording itself doesn't quite do the venom full justice. The rage, the grit, and the songwriting chops are undeniably there in the room, but the production across these tracks sits just a touch too flat in the speakers. 

When a band is playing music this feral and dangerous, you want the guitars to feel jagged and rusty enough to give you tetanus, and the drums to cave your chest in. Here, the mix feels a little boxed in, smoothing over the very rough edges that make this kind of primitive punk so potent.

As a debut statement, Big Enemy still speaks volumes about what Bombstrap are capable of. The fury is real, the ethics are completely uncompromised, and this is clearly a band whose live performances in a sweaty, packed basement room will probably tear the paint clean off the walls. 

It’s an abrasive, promising opening salvo that makes me genuinely eager to see what they unleash once they take these tracks onto the road or when they let that bottled rage truly detonate in the studio next time around. 

Scoring this one is tough I want to give the rage and potential 8/10 but the production steals a mark, so it’s a solid 7/10

Mines - Mines I (Mosaic Music) [Matt Bladen]

Formed in Manchester in 2024, Mines have had their previous releases featured in these pages, and shouldn't be confuse by the South Wales sludge noise band of the same name.

If you haven't got the time to go back to those releases (though you definitely should) the band have now released a live record which featured tracks from both their EP's, it's their way of celebrating and maybe even saying goodbye to their first two years as a band

Mines I was recorded in the band’s own studio space in August 2025, captured live with no backing tracks or click tracks, its the sound of a band showing where they've come from to be the band they are now and giving you a snapshot of what they can do on stage as well.

The rawness of this live recording is to its advantage, allowing Mines to showcase this skills without studio trappings, letting their alt metal riffs do the talking with thumping grooves that mirror that mirror Tool/A Perfect Circle and also atmospheres that stem from Muse, but without studio trickery Mines feel closer to that 2000's alt metal sound of Deftones and Chevelle.

If you've never had the chance to see Mines live then I suggest picking up this record as it as close as you can get without being in a room full of people. 7/10

Reviews: The Flower Kings, Lesoir, Maiah Wynne, Bruce Soord (Matt Bladen)

The Flower Kings - HOPE (InsideOut Music)

You can always trust Swedish prog veterans The Flower Kings to satisfy your urges. So often today bands write 10 or 11 tracks fit for a CD or a playlist, but with the vinyl revival, there should be a throwback to really using vinyl to your advantage.

Back in those halcyon days, ELP, Yes, Genesis, Pink Floyd, Gentle Giant, Camel, I could go on were all major fans of the double vinyl, usually made up of two epic suites that went over 20-minute search with a couple of one-offs in the middle.

This is somewhat of a lost art but The Flower Kings, who have always taken an analogue, exclusively retro approach to their music looks to review it with this new album HOPE. Their 18th studio album in 30+ years as a band, it's probably their biggest yet.

The tracks In A World Of Fools and Mars & Minerva, bookended by two multipart epics, beginning with Five-Part World Spinning-The Final Curtain and ending with the Six-Part Gods Of Rome, the first over 18 minutes the second a colossal 30, but filled with progressive rock the way it used to be played.

It's bold in its arrangements, cinematic in its scope and always utilises analogue instrumentation rather than any computerised gubbins. This deliberate choice to pay homage to the greats of progressive rock world by sounding a close as they can to them but with all new soundscapes to play.

I mentioned Emerson, Lake & Palmer earlier and a lot of HOPE has huge influences from that legendary band the keys/piano of Lalle Larsson often taking the form of Hammond Organ, while Mirko DeMaio lays down drum patterns where time is just an abstract construct.

Joining those rhythms is Michael Stolt's forward in the mix bass and Moog bass, while the varied guitar prowess and dual vocal of Hasse Fröberg and Roine Stolt is magical, acoustics/12 strings/electrics in harmonic union.

It's virtuosity without sacrificing the songwriting, like score for a film yet made the final, Gods Of Rome merges historical fiction with modern day fact, addressing issues that face humanity through some sonic landscape that is very in the realms of Yes, triumphal and joyous, there’s a deem vein of, well, HOPE, to this 18th record.

The Flower Kings delivering a record that has inspiration from the glory days of prog rock but features a veteran band really leaning into those inspirations to make it work in this contemporary era. 9/10

Lesoir - Tomorrow Is Now Today (V2 Records)

Formed in Maastricht way back in 2009, Lesoir have built a strong following and recording history through thought provoking art-prog where very little is off limits.

Their popularity has always been across Europe, with some of the biggest names in prog rock/metal but after two separate support slots with Riverside (R.I.P) they have found an audience in the UK where they've rapidly become a favourite on the live scene and on record as they always deliver atmospheric and emotional music.

Their new album has them invest in some riffs, carried over fron their previous record, the guitar quartet of Maartje Meessen, Eleën Bartholomeus, Ingo Dassen and Rutger Martens switching between atmospheric bliss and explosions of musical colours, as the band create a sound that is both hugely cinematic, while also being achingly introspective, just check out the instrumental Nadeli for proof..

Lesoir aren't just your typical "rock" band though, yes they have three guitars as well as a compelling rhythm section in Staf Wouters (bass) and Bob Van Heumen (drums) but Rutger brings pedal steel, Eleën adds synth while Maartje not only plays flute and piano but is also the passionate/heartfelt voice of the band, Stay Close To Me, a beautiful solo turn while the other band members all help with the gorgeous harmonies.

It's Ramon Reijnders on percussion/beats who makes the first impression with It Is Nothing, a twitchy breakbeat emerging from the Steven Wilson into an orchestral chorus, it's brooding with a soundtrack element choruses that shifts towards some folksy soundscapes on Back To You, those multiple guitars with the shimmering melodies of post rock and the anthemia of early Muse though the title track draws from Kate Bush.

The collaboration between the band and producer John Cornfield and mixer Paul Reeve still a strong part of their creative process and with Steve Kitch of The Pineapple Thief mastering, Tomorrow Is Now Today sounds absolutely huge, but also very intimate, the experience of the band merged with the guiding hand of the production team capturing that live stage intensity while giving a wider spectrum to their studio output resulting in their most complete record yet.

It's a paean for the future, one that is here in our faces today, Hidden Fire a call to arms through soaring guitars and tribal percussion as the questions of life, humanities destruction of the planet and more are asked in the lyrics and through the musical storytelling, the rage bubbling to the surface on Free Pass which channels a lot of 90's influences musically.

With some heartfelt moments such as Army Of Love, songs of hope and songs of defiance, Tomorrow Is Now Today is a spectacular album for lovers of artistic progressive music that has strong sentiments behind it. 9/10

Maiah Wynne - Into The Waves (Kscope)

Maiah Wynne has been performing since she was seven years old, having played countless folk festivals, written for film soundtracks and even was the first contestant in NPR's Tiny Desk Contest. Many in the rock and prog world will know that she is the vocalist for Envy Of None featuring Alex Lifeson, Andy Curran and Alfio Annibalini.

One can only assume that Envy Of None is probably now on hiatus while Lifeson is out on the road with some band called Rush, but that has not stopped the creative output of Wynne who explored trauma, along with "fear and hope, vulnerability and resilience" but always with a sense of optimism that comes through for a record written by an artist rediscovering themselves.

Written, produced and recorded by Wynne, usually in hotels while on tour, this is very much a solo effort as Maiah plays a number of instruments and lyrically it's inspired by Noah's own journey as an internationally touring artist, her move across the works and other seismic shifts in her personal life.

That's not to say she's alone in all this with Justin Abel mixing and Alan Douches mastering there's appearances from cellist Bethany Joyce, violinist Avelyn Reynolds and flugelhorn player Henry Sheppard. As well as drummers Adam Brzycki and Randy Cooke, while Brooks Berg and Alex Lifeson provide some guest guitar.

So a talented performer/songwriter/multi-instrumentalist with some great guests is what you get with Into The Waves, an album with narrative thread that's is told through the songs here, shifting from dreamy folk on Nothing Stays The Same and Satellites, to the gospel touches of In A Dream and the gothic Americana of Creatures In The Night, the close up, breathy vocals of Maiah captivate as the layered, considered instrumentation sets fires that burn brightly.

The pace picks up on the punchy alt country of False Gods, the alt rock Another Step as Underwater and Don't Wait brings electronics through the latter part of the record which has a lot of emotion running through it on Don't Want To Say Goodbye and Breathe, though it's Girl Dinner that lands the heaviest with some very real, very pertinent observations of the world.

Maiah Wynne continues to evolve her songwriting, on Into The Waves, often transcending folk into prog/rock and other musical influences, driven by her creativity and emotional intelligence it's a record that is as expressive as it is expertly delivered. 8/10

Bruce Soord – Ghosts In The Park (Kscope)

One we missed from earlier this year but there's always something magical about a Bruce Soord solo record. While The Pineapple Thief is his outlet for progressive rock opulence, his solo albums are more about modesty, restraint and introspection.

Ghosts In The Park is a record about finding quiet spaces when the world seems to be falling apart. Written while on tour the solitude of hotel rooms and countless cityscapes led to Soord embracing the quiet at a time where he was dealing with both the health decline and passing of his father and his mother's Alzheimer's.

This grief is a driving force for both the creative aspects of this album and for Soord overall who felt the need to carry on and create in these intimate spaces. It's this intimacy that permeates, the acoustic guitar lies at the heart of everything, recorded often in one take in these quiet rooms, they were then slipped into the bigger compositions.

Soord's skills as producer/mixer are on display, with the slow burning of Kept Me Thinking, which features Jon Sykes adding bass and a soaring electic guitar. He's the only guest in this true solo album with Bruce playing/producing everything while mastering is taken by Steve Kitch.

The layered cuts such as Day Of Wrath and Our Predicament are impressive but this album is most effective when it's just Bruce's voice and acoustic guitar, working through grief with his music. 8/10

Reviews: Virology, Nothing Minor, Avicide, Paradox To Stay (Matt Bladen)

Virology - Sequential Malformations (Self Released)

A death metal duo now as Virology unleash their debut full length record Sequential Malformations. You may wonder just how heavy a band made up of a bassist and vocalist can be and while the drums are performed by a Mac N'Tosh, both the I assume 8-16 string bass and vocals are real(ish) humans.

James Easterbrook aka Bunny handles the riffs/rhythms and stomach churning bottom end with a multifaceted virtuoso bass performance where there's frankly need for a guitar at all, if there is it's way in the background as Virology drive their tracks with some bludgeoning, technically intense bass, even the solo section of songs such as Blasphemy are bass, while Congnitive could be Primus.

Cut with horror movie samples, each track just batters you into submission, shows off Bunny's prowess and features some disgusting barked, growled and screamed vocals from James Birkett who gives a frenzied and intense performance, perfect for tracks such as the more techincal Terminal, Epidemic Naval Spore and the ferocious Consomméted.

How much you get out this album is very much dependent on how much you like guitars, if you're looking for buzz saw snarl then that's not here but if bass-led extremely technical death metal sound alike it's your thing then definitely check out Virology, a band doing something interesting and original in the death metal scene. 8/10

Nothing Minor - Devoted To Dysfunction (Self Released)

Nothing Minor are a band with message behind them. Formed as a way to deal with and highlight metal health, their music merges emo, alternative, goth rock/metal, with soaring, emotive vocals, heavy riffs and anthemic choruses.

Based in the Welsh Valleys they have a strong following here and across the bridge so I was interested to hear their new EP Devoted To Dysfunction and if bands such as Evanescence, modern Within Temptation, Paramore and even Spiritbox are frequently on your play lists then you'll find lots to like here.

Hell begins with a heavy riff as Ellie's frantic vocals, countered by some shouts in the background, a strong opener at the rocker end while Sinking goes into the more poignant side featuring a piano against some sobering lyrics, this introspection continues on Ruined, but things get back into rocking for Crimson.

Crimson and Burn My Tongue both have a cracking riff behind them from guitarist Kieran as bassist Keiron and drummer Oliver bring the grooves to these final cuts, you do understand why Nothing Minor have the following they do in South Wales, a throwback to the early 2000's with a strong message of advocacy. 8/10

Avicide - Respirate EP (Self Released)

Bristol based Avicide impressed in this years Metal To The Masses South Wales, the trio play a heavy version of alt metal with hardcore veins running through it so when I was sent this EP I did wonder if their live fire would translate on record.

I pushed play to find out and I was met with some distorted riffs from Thomas Woods to start, taken from the American metalcore scene but in a quirk to these genes tags some angsty clean vocals from singer/bassist Hattie Cowley, which offers up a bit more aggression towards the end, this angst comes back on the grungy Don't Do It.

Please Just Lie kicks in with an even filthier riff than the first track, the vocals go gutteral as those hardocre influences loom large in the steel sounding snare of Danny Woods and the closing breakdown which takes Avicide into the heavier realms they also visit on the dynamic I Eat Dirt which reminds a lot of Code Orange.

That's the strongest comparison I can give to Avicide who are band with defined duality in their music, closing this EP with the Deftonesesque Leach, Respirate breathes life into Avicide on record. 7/10

Paradox To Stay - Death Of Souls (Self Released)

The new EP by Paradox To Stay features the two previous singles they've released since changing their vocalist alongside two new tracks resulting in 16 minutes of new music from this Welsh (Newport) metalcore mob.

This is a five piece that are inspired by the modern style of metalcore, frantic riffs, grooves and harsh scream vocals with the crushing breakdowns of deathcore lumbering their way into the music as well.

The one thing I will say about this record is that it's extremely well produced, it just sounds huge, Glasgow Smile having that thick industrial chug of deathcore to smash you around the chops, but it also introduces the one thing I massively dislike here which are the clean vocals.

However it does seem to be just this one song as on the NWOAM style Heartless and thrashy Serenity the cleans are much better working well with the harsh screams, in fact the last three tracks on the album sound like a different band to the huge deathcore opener and you know what I prefer it.

Death Of Souls is a little fractured by what it wants to be genre wise but there's a lot of talent on show here. 7/10

Reviews: Godflesh, The Ocean, Lacrimas Profundere, Lustmord Lombardo (Spike)

Godflesh – Decay (Relapse Records)

There are certain bands whose releases don't just sit on a digital wish list; they demand a physical trip down to the local record shop. Godflesh have always belonged in that category for me. 

Ever since the suffocating machine clatter of Streetcleaner rewrote the rulebook for what heavy music could be, Justin Broadrick and G.C. Green have been immovable fixtures in British industrial metal. Knowing that Decay serves as their penultimate record before eventually drawing the curtains on the project made bagging a physical copy on release day essential. It hasn't left the turntable since.

Clocking in at six sprawling tracks across forty-two minutes, Decay strips the band's sonic framework back to its bleakest, most hypnotic core. If you came looking for rapid-fire shouting, you’ll be in for a surprise. 

Broadrick reportedly utters fewer than 150 words across the entire record, letting massive, mechanized grooves and tectonic bass frequencies do all the communicating. Between recent health battles, surgeries, and the decision to retire the band from the live touring circuit, that physical exhaustion and psychological weariness bleeds right into the iron grooves of the music.

The album opens with Master And Slave, an eight-and-a-half-minute exercise in slow-motion bludgeon. Built on a lurching, down tuned seven-string riff and Green’s trademark iron-plated bassline, it locks you into a trance before you even realize how heavy the pressure has gotten. It rolls seamlessly into Living/Ending, which leans into that classic, pulsing Godflesh drum-machine cadence; cold, relentless, and completely indifferent to human comfort.

What makes this record feel so poignant is its atmosphere of deliberate, unhurried restraint. Cuts like Feral Colony and Fear Of Man don't rush to hit you with cheap adrenaline spikes; they let the dread simmer. The repetitive, hypnotic dirge feels like wandering through an abandoned industrial estate at twilight, watching the rust slowly eat away at the concrete.

By the time you reach Fodder and the eleven-minute closer Consume Me, you realise Godflesh aren't going out with frantic thrash; they’re delivering an epic, meditative funeral march. Consume Me is pure, droning catharsis. It’s a haunting, mesmerizing farewell that leaves you sitting in absolute quiet as the needle finally hits the run-out groove.

Decay isn't an easy listen, but Godflesh were never meant to be comfortable. It is a bleak, monolithic, and deeply moving record from two pioneers who have absolutely nothing left to prove to anyone. An absolute must-own on vinyl. 9/10

The Ocean – Solaris (Pelagic Records)

Few bands in the modern heavy realm operate with the sheer intellectual ambition of Robin Staps and The Ocean Collective. Over two decades, they've taken us from the prehistoric depths of the ocean floor right through deep geological time and the dawn of humankind. After closing the door on that era and seeing long-time frontman Loïc Rossetti bow out, Solaris finds the collective looking outward into the cold cosmos and the surreal psychological terrain of Stanisław Lem’s legendary sci-fi opus.

Make no mistake: there are truly epic moments scattered across this record. When they lock into their expansive groove, the scale is staggering. But I’ll be completely honest, sitting down with Solaris, it felt like a bit too much at times. The sheer volume of ideas, long instrumental tangents, and cinematic shifts can feel overwhelming. Maybe as a reviewer, I haven’t given it as much dedicated time as an album of this weight truly deserves, because an Ocean record is rarely something that fully reveals its hand on the first few passes.

The journey kicks off with the coordinates 52°30'11"N 13°26'12"E, an atmospheric intro that gives way to Departure Song. It wastes little time establishing this new chapter, introducing new vocalists Enrico Tiberi and Lane Shi alongside crushing post-metal dynamics. It rolls straight into Light Pollution, a sprawling ten-minute beast that bridges the electronic textures of Holocene with towering, crushing climaxes.

The monolithic centre of the record is Simulacra, clocking in at over seventeen minutes. It’s an enormous journey that drifts through krautrock-inspired synths, ambient lulls, and sudden explosions of heavy groove. It probably needs this massive canvas to do proper justice to Lem's narrative of an alien, living planet projecting hallucinations onto the human psyche, but it also tests your patience if you aren't completely dialled in.

Things sharpen up with Belligerence and Ultima Esperanza, where the heavy brass accents and dense polyrhythms hit with familiar physical force. Closing out with the melancholic drift of Milk Of My Dream and the coordinates 51°28′30″S 73°6′11″W, you’re left feeling completely spent.

Solaris is an ambitious, sprawling work that doesn’t hand out easy rewards. It can feel like a heavy emotional and mental overload at points, but there is so much craft beneath the surface that it demands repeat visits. A solid 8 out of 10 that might well grow into something even bigger once it’s had time to settle in. 8/10

Lustmord Lombardo – The Pulse Of Atoms (Ipecac Recordings)

When you see the name Dave Lombardo on an album sleeve, your brain immediately primes itself for a very specific kind of physical experience. Whether he's driving the thrasher engine of Slayer, navigating the chaotic carnival antics of Mr. Bungle, or anchoring Dead Cross and Fantômas, the man is a human metronome of violence and groove. 

So sitting down with The Pulse Of Atoms, his collaborative release on Ipecac with dark ambient godfather Brian Williams (Lustmord), it was hard not to walk in with high expectations of hearing Lombardo letting rip on a proper kit.

I'll be completely upfront about it: if you come in hunting for double-kick artillery or fast, snarling thrash fills, you are going to be left scratching your head. Lombardo is here, absolutely, but his presence feels less like an equal co-driver and more like a subtle, atmospheric guest artist relegated to the margins. This is very much Lustmord’s territory. Williams built the terrifying, abyss-staring sonic blueprint of dark ambient and industrial rumble decades ago, and The Pulse Of Atoms lives, breathes, and suffocates firmly inside that realm.

The record opens with the two-part suite An Eternal Presence. Part I, Unknown, creeps out of the void with sub-bass tremors and eerie, tectonic frequencies that feel like tectonic plates grinding against each other deep in the ocean floor. Lombardo’s input here is whisper-thin, barely a tap or an ominous rattle. By Part II, Relentless, percussive textures start to take clearer shape, but it’s still far removed from conventional rhythmic songwriting. It’s an exercise in sheer, creeping dread.

Things find firmer footing on Paleomagnetic Resonance and Beyond The Vast Cold Waste. Here, Lombardo steps out from the shadows with jazzy, muted flourishes and syncopated cymbal washes that lend Williams’ icy soundscapes an eerie organic pulse. The fourth track even brings in pulsing, Krautrock-tinged synthesizer lines, keeping the composition from evaporating into a formless, endless fog.

The two-part movement of The Desolate Shore, spanning Submergence and Emergence is arguably the most evocative stretch on the record. It feels like standing on an alien coastline at twilight, listening to the groans of dying ships and distant foghorns while strange metal objects scrape in the dark. By the time the ten-minute drone bath of The Abyssal Deep draws the curtain, you feel like you've been submerged in a pitch-black sensory deprivation tank.

Let’s not take anything away from Brian Williams: as an architectural work of dark ambient sound design, this record is at times genuinely terrifying and technically stunning. It demands to be played at room-shaking volume on a great set of monitors so the sub-frequencies can actually rattle the foundations of the house.

Yet you can't entirely shake the feeling that Lombardo's monstrous talents could have been woven into the tapestry with a bit more muscle. It leaves you wondering whether there is any boundary Dave won't cross, his appetite for adventurous, left-field collaborations seems completely bottomless, and that alone makes anything he touches well worth investigating. 

An unsettling, beautifully crafted drone experience, even if it leaves you wishing the drum throne had been turned up just a notch higher in the mix. 8/10

Lacrimas Profundere – Lay Me Down O Silent Fear (Steamhammer / SPV)

One of the great joys of writing for Musipedia of Metal is the sheer volume of music you run into that somehow managed to slip beneath your radar over the years. With over three decades of existence and fourteen full-length albums under their belts, German veterans Lacrimas Profundere aren’t exactly fresh-faced newcomers. Yet, sitting down with Lay Me Down O Silent Fear, I have to confess this is my very first introduction to the band. And on the strength of what’s blasting out of the speakers here, it leaves me wondering where on earth I’ve been and wishing I’d stumbled onto them years ago.

For someone coming in completely fresh, what immediately strikes you is the cocktail of styles colliding beneath the surface. It wears its gothic rock ancestry proudly on its sleeve, there’s an unmistakable, brooding Ville Valo/HIM swagger in the baritone vocals but anyone expecting polite, dusty goth-rock is going to get their teeth rattled. Across these ten tracks, the band splices melancholic, dark-romantic melodrama with abrasive death metal growls, down-tuned modern crunch, and the kinetic urgency of contemporary metalcore.

The album wastes no time making that point with the opener, Days Of Doom. It hits with an aggressive, punchy tempo and jagged guitar riffs from founding member Oliver Nikolas Schmid before vocalist Julian Larre steps up to the mic. 

Larre is a total chameleon here, shifting effortlessly between deep, smoky croons and ferocious, throat-tearing roars. It rolls straight into Nevermore, which pairs stadium-sized, melancholic hooks with heavy double-kick battery, proving they know how to deliver infectious choruses without blunting their heavier edges.

Things get even more intriguing on Heart I Will Break You Before You Break Me, where the band leans into an off-kilter, muscular groove that balances Anathema-style emotional fragility with genuine Danzig-esque swagger. The centrepiece title track, O Silent Fear, stretches out past the five-minute mark, letting lush, gothic atmosphere build and simmer before dropping into crushing, wall-of-sound climaxes. It feels grand, theatrical, and deeply immersive.

Down the back half of the record, the band keeps their foot firmly on the pedal. Agony (In Dread And Dust) and Faceless deliver sharp, compact blasts of energy, while Arcane Promises taps into the aching, bittersweet melodicism that fans of vintage Finnish gothic metal like Sentenced or Charon will instantly recognize. 

Meanwhile, tracks like A Sinful Desire and Veil XV push the rhythm section to the fore, delivering pit-ready bounce and teeth-grinding weight before the elegiac finale of At The End Of A Dream Lies The Hope You Once Killed brings the curtain down.

Lay Me Down O Silent Fear is a brilliant, dark, and surprisingly heavy record from a veteran outfit that clearly has zero intention of resting on past glories. It’s got huge hooks, plenty of grit, and that unmistakable dark-romantic goth atmosphere done with real bite. As an entry point, it’s completely hooked me, and I’m already off to start digging back through their fourteen-album back catalogue to see what else I’ve missed. 8/10

Reviews: Wolves In The Throne Room, Boss Keloid, Leng Tch’e, Earthbong (Matt Bladen & Mark Young)

Wolves In The Throne Room - Estuary (Century Media) [Matt Bladen]

It's been more than 20 years since Wolves In The Throne Room first emerged from the United States bringing about a new wave of black metal.

They call it 'Cascadian Black Metal' cinematic and explorative, they have never been a band to rest on their laurels, netiher have they been afraid of composing and performing heretical black metal in a country that often goes overboard with it's religious zeal for the Bible.

I would think this is perhaps why WITTR are more respected and celebrated in Europe. With an incredible live show, that consumes you, their albums are always musical journeys though multiple genres, they are often conceptual, always evocative and unwaiveringly brilliant if you're a fan of extreme metal with intelligence.

Their latest album Estuary, looks to be another exemplary offering from this blackened coven, recorded with analogue equipment, with the full skill of this veteran band, they lend and ear to nature yet again, it's always been at the heart of what they do, the unyielding power of nature.

On Estuary we have a concept that takes place "1,000 years in the future, after the death of civilization" and how by nature reclaiming the Earth, full peace and tranquility can be reached, it's got huge whacks of sci-fi in the story with the balance between the the synthetic and the organic.

A duality that is explored musically on the record. The blasts of frigid black metal, are rawer and carry a savagery that WITTR have increased for Estuary, the title track bringing intensity from its opening moments, dramatic and intense it builds towards the end with a kind of catharsis that takes us into the rest of the record.

On the other side, this tenacity and ferocity shifts through the ambience and atmospheres of forests, rain and sunlight, natural elements that are reflected by the Gothic overtones and industrial dissonance on Knights Of Tiamat, exploring numerous musical styles against the black metal intensity.

The intensity comes from the twin guitar prowess of Nathan Weaver and Kody Keyworth who also share vocals for more dichotomy, as Aaron Weaver provides the devastating percussion barrage, the synths (The Orca Cliffs) and even some spoken word, when the storytelling needs it.

Touring bassist Galen Baudhuin plays bass in the studio for the first time, adding a bottom end rumble to the epic Foretold In Reflections. Estuary comes to and end with two of its finest moments, the massive Ghosts Among The Obelisks shifts numerous times in pace, speed and style while Wretched Spirits, Land Of Light, caps off the magnificent Estuary record with a track that has black meeting classic metal.

Wolves In The Throne Room rarely do anything wrong, and with album number 8 they stay at the summit of the USBM scene. 9/10

Boss Keloid - Float & Aperture (Church Road Records) [Matt Bladen]

Boss Keloid are band steeped in magic, a band that truly defines the idea of the progressive side of prog rock, no two of their albums are ever the same but they are always undeniably Boss Keloid.

It's a neat trick and one that many bands would absolutely fail to replicate, but like I said Boss Keloid are magic, and they are able to move from a intense record such as Family The Smiling Thrush into Float & Aperture which is an album that has garage rock, jazz and even flamenco as inspiration on the expansive, storytelling of Landslide.

Landslide is one of the track out in the run up to this record and it's the perfect showcase of Boss Keloid's experimental sound, moving to the out reaches of what a band like Baroness would do, all clean guitar harmonies and gritty vocals from Alex Hurst who is the interpreter of these tales of resilience, going full Tom Waitts on Aros.

Pedestal, which precedes it, puts odd signatures with psychedelic riffs and guitar sound that makes me think of Mahavishnu Orchestra, but it's all part of the Boss Keloid sound, keeping you guessing, retaining their musical dexterity through each record by never rehashing anything they've done.

On Float & Aperture they cultivated a more collaborative writing culture than before letting the entire bands influences bleed into the songwriting, which means that these tracks can take numerous paths, as they bring their heaviness to Weight, before again taking off into sprawling Middle Eastern inspired melodies and funk riffs.

The guitar interplay between Paul Swarbrick and Hurst is on another level, counter-pointed and collaborative at the same time, it's a panoramic palette of pedalboards and virtuosity but the impact of it would be much less if it wasn't for the interesting and serpentine bass Liam Pendlebury-Green and the intuitive, expressive and progressive drums and percussion from Ste Arands.

Float & Aperture is the more blissful and illusory side of Boss Keloid, foregoing heaviness of their sludge beginnings for wanderings through world music and the sonic experimentation of bands such as King Crimson, magic from start to finish. Let go of musical inhibitions and embrace Boss Keloid. 9/10

Leng Tch’e - Hammered Into Collapse (Season Of Mist) [Mark Young]

Well, I think that Leng Tch’e have released the crowning definition of a short, sharp shock with their two track single Hammered Into Collapse. The songs represent their first new music since 2017’s Razorgrind and it sees the Belgium outfit taking no prisoners.

Hammered Into Collapse is just brutal, there’s not really a lot more I can give you. It says that this is for fans of Napalm Death, Aborted to name two outfits but based on how this drops into view its for anyone who tells you they love extreme metal. I don’t know anything of their previous releases and I’m not going to pretend that I do but based on this one song, I want to know more.

When its running, its fast, throwing pelters at you non-stop. When it slows, its massive, crushing you under foot. In either case it is a stunning piece of work, one that wraps up in two minutes. And then they hit you with Voided. This fires like a chain-gun, its glorious in the fact its prime directive is to smash. Voided avoids repeating the same trick as Hammered, it remembers that it needs to change tack ever so slightly, but only slightly.

There is something about heavy music, especially no fucks given, fire breathing heavy music that just gladdens my soul. There isn’t any airs or graces to this, no pretence just pure blissful noise. And that’s that. Two songs, 5 minutes if that. And its probably 5 of the best minutes you will spend listening to music this year. 8/10

Earthbong - Salutations To the Cultivators (Lasting Dose Records/Evil Noise Recordings) [Mark Young]

Blessed are the Cheesemakers…hang on, wrong place. Earthbong have popped up with what can be described as an album that one may (or may not) imbibe certain things to. 4 songs, 39 minutes, which should tell you all you need to know what is coming your way. This is their 4th album,

Bug is a ten minute, lumbering monster that brings you a sound so thick, so dense it anesthetises you during its unspooling. Its not the quickest, but they somehow manage to slow this down to an anguished crawl before they pick it back up again. 

Doom can be hit or miss; with Bug they use every available second to make it as interesting for the listener as they can. Its not short of tempo changes, and that super thick sound is ever present, carrying over onto Third Eye, its bass driving it in a descending move whilst Roy Batty’s words play out over it. 

In all honesty, they could have welded these two together and just had it run as one song. This one brings more to the table, the sound expanding with short, ragged lead stabs that quickly come and go. The final two minutes are exemplary in how they gradually ramp up without dramatically altering how the song has ran.

Harvester starts in a more restrained and melancholic manner, a guitar line that is sublime whilst the drums do the heavy lifting in propelling this song along. That is one constant here, the drums have been a masterclass on this as is their sound. The transition at about 2 or so minutes from one approach to that full throated all encompassing sound is spot on as it is effortless on their part to move between them. 

It’s easy to dismiss doom as being one riff repeated over and over and its just not the case. Harvester is an example of how a morose piece of music can also move you in its own way. Of course, they do give in to the basic form of doom on Herbal Saints, their 15 minute climax. 

As the start of Harvester was (in comparison) soft with smooth edges, Herbal Saints dials that black cloak of sound back in and then just run with it. The opening 3 minutes stakes out the fact that they can bring the riffola at will and then put the brakes on for the main body of the song. 

Those drums are central again to the success of this (and the 4 songs as a whole), they provide the foundation from which everything else comes from (Step forward Tommy!!). We shouldn’t take anything away from Selly, the vocals on this are abrasive, guttural and the bass, combined with Ogo’s guitar sound make this such a great listen. 

Herbal Saints runs out, gradually reducing in potency and moving towards that sorrowful approach again. They don’t use the length as a means of repetition, the latter moments ebb and flow and close out what is a prime slab of doom. 8/10

Review: Iommi - From The Dark (Matt Bladen)

Iommi - From The Dark (BMG)

Tony. Iommi. New. Album.

That's all I need to say about this record and you should be rushing to your local emporium to pick up a copy. The godfather of heavy metal returns a year after the emotional triumph that was Back To The Beginning, with a new solo record.

His last solo record, Fused in 2006 featured Iommi alongside Kenny Arnoff on drums and Glenn Hughes on bass/vocals, it also stands out of one of my favourite records of this century.

I go back to it often and every time I play it front to back and just let those riffs wash over me, more modern in production, the style and skill of the Riff Master General still so obvious, like I said for me it's a modern masterpiece.

From The Dark has been a long time coming, between the two albums Sabbath has reformed and disbanded twice, released their own new music and of course played their final show last year in Birmingham at Back To The Beginning, reuniting the original line up one final time alongside a star studded list of musicians for one glorious day of heavy metal.

With the added finality of Ozzy's passing, it has become one final, loud, bittersweet note in the legacy of Black Sabbath, however Tony (and Geezer) have, like Ozzy, been creative outside of Sabbath and with a cast of top tier musicians Iommi brings From The Dark to life. 

Co-written alongside vocalist Jorn Lande (one of my favourite singers in rock/metal), these songs maintain that dark atmosphere invented by Sabbath all those years ago.

As Iommi peels off the riffs from his Gibson SG, the production of himself alongside longtime creative partner Mike Exeter, gives this record a similar audio quality to Fused, modern, metallic and cavenous, you may argue that it should sound more like the old days but Iommi has always been a sonic scientist, just remember how many things Sabbath innovated yeah?

With Jorn he has the perfect vocals foil, a man who many consider to be the heir to Dio, his gutsy, soulful performance balances perfectly with the heavy rock riffs from Iommi, more Heaven And Hell than Paranoid, the songs on this album feel bigger and a bit more cinematic, keys/synths linger in the background for atmosphere but mainly it's the four musicians here flexing their muscles.

Behind the Iommi and Jorn dream team, Karl Brazil takes up the drum stool, the West Midlands based session man pounds the skins in Feeder and for James Blunt and Robbie Williams (don't tell Jimmy Page!) but here he's hitting harder than on any project before, he's a heavy metal drummer on From The Dark and brings veteran instinct and power to his performance.

On bass is probably one of the UK music scenes best examples of hard work paying off as Becky Baldwin has been playing in bands since she was young, be it IDestroy, Triaxis or Control The Storm, recently she's been laying down the foundation for my beloved Fury and Delilah Bon and as if splitting time between those two bands isn't enough she's officially the bassist for Mercyful Fate and now Iommi as well.

I actually jumped in the air with pride when I saw Becky announced as the bassist as it always great to see someone you know living out their dream. On From The Dark she offers the low end thump in conjunction with the legend himself, bringing the thunder to all of these tracks, from the orchestral Beyond The Dead to the marching chug of Stormwatcher and beyond.

So a band made of three musicians with strong links to The West Midlands and one Norwegian, sounds like a party right? Let's get into the record properly and find out whether my initial assumption that this would be one of my AOTY was apt.

Kicking off with Over The Violent Sun and it's exactly what I wanted, that guitar, playing those riffs, it's an epic heavy rock beginning which has familiarity but don't sound stale or rehashed. It's just the way Iommi plays, he invented that down tuned style, and when he starts to peel them off you can't help but grin as a metal fan.

The pace driven by Karl and Becky, it's a proper Dio-era rocker to open Jorn already going all in vocally like a crazed preacher, that'll definitely do, a hangover from Fused in the best way. 

As things get better from there as Black Times is the first one to bring the shadow of Sabbath, still in the Dio era, all dressed in a evil, theatrical, pomp and one of those creeping riffs that Iommi pioneered that shifts into a sprawling solo section.

This sets the table for propulsive single World Alone. I deliberately didn't listen to anything from this album before it was released as I wanted to hear it all for the first time, but I can see why this was chosen as the first single, it's the perfect distillation of what Iommi is about. 

The classic guitar tone, the constant forward motion, a top tier band backing him, all in that modern sound perfected on Fused, it's the best way to announce this project.

With the hard rock blast of World Alone displaying the fun the band had recording this album, Beyond The Dead as I said is metal in as more dramatic fashion. Featuring orchestration, and a sinister feel that comes from the self titled Black Sabbath album but has been shaped by years in the business, if they formed now, this is what they're sound like, those evil riffs emboldened by strings and those vocals.

As Beyond The Dead is Sabbath worship, Stormwatcher reminds me more of Deep Purple, MKIII, (you know the one with Glenn Hughes), all it needs is some Hammond Organ, and it's there, standing as a testament to the longevity of the heavy metal sound as at some point all these musicians have played with each other, so it obvious why Iommi would wanna play a track that Gillian and Hughes would be proud of.

From The Dark then is not just a celebration of Tony Iommi and if course Black Sabbath but British heavy metal, from it's dinosaur beginnings of monolithic riffs, just wrapped in a modern sheen howeverit's not long before the spectre of Sabbath retuns on Death Wake, another sinister, funeral march, hooked on the drums and bass, slow burning and building into a supernatural spectacle all about quiet and loud dynamics.

With just two songs remaining (on the standard edition), From The Dark offers a little suprise on Return Of The Arbalist with what I'd consider a heavy rocker, screaming guitars throughout, underpinned by Baldwin and Brazil's rhythms, this one's got more more of a bluesy Motorhead-meets-Magnum vibe to it as vocally Jorn gives us full Coverdale and there's even some great use of wah.

The finale is Legacy and it's of course one that could have been a Sabbath track, playing with light and shade throughout the 6+ minutes, there's tolling bells, filthy bass grooves, histrionic vocal shouts, massive drums and of course as always THOSE riffs played by the man who invented it all.

Heavy metal is his Legacy, their Legacy and there's something to be extremely proud about if you're from the UK as we were the epicenter of it all! Emerging From The Dark and into the light, this is record that celebrates the past and embraces the future. Worship at the altar of Iommi. All Hail The Riff Lord. 10/10

A View From The Back Of The Room: The Devil Wears Prada (Alex Tobias)

The Devil Wears Prada, Novelists, 156/Silence & Oversize, The Electric, Bristol, UK 20.10.26

Tonight, I’m heading to Bristol to catch metalcore legends The Devil Wears Prada as they kick off the UK leg of their latest tour, Flowers. With a seriously good supporting line-up in tow, it’s time to get inside and see how the night unfolds.

First up this evening are Oversize (6), the only UK band on tonight’s bill. Hailing from Salisbury, Wiltshire, the band take to the stage in front of a crowd that’s still filling out, but those already in the building are more than happy to give them a warm reception.

The band get things moving with some damn fine music, packed with Deftones-esque riffs and haunting vocals from frontman Nick Nowack. It’s a melancholic but heartfelt opening set, and while this isn’t necessarily music that’ll have you losing your head in the mosh pit, it’s the kind that gets you thinking while you listen.

There’s a strong stage presence from all members, who confidently deliver songs where every riff and beat feels like it has an edge and a meaning behind it. A solid way to kick off the evening, and a band I’d be interested in catching again.

After a short break, it’s time to get a little sweatier and heavier as 156/Silence (6) take to the stage, ready to unleash crushing breakdowns and soaring melodic choruses.

The Pittsburgh outfit waste no time getting the crowd moving, with vocalist Mike Ernst demanding, “I need more crowd surfers, where the fuck are you?” It’s a request the Bristol crowd is more than happy to oblige.

The band have great chemistry with the audience, feeding off the biggest moments in their songs and kicking off the first circle pits of the night. Their sound is on point, too, with booming 808s ushering in half-time chugs that threaten to rip your ears off, balanced perfectly by those unmistakable metalcore vocal melodies that send the hairs on the back of your neck standing on end.

This is another band I’m watching live for the first time, and once again, there’s no disappointment. A crushing set that gets the room warmed up nicely for what’s still to come.

A quick drink break later, and we’re ready for the next act. Parisian outfit Novelists (8) walk onstage to huge roars and cheers, making it clear that plenty of people in the room are here for them just as much as the headliners.

Having watched their set, I can confirm I’d happily count myself among them. I’m seriously impressed by this performance. The guitar work, the vocals, the subtle touches that give way to beefy drum patterns, and the connection between the band members all come together brilliantly.

There are superb solos throughout, alongside that perfect snap between blissfully melodic passages and crushing, face-first heaviness. Just when you’re settling into those soaring melodies, the band slam the brakes and launch into punishing, Jinjer-esque sections that hit like a freight train.

Everything feels tight, dynamic and purposeful, with the band showing just how effectively they can balance technical musicianship with moments of sheer heaviness.

The best thing I can say about watching Novelists tonight is that I’d happily pay to see them again anytime. And honestly, so should you.

Quick changeovers mean that, before long, we’re ready for the main event. I haven’t seen The Devil Wears Prada (8) since 2012, so tonight feels like a long-overdue catch-up. The big question is whether these metalcore veterans can still bring the noise. Spoiler alert: they absolutely can.

Anticipation builds as the crowd waits for the band to take the stage, and the roar that erupts when keyboardist Jonathan Gering appears first in the spotlight is a clear sign that Bristol is ready. He gets things underway before the rest of the band join him, launching us straight into two tracks from their latest album, Flowers: Where The Flowers Never Grow and So Low.

Both songs have the crowd jumping and surfing from the off, driven by huge riffs and hypnotic, singalong choruses — a combination the band have made their own. So Low is particularly catchy, pairing an infectious melody with enough energy to keep the room moving.

From there, the band move seamlessly between the new material and older favorites, including Danger: Wildman and Dez Moines from 2009’s With Roots Above And Branches Below. It’s a welcome mix that gives newer fans plenty to get stuck into while rewarding those who have been around since the earlier days. I had plenty of the band’s older albums and songs on repeat in my younger years, so hearing these tracks live again brings back some great memories.

The Devil Wears Prada ooze confidence, and it’s the kind that only comes from veterans who have spent more than two decades carving out their place in the metal scene. The vocals and screams cut through from every corner of the stage, keeping your eyes darting around as you try to take in everything happening in front of you. A dreamy, circular backdrop of video imagery adds another visual layer to the performance without distracting from the band themselves.

The Dayton, Ohio natives have genuinely impressed tonight. If you’ve ever wondered which metalcore bands have flown under the radar for too many people, or you’ve simply been sleeping on these legends, then you’ve been missing out. With a catalogue packed full of great songs and a live performance capable of knocking your face clean off, they remind me exactly why they’re still going strong more than 20 years on.

I’ve enjoyed every band on tonight’s bill, but The Devil Wears Prada have shown exactly why they’re comfortable headlining a stage like this, anywhere and anytime. A commanding performance from a band who clearly have plenty left in the tank.

Reviews: Entheos, Goat Major, Godzilla In The Kitchen, Savage Grace (Mark Young, Matt Bladen, Keith Boswell & Jordan Griffiths)

Entheos - Empty On The Inside (Metal Blade Records) [Mark Young]

Say hello to one of the albums of the year. Sometimes, a statement like this occurs once an album has bedded in with you after repeated listens. In this case, it is almost immediate. That moment is like the aural equivalent of a ‘lightbulb’ above your head when you hear it, and it happens at the 48th second of Hell Is A Part Of Me, the opening track from Entheos’ new release. You have the vocals running one way and the guitar line behind it goes the other, and it is just beautiful.

Now, I appreciate that A, I am making a lot out of what anyone might suggest is nothing really magical and B, I’m not doing it justice either, but once you hear it you will get exactly what I mean. It’s the hook that vocalist Chaney Crabb throws out that does the damage. We know that Chaney can do the coarse, harsh singing, but here cleans are embraced and employed to devastating effect.

Let’s not forget that at their heart is high-calibre technical metal, refined here to within an inch of its life. Of course, it possesses that new-era tech sound, and you either like it or loathe it. Personally, it’s dependent on the song and here I’ll forgive it because, had it sounded any other way, I don’t think it would have landed the way it does and ultimately wormed its way into your brain.

As soon as this wraps, they pull Empty On The Inside next, which changes direction, going for that NIN-infused industrial vibe with one eye firmly fixed on getting you up and moving. The change, the growth, is there now, along with the confidence displayed in having the cleans in place where previously they would have depended on the extreme side to carry the song along. That is not to say that it’s all cleans, good lord no, it’s just that it’s a measured approach within the context of the song. When it goes full bore, Chaney unleashes full blast.

With Hollow now providing that slow third track, one that moves achingly along with a vocal performance that seems torn from the depths, Entheos have decided to show just what they can do with a three-song barrage that is as good as anything else released this year. 

It can’t get any clearer that they have gone for broke in putting everything they can into this album, all the tricks, and the result falls in their favour. I’ve seen some comments online that, of the songs released ahead of the album, it’s not what people expected. I guess that there is an element of not wanting your bands to move too far from where you think they should be, but I prefer this.

Elsewhere, the technical side isn’t shy in coming forward, it’s just that it’s now tempered with a soul. Call My Name and Golden Crown are examples of this, where they still have that on show, it’s just that their song-building skills have grown to allow them to move beyond pure reliance on that side of them. It’s still there, some of the arrangements are dizzying, but there is a conscious effort to make sure that the song is as strong as the one that preceded it, even if its style differs.

Pale Faith is a latter-stage blaster from them, complete with a tech solo that burns brightly and quickly. They haven’t forgotten the blasts, nor have they forgotten the rule about making the songs interesting. This is the thing: they could have done 10 songs of brutal tech metal and been met with hurrahs. Instead, they have allowed themselves to expand, to allow their music to breathe.

The Earth Will Move closes out in exactly this manner. After a melancholic Never Let Me Go, which threatened to suck a little air out of the room, they could have been forgiven for going all out. Instead, the use of discord comes first, supported by introspection and then full-throated roars. I appreciate that, as a musical approach, this isn’t new, but when a band does it right it’s still royal.

It’s what they don’t do on here that makes the album as good as it is because I guess it would have been easy to stay in a particular lane. Instead, they have made a concerted effort to leap to the next level and make that landing. 10/10

Goat Major - Death Comes Twice (Ripple Music) [Matt Bladen]

Having bene on the ride with Goat Major since almost their inception, to see them releasing a second album through the mighty Ripple Music fills my heart with joy. Something that their debut Ritual did with it's fuzzy, evil sounding doom that owes as much to Mötorhead as it does Electric Wizard.

If Black Sabbath wrote music for Steppenwolf then you'd get this Pembrokeshire trio. After their debut record they took to the road to where they're at their best, slinging their sinister riffs all across the UK including appearances at Stoomfest and Desertfest.

Between the touring they were still writing and with a break in the schedule they hit a studio in their native Pembrokeshire with Tom Chaloner to record a studio follow up, returning to Ripple Music with Death Comes Twice a record that offers up no huge shifts in what they did with the debut.

Except perhaps a more pronounced sense of melody than on the debut, the menacing heaviness still at the forefront of the Goat Major sound but now leaning more towards psychedelic flourishes and claustrophobic atmospheres where the themes of belief and tradition are explored.

Strings and acoustics build a bonfire of occult worship on Voyage Of Cetus, an intro that sets the tone for this record, leading into Firewalk which is the ideal begining for a Goat Major record, Jammie Arnold (guitar) and Tom Shortt (bass), locked into thick fuzzing grooves, then separating out into their own noise of open chord basslines and anguished guitar leads,

Simon Bonwick's drumming a consistent source of power as he introduces some interesting percussion on the tribal Wheels Of Gold which adds sneer and sleaze to the record as Tom's vocals casting spells against the Sabbath worship before the synth driven interlude Sirens, shifts then toward the ethreal before The Sin Eater dials up the riffs again.

Death Comes Twice, is Goat Major enhancing their occult doom stylings with nuanced additions, such as the Title Track giving some phaser pedal and sludge, shifting towards the punkier tones of Under The Moonlight, while they close this second chapter with Detached a rumbling, malevolent track which exhibits that the darkness is still front and center despite the shifts towrad more melody.

Goat Major lumber back with more riffs and wickedness, hail the goat! 9/10

Godzilla In The Kitchen – Termination Sequence (Tonzonen Records) [Keith Boswell]

The Termination Sequence is the third studio album from the Leipzig based Germany band Godzilla In The Kitchen, due for release on the 23rd October 2026.

This contribution to the world of metal has seen the band progress from its previous creations as an instrumental entity to the introduction of vocals to its music, a first for Godzilla In The Kitchen.

As a result the Termination Sequence album, on the Tonzonen Record label, has immediately piqued my interest as I load the album up. Having listened to the album quite extensively it is clear that Godzilla In The Kitchen has lost none of its psychedelic metal groove with nu metal excerpts.

The crunching groove of the baseline is still very evident with melodic sections interspersed, but what is new is that there is a much heavier intensity to the album. This linked with the addition of the varied vocal delivery from a soft eloquence to a gritty guttural type and indeed everything in between makes a potentially average album into a great one. With the addition of Simon Ulm’s vocals and the newer rawer edge Godzilla In The Kitchen have raised the bar from their previous albums quite extensively.

Favourites from the album, for me, include Nothing For None with its melodic opening and funky grooves throughout and the title track Termination Sequence with its heavy overtones and guttural vocals which enable the listener to still understand the words and the gist of the song.

One of the favourite things that I like about the album is the enhanced use of the bass guitar. In my experience, the bass is very much treated as just part of the rhythm section. Godzilla In The Kitchen has given the bass a new lease of life and has brought its contribution to the fore of this record to their credit.

A really good album and well worth a listen. 8/10

Savage Grace - Underworld (Back On Black) [Jordan Griffiths]

My musical education continues! We are stepping into another artist whose music I have not had the pleasure of listening to before! Savage Grace and their Underworld album!

Right out of the gate, with White Trash White Heat, the opening sequence left me with the thought process of, What the hell is this. But then it hits you with that classic 80s Power and Speed Metal, really taking you back to the glory days of the genre with its electrifying guitar riffs and melodies.

Underworld, as a whole, is very much a love letter to the classic sound of the 80s power and speed metal, fully embracing the signature fast-paced riffs, soaring vocals and the unapologetically old-school aesthetic. 

However, I will say that there is very little in the way of experimentation in this album. There are a few sound effects here and there, like the horn in the first track. What you hear is exactly what you would expect from a traditional power and speed metal album/record.

While the commitment to the genre's roots would definitely be appealing to listeners looking for that authentic 80s sound, those hoping for something more adventurous or distinctive may find themselves wanting a little more variety.

At the end of the day, Underworld, in my honest opinion, delivers exactly what it wants itself to be. Delivering a familiar dose of 80s-inspired power and speed metal without straying too far from the formula that defined and still defines the genre as a whole.

It is definitely worth a listen if you enjoy your authentic Speed and Power Metal of the 80s, but if you’re looking for something more experimental, this may leave little to be desired. 7/10.