Reviews: Church Of The Sea, Braveride, Nightsteel, Chestcrush (Matt Bladen)

Church Of The Sea - Eva (These Hands Melt)

Darkly sensual, ethereal and otherworldly, the music of Church Of The Sea puts hypnotic Liturgical chanting with the industrial-meets-rock throb of Depeche Mode, with a slanted Orthodox cross pointed towards the doom rock worship of Sabbath.

The title track being the first and most obvious example of the sermons this church give, it's got that Gahan/Gore pulse to it and a carnal rhythm. This second album, Eva, reimagines the story of Eve, the first heroine of The Bible and tells the story as one of defiance and knowledge beyond that which is doctrine. Weighty lyrical concepts then but suited to the ambitious musical pallette of this album.

The spectral vocals of Irene embody the rebel spirit of Eve as she rejects what has been sent down from heaven and makes her own mind up. With the thump of Widow, Alex's electronics lay the industrial percussion down as he gives Portishead meets Tori Amos moodiness on Churchyard. Vangelis' guitar meanwhile brings the doom metal meatiness on Garden Of Eden. The shoegaze bleeds perfectly into the gothic doom as the electronics glisten and pulsate.

Eva is a brilliantly delicious and dark new record from Church Of The Sea, goths and doomsters take heed. 8/10

Braveride - The Great Awakening (Rockshots Records)

Braveride is a band formed by guitarist/composer/lyricist/orchestrator Marios Christakis in 2004 in Kastoria, Western Macedonia Greece. Fun fact: my wife is also from Kastoria so it was a major suprise to me seeing, that there was such a long established metal band from the city. More importantly a metal band who are actually right up my street with the style of metal that they play.

Braveride are a symphonic power metal and have released three albums previous with various memberships but on their 2025 release, their fourth, Marios is joined by Brazilian vocalist Marcello Vieira, Greek drummer Antonis Gerogiorgos and Italian bassist Wolf De Iuliis, with these men in place, The Great Awakening is the most evolved form of Braveride's style, inspired by Blind Guardian, Angra and most prominently Rhapsody (Of Fire).

All of the Braveride albums are concept records the sword and sorcery saga that takes from Marios' love of Warhammer and D&D, this fourth release continuing the storylines that have driven the previous records but with a bigger cinematic impact than before, utilising additional bass from Grigoris Giarellis and soprano vocals from Gabby Koss on Temple Of The Unholy, The Gate and Gionis.

As the acoustic beginnings of Twilight sets the folksy, fantasy tone The Great Awakening is built on epic tracks such as Nightmares Are Real, full throated vocals, layered choral backing and virtuoso guitar playing while Souls Are Marching comes from the more theatrical side of a band like this. Delfekor has some emotive strings at the beginning before unleashing into galloping Euro power metal.

I will definitely be delving into the Braveride back catalogue on the strength of The Great Awakening. Cinematic power metal inspired by the greats and attaining a similar level of excellence with their latest vision. 9/10

Nightsteel - Nightsteel (Cosmic Fire Records)

I've reviewed this album before, I wasn't sure then if it was an A.I band as there was no information about them. However I was quicky corrected as Nightsteel a very much a real band and with the advent of a record label their whole story can be told. Inspired by 80's metal they former in 2022 by bassist Bill Sam who brought drummer Mike Foudotos.

As Bill wrote songs he enlisted Travis Wills of Crimson Glory to sing but he only managed to complete five tracks on the album so Craig Cairns (Tailgunner), Rob Lundgren (Reveal) and Mauro Elias sing on the rest of the tracks with Jasmine M playing guitar and keys as Igor Paspalj adding some solos.

So a bit of mish-mash of a line up but the results speak for themselves as I'd you're a fan of the more Teutonic (German) style of 80's heavy metal you'll be playing Nightsteel at full volume with your broadsword in the air. Last time I mentioned that the production was a little all over the place and that is still the case, the songs feel a little like they are a collection of singles than an album.

That's a personal thing from a mixing perspective and it has got a few dud lyrics but that's part of the fun. Mostly though this debut album is still as fun as I remember it. Classic heavy metal from a Greek band finding their feet. 7/10

Chestcrush - Ψυχοβγάλτης (Self Released)

Chestcrush...yeah that's about right. Ψυχοβγάλτης (Soul Extractor) is the second album from this Greek extreme metal crew. It's a vile, bludgeoning, sludge of brutal nihilistic death metal, riffs come in a flurry of highly distorted suffocating riffs, relentless blasts and vocals that are blood curdling.

The songs though don't do anything simplistic, these are complex arrangements of extreme metal, as death metal chugs are joined by blasts of glacial black metal on I Shall Be Devoured By The Offspring Of Our Own Flesh. Chestcrush are inspired by the horrors of the world and within the psyche and they make music that is horrific and crushing to listen to.

Tracks such as the claustrophobic Existence Of Punishment or the sledgehammer beating that Every Single Word That Comes Out Of Your Filthy Hole Is An Infectious Lie Spreading Disease (say that 10x fast) gives you.

Chestcrush live up to their billing, smothering music for unhinged mind, it's like a hydraulic press in aural form. 8/10