Reviews: Styx, Temptress, Cordyceps, Lowdown (Rich Piva, Spike, Mark Young & Matt Bladen)

Styx - Circling From Above (Universal Music) [Rich Piva]

A new Styx album in 2025 and I have zero expectations going in, but album number 18, Circling From Above, is a solid effort from this version of the band, incorporating a lot of what Styx has done well since they formed in 1972. We get some proggy bits, some great harmonized vocals, some really good playing, and some of their best songwriting in a while. You also get an old guy band sounding like an old guy band and a couple throw away tracks, but hey, seriously, a solid new Styx album in 2025 so we can deal with the minuses when there are some solid pluses.

You still get a bunch of the key members on Circling From Above, so it is still a Styx album for sure, unlike some other older bands with only one or two (or zero) original members. The opening three tracks brings proggy goodness with the harmonies mentioned and a very, very clean sound; an enjoyable start for sure. King Of Love is some nice modern classic rock with great vocals and nice guitar work from Tommy Shaw. 

At certain points on Circling From Above Styx sounds like The Who. Sometimes it works, like my favorite track, the rocker We Lost The Wheel Again. It is uncanny. Sometimes not so much, on the sappy Forgive, which at points sounds like Roger Daltrey singing around some Beatles-esqe harmonies, which sounds better than it is. That one is a bit much. 

Speaking of The Beatles, Everyone Raise A Glass is a fun little ditty that will remind you of the Fab Four. So will She Knows, but that one is not as memorable. The most Styx song on this Styx album is Ease Your Mind, and it is one of the better tracks of the 13 on the record.

My rating is relative to this being a new Styx album in 2025, not compared to other albums I have given 7s to, but Styx fans should find a bunch of stuff to enjoy on Circling From Above, a worthy effort from a band five decades plus in. 7/10

Temptress – Catch The Endless Dawn (Dying Victims Productions) [Spike]

Catch The Endless Dawn unfolds like a dusty fairytale sung under a blood-red moon. Italy’s Temptress demand patience. You settle in, and their dream-metal world unfolds gently, luxuriantly, almost hypnotically until you realise you’ve been riding the current for forty magical, melancholy minutes.

The album opens with the sweeping two‑parter Beneath The Waves Of Fantasia / Breathe The Dust Of Time, where ambient synth and echoing soundscape give way to graceful, galloping riffage that balances elegance with a slow build of tension. It’s a strong opening gesture, gentle but purposeful, pulling you into this dreamy realm without juggling obvious hooks.

From there, Dream Metal stretches across seven minutes in classic slow-to-mid tempo gallops. It’s melodic but never sugary; thoughtful without sacrificing scope. There’s restraint and emotion in the grooves, with vocals carrying a wistful weight, it’s nostalgia wrapped in steel. Woman Of The Dark sharpens the focus. More riff-driven, a bit darker, with that kind of melancholy riff that burrows into your brain. Yet it remains refined, the kind of melody that lingers without feeling forced.

The title track brings a shift: slower, yet stately, its chorus soaring and grand, the kind of bridge you’d want in a late‑night drive on a coastal road. It’s less sting, more expansive longing. Awake The Enchanter mixes chuggy majesty with whispered interludes mid‑song, injecting a bit of spectral drama. Fears Like Towers brings a proper banshee cry and guitarwork that cuts clean and delivers mid-tempo pulse and gothic swagger. 

Nightflight Over Dreamland is a highlight for pacing: a near-instrumental that rides locomotive basslines, mid-tempo rhythm, and rising tension toward a crescendo. It is beautifully placed as the penultimate piece. Finally, closer She’s Cold combines classic heavy riffs and melodic bridge sections, ending the album with subtle build and cinematic flair.

Production feels lush yet organic, the vocals are warm and expressive, drums punch softly but firmly, and guitars feel full-bodied without feeling plastic. It’s polished on purpose, but never clinical, just refined enough to let every melody and riff register. This one reveals itself with repeated listens. It’s not immediate violence or outright aggression and it doesn’t need to be. Temptress craft an emotional, evocative world where heaviness meets melancholy in slow-motion grace.

A cinematic metal dream for head-nodding twilight drives and late-night reflection. It doesn’t grab you instantly but once it does, it stays with you. 8/10

Cordyceps - Hell Inside (Unique Leader Records) [Mark Young]

So, in an effort to change things around from a review perspective I’m starting with my closing statement first. In essence if you love brutal death metal, and I mean that soul crushing style where it feels like your head has been placed in a mechanical press and its slowly being ratcheted up then I have no doubt that this should be one of your purchases this year. From satisfying a particular standpoint Cordyceps do that completely, it is 44 minutes of aggravated assault with intent to maim and it is the sort of release that could settle any death metal game of Top Trumps.

But…

From a personal view I’m not quite taken with it. On paper I should absolutely love Cordyceps, Its savage, nasty, full to brim with superhuman drumming and riffs and sounds fantastic at the same time. The drumming is just something else and probably does most of the heavy lifting here, providing the foundation and direction for the riffs to follow. The problem is that after one song they have boxed themselves into a corner and then provide variations on that theme for the remaining tracks that follow. 

Once you get past that initial blast that is the opener Filth and make no mistake it is a blast. They ramp up and then don’t let go with primal riffing and that aforementioned drumming that is achieving God Tier status. My issue is that the following songs rumble past without sounding any different. It is likely that I am suffering from going beyond saturation point in terms of death metal and that lately there have been few releases that are saying anything new and are pretty content to recycle or rehash material that you recognise from the early 90’s. 

Hell Inside doesn’t have that problem, it is unique in and amongst itself but doesn’t have the necessary variance from one song to another to make it stand out for me. One of the things about reviewing for this site is that we get new releases in a timely manner so that our reviews hit (for the most part) on release day. I failed in that I have been unable to find the right way of saying that it’s a bit boring. I couldn’t give you a standout track, but I will say right now that it has some of the most destructive drumming you will hear on any album this year. 6/10

Lowdown – Alpha Omega (Damage Records) [Matt Bladen]

With the pinched harmonic drive, heavy groove riffs of Black Label Society and Pantera, Hertfordshire band Lowdown deliver their debut slab of heavy as they look towards playing the New Blood Stage at Bloodstock Festival. Released via Damage Records, Alpha Omega is the culmination of a few years works as the band came together not long after the pandemic and it’s written with the idea that it’s humanity that defines its own legacy all beginnings and endings, start and return to us, from philosophical musings to the way people treat each other.

Much of this album froths with bile about your fellow man, the vocals from bandleader Dave Runham, filled with Anselmo-like venom, though M.O.A.B gets a bit more of shout. The leads have that Dimebag/Zakk Wylde love of widdly bits and dirty grooves. Runham and Ant Pinnell handle the downtuned guitars for the record while the heavy hitting bottom end is rounded out by Kev Smart (bass) and Richard Emms (drums). 

I’ll admit there’s not much variation to what Lowdown do, it’s very much Pantera or Black Label Society, though there’s also a few mentions of Alter Bridge but that’s really only on Wretched Town and Sleep. Bookened by an Intro and an Outro, Alpha Omega is a tower of aggression and groove riffs, it’s nothing new or nuanced but it’ll get your head banging, and I'm sure at Bloodstock it guaranteed to grab some punters into the tent. 6/10

Review: Adfeilion - Rhyfelwyr (Matt Bladen)

Adfeilion - Rhyfelwyr (Aonair Records)



Take a trip with me into the wooded glades, misty mountains and ethereal realms of Adfeilion. The Bloodstock Metal To The Masses South Wales 2025 winners, have cleverly launched their sophomore album before they take to the New Blood stage at Bloodstock. So this gives you a week to get to grips with the band before they will enthral you the same way they did the Patti Pavillion this year. Categorized as Post Folk Metal, Adfeilion sealed their place at Bloodstock amongst a very tight set of finalists by not only being a terrific live act but also being the most culturally and spiritually Welsh band on the bill, theirs is music that has been carried down through the age of Arthur Pendragon (famously Welsh) until the present day, the melodies of tales long past evolved into the music of today.

Rhyfelwyr which translates to 'warriors' is a triumphal journey through captivating soundscapes as this five piece teach anyone who may not know what Post Folk Metal is, what it can be. Devoid of vocals, except for lilting spoken word at the end of Sanctuary to welcome the final part of the album. Any sort of singing is never really needed on this record as they tell these epic and fanciful tales through their music. The use of synths being especially prominent as they are used to encapsulate many different instruments, from wind instruments such as flutes and pipes, to synths and piano and also strings and atmospherics that make up the 'folk' trappings that are so prominent to what Adfeilion do.

The acoustic guitar too proves to be a key instrument to the Adfeilion approach, it is used to craft a broader sound, drawing the metallic moments back to a place of elemental beauty, the repeating/layered beginning of The Hallowed Glade a great example before the heaviness erupts into a powerful chug, it also brings emotion to the beginning of The Woad King, before this cascades into some soaring electric guitar and strings as the heaviness drops again against more acoustics, there’s a sense of loss and darkness on The Woad King which takes a central role on the album, it’s also the only track, I think, that has electronic and acoustic drums.

On the other hand a track such as Altar Of The Oak, has the brooding bass driven persistence of Megadeth right up until that omnipresent acoustic guitar takes the shape of a mandolin, like the synths using modern technology to flesh out the instrumental usage on this record as there’s what I think is a jaw harp which evolves towards some atmospheric progging that is in the territory of both Yes and The Ocean, if that makes any sense at all, it’s an undulating, brooding piece which shapes the heavier output of Adfeilion. The myriad of instruments on Rhyfelwyr, all build like the bricks to a house from the ground up until the whole piece just jumps out of the speakers at you.

Taranis has immediacy to it beginning with a drum pattern from Over The Hills And Far Away, some expansive percussion and even some body and fretboard tapping from the acoustic player the undulating riffs seeping into the next track Dawn Breaker, the most metallic of the songs on this album, putting some rhythmic doom alongside pipes, you can certainly hear the post-metal elements come through when they lock into repeating grooves on a track like Dawn Breaker. Sanctuary however goes down another route with a lot of Iron Maiden gallops in the main body, like the more serpentine, elongated Maiden of today.

Adfeilion are an enigma, each album, each song, is a story, telling mythic, epic tales drawn from the cultural past of the Celtic nations, weaving folklore with history through audio cinematics. Adfeilion to me anyway, have a lot of influences from the works of Mike Oldfield, the way they build their music through repetition, instruments you wouldn’t always associate with ‘metal’ and their strong link to folk and traditional music means that they stand out on any stage. Rhyfelwyr shows them at full power, each virtuoso performance captured brilliantly as they create a tale that will take them down more complex roads and stages across the country. 9/10

Rhyfelwyr comes out 1st of August, so I suggest you pick up the album in readiness to see them take to the stage at TGR 16 from The Green Rooms, Treforest on the actual release date and then on the New Blood Stage Saturday 9th August at Bloodstock Festival. 

Reviews: Honeymoon Suite, Roulette, Hearts On Fire, First Light (Matt Bladen)

Honeymoon Suite - Wake Me Up When The Sun Goes Down (Frontiers Music Srl)

AOR on the whole is about nostalgia, bands trying to recapture the genre’ glory days of the 80’s and pre-grunge 90’s, even in the modern era, the bands who are the most popular effortlessly fuse the melodic rock of that era with modern production. Honeymoon Suite are OG’s (as the kids say formed by vocalist Johnnie Dee in 1981, he was joined by Derry Greham on guitars, Dave Betts on drums and Gary LaLonde on bass. The Canadian band experienced immediate success taking home numerous accolades throughout the decade, including being featured in number of shows and movies, there was turmoil in the 90’s but in the early 2000’s Peter Nunn joined on keys and this line up is the one that stands up today. 

Post pandemic they have hit a bit of purple patch along with producer and co-writer Mike Krompass, who has worked with Steven Tyler, Theory Of A Deadman and Smash Mouth, returning with their eighth album Alive only a couple of years ago, but this record was much faster in production again working with Krompass, they’ve released a melodic rock album that doesn’t really do nostalgia, yeah there’s nods to contemporaries such as Def Leppard on Stay This Time, but a lot of this record is very modern, like American FM radio rock of today. 

Tracks such as Every Minute, Way Too Fast, Crazy Life and Live On, feel as if they’ve come from the early-mid 2000’s similar to Nickelback, Theory Of A Deadman et al than any of the 80’s AOR greats. Not that there’s anything wrong with that but after a long time, it may alienate some that they’re going a bit too modern on this record. Still it’s a band in their 40th year staying relevant so you can’t hold that against them, I just like a little more nostalgia. 7/10

Roulette - Go! (Black Lodge)

With all the focus on the new wave of Scandinavian bands playing melodic rock and AOR it's often easy to overlook the bands who have been there since the beginning, formed in 1985 in Sundsvall, Sweden Roulette have been one of the leading lights in the Swedish AOR scene since then drawing comparisons to Bryan Adams, Bon Jovi and Def Leppard (Better, Walk Away), all of which appear here but I'd also say there's a lot of Graham Bonnet in there too, in the vocals especially. 

They, like so many bands from the 80's era have had multiple road blocks put in their way, a name change, a failed record deal and then a proper reformation under the Roulette name in 2015, releasing 'comeback' record Now! in 2019. With much critical acclaim for that one, the train was firmly back on the tracks and with a successful headline tour in 2022 it was time to record again, the result being Go! A new record of slick, melodic rock with a blues base (Don't Be Sorry). 

The melodies are riddled with hooks, the choruses are huge and the performances befitting a band celebrating their 40th anniversary this year. With anthemic moments such as Answer To My Prayers and We Remember You and strutting rockers such as Strangers and Brand New Start, the guitars ring out with passion, the keys layering the atmosphere, the rhythm section thick and boisterous as the vocals have a grit and power perfect for precision AOR. 

Bands such as H.E.A.T and Eclipse owe their existence to the scene Roulette and Europe created so it's no wonder then why there's plenty to love on Go! if you're a fan of those bands. Spin the wheel, this record always lands on red! 7/10

Hearts On Fire – Signs & Wonders (Pride & Joy Music)

Seven years since their debut Hearts On Fire pull out the big guns by recruiting Mark Boals as their singer, having sung for Yngwie Malmsteen, Ring Of Fire and Royal Hunt amongst many others, melodic rock is very much his wheelhouse and with Boals behind the mic, Hearts On Fire show they mean business on their second album. Add to this that they’ve also brought in Dennis Ward (Pink Cream 69, Magnum) on bass and mixing/mastering duties, there’s a definite shift in what Silent Tiger/Sound Of Eternity guitarist and band founder Jean Funes wants from Hearts On Fire. On the debut he brought in Silent Tiger bandmate Joel Mejía for the drums, he sticks around for this follow up by Khymera/The Babys man Eric Ragno takes the keys further solidifying that Hearts On Fire are trying to mature their sound. 

So what does Signs & Wonders sound like? Well it’s a more insistent, heavier record than their debut, the impact of Boals can be felt on the first song, as that melodic rock/power metal history shows through, as he effortlessly lets loose on opener Signs In The Sky, the driving gallop of Ward’s bass featured on the rage against the modern day of Collective Mind before they get back to AOR on Lights And Shadows and the ballad Stay In This Moment. Funes’ guitar playing is brilliant, you can feel every bit of his soul come through on interlude Blood Moon before the rock revs up again for Eleventh Hour, his production giving everyone equal room to impress as Ward provides that ‘big’ mix he’s got nailed after many years, just listen to Restless Heart. 

Signs & Wonders is the sound of band having a re-brand, if you read about them you’ll see that Funes thought their debut album was better than his previous Sound Of Eternity project he was part of, well I’d hazard a guess that with high profile featured members joining, he’s trying to better the debut with a more rounded, version of this new band. I’d say mission accomplished as this album is full of Signs & Wonders that point to greatness. 8/10

First Light – Elemental (Pride & Joy Music)

Produced by Pete Newdeck (Vega) and mastered Harry Hess (Harem Scarem), First Light are British based AOR band who came together during the pandemic over the interweb as friends Dave Hardman (guitar) and Carl Sharples (bass), indulged in their love of AOR/melodic rock inspired by bands such as FM, Giant, Foreigner and Journey, recorded and written digitally as Dave lives in Spain and Carl in the UK, there’s a tightness in this record, it feels collaborative despite being composed across different screens as vocalist Warren Passaro is a New York native while Brit Andy Jakeman takes up the drum sticks. 

It’s a record brimming with talent and a love for this style of music, slick and soulful there’s plenty of go in the rhythms and emotion in the lyrics while the keys/synths/organs are provided by certified AOR legend Didge Digital of FM, bringing a sense of Styx on Mesmerising. His inclusion shows that despite being a band who formed remotely there’s a lot of history between the two founders and the UK melodic rock scene. On the back of their mini album, the heat was on to make sure this debut full length was just as good and they’ve managed to knock it out of the park.

With singalong such as Dammed If You Do, Dammed If You Don’t, the nostalgic Forever Young, the dramatic Mayday which feels a bit like Asia, while the Americanisms come on strong for ballad Leave A Light On. Elemental will be a treat for AOR fans as it’s a record with a strong lineage to the AOR and UK AOR in particular, buried in the blues/soul but wrapped up in lacquered guitar driven sound, Elemental is a strong debut. 8/10

Reviews: Joe Bonamassa, Beheaded, Iron Spell, Eight Lives Down (Matt Bladen)

Joe Bonamassa - Breakthrough (J&R Adventures)

Album number seventeen from Joe Bonamassa but that's of course only half of the story as along with seventeen solo albums he also records under various guises with Black Country Communion, Rock Candy Fun Party, Beth Hart, countless guest spots as well as, tours that never seem to stop (except in January), running his own label, a cruise and does all of this as an independent artist. 

So you could say the 48 year old is a busy guy but it's with his solo records he's gained the following he has today. Most of his record follow similar formats, they either contain all originals a mix of originals and covers or they're all covers, but his influences have shifted and grown with every release, evolving from a fairly straight blues rock style into an artists who can rock as heavy as Zep, prog like Floyd and blues like those Chicago/Detroit greats, the record have been fleshed out to fit his live presentation with brass, backing vocals, as Bonamassa takes the role of band leader as well as being a hot shot guitarist and dynamite singer.

The experiments on previous records come to fruition here with 10 tracks of global bluesing, recorded across Los Angeles, Nashville, and Greece with longtime producer Kevin 'Caveman' Shirley (Iron Maiden), as keyboardist Reese Wynans and guitarist Josh Smith re-join the recording group, there’s a shuffle and swagger to opener Breakthrough, a blueprint blues rocker if there ever was one all organ stabs and solos while Trigger Finger adds that Black Country Communion rock n roll edge, while I’ll Take The Blame brings it back to the more traditional blues again, imbued with some soul and those backing vocals. Three songs in and we’ve got many of the facets of the Joey Bones musical palette, the first slow burn coming on Broken Record, a track which has the gospel/soul influences of a live show stopper as the pace returns on You Don’t Own Me.

Breakthrough is a record where a lot of Bonamassa’s musical are rife, his ability to pack them all together and keep a record consistent is extremely skilful but this record seems to be his most personal from the lyrics, stories of resilience, doubt and hope packed into 10 tracks with all the talent you’d expect. 8/10

Beheaded - Għadam (Agonia Records)

Maltese death metal is not a phrase you hear too often but Beheaded are a band who have won awards in the past so could probably be considered to be leaders in that particular field. On their new album Għadam they explore the folklore and beliefs of their island through nine tracks of superior death metal that brings to mind Kataklysm, Rotting Christ and Behemoth, the technicality of their earlier brutal death metal phase still there with Ix-Xjaten Ta' Mohhi but with this new record they spread their wings creatively adding more melodic elements alongside some black metal inspiration too. 

So while they may not slam as hard, this evolution means they can fully realise the more conceptual nature of this record. Inspired by books from Maltese horror author Anton Grasso, each track is tilted after a book and in a major step they have recorded the album in Maltese, the first death metal band to do so. The folklore and traditional elements alongside the focus on horror theming does mean that the album has an ominous presence to it, especially as even if you can make out the lyrics (which are growled expertly) you have to work out what the themes and meanings behind the songs are, if you don't speak Maltese anyway. 

It means that with Għadam you have to do a bit more digging for meaning, of course if you don't want to do that then you have a record that sees Beheaded take a route down a more expansive path than brutal death metal. Għadam takes risks which ultimately will see the band gain a bigger following outside of Malta. Folklore, superstition and blastbeats, what else could you want? 7/10

Iron Spell – From The Grave (Dying Victims Promotions)

Classic heavy metal from Santiago Chile now as Iron Spell return with their second album of speed/NWOBHM straight out of South America. A few false starts but with an EP behind them, the band led by drummer composer Felipe Carvajal made their live debut in 2014 and have been spreading riffs across their home country since then, releasing their first full length in 2014, which had a guest spot from Ritchie Faulkner, but it’s with their new album that they look to take their occult/horror-tinged heavy metal to a wider audience, with German label Dying Victims Promotions behind them. 

Taking from the best of the 80’s this record is brimming with sleazy riffs, shrieking vocals, twin axe harmonies and the full expression of what made heavy metal great in the 80’s, filled with horror themes there’s plenty here for true metal fans to love. Be it the spooky Mercyful Fate-like moments such as Children Of The Night or Release From Darkness, the glammy Curse Of The Ushers or the melodic Preist-esque power of While Witches Dance through the Maiden grooves of Whispers Of Sorrow and Devil King, From The Grave encapsulates the entire decade of heavy metal as soundtrack to a horror movie that doesn’t yet exist. 

The mood is set with atmospherics and interludes but what you’ll stick around for are the rapid fire assaults, the strutting grooves and a set of lungs that are filled with power and remind me a bit of Hammerfall’s singer. Iron Spell step up everything they started on their debut with this second record, classic metal fans and spook lovers rejoice as Iron Spell, like Joan Crawford have returned From The Grave (BOC Fans?). 8/10

Eight Lives Down – Fates (Self Released)

Apparently this album is for fans of System Of A Down, Rage Against The Machine and Faith No More, well it certainly has the breakneck shifts in tone and rhythm, calling it progressive thrash/groove, is quite apt, however the issue they have is that their singer is no Serj or Mike Patton, she attempts it a few times but that never quite carries off. 

This international acts features members from Greece, New Zealand France and Poland but they now based in other parts of world and as such draw from Greek zeibekiko and Brazilian forró along with thrash, groove, punk and NWOBHM, Dan Baune (perhaps the modern day flagbearer of this sound producing). The band have also played with Scardust and Noa Gruman’s Hellscore choir appears on an alternate version of The Process Of Dying.

So they have a lot of friends in reasonably high places and while I’m a fan of the music, the guitar playing especially, I just don’t find much else interesting, it’s a bit to schizophrenic and the vocals are especially grating after just a few songs, maybe others will find something good here but I find Fates too frenzied and just not very fun to listen to. 4/10

Reviews: Dephosphorus, Scorched Earth, Actus Septem, Synteleia (Matt Bladen)

Dephosphorus - Planetoktonos (7Degrees Records/Nerve Altar/Selfmadegod Records)

Unleashing cosmic energy powerful enough to destroy solar systems, Greek extreme metal act Dephosphorus throw their lot in to the increasing power of A.I on their new record Planetoktonos. Roughly translated to 'planet killer' the album is inspired by the "anarchic utopia imagined by Iain M. Banks in The Culture books" where humanity and technology coexists, while they also spin this through a darkened lense as the threat of rogue A.I gets stronger every day.

They match science/cosmology with existentialism/politics, with plenty of literary influences coming from the Expanse novel series by James S.A. Corey, a number of tracks gain inspiration from this series including the title track. Lyrically and thematically the band have a very high level of accomplishment, dealing with very large concepts surrounding the nature of humanity.

However unless you really listen you'll miss anything they have to say as the vocals often are indecipherable, I think they may be in Greek and English however as they sound like they're being performed while the singer was being asphyxiated I can't actually tell you. I'm not sure why they decided on this style but this is their fifth album so I assume it's how they want to sound.

The music side full of energetic menace, I guess you could call it blackened technical grindcore as Dephosphorus bludgeon and batter with death and grindcore groves but then their ominous passages of electronics and a general malaise in the way it's recorded that provides a raw, woozy sound to the whole record. This is an interesting release however the vocals do dampen it for me. 6/10

Scorched Earth - Bloodspill EP (Self Released)

To my mind Bloodspill, the debut EP from Scorched Earth feels like Children Of Bodom meets Lamb Of God. The Patras based band are relatively new to the scene but already have very defined sound. The six tracks here have a lot of groove metal chugging in the riff sections (Descension) but that lead guitarist loves to play solos and widdly bits, leaving room for plenty of air guitar.

Bloodspill creates a union of stomping aggression and melodic dexterity, 80's influences run rampant on Origins while the likes of Pantera show up on Groundhog Day, as they slow everything they do right down. The performances are strong with every track worth a listen for me though the dynamics of Six Feet Under and the creeping Slayer-like title track work the best in showing what Scorched Earth can do. A good debut EP from a relatively new band with lots of potential. 7/10

Actus Septem - The Bleeding (Fatres Records)

Blackened Doom from Lamia/Athens now with Actus Septem a sibling trio who have been around since 2016. Constionf of the brothers Moschos, Giorgos (vocals), Nick (guitar/drums) and E (guitars) the trio are joined by Kostis Prassas on bass (and production) to create this second full length record, their first new music since 2021.

So what sort of music is it? Well very comparable to many in the Hellenic Extreme metal scene, the black metal tremolos are raging over blasting drums, then things switch into propulsive grooves built on repetition. So there's heavy tips of the hat to Rotting Christ and Varathron but also Nightfall and our own Paradise Lost on tracks such as Lord Unveiled and Absent. Embracing their countries metallic history, Actus Septem style true to their roots with this second record. 7/10

Synteleia - Sands Of Madness (Metal Throne Productions)

Taking it back to the 90's again is the melancholic, blackened sounds of Synteleia. Agonising background screams and snarling vocals your definitely taken back in time to the those savage early days of the Hellenic Extreme scene, much like Funeral Storm who they have collaborated with in the past, they use atmospherics to invoke the the dark side, expanding their soundscapes from just being straight ahead black metal.

Lyrically inspired by the occult, the devil and dark ones, their logo even taking the form of a pentagram, they are another band from the Hellenic scene who follow the Left Hand Path as they unleash waves of trem picking and blast beats often shifting into mid-pace chugs with tracks such as Thou My Vice. A four track stopgap between albums that keeps the heathen flame of Synteleia burning. 7/10

Reviews: Bruce Dickinson, Agropelter, Mass Deception, KillJoy (Matt Bladen)

Bruce Dickinson - More Balls To Picasso (BMG)

Bruce Dickinson released one solo album (Tattooed Millionaire) before be left Iron Maiden, but it was really his second album that cemented him as a voice that could exist away from the Maiden Motherhship. Named Balls To Picasso, it was a record where the clever play on words in the title, his a record of what have become some of Dickinson's most well known tracks including Tears Of The Dragon which made waves internationally after the original albums release. Recorded with Roy Z and his Band Of Gypsies, the record was good but the production of Shay Baby didn't quite pack the punch latter records did due to the technology of the time.

So now we get to More Balls To Picasso, while mixing his solo catalogue into Dolby Atmos, Dickinson decided to reinvent his second album, giving it more! Shay Baby provided notes to remixer Brendan Duffey to give it a modern 'louder' mix but that's not all as these songs are reinvented, the vocals haven't changed or been altered in any way it's the Air Raid Siren in fine mid 90's from but there's bigger guitars riffs, coming from Philip Naslund, adding layers to the rhythms and Adassi Addasi joins Tears Of The Dragon.

The remix and the added guitars means that these heavy rockers such as Hell No, 1000 Points Of Light and Gods Of War, get heavier but they also get much more dynamic. Brazilian Antonio Teoli is brought in to compose some orchestral arrangements to further heighten the listening experience of this revitalised record, adding indigenous instruments on Gods Of War as Shoot All The Clowns gets the horn section from Berklee College Of Music.

The quality of the songs are undeniable even a ballad Change Of Heart becomes more full, though it's Tears Of The Dragon that steals the show once again. It's a risk to try to change something that has been around for a long time but this experiment in sound has paid off in droves, the songs were always there but now they sound like they should have back then, amazing what time, money and technology can do isn't it?

If you see Dickinson on his up coming tour I'd assume there's safe bet a few of these songs will be played so More Balls To Picasso is this legendary singer reclaiming his history and repainting his first masterpiece. 9/10

Agropelter - The Book Of Hours (The Lasers Edge)

Proggy, very proggy. Like Pink Floyd, King Crimson, Camel, Gabriel Genesis proggy. Though there's a piano section that comes from a Meat Loaf's Objects In The Rearview Mirror, but I digress as the rest of the album is the creation and creative outlet for of Kay Olsen who plays guitars, bass guitar, Hammond organ, ARP synthesizers, church organ, the analogue sounds of Minimoog's, Taurus bass pedals, searing single chord guitar solos and much more coming from Kay who formed but band.

There's additional skill from White Willow's Mattias Olsson (percussion, overdubs, Mellotron, atmosphere), The Flower King's Jonas Reingold on fretless bass and Umpfel's Andreas Skorpe Sjøen on drums along with a whole host of classical musicians playing everything from alto flute, to harpsichord, duduk to double bass. So it's a pretty virtuoso line up playing multi-layered progressive rock, three main tracks with a four part suite to end.

It's that final suite where the record really gets into it's prog grooves, a flowing, journey through the ethereal as all the players combine their skills the crossover between traditional rock instruments and the classical ones, that are so often a part of the Scandi prog scene, is brilliant the mix and mastering of Jacob Holm-Lupo giving it all a brightness and warmth of the vinyl era. The Book Of Hours is a record that progs on every page. 7/10

Mass Deception - Resurrections (Gruesome Records) [Matt Bladen]

10 years into playing thrash metal and Mass Deception have gone through plenty of members but have also managed to deliver three previous albums with Resurrections being their fourth full length release as they has an EP in 2022.

This new album is fourth chapter of a saga that stared with their debut and it's a snarling, slab of thrash metal which reminded a me a lot of Megadeth (Menticide) and Testament, the latter on Ruins Of Domination or Blue Flame Of Anger, the NWOBHM influence cutting through on 1984. Now this record is 14 songs long but they use some interludes and short songs that take them further into the hardcore side of thrash.

Members hail from bands such as like Asphyx, God Dethroned, Cirith Gorgor, and Inhume, so there's a veteran amount of talent here as Mass Deception is a way for them to play some unabashed heavy metal, no technical wizardry or studio trickery, just making metal. Druids Descendents takes it into folk realms really making a left turn form the rest of the album but mostly were in thrash territory.

For fans of Megadeth, Slayer, Testament, Resurrections brings thrash back loud and lairy. 7/10

KillJoy - Dream and Violence (Mottow Soundz)

Brussels duo KillJoy release their debut album Dream And Violence on Mottow Soundz, they're comprised of guitarist Kilian Naofs and drummer Joachim Poitevin and look to create music that clashes and connects. 

Using music as a method for catharsis, fusing the emotion of screamo, with plenty of electro on Violence Cookie, some rapid fire rap vocals on My Defender, psychedelic quirkiness on Poker With God or Darkness, this record is a mish-mash of styles though none of them really catch me.

I don't mind this record, there's talent in these two men that comes through by the varied styles on the record, but it's not for me. 5/10

Reviews: Blind Equation, Gods Of Tomorrow, Sorceröt, Tallboy (Spike & Matt Bladen)

Blind Equation – A Funeral In Purgatory (Prosthetic Records) [Spike]

Chicago’s Blind Equation returns with A Funeral In Purgatory, a record that feels like it’s constantly on the edge of digital collapse. Equal parts cybergrind, emotional hardcore, and synth-drenched goth, this is an album that screams, weeps, and glitches its way through grief and inner torment.

This Eternal Curse sets the tone immediately. All fractured drums, pitched-up chiptune hysteria, and shrieked vocals tearing holes through a synth-scape. It’s fast, volatile, and emotionally feral. That tension doesn’t really let up across the record, but it does twist and mutate. Nothing and I Feels Like The End (featuring JOHNNASCUS) land like sonic panic attacks, saturated in distortion and despair, but still melodic enough to leave hooks behind.

Flashback (with Strawberry Hospital) is the album’s emotional core, swapping chaos for eerie calm. It’s nostalgic, glitchy, and heart-wrenching, capturing the dissonance of memory and loss with disarming clarity. At the other end of the spectrum, tracks like A Funeral… and Incomplete bury you under static and digital detritus. Even the short interludes like ⁺‧₊˚ ཐི⋆✟⋆ཋྀ ˚₊‧⁺ and Still serve more as haunted breathing spaces than proper relief.

The production is sharp and deliberate. The glitchy aggression is balanced by moments of real vulnerability, and McHenry’s willingness to lay himself bare emotionally and sonically gives the album serious weight. It’s not just chaos for its own sake; it’s chaos as a form of catharsis.

A Funeral In Purgatory isn’t easy listening, but it’s fiercely committed to its vision. In the crowded world of extreme electronic metal, Blind Equation stands apart — vulnerable, venomous, and very much alive. 8/10

Gods Of Tomorrow - Gods Of Tomorrow (Wormholedeath) [Matt Bladen]

International melodic metal band Gods Of Tomorrow look to do something like Wonders, or the countless supergroups on Frontiers do and combine all of their individual skills to create their own style of heavy metal inspired by Axel Rudi Pell, Kissin' Dynamite and countless Scandi melodic rock bands. They're also inspired by a number of Greek melodic metal bands such as Electrified.

Gods Of Tomorrow was actually founded by Electrified guitarist Konstantinos, taking the rhythm role here, he drives the riffs of track such as Dying For Your Love which takes the band more towards AOR, as does Devil's Daughter a track that's the first ballad on the record. Konstantinos takes the driving riffs, tracks such as Face The Truth and Dirt Of Society cranking out the big rock riffs.

Next to him, Konstantinos has got Thomy Gunn as his second half of the guitar duo, Gunn taking the leads as he shreds and solos showing off his skills as much as possible and that's exactly what he's there for The rhythm section of bassist Rainer Hemmelmann (bass) and drummer Cherubini (drums) get walking on the while Point Of No Return while they bring the throb to the slinky Girl From Tokyo.

Rounding out the band is vocalist Felipe Del Valle who pitches his voice right in that melodic rock sweet spot producing some brilliance on Sail Through The Seven Seas, getting a bit grittier with the title track and Fire And Ice. Gods Of Tomorrow, focus their skills on some anthemic music that is filled with hooks. A supergroup without ego and just good tunes. 7/10

Sorceröt – Rotten Magick (Naturmacht Productions) [Spike]

With Rotten Magick, Ohio’s Sorceröt unleash a snarling, myth-soaked slab of blackened death metal that’s as ritualistic as it is relentless. Across eight tracks and just over 36 minutes, they conjure something grimy yet atmospheric like being dragged through the mud at a sacrificial altar under a blood moon.

It opens with Nightmare Cauldron, which doesn’t so much introduce the album as it does slam a cursed tome onto the table. Guitars swarm like locusts, drums thunder with a tribal pulse, and the vocals land somewhere between invocation and exorcism. It doesn’t chase your attention, it grabs it by the throat. 

Elsewhere, tracks like In The Cedar Forest Of Humbaba stretch into more epic terrain without losing that suffocating menace. The use of myth gives the album a weird, ancient energy, while Sorcerer Of Red Death brings things back to more frantic, caustic territory. This is two minutes of twisted fury.

Lost In The Realm Of Frost slows things into a frozen haze, the kind of atmospheric drag that makes you feel trapped in some cursed tundra. And then there’s The Rats Dance At Ravengard, which is just filthy, a pestilent, grinding groove track that sounds like it was recorded inside a crumbling tomb. Closer Dragonriders Ascend ends the record with a triumphant, almost cinematic feel, like the curtain’s falling on some grim fantasy epic. It’s the most melodic track here but still soaked in menace. There are no happy endings here, just survival. The production balances murk and muscle: raw enough to feel authentic, tight enough not to lose detail. And for an album rooted in death and decay, it never loses momentum.

Rotten Magick is a ritual in eight parts, gnarled, grim, and oddly transportive. It's not trying to reinvent the genre, but it’s fully committed to its craft: a soundtrack for summoning something that probably shouldn’t be summoned. 8/10

Tallboy - House Of Glass (Self Released) [Matt Bladen]

The UK alt-metal sound has become some of a genre all of itself, there are now many bands favouring that style of metalcore/post-hardcore that comes with a hefty dose of electronics. Tallboy have plenty of this going on with their debut EP House Of Glass, Insomnia takes a breakbeat backing and puts it against some speedy riffs that shift numerous times with a frenzied ferocity. 

The Cumbrian five piece employ mathcore, metalcore and those synths/samples to make a noise that’s rapid and severe, balancing right on the cutting edge as they shift from big choruses to breakdowns, the vocals having a broad range of growls, screams and cleans that remind me of A7X M. Shadows on Snake. 

What you get out of this EP depends on how much you enjoy this style of music, fans will lap it up as a bristling new entry into the modern alt-metal scene however if it’s unlikely to win you over if you’re not already on board that particular train. 6/10

Reviews: Higher Power, Atomic Witch, Mosara, Thorn (Rich Piva, Spike, Matt Bladen & GC)

Higher Power - There’s Love In This World If You Want It (Nuclear Blast Records) [Rich Piva]

Turnstile is one of the biggest bands out there right now, so there is no reason why Higher Power can’t be there too, except for issues with getting the follow up to their 2020 record 27 Miles Underwater actually out to the public to capitalize on the momentum they were able to create with that killer release. 

There’s Love In This World If You Want It is here now, in the form of a surprise release that has garnered some strong opinions on both sides of the aisle, with some hating the pop punk feel to the record, and some loving the hardcore vibes combined with all other sorts of punk influences of the 30-plus minutes of the record. I am in the latter camp, as this record rips it up, is catchy, reminds me of so much stuff I love, and is here and gone so quickly, always leaving me wanting more.

Someone said that There’s Love In This World If You Want It sounds like every pop punk band that has ever put a record out, combined. I think this was meant as a negative, but I think it is a strength of the album. Yeah, we still have the hardcore vibes, but it is pop hardcore, just like what Turnstile is really. 

Absolute Bloom opens the record up, and is catchy, bouncy, poppy, hardcore goodness, with an early Blink vibe to it. Deal with it. The hardcore vibes are stronger on Count The Miles, giving off some early AFI vibes, and boy does that make me happy. I hear bands like Billy Talent thrown around too, and all I can say is yup, I hear it, and it is fine by me. 

Breakdown!!! I have mentioned Turnstile a lot already, and how could I not with a track like All The Rage? Post hardcore/Emo vibes are strong in this one. Anyone aware of The Casket Lottery? You should be (new one soon!). How about Elliott? Well, Better has vibes from those bands and again, this makes me happy. Maybe some Brand New too. 

Two Doors Down is the heaviest track on the record, but still maintains that poppy catchiness that you get throughout There’s Love In This World If You Want It, even if it is hidden a bit more in this track. A little Get Up Kids action is what you get with Lunar Tuesday, while Kaleidoscope has a 90s alt rock vibe to it. I hear this on Wide Awake too. I love the instrumentation on this one. The closer, My Sweet Surrender, is like a combo of everything I just mentioned, with the Blink 182 doing Casket Lottery vibes, but bigger, winning out.

So yeah, I really dig Higher Power and I am so glad they are back. This is a mish mash of all sorts of punk stuff, and to me it really works. If Turnstile can have a top ten record, there is no reason why High Power can’t at last open for them and nip at their heels a bit on the strength of There’s Love In This World If You Want It. 8/10

Atomic Witch – Death Etiquette (Redefining Darkness Records) [Spike]

If your attention span is shorter than a rat’s memory, Death Etiquette has you covered. Atomic Witch waste absolutely no time: opener Morgue Rat is a blast of flesh-ripping thrash, gurgling death metal, and the kind of horror-drenched chaos that feels like it was pulled from a scratchy VHS copy of Re-Animator. It’s tight, savage, and over in less than half an hour which is long enough to scar, short enough to demand immediate re-entry.

There’s something deliciously sick about how this band merge styles without overthinking it. One minute you’re in a twisted proto-speed metal loop, the next in a full-on grind-adjacent collapse. But none of it feels stitched together. Of Flesh & Chrome lurches with a mechanical groove, like a derailed industrial train belching toxic smoke. Worms & Dirt wallows in low-end filth and dissonant leads, almost hypnotic until it isn’t. The crown jewel might be Death Edging (Come To The Light) it’s a warped centrepiece that proves Atomic Witch aren’t just about pace and panic. There’s menace here, a deliberate build of tension under all the reverb and bile. It’s the closest they come to atmospheric, and they manage it without losing the lunatic edge.

Elsewhere, Dream Rot delivers short sharp shocks, Skelecidal stumbles like a corpse on stilts, and closer Vicious Mistress signs things off with venom and glee. Even when the songs are only two minutes long, there’s a clarity of intent. This is music designed to jolt, swing wildly, and then vanish back into the smoke. Sonically, it’s sharp where it needs to be, but scuffed just enough to feel dangerous. Vocals are spat from the gut, guitars are coated in grime, and the drums punch through like a basement trapdoor slamming shut. There’s no fat, no room for indulgence, and no pretence of subtlety.

It all feels like the soundtrack to a manic late-night drive with too many flashing lights in the rear-view. You’re not sure if you’re being chased or chasing something, but the engine’s revving and the tape’s already halfway through.

Frenzied, filthy, and fun in the worst possible way. 8/10

Mosara - Rumour Of A Funeral (Remorseless Records) [Matt Bladen]

Get ready for a sludgefest from the Desert, despite being 1,522.5 miles from New Orleans, Mosara play the dankest, dirtiest, hardcore infested sludge, west of Texas. Their new album Rumour Of A Funeral is crushing, cataclysmic and also cathartic as the band describe this record as having their “blood, sweat and tears” running through it. 

Five tracks, four on the official release and 2023 single Amena added as a bonus digitally I assume, Rumour Of A Funeral, rumbles like an oncoming storm from its first moments and never lets you get comfortable. This doom at its most aggressive and angular, blackened by its forays into sludge dissonance and the vocals that never move away from being an anguished scream, it’s a redefining for the band who moved through a lot of turmoil in the creation of this record. 

It’s described in their press as “sonically remorseless” and that’s a great way to refer to this wall of noise, the four piece comprised of John (drums), Chris (bass), Nikos (guitar) and Tony (vocals/guitar) have plunged into the depths of their own despair to come up with the music here, crafting their dismay and their hardship into their most galling record in their existence. 

Originally formed in 2005 but then splitting and reformed in 2019, they have been hitting the music scene with might for a while now but Rumour Of A Funeral may just be their most accomplished album. If you want your doom, distorted and disorientating with sludge/hardcore and progressive textures then I suggest you immerse yourself in the noise of Mosara. 7/10

Thorn - Nebulous Womb Of Eternity (Transcending Obscurity Records) [GC]

A few weeks have passed since I have fawned over the latest Transcending Obscurity release so, it seems like it’s time for me to scratch that itch again, and this week it’s the turn of one-man project Thorn and his second album Nebulous Womb Of Eternity to see if the never-ending run of T.O artists can release yet another a worldie album.

There is no time to prepare yourself for charmingly titled opener Ooze Maelstrom it has a delightful savageness about it and I imagine this is what fans of Br00tal death metal actually think their music sounds like but it never does, this has all the relevant blastiness and chugging riffs but also has a clarity and preciseness to it, whadda you know BDM can actually sound decent!! 

I do almost die slightly when I see Entombed In Chrysalis is 8:26 long because that is long for most genres nevermind death metal but, it’s not actually as bad as I am expecting the pace is slower which is to be expected so lends a much more old school feel to the sound and its all done well enough but does tend to get slightly repetitive very quickly and the last 4 minutes is just a prolonged outro tacked onto the song for god knows what reason and is just a massively unnecessary way to end a song. 

Quartersawn Remains picks the pace back up and is a swampy mix of the OSDM and BDM of previous tracks which does work well and swiftly removes and feelings of annoyance from earlier, there are some slight timing issues I’m not a massive fan of but listening to the overall sound, it’s a good track. On Zombifying Mold my main issue is the lyrics don’t really seem to fit with the music and sound a bit all over the place which is also probably true of the music now I have had a re-listen, it’s just all over the place timewise and tonally and just sounds a bit muddled and messy for the most part and the enjoyment is slowly getting slightly less with each passing track now! 

Haunting Gale does re-address the balance somewhat and is chock full of chugging walls of guitars and mixed in the background is a subtle but nevertheless noticeable deathcore element that adds a bit of atmosphere to the non-stop onslaught and this really makes all the difference and expands the sonic horizon of the whole track which has come at just the right time for me as I mentioned was flagging a bit towards the end of the last track, I suppose the trick is to keep it going now and exactly the opposite happens on Gloaming Corporeal Form which is just 2 minutes of ambient space noise that an album that only has 7 tracks REALLY does not need, to include this as a track just feels like a bit of a pisstake in all honesty and re-ignites the frustration element that has been simmering away.

Here is the 7th and last track Nebulous Womb Of Eternity and its another marathon at 7:33, and as with the previous long track everything is just slowed down and a bit drawn out, I can appreciate that a band wants to try different styles, but suddenly incorporating an almost funeral doom-esque style into the album on the final track just feels a left turn the is completely unneeded and ends the album in a really disappointing and drawn out fashion.

For an album that only has 7 songs, to have one that lasts 8+ minutes 4 of which are almost just silence and to have a mid ‘album’ interlude just isn’t what I want! Nebulous Womb Of Eternity actually started out very promisingly but unfortunately just got gradually more frustrating to listen to too as it went on. In all honesty I’m not 100% sure what Thorn is trying to achieve with this album as there is no discernible direction or style and overall, it’s just a confusing and ultimately disappointing listen, a rare miss for Transcending Obscurity. 5/10

Reviews: Bush, Black Map, Haxprocess, Filth (Rich Piva, Matt Bladen, Spike & GC)

 Bush - I Beat Loneliness (earMusic) [Rich Piva]

A new Bush album has no business sounding this good in 2025, but the tenth record from the band most known for their 90s output during the grunge era (Sixteen Stone is a classic), has a really good rock album on their hands in the form of the twelve tracks on I Beat Loneliness.

Mr. Rossdale seems like he has a renewed energy at 59, as I caught their set at Welcome To Rockville back in May, and I was surprised how great Bush sounded. This is even more surprising given that I consider their live show when I saw them touring for Sixteen Stone 30 years ago one of the most boring concerts I have ever been to. Gavin was sprinting up and down the aisles in the crowd, jumping into throngs of fans, never missing a beat, even in the record hot temps (95 degrees in May!). 

During that set they also played 60 Ways To Forget People, probably the best track on I Beat Loneliness. Catchy and pretty heavy for Bush, this is an excellent example of how this record sounds. Yeah, it is very 2025, and may be overproduced some, and maybe a bit long, but this is some of the best writing and playing on a Bush record in a while. 

There is not a ton of ballad fodder on the record, with Scars and the title track kicking off the record in fine fashion with a nice one two punch. Gavin sounds great, and while there is that undercurrent of electronic stuff that he started to incorporated after the first record, this is pretty much a straight up heavy rock record that can hang with any of the butt rock people dig these days. 

Other standouts include The Land Of Milk And Honey, the heaviest track on the record, I Am Here To Save Your Life, and the Filter-sounding Love Me Till The Pain Fades. There are no tracks that were an automatic skip, but the ones mentioned would be a worthy addition to any Bush headlining set.

I can’t believe Bush has ten records, and I also really can’t believe their tenth will probably be in their top three when all is said and done. I Beat Loneliness is worth your time if you have even been a fan of the band. 7/10

Black Map – Hex (Spinefarm) [Matt Bladen]

Hex is fourth album from post-hardcore ‘supergroup’ Black Map, their first signed to Spinefarm and their biggest to date sonically. 

Black Map play cinematic, emotional music that builds on post-hardcore into towering alternative rock, ripe for radio play. The trio guitarist Mark Engles (Dredg), drummer Chris Robyn (Far) and vocalist/guitarist Ben Flanagan (The Trophy Fire) have been playing together since 2014 when on hiatus from their other bands, they’ve been quite consistent in their releases since then, evolving with every record until signing with Spinefarm which has seen them lock down in the studio with Saosin guitarist Beau Burchell as producer again to expand on what their previous album Melodoria started. 

The key focus was immediacy, cutting the tracks back to give as much as they need to without sticking around too long, every one of these nine tracks packing a lot into sub-four minute runtimes. From the emotional throb of Little Undead, to the return to post-hardcore roots of Oblivion Season, the band have a lot of scope on this record as there’s massive riffs on Disintegrate, spatial shimmering on anthems Tethered and Price To Fix It, and a strong sense of drama on Fake Your Own Life. 

If you’ve ever indulged in bands like 30 Seconds To Mars (though probably not good to admit that anymore), Placebo, AFI or even Muse then you'll be able to pick out a lot to like about Black Map’s fourth album Hex. One moment raucous and unrestrained, the next introspective and tender, this Hex will cast a spell over anyone who loves their music leaning on cinematics and human emotion. 7/10

Haxprocess – Beyond What Eyes Can See (Transcending Obscurity Records) [Spike]

Sometimes music isn’t supposed to grab you right away. Sometimes it needs to surround you first, tighten the air, slow your pulse, and then begin its descent. Beyond What Eyes Can See is one of those records. Haxprocess deal in density and scale. Four tracks spread across nearly 45 minutes, each one layered with sludgy grandeur, death metal intensity, and prog-like structural ambition. This is less an album and more a descent into claustrophobic spaces, internal monologues, and some abyss just out of reach.

Opener Where Even Stars Die is a lumbering titan. Slow, patient, and smothering, it introduces the Haxprocess world without fanfare. Guitars grind like tectonic plates, the drums teeter between precision and punishment, and the vocals sound buried, less performed and more exorcised. The production is grimy but intentional, giving everything a sense of decay without sacrificing clarity.

The Confines Of The Flesh adds more movement without rushing anything. The pacing throughout the album is deliberate almost measured. Every passage is a step deeper, every riff like the slow closing of a door behind you. There are moments of dissonant melody woven into the oppressive atmosphere, hinting at blackened textures without ever fully adopting them. Thy Inner Demon Seed is a lurching monolith, built from alternating sections of blunt force and eerie calm. The transitions feel organic, even when they drag you from murky ambience to full-frontal assault. And that’s part of what makes this record so effective, it never plays for cheap contrast. It breathes. It moves in slow spirals.

Final track Sepulchral Void is an epic in every sense. Thirteen minutes of slow burn, collapsing structures, and a finale that feels earned rather than forced. It doesn’t try to outdo what came before. It simply allows the weight of the record to settle, lingering in those final moments of decay. This isn’t music for multitasking. It demands full immersion, a willingness to sit in discomfort, and an appreciation for the power of atmosphere over immediacy. But if you give it the space, Beyond What Eyes Can See doesn’t just unfold, it engulfs.

Meditative punishment from the void. Vast, slow-burning, and suffocating. 9/10

Filth - Time To Rot (Me Saco Un Ojo Records/Rotted Life) [GC]

The questions to ask when you release a debut, should it be an album or an EP? Not sure what Sweden’s Filth have gone for on Time To Rot, as at 6 tracks I personally wouldn’t class it as an EP because it’s too long and certainly wouldn’t class it as an album as its too short? Whatever it is classed as they are about to release it so here’s my review of it.

When you hear a band is from Sweden you almost expect to hear a certain sound, crisp melodic guitars, soaring harmonies, if you know, you know etc, Filth have decided to not do this and instead are the completely other end of the spectrum, Odious Obsession is a swampy, sludgey sounding affair with absolutely no polish or grandeur just disgusting sounding noises and slow, lurching noises, there are some nice riffs in there and overall it’s a decent way to get things going, Time To Rot doesn’t add or expand on the sound, its just more of the same but for a little bit longer, in fact it feels like the first track hasn’t actually finished and has just been extended into this one until the end when we get a little flurry of speed and melody you finally feel like this is a different song. 

Flesh Dress probably could have done with a silly horror movie intro as it feels like that sort of track, musically it incorporates a bit more of a brutal death metal element which could usually hinder the sound, but it’s used in a much more old school way sound wise and makes this the standout track, Live In Agony Die In Pain bludgeons its way out of the speakers with blast beats a plenty and more crudely wonderful guitar work that manages to mix the lo-fi filth with some precise and sharp riffing and with a wonderful throwback Cannibal Corpse sounding mid-section, it’s all mixed together in a delightfully disgusting way and is another highlight. 

A new direction is threatened on Decrepit Womb which has a slow and atmospheric opening reminiscent of familiar Swe-Death bands but, that is not that case, once this is over its back to the sludgy business as usual, its feels like it takes forever to actually get going, which does annoy slightly but the rest of the song is another decent if not overwhelmingly brilliant listen, so Emaciated is one last blast of putridity and its not re-writing any rule books or offering anything shockingly different from what you have heard throughout this EP/album, it’s got blast beats and good drum work with good solid guitar work and a bassline that holds everything together to end in a decent if not slightly predicable way.

It’s clear to see that Filth is not trying to re-invent the death metal wheel and shock you with what they can do, they have their preferred sound which is lo-fi swampy death metal with a sprinkle of brutality here and there for good measure. There isn’t much wrong with Time To Rot, and I enjoyed listening to it but that was about it, I just enjoyed it, there was nothing that made it stand head and shoulders above anything else I have heard recently but there was also nothing that made me detest its very existence? A decent listen if you don’t expect too much from it, if you do expect the world and more look elsewhere. 6/10

Review: Ba'al - The Fine Line Between Heaven And Here (Matt Bladen)

Ba’al - The Fine Line Between Heaven And Here (Road To Masochist)

Ba'al's last release, the EP Soft Eyes was more than happily acclaimed by Mr Paul Scoble, a man of definitive taste, he exclaimed that any album following that EP would be one to look out for. That to me means something, on the back of that EP, the band found themselves on tour with our friends in Ofnus, endearing them more towards us here at MoM Towers.

So here it is then, less than a year later and Ba'al return with their second full length record The Fine Line Between Heaven And Here. Recorded and mixed by Joe Clayton (Conjurer, Dawn Walker, Mountain Caller, Ithaca etc) and mastered by Brad Boatright (Kylesa, Vastum, Obituary, Night Demon etc), during the same sessions as the Soft Eyes EP, this is Ba'al taking a giant leap into becoming one of the foremost masters of their craft, each tracks constructed in a labyrinthine format of slow builds into destructive brilliance, this record is a level above what has come before.

The Sheffield band keenly draw from the likes of Crippled Black Phoenix or Harakiri For The Sky, both bands who use dynamics better than any others, with as much reverence to black metal ferocity as they have for progressive rock atmospherics, Ba’al paint a pictures with their music, enveloping you completely. The perfection of the production allowing every clattering minute of blast beat and unbridled anger to be captured with the same deftness as when they shift their focus to those ambient, haunting passages.

From the opening chords, there is something special about this album, an ode to where they came from but firmly aiming to where they are going, adding strings and synths as ways to further expand their emotionally potent sound which trades off between black metal, doom, prog, post metal, sludge and countless other sub-genres that you could spend all day picking at rather than just enjoying the expanse of this record.

Mother's Concrete Womb starts the record as it means to go on a solitary piano, building into strings, clean guitars for around 4 minutes until the glacial black metal emerges with visions of oppressive cityscapes, the band in a constant war between the harshness of their urban dwelling and the longing for rural escape. A staggering beginning that knocks you off your feet from the first moment, the build, the savagery, the sound of a band no longer tethered by constraints, playing with instinct as to who they want to be as a band.

Every track on The Fine Line Between Heaven And Here forms a journey in its own right, inspired by the most personal themes such as grief, depression, suicide, substance abuse and other cheery topics, the music here looks at what it is to be human, good, bad and often very ugly the tripolar vocals (scream/growls/cleans) from Joe Stamps as expansive as the music surrounding them, growling, shrieking and clean lows all carrying weight.

Mother's Concrete Womb, is an epic (14 odd minutes) but it's not the lone case, Ba'al now clearly want to only write epic music, so over the course of 6 tracks and an hour of music, the melodies slither from one track into another, as cello from the first song bleeds into Waxwork Gorgon, fluid guitar atmospherics from Nick Gosling and Chris Mole soon make way for knuckle dragging doom. With more black metal shrieks and just as fast the string swell, the guitars murmur with a discordant fuzz as Luke Rutter's drums take centre stage, with some weighty, passionate fills and deft rhythms. Joe's vocals adopting a folk croak of Ian Anderson until the heaviness reappears, like a spectre looming just out of frame ready to scare just as you get comfortable.

We revert to jazz towards the closing moments, the prog metal of bands such as Leprous and Opeth appear at the beginning of Floral Cairn, the angular, techy riffs, as they again head into black metal trem sections, the call of horns just heard in the background when they really increase the pace. The movements within these songs are seamless and intense, jockeying between all of their influences with a maturity of band with far longer than 10 years on the clock.

The expulsion at the end of Floral Cairn, is again countered by the dramatic beginnings of Well Of Sorrows, another track that switches between the varying genres, but there's something else on offer here, almost like a catharsis, towards the end the guitars give a sound akin to a church organ as pent up emotions from the first part of the record fell like they are released here.

A moment of closure as Well Of Sorrows has an end, The Ocean That Fills A World then is the new beginning, serpentine bass from Richard Spencer at work from the beginning as here they embrace Floydian textures, again these more introspective, melodic moments give way to the most frostbitten black metal of the whole record. The juxtaposition here showing the serious skill and thought that has been put into this album to make sure every track hits as hard as it can, improving on their debut in every aspect. 

Legasov closes The Fine Line Between Heaven And Here with muscle, start-stop riffs ala Meshuggah, with transitions into black metal, glistening ambience and again a feel of being cathartic and triumphant, the tremolo picking piercing through the speakers in conjunction with rapid string section as things build towards a fantastic crescendo of discordant feedback, as the sludgy crush returns for the finale.

It’s breath-taking, but makes you want to play it all over again. The Fine Line Between Heaven And Here, is Ba’al solidifying their potency and their place amongst the UK’s elite acts. 10/10

Editor's Note: Roll on them playing One For Sorrow in Plymouth at the end of August alongside Pantheist, Ofnus, The Crawling, The Drowning, Shores Of Null and many others 

A View From The Castle: Rock The Castle (Alex Tobias)

Rock The Castle, Cardiff Castle, 19.07.25

To kick us off on this day of Welsh music bliss we have half American and half Welsh band Kill The Lights (7), they walk out to a no where near half capacity yet but that certainly doesn't stop them breaking into their first song, with classic metalcore melodies that will make you sway and lift that dominant hand in the air to blast out the war cry. 

Heavy riffage that reminds me of one of the founding members and drummer of this band, Michael "Moose" Thomas, Bullet For My Valentine but there are definitely more darker tones when the screams from former BFMV man Jason 'Jay' James hit maximum mosh levels. 

A song that stood out for me in the set was one of there more lighter tones, From Ashes, from there 2024 album Death Melodies, caught me singing the chorus very quickly into the song, had that old style Papa Roach bounce with clean modern metalcore riffage we all love. 

A very good crowd response throughout the set in all, more than enough people there towards the end were singing along and gave them a really good reception to the day.

Next up were West Wales band Dream State (8), with a lot more people in at this point the roar that Dream State got as they walked out would say to anyone that this band has a good following and even into the first song you can tell why, Jessie Powell has a vocal range that ranges from Dreamy melodic singing to pure evil straight out of an Otep album.

A circle pit opened up on the second song and that was constant for the rest of the set, very good crowd interaction by the whole band, very engaging to everything around them, stage presence from all members was great to see. 

Chin Up Princess, from the 2024 EP Still Dreaming, was the track that caught me, a crazy ride from first 808 boom to silky synth outro, going from drum and bass screams straight into a very catchy almost k pop chorus with Linkin Park vibes, drops of classic Static X marching drums on the heavy parts and then an ending that is half time heaven. 

A good send off when they finished the set by a very big and full looking castle at this point.

Casey (7) hit the stage with rays of sunshine for the first time on a very moody day, from the biggening to end of set Casey would bring all of that mood to a boil with the dark chugging of riffs entering your soul like a night on the doom metal. 

A cocktail of vocals and lyrics that will stop you in silence and start you thinking quicker than your brain can come to terms with the emotions pouring out, to guttural post hardcore screams filled with all the anger and meaning that a human can express. 

Casey are a band that tell a story with each song and one that stood out for me was a song called Haze from the 2016 album Love Is Not Enough. The song is a conversation that most people would of had in there own heads about relationships in many ways, with soft melodic guitar delays and words of inner thought.

The change up half way through is a heavy Melodic Deftones style with more elements of the hardcore scene that punches you in the heart with an out pouring of vocal soul breaking screams. This Welsh band came to tell a tale and delivered.

You could feel the excitement and energy in the crowd in anticipation for the next band, Punk Rock Factory (8) have come to bring the energy and everyone gladly replies from first song to the last. The range of covers we get are great, anything Disney to TMNT with some classic pop chart songs from the past. 

All members just ooze a natural stage presence with lots of energy and moves, music wise they are most certainly a pop punk rock band but I found more on the NOFX and old style green day punk, obviously leaning into more pop style beats when perfectly needed in the ways Blink 182 craft there songs. 

Quote of the day from Peej on Vocals and guitar for the band "we are 40 year old men playing Disney" which got a huge applaud and plenty of laughs, pure joy and singalongs from everyone here watching as they belt out classics. 

Hearing the Power Rangers Theme and the number one hit by Bewitched C'est La Vie, were my favourite moments, they have the stage presence and connection with the crowd down to a art form and with the songs that they craft into punk rock just adds to the already dam good performance.

The Blackout (8) enter the stage with smiles and a huge roar of applause from the crowd, the clouds have turned dark again and we get the first spits of rain which adds to the music that's just started from the Merthyr Tydfil band. The Blackout bounce off each other very nice on stage, never seeming to be getting in each others way with co singers,

Gavin Butler and Sean Smith, being all over the stage and commanding the action. Playing an impressive back catalogue of songs Save Our Selves, from there 2009 album The Best In Town, has that classic singalong chorus that I dare you to not be humming at least by the second time round hearing, a mixture of styles going on from each song depending on album and year.

While Children Of Night, my favourite of theirs, smashes you in the face with that punk beat throughout with guitars and bass hitting all the right notes of that late noughties emo scene perfectly, plenty of fast chugs with catchy as hell melody's thrown in. 

I did get the sense that from the reaction, appreciation and love that The Blackout got there were plenty of people here that got tickets because of them also, great fun throughout the entire set.

The rain came down for our headliners and as Funeral For A Friend (8) as they got to stage, the dark clouds and night descended finally to make a real impact to the atmosphere in the audience and on stage too, with the huge backdrop displaying the classic cover of Hours, the bands iconic 2005 album, being the 20th anniversary the reason we are here in the capitol in a castle celebrating and watching this night of Welsh music. 

The crowd go berserk as the band walk on to stage, new singer, Lucas Woodland, gives the fans a huge thumbs up and smiles from the band all round, its time to listen and enjoy this album from start to finish, we kick off with All The Rage the opening track from Hours with pits and lots of head movements all around. 

After a long day not a single person has lost any energy for this. No messing about as we go through popular songs such as Streetcar and Roses For The Dead. By the time we get to the song drive I am in full nostalgia moment remembering belting out "this could be a movie" over and over again.

Moving on to another hit from the album we get to Recovery, really bringing out that post hardcore sound that made them a huge band with catchy melodic riffage with punching and feet moving drums, a mid section that hooks you in deeper. 

After thanking everyone that has ever bought the album and made it what it was they play Sonny, a sombre song that rounds off the whole album so perfectly and the set. Its always interesting when a band perform an entire album for whatever reason as there is always going to be favourite songs and not so much on said album for many people but you never got that feeling with this performance, the crowd went crazy from first to last song and love every second of it.

The band retire offstage for 5 mins to build up to the ending songs and of the show, they still have plenty of hits to play. A stand out in the ending set was the always good to hear song Juneau, from the 2004 album Casually Dressed And Deep In Conversation, a post hardcore emo classic that has the audience in full on jump mode. 

So we get to the ending and closing us out is the iconic song Escape Artists Never Die, this song for many people in the UK defined the start of the emo and post hardcore times and bands, a great song to end a very good set from lets face it now these Welsh legends at this point. 

The stage presence throughout was excellent and connection to the crowd they had purring out of there palms the whole time, a very loved band and its very well deserved.

Reviews: Hemelbestormer, Phobetor, Wolfskull, Vertebra (Matt Bladen, Spike, Cherie Curtis & Rick Eaglestone)

Hemelbestormer - The Radiant Veil (Pelagic Records) [Matt Bladen]

If I was still in a band the festival I'd like to play most would be PelagicFest, as a singer it would be the easiest gig ever, owing to the fact that nearly every band on Pelagic Records favours being mostly instrumental. It's all post-rock, post-metal, shoegazing with some doom and psych thrown in for good measure meaning that vocalists get an easy ride.

Take, The Radiant Veil by Belgian band Hemelbestormer, the first vocals of the whole of this fourth record come halfway through the second song for a chorus or two and then disappear again back into the astral doomgazing inspired by the planets as they were named by the Etruscans (Pre Roman culture in Italy). For over 10 years this Belgian four piece have been creating the type of music, Pelagic is known for, expansive, expressive and enticing, music with purity that plays with genre troupes through intent and commitment to creating soundscapes that shift seismically, as if extreme metal bands decided to ease off the accelerator but remain devoted to distorted riffage, there's an aggression to these broad ambient atmospheres.

A track such as Cel, the second one with any vocals on it and here we have scarred, shouted black metal delivery on top of waves of heavy riffing, counterpointed by pips of synths beneath the thick wall of noise. Laran keeps the analogue synths very much an important element, imbuing the track with a cosmic eeriness, embracing the emptiness of space. With these forays into the extreme, such as the brooding, cavernous, ominous drive of Satre it's no wonder that they have shared stages with and been compared to Neurosis, Russian Circles and Caspian, Philip Jamieson of that band featuring on Turms, providing that clean voice I mentioned earlier. 

The soundtrack to an unreleased sci-fi horror, these are ruminations from the depths of space, The Radiant Veil of civilizations past, examined by musical futurism. 9/10

Phobetor – A Solitary Vigil (Black Jasper Records) [Spike]

UK’s Phobetor return from a four-year silence with A Solitary Vigil, a five-track EP that burrows deep into the blackened death metal abyss. With the addition of Ben Ash (Strigoi, ex-Satyricon) on guitar, the band sounds sharper, more dynamic, and fully committed to darkness.

The title track opens the gate with three minutes of ritualistic tremolo leads, snapping drums, and Debora Conserva’s voice lashing out like a banshee. It sets the tone with cold precision: brooding, intense, and dripping with menace. Absence Of Light follows with unrelenting pace. Thunderous percussion and angular riffing smother the atmosphere, while subtle melodic touches bleed through the chaos. It’s sharp, driving, and immersive, with the kind of eerie resolve that lingers long after the track ends. 

Black Fading Winter packs a condensed punch, it’s grim and unflinching, it lashes forward with ice-edged riffs and subterranean bass. “The Vacant Worlds Within Us” stretches out, pairing death metal brutality with moments of almost melodic dissonance. There’s a push-and-pull tension here, the band flirting with atmosphere without ever losing aggression. Where Mournful Shadows Dwell is the standout. A doomy intro gives way to raw blast-beats, melodic phrases haunt the periphery, and the track’s dynamic arc feels like a funeral procession erupting into violence. It’s beautifully bleak and genuinely epic.

The production is clean but retains edge, the guitars slice, the rhythm section thunders, and vocals roar with clarity. The entire EP moves with purpose, showing off a matured songwriting approach without compromising the raw venom that defined their earlier work. Phobetor haven’t just come back with A Solitary Vigil, they’ve evolved. Tighter, meaner, and more atmospheric than before, this EP marks a band finding strength in restraint and fury in form. Five tracks are just enough to show they’ve sharpened every blade in their arsenal.

An intense, calculated strike from a band fully in control of their blackened craft. Phobetor sound ready for war. 9/10

Wolfskull – Midnite Masters (Metalapolis Records) [Cherie Curtis]

3 Years since their last, Wolfskull are back with their new album Midnite Masters. This one is high energy, catchy and a lot of fun. Midnite Masters really paints a picture, each track tells a tale ranging from a romance going up in smoke to unruly misadventures. This album combines raw vocals with polished instrumentals which was distracting at first, but I came to appreciate Wolfskull’s unique sound.

Each track in Midnite Masters tells a story and the ambience is catered to it. For most of the album the tracks sit within the hard rock genre both Jaguarette and Mustang Baby have a snappy cadence and a flashy chorus, both are songs that will get stuck in your head for days. However, Holler In The Hollow, Destyna and their album closer Tyger Of Fate are darker and more romantic in theme so are far more sonorous, sometimes dipping slightly into melodic rock with powerful vocals and harmonies, creeping lead guitar and a plethoric rhythm.

Call Of The Wayward One acts an interlude, it sounds like it belongs in a Clint Eastwood Film. The piercing riffs, Bass-y drums and bells makes this track the jewel of the album, it’s a bit western compared to the rest however it works as a standalone and within in the album’s narrative. Wolfskull are displaying their range with this one. Midnight Masters is vibrant, energetic and strong together as a band. Solid performances all round. Even though this album isn't a favourite of mine it was a joy to listen to and left me in high spirits. 7/10

Vertebra – The Same (Xtreem Music) [Rick Eaglestone]

The mid ‘90s underground music scene has always been a myriad of reminiscence and folklore Early purveyors of the melodic prog death Vertebra death/thrash were almost destined to been a what if band but metal is a bit like wrestling with the old never say never as Brazil’s Vertebra have returned, with their inspiration reignited and ready to show all that slipped away from them decades ago is but a distant memory.

 

From the opening salvo of Oblivion, it becomes abundantly clear that Vertebra have used their time wisely with and abundance groove and razor-sharp tones beholden of the times and are content to burrow deeper into its darkest recesses rather than chase trends or pander to algorithmic sensibilities. 

The production here is wonderfully organic, allowing each instrument its proper space in the mix while maintaining that crucial sense of density that separates genuinely heavy records from mere collections of amplified noise. There is a dynamic to the guitar tone that recalls the halcyon days of underground metal, rather than relying solely on digital manipulation.

Vocalist Arildo Leal’s voice carries that perfect balance of melody and menace that separates On tracks like Behind The World and the absolutely crushing 95 Eyes, he demonstrates remarkable range without ever sacrificing the raw emotional honesty that makes the material so compelling. 

The rhythm section of bassist and drum patterns provides the kind of rock-solid foundation that allows the more adventurous elements of Vertebra's sound to flourish. The bass work is particularly noteworthy, sitting perfectly in the pocket while adding subtle melodic flourishes that reward attentive listening. 

Meanwhile, drumming strikes that elusive balance between technical proficiency and primal power, never showboating when a straightforward approach will suffice. There are so many elements that blend in with Nostalgic tinges that a times does sound like they would have been tour mates with certain symbolic serenaders.

What sets The Same apart from similar releases is not any revolutionary breakthrough or genre-defying experimentation. Instead, it is the band's unwavering commitment to their chosen path, their refusal to dilute their vision in pursuit of broader appeal. In an era where metal bands feel compelled to incorporate everything from trap beats to orchestral arrangements, Vertebra's dedication to their core sound feels almost radical in its simplicity.

The album's title track serves as something of a thesis statement, staying true to bands origins and potential and It is a sentiment that perfectly encapsulates what makes this record so compelling.

The Same is not trying to change the world or redefine heavy music for a new generation. It is simply eleven tracks of expertly crafted metal that knows exactly what it wants to accomplish and executes that vision with surgical precision. An astonishing collection of songs From the past to the future, Vertebra are back with an album that maybe The Same in name but is anything but in nature.

A long overdue rediscovered treasure. 8/10

Reviews: Hebi Katana, Zeicrydeus, Cold Slither, The Violent Hour (Rich Piva, Rick Eaglestone, Matt Bladen & Cherie Curtis)

Hebi Katana - Imperfection (Ripple Music) [Rich Piva]

Hebi Katana lead the way in what is a cool and burgeoning stoner doom scene in Japan. Yeah, obviously there is Church Of Misery, but there are a bunch of other cool bands bringing the riffs and the head trips as Hebi Katana has been doing for a few years now, over a bunch of EPs and singles and three full-length records. Now, partnered with Ripple Music, Hebi Katana has lived up to their full potential as a band, with album number four, perfectly titled Imperfection. 

There are some deeper reasons why this record has that title, as described in the great interview lead HK man Nobu did on the Rich And Turbo Heavy Half Hour, but for me, the title is perfect, given the trio has always been a DIY machine that gives you their material, warts and all, at a fast clip, which to me is a big part of the charm of the band. Signing to Ripple has not eliminated that vibe but has actually enhanced it, giving the listener the best written, best played, and best sounding Hebi Katana album till date, but still allowing for that DIY sound and ethos to shine through.

The band has had a bit of a revolving door in the past, with Nobu being the consistent member, but for the first time the trio has stayed the same from last record, the excellent III,  and now to Imperfection, and you can hear how they have gelled as a unit, case in point on the opener, Bon Nou, a three-minute ripper that has a thrash-like bassline that kicks out the jams samurai style and sounds the tightest the band ever has, while still keeping that garage rock feel to it. The guys doom it up more on Dead Horse Requiem, with a cool riff and a slower pace, proving that HK can cover a lot of ground style-wise. I love Nobu’s vocals on this one. That slower pace picks up towards the end, giving us more of that heavy garage rock thing the band does so well on Imperfection. 

We get some cool proto metal here in the form of Praise The Shadows, which is quite catchy as well. Sabbath-y doom is what Echoes From Old Tree sounds like to start, until the tempo change kicks into another catchy bit, that then goes back to the riff, rinse, repeat, and enjoy this killer track.  Nobu’s vocals once again stand out, and show a real growth on this one and throughout Imperfection. A riff that has some Children Of The Grave vibes drives Blood Spirit Rising, another ripper that is probably my favourite song on a record I love from beginning to end. This one is a ripper until it is not, with a cool and chill middle part that makes this track even better than if it just ripped the place up. 

How about when the pace picks up again? So great. Yu Gen gives us a quiet opening with a nice build up to a doomy and chunky riff that drives the rest of the track, until the softer side of things return. What a great song. Yume Wa Kareno has a little bit of a psych feel to its proto doom goodness and is a very cool way to end the record.

I love this record. I love how this band has grown into these songs. I love all the tempo changes and mashing of styles. I love Nobu’s vocal and riffs, and how tight the rhythm section has become. Hebi Katana can call their record Imperfection, but it is as close to the opposite as a band can get at this point in their career. Killer stuff. 9/10

Zeicrydeus - La Grande Hérésie (Gates Of Hell Records) [Rick Eaglestone]

From the whiplashing speeds to the atmospheric passages of introspection, Zeicrydeus showcase their breathtaking debut album La Grande Hérésie

From the moment La Grande Hérésie kicks in, you are transported into what feels like an occult ritual conducted in a medieval cathedral that has been struck by lightning. The opening tracks establish this wonderful atmosphere of triumphant galloping riffs that are simultaneously warm and menacing Its heavy metal at its core, but sole creator Foudre Noire has woven threads of black, thrash, power, speed, and even doom into this tapestry with the skill of someone who's clearly spent years studying the dark arts of extreme metal.

What strikes me most about this debut is how crude and refined it manages to be at the same time. There is a rawness to the production that gives everything this authentic, lived-in feel - nothing is too polished or clinical. Yet underneath that rough exterior, there is some genuinely sophisticated songwriting happening. This certainly is not just throwing genres at the wall to see what sticks but more so something that feels cohesive despite drawing from such a diverse palette.

The Hellenic black metal influences are particularly strong throughout, conjuring images of ancient Greek temples and forgotten gods. But just when you think you have got the album figured out in then are thrown in some doomy passages that slow things right down, or speeds things up with some proper headbanging thrash sections and certainly keeps you on your toes.

Vocally, the albums delivers exactly what you would expect from someone operating in this sphere. The harsh vocals carry that mystical, otherworldly quality that makes you feel like you are listening to incantations rather than just songs. There are moments where the vocals soar above the instrumentation like smoke from burning herbs, and others where they burrow deep into the mix like whispered secrets.

The mystical and occult atmosphere that permeates the entire album is its strongest suit. This is not just metal with some spooky lyrics slapped on top - the otherworldly vibe is baked into every riff, every vocal line, every haunting keyboard passage. It is the kind of album that demands to be played loud after dark, preferably with all the lights off and a decent pair of headphones.

That said, for a debut album, La Grande Hérésie is remarkably confident in its vision. There is certainly a clear direction exactly with Zeicrydeus, and It is the kind of album that reveals added details with each listen - I am still discovering little flourishes and atmospheric touches that I missed the first few times through. Profane Spells and Naked Swords In The Emerald Meadows Of Nhaath along with a faithful delivery of the Thou Art Lord Cover version of The Era Of Satan Rising are certainly contribute the albums crowning glory.

In the end, Zeicrydeus has delivered something genuinely special with their debut. It is an album that manages to honour the traditions of multiple metal subgenres while forging its own distinctive path. La Grande Hérésie has got that perfect combination of technical skill and atmospheric magic that can transport you somewhere else entirely.

A bewitching and malevolent debut. 9/10

Cold Slither - Cold Slither (Reigning Phoenix Music) [Matt Bladen]

I've listened to some weird stuff in my 14 years of doing this but never a band based within the G.I. Joe Universe. What I mean by that is they Cold Slither are an in-universe, canon band from the 1985 TV show G.I Joe and all the associated marketing created by Hasbro. 

They first appeared in the TV show where the world heard the track Cold Slither, the band were conceived by Cobra Commander to influence America's youth, perhaps inspired by the PMRC cases from that year, Cold Slither were formed of Zartan and his Dreadnoks to indoctrinate young people over to Cobra with heavy metal. 

Well now the band aren't just cartoon characters but a living breathing entity made of human musicians taking the roles of Zartan, Ripper, Torch and Buzzer are from the bands Exhumed, Gruesome and KMFDM so have a metal pedigree but just not with the retro 80's style that Cold Slither stick to. 

A collaboration between Reigning Phoenix Music (who Cobra Commander now owns apparently) and Hasbro this album re-records that one off song and adds an entire album of mythos to the band telling more backstory around this cartoon band. 

The music here is a homage to the 80's with some sleazy hard rock ala Skid Row, schlocky occult metal like King Diamond, some NWOBHM galloping and Bay Area thrash all combined across 11 tracks. The four piece play everything well, adding a heavier tone to many of the tracks in keeping with the sinister lyrics. 

Cold Slither will play a one off performance at the San Diego Comic Con but it is very much a studio project. Sure it's all a bit Spinal Tap but kudos to them for using real musicians no matter how tempting it probably would have been to use A.I. corrupting the youth of America in the name of Cobra, but with their own nefarious plan behind it, Cold Slither are here to take over! 8/10

The Violent Hour – Self Titled (Megaforce Records) [Cherie Curtis]

Carla Harvey has been rocking for 15 years in the band Butcher Babies before deciding to go her separate way and form The Violent Hour accompanied by a highly established drummer (and Harvey's partner) Charlie Benante.

The Violent Hour is 5 tracks of exuberant anthems made to be cranked at full volume and shouted along too. Sick Ones is a great opener its loud and pulsing with a slight groove. It goes from clean to a masterfully heavy breakdown midway through followed by gritty and magnificent scream vocals. This is the greatest track on the album, its technically sound the guitars are superb and it proves that Carla Harvey has been on the scene for a long time and she’s showing us what she’s capable of.

Track 4, Sex And Cigarettes is infallible and fiery, it feels like the most mainstream of all the tracks and it wouldn't surprise me to hear it on the radio. Track 2, Hell Or Hollywood opens with an expert western – esque instrumental, a nod to old Hollywood before barreling into hard rock, this is a song to get everyone moving. Both are unruly and catchy tunes which are sleazy and feminine.

I can hear some 70s rock influences in the beginning of track 3, Portland Oregon the drawn-out shrill rhythm of the guitar and airy composition reminds me of The Who in the early years. This one is the jukebox banger of the album, it pairs Carla Harvey and Brandon Yeagley for a deep and fervent back and forth, this track is nostalgic and makes you feel homesick for somewhere you've never been.

To close the album, track 5, The Violent Hour starts off syrupy and slow with gentle plucking of a guitar provides a dynamic slow build before swelling into captivating harmonies and a gut punching chorus, this track is an anthem for grieving a past relationship. This is a perfect end credits, it’s not as rocking as the previous tracks, but it does give you a need to sing the addictive hook. Carla Harvey is a talented show woman, this album feels authentic and solid, overall, The Violent Hour is very likeable and a great listen. 6/10