Reviews: Masters Of Reality, Komatsu, Taraban, Gallus (Rich Piva & Matt Bladen)

Masters Of Reality - The Archer (Mascot Records) [Rich Piva]

Chris Goss and his Masters Of Reality created one of my favorite records of all time, number six actually, with the 1989 Rich Rubin produced self-titled debut, aka The Blue Garden. That record is perfect. 

 I am a huge fan of all of the Masters records however, from the Ginger Baker on drums weird and quaint Sunrise On The Sufferbus, to the trippy Welcome To The Western Lodge, to the more rocking Pine/Cross Dover, all six of their albums are spun on the regular by me. 

Goss is a desert rock OG and one of the most important musicians in the scene, ever. You can hear his influence and work across the entire desert/stoner genre. So, yeah, I am pretty happy about a new Masters Of Reality record after a 16-year wait. 

Aptly titled The Archer, this record is hit or miss, but hit or miss for a Masters Of Reality record, so This Archer is pretty much on target, just not the bullseye of some of his other work.

The record starts out as a total slow burn, with the title track kicking that vibe off. This is a sparce and trippy track, lead by Goss’s trademarked vocals, which sound just a tiny bit weathered, but great nonetheless, and encapsulates you in the new world this Masters outing has created. 

 The pace is picked up by I Had A Dream, led by a fun little bassline from Paul Powell and a weirdness from which you can hear the influence of the returning Alain Johannes, this one picks up the pace a bit around some weird guitar work and Goss doing his best Neil Young impersonation. 

The slow burn returns on Chicken Little, which sounds like something out of Twin Peaks, like from one of the weirder scenes. The synths add a ton of atmosphere to this one, continuing the one long trip feel of The Archer. Mr. Tap n’ Go is classic MOR, with Goss doing his thing with his vocal melodies and incorporating some soaring guitars and super cool riffs. 

This is the song where you 100 percent know this is a Masters Of Reality record. Barstow is one of the more obviously personal Masters songs, and also the track when you realize this is not going to be a record you can say rocks, but one that you can say floats. 

This is confirmed with the next track, Sugar, that has a Stone Temple Pilots feel (one of the slower and trippier ones), which makes sense given his work with the band in the past. Powder Man is more Beatles than anything else, with Goss and his acoustic around trippy synths wandering around whatever desert he lives near now looking for the man. 

My favorite track on The Archer is It All Comes Back To You. Sounding like a later period Masters track and leveraging Johannes in all of his glory, this is the song I have been looking for on album number seven. Bible Head is both funky and trippy, leveraging some of his Beatles love, giving the last two tracks of The Archer an excellent one-two punch to close it out.

No record will ever be the Master Of Reality debut, and there will never be an artist like Chris Goss, so the fact that we have a new record is a gift no matter what. I have a feeling The Archer will be a slow burn just like many of its songs, where I find myself at the end of the year having listened to it more than anything else, but for now, be happy we have a new Master Of Reality record, in all of its trippy weirdness and Chris Goss genius. 8/10

Komatsu - A Breakfast For Champions (Heavy Psych Sounds) [Rich Piva]

Komatsu, from Eindhoven, Netherlands, is here to rock, and boy do they on their fifth record, A Breakfast For Champions. This record is chock filled with eight rippers sure to get you ready for your day, or for your night, or for whenever you want to tear some shit up.

You can throw all the big stoner rock band names out there to compare Komatsu too, but why bother when these guys kick so much ass on their own. You know this is going to rule right with the opening title track that rocks and has a little breakdown part where the riff destroys you. Savage is just that, almost sounding like one of the more rocking Masters Of Reality tracks but heavier as the guitar work and the harmonized vocals will blow you away. 

The production on this record is spot on, not too clean but perfect for the band’s sound. The drum work is fantastic too. I love how the vocals stand alone to start on The Devil's Cut, right before the riff comes in to crush you This one brings a bit of sludge to the party, in quite the filthy way too. 

Release The Flies almost sounds like it goes with their last track, which is a compliment to the band’s song sequencing, and leverages some seriously cool soft to loud dynamics and shows how melodic Komatsu can be to go along with all of there ass kicking. Fatcamp Workout gives some of those with a few extra pounds a soundtrack to shed them, as this one is a frantic instrumental that sounds like Therapy? on crack.

 

From frantic to controlled, the slow burn of What Lies Underneath is perfectly placed, and reminds me a bit of Mastodon during some of their slower moments. You are right back to ripping it up, Kyuss style, on Welcome To The Underworld, in all of its riff-filled, sludgy glory, while the closer, Climb The Vines, has killer guitar work and doubles down on the drumming prowess, closing the record out as it began, ripping the place up.

I love the new Komatsu record. The sound, the sequencing, the riffs, the overall vibe, A Breakfast For Champions makes the band’s fifth album their best, most comprehensive, and fully realized yet. 9/10

Taraban - Oath EP (Self Released) [Matt Bladen]

Krakow trio Taraban started life as a garage/psych rock band, they have had two EP's and a debut record in 2019, their rugged fuzzy riffs a clarion call like the drum they are named after. With a gap in proceedings they return in 2025 with a new EP that points at a new direction.

This is chopper riding rock n roll, Hammond Organs, Wurlitzers and synths come from drummer Kris Gonda maintaining the psych roots while shifting towards the dinosaur rock of Deep Purple, a unifying call to arms for rock fans who like their rock with a classic edge.

Kris' drums keeps the beat for the moody Roxxxane as Daniel Suder's bass grooves along on Die In Peace, Daniel Kesler's guitar strutting on the Eighties-tastic Country Song. It's all done well but it didn't resonate with me much I'm afraid. 6/10

Gallus - Cool To Drive (Marshall Records) [Matt Bladen]

Satirical, sneering indie punk Gallus are a Scottish band who play music that is raw and full of energy, trying to capture their incendiary live performance on record. It follows the bands debut album with 5 new snotty punk tracks that are shouting vocals and biting guitar riffs.

There's no lack of energy and live they're probably chaotic and wild but the whole indie/punk thing sort of flew over my head and while I realise that it's immensely popular (just look at Idles or Soft Play) and Gallus will find more fans with this new release, it's still way over my head. 5/10

Reviews: Damon Systema, Passage, Stellar Veil, NightKill (Matt Bladen)

Damon Systema - Ate (Theogonia Records)

Ate is a mythological concept record that deals with themes such as Hybris (Excessive Pride), Ate (Ruin), Nemesis (Retribution), and Tisis (Punishment/Atonement).

It's the debut album from Damon Systema, the band formed by and is an extension of Akis Pastras, guitarist for Dexter Ward and Nightfall, he's also a producer so here handles all the production, recording and mixing while George Nerantzis mastered it. 

Pastras plays all the guitars and bass on this record starting it as an instrumental solo project but during the pandemic he reactivated it's and realised he needed voices to tell these story's drawn from antiquity. He has The Goat on drums putting in a shift with blast beats and percussive flashes behind the modern prog meets extreme metal riffs from Pastras.

Similar musically to bands such as Draconian but also groove/modern metal bands such as Gojira, Trivium and recent Lacuna Coil. The vocalists perform at a counterpoint to each other Nick Vlachakis of Shattered Hope giving the growls and roars was Ruby Bouziotis provides the emotive cleans. 

It's an interesting mix of styles and it means they share similarities with the bands I mentioned before and Damon Systema, they let the music do the work as all 6 tracks are all quite long, none of them under 6 minutes meaning that they have to have a cinematic, structured approach.

Ate is a complex release but fans of progressive extreme metal and conceptual storytelling will do well to seek it out. Akis Pastras has elevated his original instrumentals with two great vocalists into an album of modern doom tinged metal. 8/10

Passage - Passage (Steel Gallery Records)

Drawing comparisons to Mercyful Fate, King Diamond and even Candlemass, Passage are a nearly newly minted metal band from Athens. 

Founded by guitarist Mimis and vocalist Marko Darko, this self titled debut begins with an intro to set the dark occult tone, leading into Templar From Heaven which is the first proper track. Yeah I get the comparisons definitely, towards the heavier, darker side of NWOBHM, with Into The Abyss. There's talk in their press of John Arch fronted Fates Warning and that's a big influence too on Passage.

The production of Bob Katsionis gives the album a traditional but modern sound, meaning that the twin axes on Her Desolate Land and the percussive power of Eternal Frost are as potent as they can be. Doomy, proggy and NWOBHM-inspired, Passage deliver a heavy metal clinic on their debut, expect more in the future. 8/10

Stellar Veil - Calling The Hearts Of The World (Lions Pride Music)

Athenian melodic rock band Stellar Veil were only formed in 2021 but they have a style of AOR that puts the thrust of hard rock with the melodic choruses of AOR, both a throwback and a contemporary sound that reminds me a lot of the Scandinavian bands that are so prominent in the genre.

Strutting into life with Safely Chained, there's a walking drumbeat and keyboard stabs that takes you back to the days of VHS and wrap around sunglasses. The influences of Journey and Survivor can be heard throughout the album, be it the choppy To Mend A Broken Heart or the ballad Calling The World.

Through the epic feel of A Thousand And One Nights or the bluesy, horn driven Sign Of The Times where they also add some Cinderella or some Tesla (can we say that these days?) Stellar Veil are a throwback, with a modern touch much like the countless Scandinavian bands around, it means that Calling The Hearts Of The World has a lot of good music but nothing too radical. 7/10

NightKill - Survive The Night (Alone Records)

Classic metal from a band who recently supported neoclassical legends Angelo Perlepes' Mystery in Athens. They're called NightKill and with their Dio-meets-Ripper vocals and anthemic heavy metal they do something that is simple but effective. A track such as Keeper Of Faith has a mid-pace chug to it, as the title track is a bit faster and Lost Heaven goes heavier.

The problem I have with the band is that they don't really capture my attention, they have focussed on a certain style of 80's heavy metal and don't shift at all from a influence of bands such as Scorpions and MSG with a Don't Give Up or Dio on Devil's Heart. The songs never get too heavy, or too fast, or too epic, they just sort of are a reminder of days gone by but without the repeatability of the classics.

There's nothing wrong with it, Survive The Night is fun enough if you like 'old school' metal but I'd love to see some variation on a theme for album two. 6/10

Reviews: Jon Anderson & The Band Geeks, Adrian Smith/Richie Kotzen, Visceral, Tundra (Mark Young, Matt Bladen, Thomas Megill Jr & GC)

Jon Anderson And The Band Geeks - Perpetual Change (Frontiers Music SRL) [Mark Young]

In talking about musical styles that can conjure up images of excess, of overblown and overlong arrangements, the prog movement that straddled the 70’s like a colossus is often given the snarky treatment. Discussions tend to gloss over the musicianship in a rush to decry it and to score cred points in an attempt to build credibility. 

I think in some respects it being able to make fun of it for some of these excesses is ok if it’s looking at Rick Wakeman’s hat or at some of the stage shows used at this time. Remember that heavy metal titans Black Sabbath had similar ‘what was I thinking’ moments in the early 80’s and helped shape the Spinal Tap movie because of these. However, looking back with time diluting those filters you can appreciate the music more, which is where Jon Anderson And The Band Geeks comes in.

Perpetual Change is a live album which It is incredible to think that Jon Anderson is 80 years old, given the performance on here from him. The band themselves are incredible, playing each track with a verve and swagger that comes from countless hours practicing and each song is warmly received. I’ll be honest, I know next to nothing about Yes, or the prog movement other than it was something that was to be avoided by those who favoured the speedier, heavier side of guitar music. But listening now, some 50 or more years after their initial creation you have to admire how well the songs are built. I’ve no idea if the setlist comprises a greatest hits (I’m sure that someone will point that out to me) but they kick off with a triumphant Yours Is No Disgrace that flies along, full of Hammond organ and Anderson’s trademark vocal delivery. 

Yes, the songs are long (no, that wasn’t a joke) but I guess the audience knew what they signed up to when they got their ticket. I’ve no idea who is handling lead duties on this, but it is impeccable. Onwards they go through a setlist which comprises Yes classics as well as solo material and the initial fear that it would sound twee disappears. I mentioned earlier about listening to this in the context of what it is, which is a live document. Its sounds great, guitars are rich and the leads on Perpetual Change are spot on. It’s a performance where all are on fire, and I would think that the accompanying DVD would look great.

I’m not going to be churlish by saying that there are moments when the vocals seem light, because if I get to 80 and can still play at any level, I’ll be happy. I think anyone criticising it wants to have a word with themselves. Its difficult to say what songs are highlights here because I would think that fans would have their own favourites, some of which could be missing from here. But what is here is an incredible level of skill, commitment to be able to play these songs the way they do. 

Starship Trooper possesses some sumptuous harmonising and phasing effects which show off the excellent chord progressions on it. And this is one of things on here, those chord choices are royal, absolutely royal. The song builds around it, ascending and expanding and at that point you totally get why prog ruled. Off course there is a keyboard solo but I don’t hold that against them. Just listen to that progression, absolutely mint.

I think one of the best things about reviewing is that sometimes things fall in your lap which you had no expectations from and end up loving. This is one of those moments for me. As an example of what a live album should sound like this is a prime example of what live albums should strive for. I don’t know if it will appeal to those outside of prog circles but if you are looking for a collection of songs delivered at a high standard of musicianship then you can’t go wrong with this. 9/10

Adrian Smith & Richie Kotzen - Black Light / White Noise (BMG Records) [Matt Bladen]

The collaboration between Iron Maiden guitar hero Adrian Smith and multi-band axe slinger Richie Kotzen, gains a second album while also gaining both participants first names. (They're debut was just Smith/Kotzen).

I mentioned in my review of their first record that the quality high, the playing tight and expressive, I also said that any Maiden solo project with Adrian Smith in it ranks as one my favourite as he seems to be the most eclectic be it Psycho Motel or Primal Rock Rebellion. Richie Kotzen too has some much loved records in his catalogue, be it his power trio The Winery Dogs, his two with Mr Big or his extensive solo body of work and in the news recently his near association with NiN. Vocally Smith channels Thin Lizzy while Kotzen's bluesy delivery is still so near to Chris Cornell. He unleashes his Telecaster with a twang duelling and unifying with Smith's Stratocaster, I assume.

Black Light/White Noise notches up a few gears from the debut as they've found their feet and their form here, it's not trying to be Winery Dogs part 2 or appeal to a larger rock audience, this is two guitar players inspired by some of the classic bands of the late-60's and 70's playing the music they love. This second album feels more ambitious, Heavy Weather has a slinky blues swagger ala Cream, Wrath takes a bit of Gary Moore meets Whitesnake as Darkside engages in bit of Celtic flavour. While the two title tracks both show the different sides, White Noise having a bit of Free to it while Black Light goes more Thin Lizzy/Hendrix.

Black Light/White Noise is a strong follow up from two veteran rockers. 8/10

Visceral - Eyes, Teeth And Bones (Raging Planet Records) [Thomas Megill Jr.]

Visceral, from Lisboa, Portugal dropped their second LP, Eyes, Teeth, And Bones on April 4th through Raging Planet Records.

The brutal death metal trio dropped an 11 song album clocking in around 37 minutes. Eyes, Teeth, And Bones is a very consistent listen throughout. The songs follow a similar, brutal, and unrelenting structure. The vocals sound like they are being uttered by Satan himself.

Guitarist and vocalist Bruno Correia said, "With Eyes, Teeth, and Bones we wanted to push everything further—faster, heavier, and more intense. We made sure every riff, every drum fill, and every guttural growl serves a purpose—pure aggression, no compromises". Visceral definitely lived up to that motto with this record. Pure aggression is a great way to describe this record. The band pummels the listener with a riff, gives the illusion of reprieve, only to punch the listener in the mouth with another riff. It's brilliantly violent stuff.

I know this is a foul comparison in today's arena, but I am reminded of early Six Feet Under with this record. And I mean that in the most endearing way... everything from the brutality of the riffs to the demonic vocals, to the artwork. This album is a non-stop, 37 minute, brutal assault on the senses. It's a solid record and all brutal death metal masochists will enjoy. 7/10

Tundra - Eternal (Rottweiler Records) [GC]

Its been a while since I have reviewed anything, so naturally I dipped into something that I know well but don't always love very much, deathcore, probably the most hit and miss genre of them all because when it's done right it is devastating and brutal but when its done wrong it just sounds messy and confusing, so with this in mind Tundra are about to release their Rottweiler Records label debut Eternal.

Opener Alone makes very little sense and has zero impact, it's just an overtly long intro and it just completely misses any marks it aims to hit. Welcome to Hell does delve straight in to what you expect with an orchestral feel to the backing sounds the song is a decent enough attempt at deathcore but ultimately sounds more metalcore and unfortunately the drums sound too electronic and programmed in places, the main thing that grates is the vocals, there's just too many of them and they completely take your attention away from the music as most of the time you are trying to make sense of what is happening and unfortunately they link the stupid opener directly into this song and it totally ruins it. 

The Pit doesn't really do much to pick up the mood, the song is as low and laborious crawl that never really gets out of 2nd gear, maybe they are trying too hard to create emotion in the songs or something, I cant really put my finger on it but whatever they are trying is not working so far. The Witch begins with the same slow pace and is slightly better but when the main part of the song kicks in and the vocals take centre stage. 

I lose interest in what is happening as everything become disjointed and veers off in directions that don't add anything to the sound, it feels like there is a pattern forming and on Smoke And Mirrors opens with clean vocals but instead of stopping they just carry on all the way through the track and it just really doesn't work because the song just plods along and every now and then tries to go heavy but again just completely misses the mark and really just sounds like a heavy nu-metal track and nothing like deathcore/metalcore.

Dragging myself on we get to Hostage which finally delivers on what was promised, its got blastbeat drums, nasty guitars and some gutturals on top of everything and finally it's a much-needed shot in the arm for the album as it was all getting very annoying and pedestrian at this point, the reprieve lasts all of 3 minutes before a stupid and pointless interlude 911 that adds nothing and is just another tick in the why bother box. Undead mixes the nu-metal bounce with a metalcore chug and while it does work for the most part it does sound a bit dated but it's a better effort than 80% of the album so far, so every cloud and that!? 

Insane suffers with timing issues and the whole sound starts to get very clunky and messy in places but the sound isn't as lost or messy as some of the previous songs even if the electronic samples added in are infuriating, Revelation is probably the most deathcore track on the whole album and they still manage to fuck this up with some utterly flabbergasting vocal choices that need to be heard to be believed! You Are just makes me want to tear my ears off and smash my speakers into tiny little bits because you may expect a big and angry end but what you are greeted with is pathetic electronic beats and more clean woe is me vocals and it's just another complete misstep and ends the album on a predictable low point. 

It took everything I had in me to be able to sit through this album in its entirety, and while there were a couple of half decent songs on this album there was way too many bad bits to save this album, I tried my best but struggled massively to pick any positive points and the vast majority of the songs were all over the place and lacked any identity and from start to finish this was not in any way a decent listen. 2/10

Reviews: Lady Beast, Defender, Serpent Rider, On My Command (Mark Young)

Lady Beast - The Inner Alchemist (Dying Victims Productions)

Here we have Lady Beast, flagbearers of refined Heavy Metal (which I confess is a new one for me). Reading up on their influences and looking at the album art, it leads me to deduce that there is a definite 80’s vibe going on here. Throw in some (hopefully) over-the top vocals, mental leads and powerhouse drumming and we should have ourselves a right old ding-dong, all wrapped up in a ‘not overstaying their welcome’ 35-minute duration.

And lo, they chose metal on the opening bars of The Oracle’s Omen which then descends into an 80’s chug fest. Now, I love this as much as the next man, unless the next man is Fred Durst (was it ever proven he liked 80s metal?) so as much as I like it, are they going to have enough to keep it going? 

Well, there are some proper metal vocals going on, ones that you can actually imagine with the poses, the subtle head movements and yes there was a lead break which did the business. I think this is the third or fourth NWOTHM album I’ve reviewed recently and each one of them has been drinking at the well named Iron Maiden, using a cup with the Name H. Sherman stencilled on it.

Through The Eyes Of War doesn’t change a single thing, it doesn’t want to or have to. They have told you what to expect, so either get onboard or leave the hall (poser). La Levine’s vocals have just the right amount of grit to them whilst not losing any of the strength required to carry these songs along and effectively listening to these two songs will tell you what the rest of the album will be like. 

However, if you decide that you are too cool for school then you are going to miss out on some cracking traditional metal that is just unvarnished and unconcerned with your down-tuned bore-fests. This is music designed to take the best from the NWOBHM and then just have pure fun with it. Inner Alchemist is full of ‘those’ harmony parts, galloping riffs and leads that just royal. This is music to have a good time with, and I reckon live they put on a cracking show. They also know how to end a song, something that has become a lost art in recent times.

Starborn represents one of those songs that just as you are about skip bursts into life and takes off, although it feels slightly overlong to get where it wants to get to. Crone’s Crossword puts it right by going for brevity, with a glorious down picked section that comes in around 1 minute 30 or so. It’s absolutely nothing new but is delivered with such panache and is followed by another scorching lead that you can’t help but smile.

This feeling is the overriding key here, the fact that they are pushing forward under the NWOTHM banner knowing that it may not be fashionable but Jesus I prefer to listen to a thousand albums like this instead of another snooze-fest where we get cleans into growls into shrieks with that cookie-cutter guitar sound. This is just great, it wears its heart on its sleeve (unless they have been cut off, in which case a patch will do) but each of the songs here just powers forward, and I am now of the opinion that Phantom Of The Opera is the most influential song ever, looking at you Witch Lite.

The album touches down with the closing track Off With Her Head and it’s delivered in the way like an athlete approaching the finishing line in first place. It is just unashamed 80’s metal, and if that makes it traditional then I’ll take it all day long and twice on Sunday.

I appreciate that this is not overly serious as reviews can be. There are others that would dismiss this as old-hat (at best) or rip this to bits (snarky for being snarky, at worst) but they would miss the point. This is meant to be a celebration of music that they love, you love and I love. It just so happens that they do it very well, very well indeed and they don’t bother to hide this love at all. This is just good music, end of. 7/10

Defender - Dying To Live (Metalapolis Records)

Something in the air in March, a NWOBHM, sorry a NWOTHM wind that calls those who love traditional heavy metal with certain key changes that emphasise speed to get together and live life to the fullest or leave the hall. So, flying in from South Germany are Defender with their second full length blast of Teutonic traditional heavy metal, Dying To Live via Metalapolis Records.

I think that if you like Helloween, that style of heavy metal then this is going to be right up your strasse. For others who like their metal a little grittier than this, well you might find this lacking, but overall, this is ten tracks of stand up meat and potatoes heavy metal that does everything its supposed to do. Its fast, has explosive leads, drumming that probably involves the sticks being spun across the palm of the hand and most of all is played with a sense of fun. Its like stepping back in time to the mid 80’s when bands like this would have excelled and its great to see that bands are embracing the more accessible musical side of that decade instead of going for the usual suspects of say, Slayer.

It comes in on Dying To Live and then just motors along, dropping incendiary lead breaks and tempos that stay in the red zone and well, that its really. It’s a release that basically positions them as a throwback to a moment in time which may not be relevant to a lot of people in 2025. On the surface of it, it sounds like a throwback to an easier time, where writing songs about driving fast cars, picking up the girls and having massive hair was the order of the day. I’m not suggesting that this is what Defender is about, I think that they lean more into the ‘This is what proper metal should sound like’ camp as this album avoids downtuned guitar and guttural vocals like the plague. 

It places a focus on writing songs that fit within a certain blueprint and they don’t stray too far from it. To be honest, I never liked Helloween, or bands that sat on the lighter side of the metal spectrum in the 80’s. Once I’d heard Slayer, Megadeth etc anything else seemed that it was just not heavy enough. I’m older now, and that view hasn’t changed but at least I can appreciate those bands like Defender who are making a fist of keeping the light of NWOTHM burning and I can’t fault them for that. 7/10

Serpent Rider - The Ichor Of Chimaera (No Remorse Records)

With quite the journey through different line-ups, name changes and relocations, Serpent Rider have found time to drop The Ichor Of Chimaera, an album on which the band suggest takes influence from the usual suspects (Black Sabbath) as well as drawing from the Greek black metal scene and in turn push that through a filter that also takes in 70’s rock. Still with me? Good.

My initial take on this was that the vocals via R Villar didn’t match the music behind it and that it felt that they were looking at early Maiden with flashes of that black metal they noted in terms of how they put their songs together. As that first listen wore on, I desperately wished for some vocal gymnastics to really the push the songs forward and to be honest I gave it up. It was only on the second run through that something clicked, that possibly that the overwrought vocal delivery would have been expected and that they sought to subvert it by deliberately going for a colder method of delivery. 

Once I’d got that locked in, the album took on a different slant, and the experience changed for the better. The opener Steel Is The Answer is a great starting place, its Metal routes exploding whilst being held in place by those cold vocals. There is some sharp melodic lines, set within what I would call ‘proper’ riffs and it basically sets the tone for the songs to follow. Tempos are raised, but always controlled by R Villar who gradually warms as the album progresses. The title, The Ichor Of Chimaera track nods to Black Sabbath with its ominous harmonies and a methodical pace that just ebbs along, allowing for some old-school riffmongering. 

It’s on Matri Deorum that they come into their own, yes it still acknowledges its influences but now we get some soaring vocals added to a frenzied build that hops here there and everywhere, lead breaks that get dropped in on the fly but still fit the music behind it. Its one of those albums where I’m glad that I stuck with it in terms of giving it a fair review, because the later songs follow the same high level of craft that Matri Deorum displayed. 

The Hero’s Spirit with Queen-esque harmonies, both with guitar and vocals delivering a heady mix whilst Tyrant’s March goes the throat in an old-school black metal style. Final track, In Spring echoes the most of Iron Maiden, which is no bad thing as they look to take what made Maiden great in the first place and give it a bit of pep. What sets them apart is the vocals, as I’ve said not trying to ape the higher registers or screaming just because they can really works. You just have to work at appreciating it.

Looking online, the band have a lot of ‘tags’ to their name by way of giving you a clue as to what they are about. For me, they do cover all of these from Metal (of course) to epic metal (definitely) and more importantly they do it well. The songs are well built, with an eye for the riff that is entertaining and ultimately engaging for the listener. The music is all there for you to go at, they do exactly what they promised, its up to you to give them a go. 7/10

On My Command - Conquer (Independent Release)

Conquer is the third album from the Brisbane natives which continues along the vein explored with their previous releases. It wears its traditional heavy metal hat proudly and whilst that is one of its strengths, that focus does mean that we plough a field that might not excite everyone that comes across it. Essentially a one-man outfit, each of the songs here are hewn from the imagination of Sean Mackay (Guitar, bass and vocals) with drums supplied via James Knoerl as a session drummer.

The traditional metal approach is nailed on from the start, The Thunder King peeling along at a fair rate and its heads down, arse up with a healthy dose of Iron Maiden but without the vocal gymnastics I believe are required to give this music that added heft that is necessary. I’ll get this out of the way now: The vocals are flat, and delivered in a way that reduces the blistering lead breaks that come our way as the song progresses to its end. 

Its not that they are bad they are not right for this. It is also the case that this is the style that is deployed for the rest of the album, so if they grate on you for track one, then they will not win you over by track 9. Elsewhere, lyrical content is as you would expect but the music behind them is what you expect from a band that is committed to bring you traditional heavy metal. The use of harmony parts are in full effect, down picking, the lot and if there had been a more powerful vocal delivery then we would be having a different conversation.

Putting that to one side, they are some rippers on here, Gateways has that bottom end, rich stomping measure that runs into one of those class thrash arrangements and would be spot-on live and By This Sign is just straight up 80’s classic metal and who can argue with that? There are some great nods to NWOBHM on here – the high energy start of Shoulders Of Giants and that Nicko drumbeat is refreshing when compared the octopus armed drumnastics I’ve been subjected to recently. This is one of the things I really dug, that focused approach with its blended mix of traditional and thrash arrangements and whilst some of the influences are worn on both sleeves (very proudly too) they are always engaging and continue to push the song along. 

I think once you get used to the vocals (or ignore them, its your choice) there is some good stuff on here that makes good on their promise of bringing you unvarnished, unfiltered heavy metal. It isn’t ground-breaking but then I don’t think it is meant to be. Fans of Maiden, and by extension classic 80’s metal will find a warm, comforting embrace from On My Command. 6/10

Reviews: W.E.T, Soul Sign, Alliance, Ginevra (Matt Bladen)

W.E.T. - Apex (Frontiers Music s.r.l.)

Another supergroup this time though one with a more established pedigree. W.E.T are Robert Säll (the “W” from Work of Art), Erik Mårtensson (the “E” from Eclipse), and Jeff Scott Soto (the “T” from Talisman), the rest of the bands also from all of these bands too for the first time so they're only on W.E.T from Marti Pellow!

They have been combining their talents for while now with Apex being their fifth studio album of the kind of AOR that was huge in the 70's/80's, every W.E.T album sounds like a lost Journey (Where Are The Heroes Now), Styx or Queen record, the vocal interplay between Erik Mårtensson and Jeff Scott Soto one of the selling points of any record from this band, as JSS is one of my favourite singers ever.

Believer begins the album with a huge anthem, a perfect track to welcome them back after 4 years. It's got the massive vocals, massive guitars and full frontal sound of a band who knows how to rock on tracks such as Nowhere To Run but also bust out some ballads with Pleasure & Pain. Melodic rock that treats both parts well, a supergroup who meld from years of collaboration, W.E.T produce another great rock record with Apex. 8/10

Soul Sign - Desert Fire (Earache Records)

Soul Sign last released an album in 2011 but they are back with their follow up record Desert Fire. A long time coming but when you're a supergroup you always have plenty of other bands to take up your time.

I'd say that Soul Sign are a 'proper' supergroup, they were founded by bass player Bjorn Englen in 1995, he's done his time with Quiet Riot, Dio Disciples, Yngwie Malmsteen, Uli Jon Roth & Tony MacAlpine so knows his way around a complex but catchy tune and has an address book of fellow musicians that's bursting at the seams.

The Malmsteen/Uli Jon Roth/MacAlpine connection continues with powerhouse vocalist Mark Boals who has one of the best vocals in the rock world, whether it's AOR, neoclassical/power metal, hard rock or smooth ballads, his soulful voice has featured on plenty of huge records.

On the drums is Mike Cancino who has done time in Unida and Lynch Mob and the guitars are from Rob Math who has played with acts such as Seal and with Leatherwolf too (talk about versatile), both perhaps not as high profile but still with CV as long as your arm.

The California based band have taken an analogue approach to this record, no overdubs or technology just four guys playing together. What they play is guitar driven melodic rock with focus on big riffs and choruses and some virtuoso solos on guitar and on bass. Yep bass too as Alone (3A17 11338) is a little showcase for band leader Bjorn Englen's skill.

There's a lot of history between these players and it shows with the high level of playing, from all involved including some guest spots from Tony MacAlpine and Rowan Robertson. If you like Dio, Malmsteen, Uli Jon Roth style melodic but also heavy rock then you'll need to catch this Desert Fire. 8/10

Alliance - Before Our Eyes (Frontiers Music s.r.l.)

Six albums in 30 years is perhaps not the best output however a few of those record are seen to be at the highest level of melodic rock and the members have all been part of other bands over the years and also live in various parts of the USA.

This is their seventh album, their first on Frontiers but it doesn't change too much from the signature style this trio have been playing since they formed in the wake Sammy Hagar joining Van Halen.

Made up of guitarist Gary Pihl (Boston), drummer David Lauser (Sammy Hagar) and bassist/vocalist Robert Berry (3, GTR) they have been playing the bluesy, melodic rock style of music you may recognise from Hagar's solo record, the rough, soulful vocals reminding me of The Red Rocker on Nothing Will Make You Change, Too Many People and Can't Stop Messing.

The trio also have influences from the British Invasion bands such as The Rolling Stones and The Beatles on as Good Life and Joan Of Arc. If you're a long time Alliance fan then you'll enjoy this record, if you've never heard of the band but you like your melodic rock with bit more meat on the bone you'll be nodding your head Before Our Eyes before you know it. 7/10

Ginevra - Beyond Tomorrow (Frontiers Music s.r.l.)

Another Swedish supergroup, Ginevra are comprised of vocalist Kristian Fyhr (Seventh Crystal), guitarist Magnus Karlsson (The Ferrymen, Primal Fear), bassist Jimmy Jay (H.E.A.T.), and drummer Magnus Ulfstedt (ex-Eclipse, Nordic Union).

They play Nordic melodic rock/metal, so expect huge epic compositions, neo-classical guitar playing and some virtuoso performances. This is guitar driven melodic metal, emotional vocals with lyrics about higher powers of all kinds and the make we make here on Earth.

Big riffs and bigger choruses it's very on trend with Pretty Maids and many of the bands the members have played in coming together on punchy Beat The Devil, the heavier middle section of the album Samurai/Arms Of Oblivion/Wild Ones or the anthemic songs such as True North.

I liked the debut and I like this album but that's it, I like it, there's nothing too ground-breaking about these Swedish supergroup, nothing you won't have heard on the other bands they play or are involved with. If you want heavy rock on the heavier end played by a cast of usual Frontiers suspects then album two from Ginevra will be on heavy rotation. 7/10

Reviews: Benediction, Lo-Pan, Lordi, Phil X And The Drills

Benediction - Ravage Of Empires (Nuclear Blast Records) [Matt Bladen]

In the halls of British death metal there are a few bands who have name recognition like Benediction, they've been stomping across the world for 35 years and will bulldoze you all over again with Ravage Of Empires.

Throughout their 90's heyday they were often spoke about in the same breath as Bolt Thrower, the two towers of ODSM even share a vocalist in Dave Ingram, who rejoined the band in 2019 taking over from Dave Hunt who had replaced him in 1998 when he joined Bolt Thrower.

Got all that? Good! Ingram's growl and bark is unmistakeable as soon as we get going with A Carrion Harvest, his twisted, blood soaked lyrics all a part of the Benediction experience. The blistering, blast beats of Giovanni Durst come like lighting on Genesis Chamber.

The interlinking death metal riffage of founding members Darren Brookes and Peter Rew as they control the chugs on Deviant Spine with bassist Nik Sampson and the torrent of aggression on Engines Of War where Durst gallops.

Ravage Of Empires is another goldmine of British ODSM, ferocious vocals, crushing riffs and machine gun drumming it's all here on another Benediction classic. 8/10

Lo-Pan - Get Well Soon (Magnetic Eye Records) [Matt Bladen]

Catchy tunes, psych grooves and stoner rock riffs it's another record from Ohio rockers Lo-Pan. They've been kicking out jams since 2005 and don't seem to be stopping any time soon with their new album Get Well Soon.

They're a band who use some vintage rock n roll style vocals and Southern rock vibes on this fifth album they have moved away from the introspection of their 2019 record for a brighter, more upbeat record this time round.

Tracks such as Harper's Ferry and Six Bells showcase the heavier side of their sound as they drift into psychadelic fuzz but it's tracks such as The Good Fight and Northern Eyes that will get the airplay with their melodic elements.

That said they are the first two tracks here, the rest are full of chunky stoner riffs that have seen them supporting High On Fire and Red Fang. With Get Well Soon, Lo-Pan re-establish their positivity in the face of political turmoil. 7/10

Lordi - Limited Deadition (Reigning Pheonix Music) [Mark Young]

Ok, on with the show. Lordi will be forever known as the besuited Finnish metal band that completed Eurovision some time back and whilst I was happy, no amazed that this happened I never got on the Lordi bandwagon that followed.

Limited Deadition is their 19th full length release (according to online sources) and I’m happy to report that following my listen through this, I won’t be checking on the other 18 albums.

As I understand it this is an album that looks to what makes them tick which I thought was a great conceit as a base for an album but that initial feeling of this could be good gives way to this is not my bag at all.

Songs are presented within snippets from trailers or TV spots and have a certain 80’s vibe to it which with some music is great and here it admittedly sounds good but the Lordi vocal style soon starts to grate on you.

There is some burning guitar work on here, I’ll give them that but I’m not sure of what angle to approach this from. Is it a joke, is it serious? Who knows but one thing I know is that it leans more into that style of rock / metal that Ozzy fell into in the mid-80’s. You know, the puffy sleeves and massive blouse.

I think that lurching of stylistic approaches is a conscious decision but I hated that style of metal as a kid and I hate it now. I cannot forgive light sounding guitars and a pedestrian drum beat, I just can’t.

When it does pick up the pace, like they do on Killharmonic Orchestra it immediately smacks of that Ozzy period and it feels like it has been written possibly as a homage to the great one, I don’t know but it just isn’t a good song.

And don’t get me started on Collectable, which I think is their version of Changes but I could be wrong. What I’m not wrong about is the use of piano and that ‘arms / cigarette lighter / mobile phone light in the air’ bollocks that just finished the album off for me.

I have no idea who this is aimed at, I guess that there are fans who dig this (and that is ok, more power to you) but it feels like this started off as a joke and then they decided to write a full album to suit. I don’t know and what’s more I don’t really care to know. 4/10

Phil X And The Drills - POW Right In The Kisser (Frontiers Music SRL) [Mark Young]

From one extreme to another, Phil X And The Drills is hard rock. That’s it.

So right off the bat I might as well say that I have a narrow view of hard rock, in that I didn’t like it growing up (not heavy enough) and now at 50 I still don’t like it. Throw in that Phil has also held the lead guitar berth in Bon Jovi, then I dislike it even more.

So, now I have got that off my chest, what is the album like? Well, for those that like singers that sing, and guitar solo’s that go all over the neck you will love this. Each song has a template that it doesn’t move far from and to be fair to them they do it very well.

It sounds good, well produced and I would say that it would make the perfect soundtrack to an album where a stranger turns up In a small town, looking for a place to get away from trouble and ultimately ends up putting the bad guys in jail (or the ground), getting the girl and rides off on some monstrous motor bike whilst the credits roll.

Fully realising that this would have been massive around the end of the 80’s just before Nirvana and co turned up they occupy the same territory as Little Angels, Thunder etc who got good press before everyone started wearing plaid.

I don’t have a lot of good things to say about this, and I’ve really tried to put my personal taste to one side but it feels like that songs on here would feature on a ‘Dad rock compilation’ which is one this Dad would not buy. Ever.

In my defence I did listen to the whole thing which shows that I am nothing if not committed but I can’t find any real redeeming qualities to recommend this to you or anyone else. I’m sure that fans of his work in Bon Jovi will lap this up, but it’s a no from me. 5/10

Reviews: Verheerer, Iron Form, Tyrannosatan, Sicksense (Pete J, Matt Bladen, Thomas Megill Jr & Mark Young)

Verheerer - Urgewalt (Vendetta Records) [Pete J]

German Black metal troupe Verheerer return with their 3rd album of Teutonic darkness, an album with a concept truly horrifying. Never a band to use commone cliches in their art the 4-piece have always crafted deep, harrowing stories to compliment the equally horrific bararism they hammer out. 

This particular album has a concept about one of the most dramatic time sin history; the First World War and all its horrors that created a dehumanization effect on all that participated in it. The loss of humanity that era demanded seeps though every aspect of this release, from the foreboding artwork, through the utterly desperate subject matter to the vicious Black Metal that engulfs you, smothering you with a darkness so thick you can taste it.

The heavily Germanic torrent that erupts when the title track bursts to life, after a little but harrowing intro, is palpable. You not only hear it you feel it deep in your soul, your very being is infected with this contagious torment that slowly eats away at you from the inside out, painfully. 

Then the following number Hail Mary takes it up a few notches, its almost hymnal presence coupled with a merciless feeling of loss that oozes forth on this medium paced barbaric riff, the agonizing guitar of SWN makes your bones ache and body shiver as he unfolds this utterly majestic song. 

The beauty of Verheerer is the way they meld 2nd wave Black Metal aesthetics to a more polished modern sound not that far from what Panzerfaust dish out, the brutality is utterly barbaric while the slower more melodic elements bring you to your knees with emotionally charged misery. 

Lungs has a Monotheist-era Celtic Frost feel about it, while Arsonist reverts back to that 2nd wave tremolo abuse, harking back to those early Darkthrone albums. Once again SWN astounds, unleashing caustic, savage guitar aligned with a melodic, heartfelt aura of complete blackened beauty.

Verheerer have crafted an album that combines intense Black Metal with a concept of true horror, the furious barrage suits the horrific subject matter perfectly. A fine album that grabs you by the face right from the off and doesn't let up until, it is finished with you, discarding you like the lifeless husk you are left with. Damn fine! 9/10

Iron Form - Cut From Cold Blood (Church Road Records) [Matt Bladen]

Two friends who have forged their careers in the metalcore/hardcore scene, make a band together that brings together the best parts of the metalcore they have been such a big part of.

Alex Heffernan and Mario Gambardella have made Iron Form to showcase their love of that early 2000's Victory Records metalcore sound where the slamming riffs, breakdowns and throat shredding vocals were so often still accompanied by melodic classic metal guitar harmonies.

A time where aggression didn't take too much of a hold like it did later as deathcore arrived. This is music that still has Post-Hardcore roots where there was still emotion and reverence was paid to the previous generation while paving the way for something new.

This is a concept EP that deals with pain, willpower and resilience, tracks such as Sprit Rain, Vengeance Prayer are influenced by Converge (of course) but also bands like Atreyu, Underoath and also Unearth while Become The Blade has echoes of early Trivium. 

A new band, with veteran members and a throwback sound but treated with the right respect. 7/10

Tyrannosatan - Babylons Skräck (Jawbreaker Records) [Thomas Megill Jr]

Existence in this universe is inherently uncertain. There is no true metric that can be applied to predicting the future with certain infallibility. I believed this to be true until about 45 minutes ago when I spun Tyrannosatan's new E.P. , Babylons Skräck. I can assure to all who are reading this review, with utmost certainty, I will be yelling Astronomicon at random points, at the top of my lungs, every single day for at least the next week.

With a name like Tyrannosatan, there were only two options for this E.P. Either it would be a sensational display of Blackened Thrash Metal packed to the very last second with a divine offering true to the genres' creed, or it would be the aural equivalent of that vile stench of dog shit ambushing your nostrils on a sweltering summer afternoon. I'm happy to announce that this E.P. represents the former, and is indeed NOT a pile of metaphorical dog shit. Babylons Skräck is indeed an excellent display of Blackened Thrash Metal.

I must say, I love the imagery of Satan as a giant, red dinosaur. I hope there is no alternate meaning that has been lost on me, because imagining Tyrannosatan, the giant red dinosaur, struggling to play his fiddle with tiny arms and unleashing his frustration in firebreathing fury on the helpless prisoners of hell amuses me in ways I don't believe the greatest psychotherapists can comprehend, but I digress.

Tyrannosatan have delivered an excellent short record to the metal underground. Perfectly disturbing melodies indicative of black metal infused with crushing riffs and catchy choruses of thrash. The first 3 songs of this record pummel the listener with killer riffs. The melodic guitar lines are catchy themselves and at points have the ring of advertisement jingles and I love it. Astronomicon is a nice doom jam to end the record off and contains one of my favourite hooks I've heard in a while.

Babylons Skräck was an absolute pleasure to listen to and I can't wait to see what this trio does next. 8/10

Sicksense - Cross Me Twice (Earache Records) [Mark Young]

I was going to start this off with some biting commentary about the band being on Earache and then thought better of it. Cross Me Twice is the debut release from the Phoenix 5-piece and despite seeing some positive press about them, I came away from this feeling that I’d wasted 37 minutes of my life. 

It mixes that dual vocals that see soaring cleans from Vicky Psarakis and growls from Robby J. Fonts and to be honest that vocal performance from Vicky is the highlight here. I treat every review the same way, from bands I admire to those I have never heard of before and something has to be truly dire in order for me to feel the way I feel about this.

It doesn’t resonate with me at all in any way. The way the songs are put together feel contrived and written with an age-group in mind (not mine) who will take this music as being the best thing. Ever. 

Putting the two singing styles together isn’t new but on here they do not sit well at all. Throw in the nu-metal paint job and it immediately starts to irritate. The whole thing just feels forced and without any sort of merit. The songs just blend into each other without staying in the memory and I couldn’t wait for it to finish. 

What I would say is this, they will either blow up and be everywhere in 6 months (if that is the case, then good luck to them) or just disappear from view. I think that they have an absolute powerhouse in Vicky P, and if they could shape the band around that voice then it could be a different proposition. 4/10

Reviews: Cabal, Daevar, Amammoth, Pillars Of Cacophony (Matt Bladen, Rich Piva, Mark Young & Thomas Megill Jr)

Cabal - Everything Rots (Nuclear Blast) [Matt Bladen]

Heavy as the heaviest thing you can think about Cabal have been slaying stages and bulldozing crowds for a few years. Brash, uncompromising metallic hardcore with synth powered industrial thud these Danes do not make music to smile too.

They've had a lot of the media in raptures over their previous records and you can hear why on this fourth release, from the opening track to the last there's a severe heaviness in the instrumentation and in the lyrics, songs dealing with suicide, depression, addiction, abuse and how things are generally fucked.

I mean with a title such as Everything Rots, it wasn't going to be a bed of roses but it's a surprise just how dark this record is even if you've listened to the band before. The initial crush of Become Nothing is a enough to show you that Cabal means business as Redemption Denied erupts with that intense metalcore/industrial hybrid.

A style that features focus on the raging vocals, huge percussion strikes and down tuned and fuzzy guitars. Everything Rots is 13 tracks of ferocity, as Cabal beat, batter and bludgeon. 7/10

Daevar - Sub Rosa (The Lasting Dose Records) [Rich Piva]

To me it has felt like Cologne, Germany’s Daevar have been around for a long time, but as I look back on their discography their first record dropped in 2023 and have had one release each year, with 2025 bringing their third, Sub Rosa. If I had to throw some tags on the band, I would include grunge and doom, but what you get from the band on Sub Rosa is much deeper than that, as this is chock filled with killer tracks, making their third record their best so far.

The opener is thankfully not a cover of the Gn’R Chinese Democracy track, but Daevar’s Catcher In The Rye is killer doomy grunge, with a crunch and a fuzzy wall of sound right out of the 90s. The haunting female vocals bring an almost heavy shoegaze feel to the song and I am certainly here for it. Siren Song reminds me of the 90s band Belly, but if they decided to fuzz it up, put their heads down, and just rock out. Love the psych-tinged solo on this one. There is a certain pop sensibility to Daevar, and it comes across strong on the track Wishing Well. 

Daughter (not a PJ cover) reminds me of the band Wytch and we know that is great. That female led 90s band thing is all over Sub Rosa, which is fun to write here given the track Mirrors is like a doom Pixies song. Forgotten Tale is the heaviest track on Sub Rosa and the most traditional doom that the bad gets over the eight tracks, while still having some MBV and Slowdive vibes all over the place. FDSMD closes out the record with a slow burn over almost eight minutes and doubles down on why Daevar is an excellent band.

Sub Rosa flies by; at just around 30 minutes it is a quick and fun listen. Daevar leans heavily on the 90s here and that sure works for me. Doomy 90s influenced Shoegaze goodness is what this record is all about. 8/10

Amammoth - Distant Skies And The Ocean Flies (Electric Valley Records) [Mark Young]

Now, its time for a touch of sludge with an Australian slant to it as Amammoth bring us their second full-length slice with Distant Skies And The Ocean Flies, a title that promises a trippy and groove-ridden journey over 40 minutes and 8 songs.

Intro is exactly that, a slow and fully laden scene setter that gives you notice of what is to follow. Regular readers will know that intro’s get on my nerves but Amammoth get a pass because it sounds mental and makes sure that you are full invested in what happens next. At least for the next song, which is a lot to be said for a track that lasts just under three minutes.

Among Us lumbers into view as they now hit us with a guitar tone that is just filthy and a tempo that could be described as ‘unhurried’. Its as if they thought ‘right, we will do one dragged out song, get it out of the way and see what happens’ so when the vocals do come in, they are coated in an almost palpable bleakness. 

The background organ sounds add to the trippy vibe with riffs ringing out for days and whilst it doesn’t really go anywhere, they succeed in delivering what I feel is classic sludge, which is found in the attitude of those bringing it. This made perfect sense typing it and I’m hoping that once you listen to the song it will become clear. What I loved is that it segues into Chosen without missing a (slow) beat and it just rumbles on and on, that guitar tone laying waste as you might expect it to. 

The muted opening to So High So Numb gives way to an arrangement that sees them taking a run at knocking the earth off its axis with a descending pattern with the drums building around it. Sink Or Swim starts off from the end notes of So Numb, and by now you are either onboard with their consistent form of attack or being driven mad by it. They do change up the sound on this one, with the use of Wah but it doesn’t alter the overall leaden feel. 

I think if you approach this from an angle of it being one song that has been split into chapters then I believe it will make more sense to you, instead of it just feeling like the same content repeated over and over. I can’t fault their commitment to this style of music, but I have got to say that by Satellite I had mentally tapped out and skipped forward to Ashes Remain, which resulted in the feeling that I had missed nothing apart from that deliciously gnarly guitar tone. They bring the weird-out on last track Interstitial which is just an exercise in noise with nothing else to say and then, done and good-night.

Sludge, doom, psych, either on their own or as a hybrid can be devastating and I know that I’ve reviewed some bands in the last year that do it incredibly well. This ultimately disappointed because the early promise falls away to what is effectively an exercise in repetition. It isn’t without merit though, because this for me feels like a pure distillation of what sludge is about and for the attitude that is required in actually doing it. 

I’ve already mentioned that it feels like one song chopped down to suit but that is just my opinion and I’m probably wrong about that. I do feel that it will appeal to fans of the genre because of what it does well and that a 7 is a fair score. 7/10

Pillars Of Cacophony - Paralipomena (Teratogen / grazil Record) [Thomas Megill Jr]

We enter the mind of Dominik, the mastermind behind the one man technical death metal project Pillars Of Cacophony. Inside, is a cavernous labyrinth of caves with the sounds of his new album Paralipomena echoing off the walls. With scientific themed lyrics and masterfully difficult and complex structures and guitar parts, even the most hardened death metal gatekeepers would be hard pressed to find issue within.

Dominik, from Graz, Austria is credited with quite literally everything that went into the creation of Paralipomena. From composing the music, on all instruments, guitar, bass, vocals, and drums, to performing said instruments, to recording, mixing and mastering. Recording an album completely alone is an awesome feat in itself, the fact that the album is really good is just an added bonus. The guitar and bass tones are perfect and are mixed extremely well. I wonder if the drums are programmed or not. If Dominik played the drums on this record as well, I'd question if he were really human, or a being from an alternate dimension of death metal mastery.

Paralipomena is a masterclass in technical death metal with hints of Prog and jazz fusion, such as the section of smooth jazz in the song Mitosis. I may even be forced to use the forbidden "Djent" word for certain parts of infectious groove such as the end of Retina and parts of the closing track Maps Of Disintegration. This album ebbs and flows like a heart monitor. Running at a steady pace with high peaks and valleys, it should keep listeners engaged for its' entire 41 minute duration. Pillars Of Cacophony have delivered an excellent record of unapologetic, yet listenable technical death metal. It's like Soreption meets Animals As Leaders meets Meshuggah. 8/10

Reviews: Deafhaven, Greenleaf, Arch Enemy, Eonian (Pete J, Rich Piva, Thomas Megill & Mark Young)

Deafheaven - Lonely People With Power (Roadrunner Records) [Pete J]

Deafheaven are one of those bands that divide opinion and spark furious debate. Are they Black Metal? Are they Indie Shoegaze? Or jusy maybe a perfect combination of both. 

The bands debut album Sunbather launched a band into many minds, its dark sinister overtones and almost gentle dreamy pop sensibilities astounded. What followed was a few albums that didnt quite make the grade, that masterful debut eclipsing them. Until now.

One listen to Lonely People With Power shows Deafheaven to be as brutal as anything from the modern day Black Metal scene, with George Clarkes acidic vocals putting a lot of so-called kvlt screamers to shame. His raw vocals have a touch of a young Dani Filth about them, mostly high-end screeching that either compliments the coruscating cacophony perfectly or they fight against the more Indie Shoegaze elements. 

Both styles bring their own charms to this, admittedly, outstanding album, an album so much harsher than previous, disappointing album Infinite Granite. After the first of 3 interludes, Doberman erupts like Hell has been unleashed! The band locking into a ferocious groove that simply tears flesh from bone. 

The particularly nasty Amethyst is the highlight of an album full of highlights, Kerry McCoy and Shiv Mehra unleash some truly barbaric tremolo abuse while drummer Daniel Tracy and bassist Chris Johnson drive everything onwards at a crushing pace. Then there are the more gentle, dreamy moments like the soul-crushing Heathen which brings the album into a territory often tried by various artists that have failed. 

Deafheaven have succeeded in creating an album that straddles the bleak shoegaze-ness of My Bloody Valentine with the utterly ferocious black metal onslaught the likes of Wolves In The Throne Room craft. Interlude III lulls beautifully before Winona tears your face off with an almost Bosse-De-Nage rage, creating the juxtaposition of heartfelt beauty and dark pure evil.

If you need something rather unique, dreamy and full of fury then Lonely People With Power is for you. Imagine the sublime Alcest coupled with the atmospheric, suffocating battering Wolves In The Throne Room dish out and you have this jaw-dropping new Deafheaven album. An album that returns the band back to their more ferocious original guise. Long may it continue. 8/10

Greenleaf - Revolution Rock Deluxe (Blues Funeral Recordings) [Rich Piva]

When Greenleaf was conceived, I don’t think anyone though that the band would be as big and go on as long as they have, given this is year 25 for the collective. 

Some might even say that the “side project” has surpassed the original band, but that is a discussion for a different medium. Originally a 70s riff rock side project of Tommi Holappa from Dozer with some of his friends from bands like Lowrider and Demon Cleaner, the first Greenleaf record is very different than the Greenleaf of today, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t awesome, because it is. 

Revolution Rock was a not widely distributed and was quickly out of print from its original 500 pressing. That is, until now, thanks to Blues Funeral, we not only get a beautiful repressing of this long-lost gem, but we also get the first, also out of print, Greenleaf EP, all in a stunning package as Revolution Rock Deluxe that has fans of the band rejoicing.

Revolution Rock just kicks all sorts of ass. There is this kind of punk and garage rock feel to the record, MC5 and the Stooges, but with a Hammond Organ. Just listen to the first track, Vat 69, and tell me how you cannot be hooked. It is just raw, in your face rock. Now, the current sound of Greenleaf is actually one of my favourite bands, but when you look at the whole picture, you can’t help but to see the overall genius and skill that Tommi and whatever crew that brought along at the time has had. 

The organ is turned way up, which is exactly how I like it, on songs like Devil Woman. The fellas get all trippy at times too, like on Status: Hallucinogenic, Phase II, that turns the fuzz meter up to 11. You want their version of a Mountain song? Sure, go with You Got Me High, but really if Mountain and Fu Manchu did a split 7”. Going through this track by track would do it a disservice, just know that this is kick ass, high energy rock and roll that will get you going no matter what mood you are in. The EP is great too, giving you an insight into the frantic rock the band was looking to conceive in the early days, with a shout out to Daniel Liden for his amazing drum work.

Do not go into this thinking you are going to hear the same Greenleaf you have loved for the past decade or so. Go into this ready to get your ass handed to you by some high energy, raw, rock and roll. Major props to Blues Funeral for the amazing packaging for the vinyl. It is beautiful and does the record a major service. Excellent stuff all around and a major hole filled in a lot of Greenleaf fan’s collection. 9/10

Arch Enemy - Blood Dynasty (Century Media Records) [Thomas Megill Jr.]

Few death metal bands have climbed the commercial ladder of success to the heights Arch Enemy have reached. On March 28th, three decades after the band's inception, Arch Enemy graced the world of heavy music with their 12th album, Blood Dynasty, through Century Media. This is a flawlessly produced record. In my opinion, it is too flawless. My personal preference for death metal production are records sounding like they were ejected out the bowels of hell from a cannon, with vicious intentions to cause barbaric violence, and on fire. Blood Dynasty is very much not that. But that does not make it a bad record, quite the contrary.

This record is theatrical and extravagant. Arch Enemy stretch the melodic death metal banner to its outer limits, sometimes overlapping into the realms of power metal, neoclassical shredding and mid-2000s metalcore on this record. The guitar acrobatics are a circus side adventure throughout the entire record. I believe this would've been a better record had they ditched most of the song structures and committed entirely to making this a shred album.

To be quite honest, while the musicians on this record are precision technicians and seasoned professionals, I felt the writing slightly uninspired. Songs like March Of The Miscreants come to mind. Perhaps a few extra minutes of work on the lyrics would've done the whole band a favour. Lacklustre lyrics aside, Alissa White-Gluz vocal performance throughout was well executed. The clean vocals on the tracks Illuminate The Path and Vivre Libre were a nice change of pace.

Most of the tracks on this album seem to be collaborations from the Arch Enemy collective on Joey Concepcion's solo guitar record. This wasn't Arch Enemy's greatest record in their catalogue by a long shot, but it wasn't terrible either. It will definitely appease their diehard fans and can serve as a gateway record into death metal with some of the clean vocals. 5/10

Eonian - Born From Ice (Thunderflash Productions) [Mark Young]

Anyone for Symphonic/melodic death metal?

Ok, so for the interests of clarity I’m not too fussed for it in all honesty. In the past I’ve felt that sometimes it can be overblown and, in some cases, too ambitious and gets in the way of the song itself. That being said, I’ll always approach with a clean slate and then go from there.

Invocation is the start, and as half-expected it is a mood making intro track, a subtle acoustic piece that launches into Blood Of My Blood, which starts on the front foot with a super tempo and double bass approaching the speed of sound. Unfortunately, I took exception with the vocals, they sound muted within the mix especially when the dual shriek / growls are deployed. This changes when the orchestral parts come in and the vocals are given the due respect and space to shine. 

Elsewhere, everything else you expect is there and it’s a good start overall. The title track doesn’t waste time either, mixing in speed and technical ability in just the right balance. The symphonic aspects are there too but are kept to a level that suits the song as opposed to overshadowing it. The main vocals are clearer on here and it has a solid feel to it which for me shows they have considered that riffs are required first and foremost.

Similarly, on For All The Nights To Come the focus is on bringing the metal first and it’s as charged as Born From Ice but as you dig into it there is not a lot to it once you get past the speed and orchestral backing. Its simply ok but doesn’t provide anything that makes me go ‘fuck yes’. The piano led start to Máthair and mournful arrangement points me in the direction that this is either going to be a ballad of a sort or an instrumental. Luckily its neither, as its breaks those shackles and detonates to bring what is the high point here. Its not that its overly better than the others, it’s the overall build of it that makes it fly better. 

All the component parts are together and fit correctly and the use of the classical vocals lifts this further. There is a wonderful riff that comes in around 3.30 as the singing duel comes in, underpinning them both. For me it is the most complete song on here and as we navigate to its end, they hit us with The Emperor’s Hounds which comes across as a companion piece and is a showcase for virtuosity. Despite this approach, and the feel that comes with it I still lean into Máthair as a more complete song when you hold the two together.

Oathkeeper is the closing piece, acting in much the same way as Invocation, using its subtle moments almost as a thank you and good-bye for listening. Again, there is nothing wrong with this, except after the madness of The Emperor’s Hounds you would expect something like that close us out. So, they chose to drive a symphonic bus over ABBA.

Lay All Your Love One Me (in case you didn’t know is an ABBA cover, who made black metal in the 70’s…) comes in, and well your enjoyment of it will vary dependent on how much you like ABBA. I don’t know if its tongue in cheek or meant as a serious treatment and I’ll be honest it didn’t do anything for me.

Overall, I didn’t find anything I loved, but then I didn’t hate it either. I think that fans of this genre will take it to their hearts, but I don’t think others like me will find anything to make them sit and listen. I reckon that on metal club nights, that ABBA song will get played though. Like Limp Biscuit’s Faith. 6/10

A View From The Back Of The Room: Skunk Anansie (Live Review By Simon Black)

Skunk Anansie & So Good, Great Hall Cardiff, 31.03.25

I had never heard of openers So Good (6) before, but to be fair considering there’s bugger all information about them online, it’s perhaps not surprising (OK, they’re all over TikTok, but I’m in my 50’s, so I’m not - but at least I’m still going to gigs several times a week, even if I do have to lie down afterwards nowadays). 

This act revolves around dynamic frontwoman Sophie, aided by two synch-dancing backing singers and three instrumentalists in hazmat suits and orange balaclavas, the net sartorial effect of this London sextet looks more like the they’re on their way to a rumble on an estate than a gig…

I’m a bit ‘meh’ about using the term ‘Bratpop’, to describe their music, but I can see why it’s flung around them. For some reason my addled brain was reminded of the brashness of the Beastie Boys, but with London housing estate attitude and a Punkish sense of danger, with the added bonus that they actually play their instruments live, rather than dancing to a click track.

To be fair, blagging a support slot with a headliner of this stature means that’s probably not going to remain either unknown or anonymous for long. With a handful of singles / EP’s released over the last few years, but no album as yet (‘No Sleep ‘Till Matalan’, anyone?), the target market for this act is probably more likely aimed at the handful of students who actually attended the gig (if you don’t hail from Cardiff, the Great Hall is part of the University campus) who were sadly vastly outnumbered by my generation, so they had their work cut out for them. 

But they rose to the occasion well and worked this room hard, given how little space there was on the stage for them. As the crowd filled up and got the infectious sense of humour, their two fingers up to the right political ire and their sheer energy won most of the audience over, leaving me time for a little lie down before the headliners.

It really is a long time since I’ve seen Skunk Anansie (10) …

The first time was back in 1995, when they were a bright new thing touring their debut Paranoid & Sunburnt and opening up for Therapy? This turned out to be unfortunate for the headliner, because despite being at their commercial peak, Skunk Anansie completely blew them off the stage at every venue and quickly bypassed them in terms of popularity. 

For a while it seemed they could do no wrong, and despite the huge changes in tone and popularity turning the market upside down for heavy music in that decade, Skunk Anansie snowballed and bulldozered successfully (in the UK and Europe at least) for three stellar albums, culminating in a headline slot at Glastonbury in 1999, before fizzling out as the millennium turned.

I’ve not followed their studio work since, but they’ve been busy since reforming a decade ago and from the rammed state of the hall tonight, it’s clear that they are absolutely back in business. If it’s not a sold-out crowd, it’s darned close.

Exploding on to a stage resplendent with bizarre inflatable black spikes (it’s so Pythonesque that I’m going to call it ‘Spiny Norman’), Skunk Anansie don’t have much more room than their support act, but they own every inch of that stage from the opening seconds. In fact, they pretty much own the audience space too, with Skin leaving the stage to surf and sing from the pit at several points. 

The security and EH&S team may have been a little bit upset by that, but breaking the fourth wall like that, making a huge hall feel like a sweaty club and making the crowd feel an integral part of the show is one of the things that makes Skunk Anansie so darned good to watch.

When you have a band fronted by such a powerful voice that’s been gifted to the force of nature that is Skin, the years melt away. Age often sees a slowing down of the dynamism, energy and power of many a singer – particularly one pushing the top end of a human vocal range for their trademark sound, but that was absolutely not the case tonight. If anything, her voice has got better, adding power, control and gravitas to those heart-wrenchingly emotive soprano vocal chords, whilst losing none of the scale and range from when I first saw them three decades ago.

Tonight’s set list does not favour any era, and for folks like me who’ve missed out on much of the intervening period, it’s a great catch-up opportunity, and also showcased a few new tracks from The Painful Truth, inbound in a couple of months. The newer material has a lot more depth in the writing, and the political fury has if anything grown in line with the complete mess that has been made of the world of late.

I remember being incredulous at the lyrics of Little Baby Swastika when I first heard them, because it was massively removed from my frame of reference, but the current state of the politics of the world gives them much, much more to work with to the point that I really am looking forward to the new record on the basis of the teasers we heard tonight.

They were hugely relevant back then; they are as relevant as ever now and tonight was an absolute masterclass in how to deliver a show. Fantastic seems too small a word…

Bloodstock Metal To The Masses South Wales 2025: Interview With Damek (Cardiff Heat #4)

Bloodstock Metal To The Masses South Wales 2025

1. Please introduce yourself for anyone who may not know you. Tell us a little bit more about you as a band.

DAMEK Omsk - Guitar Vokillz

DNR - Bass

Dbomb - Drums

We've been together since 2016 after the demise of our bands Hogslayer, Zonderhoof, Thorun and Desalvo. DAMEK Omsk was raised by Wolves on a Norwegian Fjord, Dbomb was raised by Kittens in Europe and DNR was raised by Sheep in Wales.

2. What made you want to participate in the Metal To The Masses South Wales 2025 campaign? Have you had previous experience? Or is this your first time

When our Lord and Master DAMEK was with HOGSLAYER he luckily played the New Blood Stage and he said it was such an amazing experience. He made so many friends and went on to do so many good gigs etc. The crowd were amazing, I was there it was carnage and it opened a lot of opportunities for them. And I hope it has the same result for us.

3. M2TM is all about supporting your local scene. How important is the local scene to you as a band?

The local scene is very important to us, there's so much talent out there and we've been part of it for long time now and it opens up plenty of opportunities for bands and for fans to experience live music

4. What are your expectations from being a part of M2TM?

We aim to deliver a strong dynamic professional performance with heavy crushing riffs and a few theatrical surprises which will destroy Fuel Rock Club and melt faces. 

5. What would playing a Sold Out Bloodstock Festival mean to you?

We love Bloodstock Open Air and go every year. So once the band was ready it was our dream to play the New Blood Stage / Jaegermeister Stage and fulfill our dreams with this amazing chance. It's such an amazing festival with always a great lineup but one of the nicest things about it is the friendly homely vibe all the best people go to Bloodstock and everyone is super cool and friendly. As well as the brilliant bands theres a lot of fun shenanigans happening in the fair ground and campsites til the small hours. Class. 

6. We encourage all the bands in M2TM to try and check out the other bands, who are you most looking forward to? Who should your fans also try to catch?

There's so many great bands this year and we're hoping for lots of support for all the local bands and a fierce battle to the death!! (maybe not to the death - Ed)

Bloodstock Metal To The Masses South Wales 2025: Interview With Paradox To Stay (Cardiff Heat #4)

Bloodstock Metal To The Masses South Wales 2025

1. Please introduce yourself for anyone who may not know you. Tell us a little bit more about you as a band.

We are Paradox To Stay, a 5-piece metalcore band from south wales, UK with influences in both the melodic and deathcore side combined to create and deliver melodic, heavy and hard hitting anthems.

2. What made you want to participate in the Metal To The Masses South Wales 2025 campaign? Have you had previous experience? Or is this your first time

We took part in Metal To The Masses last year and we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves and gained a lot of experience in working in this kind of environment and really enjoyed the overall experience of it. We even managed to network with other bands and have expanded our contacts list with new and like minded bands. We wanted to take the opportunity to participate again and take the chance of potentially performing at bloodstock open air, but most importantly to take part to have fun, meet new people and maybe even get in a few more gigs with different bands and to network even further.

3. M2TM is all about supporting your local scene. How important is the local scene to you as a band?

The local music scene is probably the most important thing to us, as without it, ourselves along with other bands wouldn’t be where they are today. That goes for bigger bands as well, as without the local scene, they wouldn’t have even had the chance to get anywhere near where they are now.

4. What are your expectations from being a part of M2TM?

Our biggest expectation of being a part of Metal To The Masses would be performing infront of a near full room of metal heads/ people that enjoy live music along side other bands and having a blast on stage and then networking with other like minded musicians to help each other grow. To be able to play at bloodstock would be a massive milestone for us and would mean a lot, especially since it is one of our main goals within the next few years to play at a festival, and bloodstock is high up there on our list if festivals we would love to play at.

5. What would playing a Sold Out Bloodstock Festival mean to you?

It would honestly mean the world to us, as a lot of bands we look up to have been on the bloodstock lineup multiple times, and to be able to be on the lineup where our influences have been one day is something we have set as a goal.

6. We encourage all the bands in M2TM to try and check out the other bands, who are you most looking forward to? Who should your fans also try to catch?

We would encourage all our fans to see as many bands that are apart of this as possible to not only give the other participants a fair chance and opportunity, but also to potentially help grow their fan base’. The bands we are most looking forward to as part of the heats, would definitely be Akuma, Beyond Sorrow from the Cardiff side, but Swansea side would be Hollowed Existence and Lead By Lies.

Reviews: Tómarúm, Ritual King, This Summit Fever, Ash Twin Project (Matt Bladen & Rich Piva]

Tómarúm - Beyond Obsidian Euphoria (Prosthetic Records) [Matt Bladen]

Three years ago I praised Ash In Realms Of Stone Icons highly, recommending that everyone listen to it as soon as possible. Will I have the same feelings about their follow up album Beyond Obsidian Euphoria? Let's find out!

Again it's a conceptual release, continuing the narrative they established on their debut, this is an immediate follow up from where we ended on Ash In... as our protagonist goes through a pursuit life after tragedy and defeat. It's based in a fantasy world but has some very real world connotations too.

They've expanded from the core duo of Kyle Walburn (guitar, vocals, programming) and Brandon Iacovella (guitar, vocals, programming, contrabass, narration) adding Matthew Longerbeam (guitar, vocals), Michael Sanders (bass, vocals) and Chris Stropoli (drums, vocals, programming, sound design), this quintet now have done the rounds on stage so they have brought this live cohesion to this new album looking to move beyond being a duo with guest musicians to a fully furnished band.

I could talk about influences such as Opeth, Ne Obliviscaris, Wolves In The Throne Room and more contemporary acts such as White Ward or Wilderun but Tómarúm inject their own style into these progressive blackened death metal tracks, it's the use of multiple vocal styles that I love here, cleans, growls, screams all combining, as if told from different character perspectives.

The constantly fluctuating music behind them is a also a strong theme throughout the album. Black metal passage will shift into acoustics, then into ambience and then face melting solo guitar on tracks such as Shed This Erroneous Skin for example. Linking the storyline is spoken word narration for additional concept.

They are a band who don't show fear in shfting the Sonic's of a song such as Halcyon Memory: Dreamscapes Across The Blue, ferocious blast beats don't relent even when there's emotional contrabass (double bass to you and me), and classic metal guitar section, it will easily move from here back to the savage black metal

I could go into every track but that would take away somewhat of the scale and enormity of this album. I suggest that if you like intelligent extreme metal that early stays within the pigeonhole of the genre, or if you want a more refined version of their debut, then you should snapping up Beyond Obsidian Euphoria asap. 9/10

Ritual King - The Futureworks Sessions (Ripple Music) [Rich Piva]

Manchester, UK’s Ritual King is one of the best bands out there playing heavy psych/blues/stoner rock. Their small but mighty discography is pretty much perfect, especially their two full length records, including 2023’s Infinite Mirror which was second on my album of the year list that year. So of course I am ready for a live record from the trio. There are not enough live records these days and a band like Ritual King was meant to be heard in this form. The Futureworks Sessions is a live in the studio take on seven of the band’s best songs in their rawest form but still with all of the greatness that makes up Ritual King.

What makes up that greatness? So very much, but starting with the overall tightness of this band as they seem to really be locked in during these sessions. The playing is excellent of course, but they are also able to bring in their vocal harmonies in the live setting expertly, translating these already amazing studio songs to killer live jams that lose nothing from not having some kind of wizardry behind them. 

Check out Headspace and Worlds Divide if you need any proof of this. The latter is my favourite track by the band and it absolutely rips on here. The track list of the set is made up of four of the five tracks from Infinite Mirror and three from 2020’s self-titled record, all excellent picks, but with RK you can’t go wrong. The ten-minute version of the track The Infinite Mirror is worth the price of admission alone, as it hits on everything that makes this band great. 

Overall, this is 55 minutes of killer live jams from a band hitting on all cylinders at their peak. More bands need to put out live records, and hopefully The Futureworks Sessions from Ritual King will be a proper motivator. 9/10

This Summit Fever - This Summit Fever (Majestic Mountain Records) [Rich Piva]

This Summit Fever started as a lockdown project for guitarist/vocalist Andy Blackburn and has now grown into a full-fledged band, with a full-length album and vinyl from Majestic Mountain Records for the band’s debut self-titled record. This is a fast ascend from that bedroom, now ready to bring their riffs and fuzz to the world via these eight tracks.

I hear some Seattle going on here in the form of Mudhoney and Melvins vibes, a bit of a stoner QOTSA/Fu Manchu thing, along with a Jack White style guitar tone over the just under 30 minutes on This Summit Fever. The Mudhoney thing comes in on the opener, Breathe You In, while the grungy side continues on Currents while ramping up that JW tone as Blackburn shreds the place up. 

 This is no longer a solo project, as multi-instrumentalist Jim McSorley brings it as the glue that keeps it all together. There is not a weak track on here, with a couple of other standouts being the chunky riff filled Hooks, the doom psych of Superfluous, the stoner ripper Party To Blame, and the spacy, slow burn closer It Haunts Us.

A very strong debut for a band that is growing exponentially, This Summit Fever has shown they know how to bring it, and show some serious promise with their self-titled debut that is here to rock your socks off. 8/10

Ash Twin Project - Tales Of A Dying Sun (Klonosphere Records) [Matt Bladen]

Prog of a different kind here with French post-rock meets prog metal band Ash Twin Project. Tales Of A Dying Sun is quite a diverse soundscape, reminding me of Steven Wilson early solo period or late PT period if you will but with melodic vocals that creep towards pop with a tip of the hat to the recent Envy Of None record for genre blending.

There's also the post-metal aggression that has chunky off time riffs and harsh screams inspired by BTBAM and Oceansize. This is a debut album and it does feel like it's been rushed or had multiple ideas just thrown at it, there's study here, complexity, the emotion and technical ability balanced to make sure it draws you in.

Ash Twin Project have a brand of prog that takes from harsher, modern sounds so with Tales Of A Dying Sun they showcase a varied musical vision. 7/10

Bloodstock Metal To The Masses South Wales 2025: Interview With Digital Resistance (Cardiff Heat #4)

Bloodstock Metal To The Masses South Wales 2025

1. Please introduce yourself for anyone who may not know you. Tell us a little bit more about you as a band.

If you like your metal laced with dystopian themes and a rebellious energy, join the resistance.

2. What made you want to participate in the Metal To The Masses South Wales 2025 campaign? Have you had previous experience? Or is this your first time?

We’ve always admired what Metal To The Masses stands for—giving bands a platform to reach new audiences. The competition works only if bands support it, even bands with no chance of making past the first stage, so we’re happy to support in our own way.

3. M2TM is all about supporting your local scene. How important is the local scene to you as a band?

The local scene is everything. It’s where bands cut their teeth, where communities form, and where underground movements thrive. Without a strong local scene, there’s no foundation for the next generation of artists to build upon.

4. What are your expectations from being a part of M2TM?

We hope to find new bands to collaborate with.

5. What would playing a Sold Out Bloodstock Festival mean to you?

It’s too unrealistic to think about.

6. We encourage all the bands in M2TM to try and check out the other bands. Who are you most looking forward to? Who should your fans also try to catch?

They should try to catch all bands!!

Bloodstock Metal To The Masses South Wales 2025: Interview With Disrupt The Continuum (Cardiff Heat #4)

Bloodstock Metal To The Masses South Wales 2025

1. Please introduce yourself for anyone who may not know you. Tell us a little bit more about you as a band.

We are Disrupt The Continuum, we have been together just over 10 years, a mix of styles and genres blended to make our own take on different types of metal music, fast, heavy, melodic and in your face from the first to last riff. We have been on a break for a while but are back and have a new song out soon followed by a album later this year.

2. What made you want to participate in the Metal To The Masses South Wales 2025 campaign? Have you had previous experience? Or is this your first time?

We played M2TM back in 2017 so know the ropes but wanted to showcase our new material at the best place for live music in south Wales (FUEL) and the best competition for local bands in the UK to play in our opinion the best festival in the UK for many years now.

3. M2TM is all about supporting your local scene. How important is the local scene to you as a band?

It is of course very important to us and to anyone who loves live music, nothing beats watching live music at a venue that's easy to get to and affordable, not to mention the great and surprising acts you can watch that you may never have heard of.

4. What are your expectations from being a part of M2TM?

We have been out of the loop for a while so making new connections and making new friends and seeing old friends in the local scene and beyond is something we are very looking forward to, plus the chance to play Bloodstock festival would be amazing.

5. What would playing a Sold Out Bloodstock Festival mean to you?

Playing Bloodstock would be a dream come true just to feel the buzz of a big sold-out crowd enjoying our music, life is all about building memories

6. We encourage all the bands in M2TM to try and check out the other bands. Who are you most looking forward to? Who should your fans also try to catch?

Painted As Monsters, Karmen Field, State Of Deceit, Akuma, Kill by Mouth, Struggler and I could go on and on, just clear examples of how awesome and diverse the local South Wales music scene is  at the moment, get your asses to a heat and check out any of the bands playing Cardiff and Swansea as you are sure to find someone you like