Reviews: Stone Nomads, Skogskult, Now Or Never, Myth Carver (Matt Bladen)

Stone Nomads - Empires Of Stone (Ripple Music)

Stone Nomads hit a sweet spot with their doom laden riffs.

Hailing from Texas they play a style that brings the classic doom riffs of Trouble or Sabbath (Title Track) alongside the progressive sludge of Baroness (Desolate Sands) and the anthemic quality of Black Label Society. They don't stop there though as their sludgy doom riffs have a bit of ZZ Top boogie and a Pantera-like groove to them as well. Formed by Jon Cosky (Guitar/Vocals) and Jude Sisk (Bass/Vocals) adding drummer Ben Wozniak to the fold rounds then off a hard riffing heavy rocking power trio.

They've already got two albums under their Stetsons and with Empire Of Stone they're threatening to break out of the underground onto the wider scene. What I love about this record are the vocals, bold and powerful, there's a lot of Matt Barlow (Ashes Of Ares) in the lower reaches, with that bellowing doom sound of the old school. Behind the voice are the riffs and they negotiate shifts between thundering doom metal and melodic progging easily, giving plenty of lead guitar magic over the powerhouse low end and blast beats drumming. 

The opener Lost In The Storm has massive BLS-like riff to it moving into Mastodon realms towards the close, from here there's a CoC chug on Eyehatesociety, Mount Aras remind me of fellow Texans The Sword. Empire Of Stone is just a little bit good. Fantastic stuff from this little ol' (doom) band from Texas. 9/10

Skogskult - Skogskult (Bonebag Records)

Oh yeah that's some dirty doom from the shores of Sweden. Skogskult play doom metal that takes influence from Sleep, Acid King and Electric Wizard, it's grimy, slow, fuzzy and louder than a bomb going off. It's what you get on the self titled debut record from this Swedish foursome, singing in their native language they use Nordic mythology for the stories in their lyrics, especially the legends of the occult and the Skinwalkers from their deep mythos, these dark journeys into the mystical are brought to life through their music. 

Produced by Cavern Deep and Bonebag Record’s Max Malmer, Skogskult is filthy, it's got massive stoner/doom riffs coming out of every orifice, distorted guitars, grumbling basslines, weighty drums and rabid vocals drive all six tracks from the Sabbath worship of Pakten, through the grinding extremity of Turs, to the woozy Sol, Skogskult bring the mire back to doom with their debut record. 8/10

Now Or Never - The Legacy (Metalapolis Records)

Created by former Pretty Maids members Ricky Marx (guitar) and Kenn Jackson (bass), Now Or Never have three albums behind them but after the pandemic, things were shaken up a little when Jackson exited, leaving just Ricky and drummer Ranzo as the sole members, they were joined by vocalist Peer Johansson (Fate/The Grandmaster) and bassist Guillaume Surroca for the next era of the band.

Joined by Simone Mularoni behind the desk and Jacob Hansen handling the mix/master, The Legacy sums up what you can expect on this fourth album, it's classic hard rock mixed with meaty modern metal, influenced of course by Pretty Maids but there's more than just that. Vocally Peer has that gritty snarl of Ronnie Atkins and musically they sway between anthemic hard rock and punchy heavy metal, so there's a little something for everyone.

Heavy metal veterans, playing what they know to a new audience, it may be Now Or Never but The Legacy of great music is strong here. 7/10

Myth Carver - Twist Of Fate (No Remorse Records)

Myth Carver are from Dallas Texas however Myth Carver do sound as if they come from Germany, harnessing all of the power of the Euro metal scene of the 80's and fusing it with beginnings of the American thrash scene Twist Of Fate is modern, yet classic heavy metal.

Inspired by Priest (Thunderkill), Testament (Shadows Firmament), Mercyful Fate (Unnamed Steel) as Iron Helm brings the new wave of bands such as Eternal Champion or Sumerlands, and Crimson Terrain closes this debut EP with the chest beating bravado of Manowar.

Classic heavy metal, modern band, Twist Of Fate delivers on many levels for Myth Carver. 7/10

Reviews: Treat, Danko Jones, Lynch Mob, Cassidy Paris (Matt Bladen & Rich Piva)

Treat - The Wild Card (Frontiers Music) [Matt Bladen]

Treat are Swedish rock legends, after forming in the 80's, they took a hiatus and then returned in 2006 and since then they've been kicking out stadium anthems since then, cementing their place as Swedish rock veterans that should be spoken about in the same breath as Europe.

The Wild Card is their fifth album since reforming and with the line up that's pretty much been the same since then. So a seasoned rock band playing the melodic hard rock, wrapped up in polished production there's no chance of there being anything out of the ordinary on The Wild Card despite it's name.

However this isn't detrimental to the record as it's packed with the melodic rock you will be expecting, in fact it's got all the facets the band have had their entire career as this is a record with a structure to it, beginning in the 80's and that higher energy style they shift into the ballad heavy 90's before moving to their contemporary style.

Treat have said that they are trying to go full circle here, showcasing their entire career in one record and it pays off brilliantly as 1985 is a joyous throwback, while Mad Honey is heavier strut and One Minute closes the record with the band Treat are today.

A career spanning record from these veterans, showing that Treat still have a few goodies up their sleeve. 8/10

Danko Jones - Leo Rising (Perception) [Rich Piva]

Danko Jones has been around for what seems forever. The Canadian trio have been rocking their heavy blues punk rock for almost 30 years now, and have dropped 12 albums and a bunch of other stuff, including their new one, Leo Rising, which continues their string of high energy, fun but serious, heavy ass rock and roll records.

The opener, What You Need, is a straight up punk ripper. Punk, but also a band that understands rock and roll; leather, denim, and whatnot, combined together nicely. Diamond In The Rough shows that Danko and crew have some sunset strip records in their collection for sure. You can like SNFU and Van Halen at the same time. 

Everyday Is Saturday Night is kind of like Buckcherry, but Casket Rats did it better. Cathay as hell, though. More 90s punk vibes come across on I Love It Louder, but Danko can’t shake that 80s metal thing, and that is just fine with me. My favourites are the cowbell-filled Pretty Stuff and the rocking I’m Going Blind. Overall, the 11 tracks on Leo Rising are all fun and all worth your time if you are looking for a good time.

The new Danko Jones is some melodic, ear worm inducing bluesy punk rock that loves 80s hair metal too. Leo Rising is catchy as hell and fun, but nothing ground breaking, but who needs that from Danko jones at this point in their career. Enjoy. 7/10

Lynch Mob - Dancing With The Devil (Frontiers Music) [Rich Piva]

George lynch, somehow, is underrated as a guitarist. How? No idea. The dude shreds and was an innovator of his time. His always questionably named band he formed outside of Dokken, Lynch Mob, was also pretty underrated. 

Their debut, Wicked Sensation, was great, and their self-titled follow up was so overlooked, coming out at the wrong time for it to make any impact (see every unfortunate band labelled “hair” at some point in 1992). While I thought Lynch had retired the name, alas, we get one final Lynch Mob record in the form of Dancing With The Devil, album number eight from the band, and just like all the ones after the self-titled record, it is fine.

Lynch rips always. That continues on the 11 songs on Dancing With The Devil. The solo on Pictures Of The Dead is perfect stuff. His playing, of course, is the highlight here, with really not much else standing out. It is a solid effort from a band from the late 80s/early 90s and sounds exactly how you think it will sound. 

It is a bit more gritty then their sparking sounding and puke inducing production of their Frontier records, with Saints And Sinners being a good example of this. Album vocalist Gabriel Colón's singing is really solid, but the songs are what they are, held up by one of the greatest players of any generation. My favourite track is The Stranger, which is the perfect combination of Dokken and Lynch Mob, a fitting way to end this chapter of Lynch’s career.

Like I said, for a band at this point in their career, Dancing With The Devil is fine. Lynch rules. The songs are good, just nothing special, but I am not sure what anyone would expect other than what I just wrote at this point in time. 7/10

Cassidy Paris - Bittersweet (Frontiers Music) [Matt Bladen]

"Influenced by icons like Debbie Harry, Pat Benatar, Joan Jett, and Lita Ford, but always with my own spin on things" yep it's a Frontiers release.

Blending retro with modern Aussie rocker Cassidy Paris' second album Bittersweet is more personal than her debut, full of raw emotion as it reflects on a journey that has seen her not only achieve her dreams of being a rockstar but also take up the mantle as an anti-bullying advocate with Metalheads Against Bullying.

Performing in schools to showcase that just because you dress differently or like different music than the rest of your age group you should still be treated with respect, (this goes for plenty of other things too) and while there are a million Taylor Swift fans there's not always that many who would indulge in some Lzzy Hale.

At age 11 she met Paul Laine (ex Danger Danger, The Defiants), and stared to mentor her in the ways of the rock world, while also being a co-writer and producer of her music. Again with Bittersweet, Paul Laine, Steve Brown and others contribute to the songwriting but this second album feels more like Paris finding her voice.

Be it with the tender meets anthemic balladry of Gettin' Better and Can't Let Go, the swaggering rockers Nothing Left To Lose/Wannabe or the pop-tinged moments such as Sucker For Your Love or Turn Around And Kiss Me. There's a defiance and a confidence that shines through on Bittersweet, making Cassidy Paris a exciting prospect for the Planet Rock circles. 7/10

Reviews: The Cyclist Conspiracy, male//gaze, Godeater, Devilhusk (Matt Bladen)

The Cyclist Conspiracy - Back To Hermetics And Martial Arts Vol 1 (Subsound Records)

There aren't too many instances when you come across a properly psychedelic record but my, my if you want some, mind expanding, transcendental, exploration look no further than the new record from Serbian band. Much like Greek band Villagers Of Ioannina City, The Cyclist Conspiracy put out repeating psych rock that features Balkan instruments and World Music influences.

Subsound Records has become a bit of home for the more mystical reaches of the stoner/doom/psych spectrum and The Cyclist Conspiracy do a lot to keep their place out on the fringes in the rarefied air of musical enlightenment. A band that expands from four members to ten, there's a loose collaborative feeling to this whole record, desert rock that expands from the Balkan mountains to the dunes of North Africa and the scorched lands of the Middle East.

Each track on Back To Hermetics And Martial Arts Vol 1 is an album of musically dense, spiritually esoteric, movie themes inspired by composer's such as Morricone (Estrella Mariana), Vangelis (Calice Dei Fantasmi), John Barry (Penga) and Lalo Schifrin (Soften Our Evil Hearts) but also Greek Rebetiko (The Verdant One) and Tibetan chanting (The Throat Ancestors).

Nine instrumental journeys through world music driven by one man's creative vision and a host of musical companions. Back To Hermetics And Martial Arts Vol 1 by The Cyclist Conspiracy is one of the most interesting records I've heard this year. 9/10

male//gaze - Too Late Now (Self Released)

From the Pacific Northwest, Too Late Now is the new EP from 'extreme pop' band male//gaze. This EP they say is about “coming to terms" lyrics exploring memory, loss and self-acceptance, six songs that are about coming to terms with last trauma and coming out the other side.

Fusing hardcore with synth pop, Too Late Now builds from the haunting Falling then explodes into Get Well, the propulsive electronics driving the emotion, as the vocals scream for catharsis. The band have released a full length album, an EP and singles, touring across their region with a unique sound that provides moments of aggressive clarity and melodic vulnerability.

Slaymaxxing for instance sees throttling hardcore spiked with bubblegum pop, it's furious but shifts into the woozy shoegazing of Speak (For Me), Ash's dreamy vocals often joined by Hank's for a harmonious unity. Hank is joined on guitars by Ray, their reverbed chords and fits of distortion make for the duality felt in this record.

The rhythm section of Gavin (bass) and Spencer (drums), control the constant shifts of motion on the EP, the closing impetus of Returning giving you that last gut punch of frenzied brand of extreme pop. male//gaze are a band formed to deal with a breakdown of a relationship but have gone on to inspire recovery and rediscovery of oneself. Too Late Now? Hardly, there's plenty more to come from male//gaze. 8/10

Godeater - Alvorecer EP (Self Released)

From their destructive deathcore debut, through their more progressive introspective second album, Scottish band Godeater have been redefining themselves since 2016. With songs about ecology and nature their extreme metal soundtrack pushes boundaries with what deathcore is, adding melodeath, prog and symphonics to it. Check out the atmospheric Soil And Steel for something different.

Adding ambient atmospheres that bring emotion and melody to counteract the bludgeoning riffs and harsh vocals. The recent addition of Jamie Harrison as a vocalist gives them and new lease of life on this EP. From his aggressive growls and strong cleans, meaning that Alvorecer EP is an almost restart which will reintroduce their musical force to audiences.

Godeater ship out the mix and master to Studio Friedman to make the sonics razor sharp, meaning that Ross Began and Andrew Macdonald's guitars have all the harmonic melodies, ferocious riffs and technical solos of the Gothenburg scene. They don't escape their deathcore roots though on breakdowns heard on The Enveloping Grey.

Alvorecer is Godeater reclaiming their place in the UK metal scene, visceral, technical and anthemic, this is the future of heavy music. 8/10

Devilhusk - Sleep Like The Dead (Self Released)

Brighton based Devilhusk play something called Nu-Metalcore comprised of Joe Lyndon (Vocals), James "Kino" Boon (Guitar/Production), Joshua Hutchings (Guitar/Bass), and Kieron Durrant (Drums), they've been creating a bulldozing noise fusion since 2023. This a place without rules, where Djent, hardcore, DnB, dubstep all collide into glorious loudness.

A track such as Sycophant is the first to properly showcase this schizophrenic approach to songwriting with throat shredding screams and guttural growls over angular riff driven beatdowns. The atmospherics and electronic thumps cutting through the metal as the genres get twisted more on Vitriol. They've drawn comparisons to Deftones and Loathe and are intent on creating music that "simply does not exist yet."

Well I'd say it does as I hear a lot of Slipknot in Devilhusk's music, along with the likes of Korn, Coal Chamber and Static-X but also Pendulum and The Prodigy with dance heavy beats of Mach Breaker and IRUKANDJI. This is wild audio experience, slamming all these style together like atoms in the Large Hadron Collider, Devilhusk are as modern as metal music gets. 8/10

Reviews: Stellar Circuits, Downswing, Avralize, Smash Into Pieces (Matt Bladen)

Stellar Circuits - Phantom :: Phoenix (Nuclear Blast Records)

Stellar Circuits 2023 album Sight To Sound came via Nuclear Blast and it brought their modern progressive metal to a much wider audience, gaining them a following and critical acclaim. Inspired by the Djent originators with the passion of post-hardcore and the atmospheric sound of post metal/rock, they captured what modern prog metal is about currently, blending genres together with a technical proficiency and strong emotional moments.

On the back of their last album they have gained a much wider following so with this record they'll be trying impress again and as soon as you press play you're once again in the realm of Stellar Circuits, charged with emotion and technical skills of the highest level. There's no huge that shifts the approach just a more refined take, drawing from a wider pool of inspiration, on a track such as Elegant Illusion there's an influence of Deftones while something like Bury The Ashes increases the aggression towards the heavy end.

Both Corridor and Gloria come from the songbook of Coheed & Cambria and Leprous, the bass driven prog of Same Page brings that mix of emotion, technical and melody I referred to earlier. Armed with more melodies in these new songs and stronger resolve to climb up the rankings of prog metal, Stellar Circuits, are hard wired for success with album three. 8/10

Downswing - And Everything Was Dark (MNRK Heavy)

Oof *makes and stank face* Albany New York band Downswing embrace darkness on their new album And Everything Was Dark. A record about endurance and being honest in the face of crisis, Downswing have tightened every nut and bolt in their machine to produce the most confident, visceral and emotional music of their career.

Having been curating their legacy since 2018, every record gets louder and broader, the breakdowns crush, the vocals are expelled with rage and the music gets more sonically expansive. For example tracks such as Drowned Out or the ferocious Thanks For Nothing skilfully balances the heavier side of Downswing with their angst filled melodic side.

The themes of addiction, self-destruction and letting go are all explored on this record, the overarching theme being losing someone you love, this esoteric influence allowing them to adapt their songwriting to playing the music they want to. Resistant of trends or shifts in taste, Downswing want to be authentic to their ideals and their creative vision, carefully constructing the songs on this album to tell stories rather than just showing off their skills.

And Everything Was Dark is an album about death and whole there is a lot of anger and regret here but it's a record about working through this and coming out the other side. Downswing define their next chapter with this record. 8/10

Avralize - Liminal (Arising Empire)

You may thing you have the wrong album when you first press play on Liminal from "Germany’s next metalcore powerhouse" as Medicine begins with a bit of 90's European dance music but it's all part of the eclectic style of Avralize, quickly following up their 2024 debut Freaks with this second full length they make their way further down the 'cyber-metalcore' route inspired by the likes of Unprocessed and Northlane.

Electronics play a huge part in what they do as do those anthemic clean vocals, it's a real modern hybrid sound with DnB, dance and synth wave all featuring heavily, giving many of these tracks such as Wanderlust, the sound of videogame soundtrack or maybe Stranger Things as Open Spaces leads into the breathy ballad Close To You, the pop side of the band very strong on the immensely funky Cyanide.

Formed by vocalist Severin Sailer, guitarist Philipp Tenberken, drummer Bastian Gölz, and bassist Valentin Noack, Avralize are right at the forefront of the 'core' scene this is what is expected of a band in the metalcore genre today. Brimming with electronic elements, heavy breakdowns and some epic, emotive vocals, Liminal is metal in 2025. 8/10

Smash Into Pieces - ArmaHeaven (Self Released)

Swedish alt rock band Smash Into Pieces play music for those who like a lot a pop in their rock. Cinematic, conceptual music that's all part of an overarching dystopian cyberpunk storyline and delivered with a myriad of pulsating synths meeting the standard guitars, modern alt rock with a few 'core' edges then.

The band have been gaining quite a following with their ambitious but accessible music, it's even led them to the Melodifestivalen final twice where they were performing for a chance to represent Sweden at Eurovision. That's really all you need to know about the band to be honest, they play bouncy, emotionally charged metal which also features guests in the shape of Elize Ryd (Amaranthe), Swedish singer Liamoo and Swedish/Japanese performer LiLiCo. 

At 15 tracks it's a pretty weighty record to get you ears around and there does seem to be a few too many ballads here but with being a band with a strong pop sound they are aiming for radio play so ballads often do better as singles.

Riight in the most contemporary side of the metal/rock sphere, Smash Into Pieces deliver more of their signature sound with ArmaHeaven. 7/10

Reviews: Adept, Currents, Coldrain, Aviana (Matt Bladen)

Adept - Blood Covenant (Napalm Records)

It's been almost a decade since Adept last released some new much but now their fans don't have to wait anymore as Blood Covenant brings them back draped in Blood Red visuals and a renewed vigour.

As they celebrate their 20th Anniversary as a band, don't call it a comeback, call redefinition, Adept retaking their place amongst the genre greats. The Swedish band have always played some aggressively precise metalcore and with their fifth album that doesn't change, but it's refined to be more intense and emotional as they've ever been.

Blood Covenant is the sound of a band searching for catharsis, using music to work though the physical and mental scars they have been up against over the last twenty years. It makes this fifth record bolder and braver in scope, increasing the intensity and bringing windscreen, sprawling approach that maybe wasn't as pronounced as before.

After the title track Heaven is the first song to showcase that more vicious streak, while Define Me brings back the choppy grooves of metalcore/nu-metal as You adds the more anthemic melodies on the other side of the coin, segueing neatly into Parting Ways where the aggression is turned up.

Blood Covenant sees Adept return with resilience and power, the reflections of a band in their second decade but the hunger of one in their first. Adept are seeing red here and crates and album of passionate metalcore. 8/10

Aviana - Void (Arising Empire)

More Swedish core now with Void the new album from masked modern metalcore crushers Aviana who bring yet more intensity to their expressive and cinematic modern sound with album four.

With only vocalist Joel Holmqvist removing from the original line up he's moulding the band in his image and the atmospheric is built with the electronic twitching from Iter_Incipere an instrumental intro that lays down the synth driven basis for all of these tracks.

This use of electronics is very popular at the moment and has been in metalcore for a while, in Aviana's case it gives the crushing breakdowns of Father an industrial-tinge, while on Heavenly Sparks there's a breakbeat that moves through the back of the track almost in contrast to the brutal, technicality.

Joel's vocals are just what you want with metalcore, his screams are strong and dripping with venom but his cleans soar with emotion, he's joined by Eddie Berg of Imminence on the final track World's Pulse, but for the rest of the album Holmqvist shows why he's the driving force behind the band.

Joel has a masked band behind him which adds a layer of theatrics to these introspective new tracks, putting this alongside the the electronic driven, beatdown heavy, metalcore makes for potent return from Aviana. 7/10

Currents - All That Follows (Sharptone)

Connecticut based band Currents are comprised of Brian Wille (vocals), Chris Wiseman (guitar), Ryan Castaldi (guitar), Matt Young (drums), and Christian Pulgarin (bass), together they have been forging their own path since 2011.

With Brian joining on vocals in 2015, they really hit their stride and have put four releases under their belt since then, each record guided by their creative drive never to re-tread over old ground, forging their own path and forming their own identity with every release.

They've gained more followers and critical acclaim which has seen them share stages with Parkway Drive, Ice Nine Kills and We Came As Romans, this relentless touring has honed them as creative and performative force.

With All That Follows they have refined this more, drawing from their metalcore history but also increasing the heaviness of their assault for these five new tracks, they claim it's their strongest set of songs and it's hard to disagree as they kick off with first single It Only Gets Darker, huge riffs that move it towards deathcore at times, crushing and ominous with ferocious vocals.

My Severance and Making Circles takes it back to metalcore, on the anthemic choruses of the latter especially, as the former has some math metal moving in the rhythms. Aggression returns for Can't Turn Back, electronics pulsating throughout the back ground as the riffs get heavier and the vocals drip with venom.

Currents have been steadily climbing the ranks of the metalcore scene with their no compromise attitude to their sound, and with All That Follows they deliver their heaviest set of tracks yet. 8/10

Coldrain - Optimize (Century Media Records)

Coldrain are a Japanese metalcore band who have been playing their brand of metalcore since 2007, it's seen them tour with massive international acts and release seven studio albums so far.

They are a rare thing in Japanese metal in that they sing in English, so they've always had a lot of crossover appeal across the world. It also means that they tour religiously, playing to European and UK audiences. In fact a recent show in Germany inspired them to record this five track EP which was realised between their Japanese tour and their recent UK/EU run.

So like with a lot of EP's, Optimize is a way to kick out some new songs in the middle of the tour cycle, between albums, so they can play some brand new tracks in their set. Coldrain's familiar style is all over this EP. From the drum and bass elements of Chasing Shadows, to the emo choruses on the groovy Digitoll and the anthemic heaviness of Free Fall, Coldrain pack this EP with a style you will recognise formed into exciting new cuts. 7/10

Reviews: Thermality, Nornes, Feather Mountain, Underking (Matt Bladen)

Thermality - Concept 42 (Black Lodge)

With only five years on the clock as a band Thermality return with their third album Concept 42. Hailing from Sweden they play melodeath, and when you come from the country that pretty much invented it.

Thermality come from Vara though not Gothenburg but as it's only an hour away they still have many of the same influences, they also clearly have a youthful exuberance which keeps them creating new music. Some of this is due to it being part of their studies but to release two albums and EP in five years is pretty impressive by anyone's standards.

So does album three offer anything new? Not really, from a musical side they are still very much inspired by the likes of In Flames (Breaking Point) and others in the Swedish scene but Thermality also lean on the US metalcore sound too (Brainstorm), giving this record an added aggression.

With melodeath and metalcore at the heart of this record, it has a particular sound that will appeal to a particular fan base however Thermality still have plenty of talent and a seemingly endless supply of songs. 7/10

Nornes - Thou Hast Done Nothing (Sleeping Church Records)

Coming from Valenciennes a city close the the Belgian border, French band Nornes bring city levelling riffs, hostile atmospheres and a nihilistic approach to songwriting.

Formed in 2017 they have created a niche for themselves that has funeral and traditional doom styles colliding with death metal for slow, introspective chugs with moments of haunting atmosphere. With both guitarists providing vocals they use both of them to bring gravelled toned growls are countered by grief stricken cleans.

With Thou Hast Done Nothing, they tweak everything further, cranking up the death metal aggression inside tracks such as Our Love Of Absurd, adding post metal melancholy to Perceptions In Grey and just making their music slower, louder and more grief stricken.

This is Nornes making a statement as a band, they don't want to be pigeonholed as a band, collecting styles together into a five track trudge through sadness. 7/10

Feather Mountain - A Liminal Step (Self Released)

In the world of modern prog metal Sweden has been at the forefront, much like the are in every other bloody genre, however Denmark has been drip feeding prog metal bands over the last few years who can be compared to many of the genre leaders.

With bands such as Pyramaze, Wuthering Heights, Manticora leading to Mnemic, Vola, The Interbeing and now Feather Mountain, the more classical take on the first set now shifting into the djenty rhythms, cut through with electronics on the second set.

A Liminal Step is the newest album from Feather Mountain, it's expressive, channelling the vulnerability of trauma and societal structures, all inspired by tarot card and takes the listener on a journey through these emotions with cathartic vocals, off time start stop riffs and pulsating atmospheres that throb with ambient synths.

It's steeped in complexity, both emotionally and musically, with a lean towards modern metalcore in the vocals, the band bringing in Gabriele Landillo of Benthos to add guest vocals to Role Me In. A Liminal Step is the third album from Feather Mountain and it's their most expressive and personal yet. 7/10

Underking - Dungeon Crawler EP (Self Released)

Sometimes an album sounds nothing like you expected it too and those are the albums that I really enjoy listening to. Underking came together in 2019 as the creative output for Nottingham based musician Maxwell Jeffries. Starting out as solo project with Jeffries playing everything, Underking have three albums under their belt, turning into a live act in 2021 to play these songs across the UK.

However Underking is now just a solo act again and on Dungeon Crawler, Maxwell showcases his talents as composer and his love of all things nerdy as Underking is inspired by fantasy/sci-fi stories such as Star Wars, LOTR and others exactly the sort of literature and media you would expect on an album entitled Dungeon Crawler, which has a song called Danger! Darkness! Dwarves!

Musically it's quite diverse, with Priest and Maiden obvious on the gallops and twin guitar harmonies on King Under The Mountain. There's also the likes of Megadeth and Trivium adding a heavier/thrashier sound to the riffs and the vocals too, evident from the opening track The Necromancer.

A modern mix of thrash and classic metal, Dungeon Crawler resets Underking as a studio project but shows off the skills of its creator with this new EP. 8/10

Reviews: Sigh, Suffering, The Old Dead Tree, Bezdan (Mark Young, Joe Guatieri, Cherie Curtis & Martin Brown)

Sigh - Infidel Art 30th Anniversary (Peaceville Records) [Mark Young]

Experimental Japanese metal band Sigh are entering that period of life where they are celebrating significant milestones in their recording career. 

Infidel Art is their second album and is celebrating its 30th anniversary and I would say that the passage of time has done nothing to dull its experimental edges that seem to lurch from lane to lane at whim. This release consists of a new master of that second album, plus a ‘1st mix’ plus extra tracks that pull from Split singles and from the Far East Gate In Inferno compilation.

Now I’m assuming that for some of you, this is going to be quite the thing. For me, I cannot discern between the Remaster and the 1st mix and therefore my review will be based around those Remastered songs which comprise disc 1.

Did I mention that these songs are long? Of the 6 tracks, only one falls under the 5-minute mark….

Izuna grinds into play with a lo-fi vibe and from the off its apparent that Sigh are operating on a differing frequency from everyone else. It flies along, breathlessly and it is the very epitome of rough. I can only wonder how this was received back in the day. Riffs speed up only to slow to an almost dead stop and then they throw piano into the mix. 

Don’t be mistaken that this isn’t structured, it is. Every step is measured in the way that they change tack, such dropping in clean singing two thirds of the way that allows them to change the arrangement to suit. There is a repeating measure that is employed as the grounding device that everything else springs from and so there is a plan, just one that might not make sense to those outside the band. 

The Zombie Terror is next and keeps that low-key vibe in place. Its on here that their experimental touches start to take more precedence. What they don’t forget is to bring the riff-ola and in some ways is them at their most accessible. Like Izuna, there is a plan of how this song is going to be played out. 

Guitars fall away as piano and wind instruments come in and what it does remind me of is the soundtracks to the Italian gut-munchers of the early 80’s. Don’t worry, those fizzy guitars aren’t away for long and they are back on track. Basically, they re-tread the same notes after a period, now expanding that melodious instrumental passage that has taken on a more space-age feel to it. It’s this that makes it such an engaging track, one that has changed beyond recognition by its end.

Desolation takes a different, classically led path, one that is all theatrical swells and movements before being crushed under the feet of a grinding guitar. Vocals come in and out and after that outstanding start it falters under a tepid pace. Again, it’s taking its cues from Science Fiction and Horror flicks but without actually going anywhere. The Last Elegy almost follows the same introductory path as Desolation, with its classical start followed by those scratchy guitars. In all honesty, the two bled into each other, such was the similarity between them. 

Both share a slow build, but at least The Last Elegy has an effective riff set going on. What I didn’t expect was that this would be as dull as it is. I guess in some respects that these two tracks could represent a book ended tale, but neither have enough to justify run times of 8 and 10 minutes respectively. The Last Elegy is content to repeat itself and because of this I’m losing interest. Suicidogenic continues in the same manner, albeit in a shorter format. This works in their favour, the shortened runtime adding a sense of urgency to it leading to a frenzied build and is a welcome approach. 

Beyond Centuries is the last stop for disc 1 and has work to do. It’s a promising start, a heavy arrangement following their now soft start. The gothic measures are quality and give it a certain gravity. I’m going to call them out on its length though because it does drag when it didn’t need to. There are some good riffs in here, but they don’t make them a central part of the song. Its just a tool, part of their sonic kit bag same as the piano etc. Ending at speed, the wheels do fall off as they collapse to a close and its done. Over.

Now, I’m going to be dead honest. There is no way I’m going to listen to the 1st mix version of these songs. I don’t have the inclination, and It would further colour my review in a negative manner if I did. This is a chaotic album, one that jumps around to suit its masters wishes. Initially, it feels exciting but that doesn’t last. Repeated ideas and track lengths that drag on soon start to grate on you. 

Again, this is a 30-year-old album, and if you loved it on release then my opinion is not going to matter a jot. This release will at least make it more readily available and if you are a fan of experimental metal then this could be up your street. 6/10

Suffering - Things Seen But Always Hidden (Apocalyptic Witchcraft) [Joe Guatieri]

Suffering are a Black Metal band based out of England who formed in 2018. They have had a consistent but small output so far, coming out with their first full-length 11, which came out in the year of their birth. They then went on to release two EPs alongside quite a few singles within a four year stretch and now in 2025, they come back in full force with their latest LP, Things Seen But Always Hidden.

The record opens with The House With The Red Door and this title is put to good use as the song does indeed sound like the start to a horror movie. Rainfall scatters the scene over a big commanding mansion in the middle of nowhere.

Starting off with sweeping yet dissonant acoustic guitars entangling with each other, to slowly reveal a mirror but what staring back at you, isn’t your reflection. The organic instrumentation is fucked with by distortion and thrown back in front of your eyes a monster to your surprise, making your skeleton jump out from your skin.

The classic Doom Metal strikes then make their presence known before blackened blast beats drip down onto your head like hailstone. The guitars wash over you in their attack and the toms create a permanent sense of dread.

This is followed up with track two, Enthralled. Now I don’t say this often but I can only describe the riff in this song as epic, it’s like the crescendo of an orchestra, something about it just speaks to me like a classic piece of music.

It’s the work of the yin and the yang as the rest of the song is at odds with the darkness, seeing next to no hope as violence turns its ugly head. The poor snare is getting destroyed by the mighty hand of the drummer and the vocalist is genuinely terrifying.

Compared to the previous effort, more space is given for the satanic voice to breathe as there are moments where the scream is left to itself, to die alone in the dirt. It’s Khanate levels of bone-chilling proportions, no wonder why Enthralled is my favourite song on the album, it is incredible!

Diving deeper into Things Seen But Always Hidden, we go into track six with Apocrypha Through The Keyhole. For me it’s the most unhinged experience here as the guitars sound completely out of control, it is the car swerving off the road.

Suffering throws so much at you during the album’s runtime. It’s certainly a tribute to classic Black Metal bands like Darkthrone with its wet cardboard box production style and I mean that in the best possible way, obviously…

Again I wholly praise the vocals, it is genuinely one of the best stylings put to an album that I have heard this year, it’s a very hard thing to be genuine in this space and this is an amazing accomplishment. The drums deserve their time to shine too as they are both rapid and primitive, bringing the energy that was needed.

The bass was sometimes used effectively, at best it was otherworldly within its deep fuzz tone, popping up in the mix when least expected but too often being the closing words on a song's outro. So much more could have been done with it, it could have torn the world into two but was held back massively from doing that.

With the guitars they make their presence known but they feel at risk of repeating themselves within the more sparkly refrain which is used a noticeable amount of times.

Overall, Things Seen But Not Always Hidden is consistent, mysterious, headache inducing and at times, genuinely uncomfortable to a point where I don’t know how to feel. Above all else, it’s memorable enough to a point where I want to take a bath to wash the feelings created off of my person. 7/10

The Old Dead Tree – London Sessions EP (Season Of Mist) [Cherie Curtis]

The Old Dead tree brings us their London Sessions EP, called as such because it was recorded in Abbey Road Studios (birthplace of Abbey Road by the Beatles and Pink Floyd’s The Dark Side Of The Moon). Recording here is a big deal, even though The Old Dead Tree has been around since 1997 and toured with the likes of Opeth and Paradise Lost, Abbey Road Studios is hallowed grounds.

The Old Dead tree brings us a more tender and intimate EP this time round and not by any means less favorable. Even though fans are used to a more distortion leaden sound with reverberant metal vocals with clean melodic choruses; their new one is showcasing a side we’ve never really had the privilege to see. They’ve amped up the elaborate sharpness, throwing in our faces just how refined 20 years of experience has made them. That's one of the first things i noticed while listening to this album.

While sifting through their discography there was such a stark contrast to what they usually have to offer- I was genuinely surprised. Their new one is so scrubbed and tempered to a degree where it feels almost sterile, while their older songs had uniquely dynamic range with sprinkles of prog metal melodrama.

I feel like longtime fans would struggle to enjoy this new one unless they can appreciate the diversity in sound and can understand the creativity and deliberation that went into The London Sessions.

Having this one shuffled between some of their previous work is cool; it’s interesting having the pure range lined up to hear. Though their sound is different, more mature in a way, their signature stamps are all there; it doesn’t feel like anyone else either. The Old Dead Tree still brings us stunning vocals, blissfully carried by the tenebrous thrumming of a bassy drum driving the emotive lyrics home – just gentler and elegantly this time.

It's a great album, it's beautiful and more meaningful and shows us the high level of technical skill and heart they've developed through their career. 7/10

Bezdan – Upon The Altar (I Hate Records) [Martin Brown]

There’s a kind of nostalgia that works in metal when it’s backed by vision, and then there’s nostalgia that sounds like imitation. Bezdan’s debut full-length Upon The Altar falls squarely into the latter. It’s meant to be a throwback to Possessed, early Death, and the raw speed of first-wave Sepultura—but what it delivers is a blur of riffs repeating too often, whilst mistaking volume and distortion for energy.

The production is deliberately rough, but not in the purposeful, “recorded-in-a-tomb” sense that gives life to underground death metal. Instead it feels unfinished, with guitars pushed too far forward, and the drums vanish into a papery thud. The bass is barely a rumour beneath the fuzz. There’s power in the tone, but no shape; songs collapse into one another without definition.

Performance-wise, the musicians clearly understand the genre’s language—there are hints of interesting phrasing in Dark Messiah and a decent tremolo motif in Hades Knights—but they play as if trapped in a rehearsal take. The drums are metronomic, the riffs interchangeable, and the vocals a constant bark that never finds dynamics or phrasing. You can sense sincerity, but it’s not enough to carry the album past the demo level.

The best moments occur when Bezdan slow down long enough to breathe, such as the mid section of When Death Becomes Your Life or the mid-tempo churn in sections of Endless Fields Of Bones. For a few seconds, the music hints at atmosphere, at something older and darker than simple revivalism—but the band immediately rushes back to the same blur of open-string riffing.

In theory, Upon The Altar should appeal to devotees of Hellhammer or Evil Blood, but in practice it lacks the chaos or danger that made those bands vital. It’s not offensive; it’s just indistinct. For a debut more than a decade in the making, the result feels curiously weightless. Bezdan have the heart for this style, but not yet the control. 4/10

Reviews: Aerosmith & Yungblud, Bloodbound, Jethro Tull, When Nothing Remains (Simon Black & Matt Bladen)

Aerosmith & Yungblud - One More Time EP (Capitol Records) [Simon Black]

When my teenage daughter heard that I was reviewing something by Yungblud, eyebrows were most definitely raised. To be honest my own were doing a full-on Roger Moore’s impression of a car’s windscreen wipers in a heavy thunderstorm when I saw that this collaboration with Aerosmith had been released, for a whole bunch of reasons. 

Of which the largest is it’s been thirteen very long years since Aerosmith released anything new, and I have to say that Music From Another Dimension was the weakest album since their mid-80s’ comeback properly kicked in from the superlative Permanent Vacation. Not the best record to end a recording career on for sure, and perhaps it left a sour taste in their collective mouths, as they’ve only come out to tour and effectively become their own tribute act ever since.

Then there is Yungblud, a man whose music has jumped around stylistically during his short but thus far highly successful career, as is often the case for a musician more well-known in the poppier end of the musical spectrum. I had noted that he had been perhaps missing his calling as a rock singer from recent bits I have seen on mainstream TV shows over the last year or so, but the fact that he is even on prime time stuff like Graham Norton left me with the overall message that he was perhaps just moving onto a brief Rock phase for this album cycle, and would no doubt shift to his Techno / Country / R&B phases in due course like so many pop stars do. 

He’s been persistent here, cropping up with a spectacular performance for Ozzy’s farewell in Birmingham and now this collaboration with the mighty Aerosmith, a band for whom I once spent three months trekking across the USA in search of their 1970’s vinyl back catalogue which was impossible to buy in the UK in the mid-1980’s, shortly before the advent of the Compact Disk and the concept of re-releases made that all seem a rather expensive extravagance. So yes, I have emotional skin in this particular game.

The five tracks on here do not disappoint. The most commercial of which, opener My Only Angel is clearly one that Yungblud’s fan base are not going to be turned off by, and it’s a more subtle way to introduce them to Aerosmith for sure. 

Most duet’s work by counterpointing the usually differing styles of their vocal contributors, but Yungblud and Stephen Tyler have remarkably sympatico vocal delivery styles here, and the Demon Of Screamin’ clearly has his match here, to the point where it is sometimes difficult to tell which of them is which. 

When they harmonise, things go up a level or three however, as the much heavier Problems illustrates, and also becomes the point where this really feels like the backing band is truly Boston’s finest.

The more bluesy Wild Woman is more traditional Aerosmith territory and wouldn’t have been out of place in their Honkin’ On Bobo period. It wouldn’t be a modern Aerosmith record without the anthemic power ballad, of which A Thousand Days may be one of their finest, but for me the pièce de résistance is a new version of the classic Back In The Saddle which dates back to 1976’s Rocks album (the release that allegedly saw Slash want to pick up a guitar for). 

This track is a belter, but that original studio recording was not the greatest, although there’s plenty of higher quality live versions, but doing this track anew with Yungblud works perfectly. This should not have worked as a collaboration, but it categorically does and I am smiling like an idiot each and every time I spin it. 10/10

Bloodbound - Field Of Swords (Napalm Records) [Matt Bladen]

Swedish power metal act Bloodbound ride back into the melee with their new record Field Of Swords. 

The Twenty year veterans unleash another set of historically themed tracks that draw lyrical inspiration from the Middle Ages and the evolution of weaponry that in turn led to the bloody battles of The Crusades. Now they may be known for doing bouncy power metal but on tracks such as Empires Fall they shift into from thrashy riffs into a fist pumping chorus.

Now this probably quite a controversial part of history and as crusaders make their way into the Holy Land on Defenders Of Jerusalem, the historian in me really wants to start debating that the English aren't the heroes in this story. However Bloodbound still retain some of the difficult parts of history on tracks such as Teutonic Knights, showcasing the fighting on both sides.

The epic style of Bloodbound's music does make you forget about all that framing it like an epic quest as the songs on this album take Bloodbound into a faster and heavier style, the galloping title track kicking off the record with what you want from these Swedes. There's flutes on The Code Of Warriors, blasts of synth-metal on the Forged In Iron, Euro Power metal of Pain And Glory and there's even an appearance from Brittney Slays of Unleash The Archers on closer The Nine Crusades.

Bloodbound do it again as Field Of Swords leaves you in no doubt that you've probably heard the power metal record of the year! 9/10

Jethro Tull - Aqualung Live Remaster 2025 (InsideOut Records) [Simon Black]

This is going to sound heretical to some, but despite being rather fond of Folk Rock and Metal crossover bands, I have never really got Jethro Tull. I thought that perhaps it’s the fact that there is a bit of Jazz Fusion in the mix which predates the folkier elements that was turning me off all these years, but listening to this record brought home to me the reasons why I have always struggled with this band.

On paper they should be right up my street, fusing folk, prog rock, classical and Hard Rock as they do, but even now this, a remastering of a twenty-year-old full live rendition of their best-selling album is for me at least, still a puzzlingly hard listen.

Don’t get me wrong, the fans will be happy with this, as the recording has been lovingly enhanced if you compare to the older version on streaming platforms, with the instrumentals in particular benefiting from a much more clearly defined and layered sound than the more blended original, but then twenty years has seen some huge improvements in software to help clearly differentiate sounds and unpick sounds that got blended across a live microphone mix. 

It’s this aspect that works for me, as I have a huge respect for the musicianship here. These are incredibly skilful musicians and to be honest I think the later line-up that formed around the time this was recorded was one of their strongest.

For such a landmark album getting a live airing at what was at the time more or less in honour of the thirtieth anniversary of its release, it doesn’t seem to have a large and loud crowd though, sounding instead like a small and intimate theatre space than the kind of big halls these gentlemen are more than capable of filling, and actually that helps the material, as the plethora of acoustic renditions here benefit from the more subtle live environment.

The other thing that stands out is the songwriting craft, which skilfully explores themes around the often-contentious difference between the concept of a god, and the antics of the religions that worship it. It’s a thematic concept rather than a story-based one, but the lyrics skirt topics that have caused no small amount of controversy in their time, and they are still effective fifty-four years later.

What’s less effective for me is what happens vocally. Don’t get me wrong – Ian Anderson is an incredible songwriter, and a phenomenal flautist and live footage of him hopping about the stage without dropping a note on the flute deserves praise in and of itself, but it’s the timbre of his voice that I have always been unable to get past. 

In many ways the intimate sounding venue probably doesn’t help, because it’s clearly not the place to belt out at the top of your voice, but having to go through this a couple of times nails it for me that this sadly is the thing I can’t make work for me, and why I have never been able to listen to a Tull record end to end. But, for many, his performance is the unique selling point and the studio version of this shifted seven million copies, so what do I know?

On a positive note, I have come out of this with a stronger overall impression of the band, and in particular Anderson’s superb lyrics, even if other elements of his formidable contribution jar personally. Sorry Ian. 7/10

When Nothing Remains - Echoes Of Eternal Night (The Circle Music) [Matt Bladen]

Death doom from Sweden now as When Nothing Remains deliver some maudlin, epic music with a penchant for sadness and introspection. Echoes Of Eternal Night is their first album since 2016 and sees them delivering another set of melodic death doom anthems on The Circle Music.

A band who have been bringing the sad since 2010, this new album continues the concept of their last record, featuring as story of a girl l left at a desolate lakeside with this record she is negotiating life as a search for meaning, a record that dictates that death is not the end but a new beginning.

This new beginning is a darker tale, When Nothing Remains increasing the drama with plenty keys and organs that work their way through A Glimmer Of Hope and also on the 10 minute doom crawl of Everything Ends, one of the many tracks that shows off the dual harsh/clean vocals.

If a melodic/synth/keys driven death doom stirs your miserable soul then you should be checking out When Nothing Remains. 8/10

Reviews: Civil Service, Seven Blood, Skull & Crossbones, Mausoleum Gate (Matt Bladen & Simon Black)

Civil Service - DARK /// (A Cheery Wave/Ripcord Records) [Matt Bladen]

Civil Service came on to my radar with their album /// LIGHT last year, the instrumental band wowed me with their cinematic style. They follow up that record with their new one DARK /// and while /// LIGHT was a record that explored illumination and the search for meaning.

This record however is about "the walls we crash into along the way", so this record is a companion piece a continuation, the other side of Civil Service as a band, a heavier, more introspective side that explores existential dread but also inspired defiance, especially on the final track Turn Out The Light where we actually get some aggressive shouts at the beginning that segue into anthemic dreamy swells.

The vocals from Liam Knowles (Hidden Mothers) and Scott Shepard (Blackshape) add an extra layer to the brilliance of DARK ///, despite being an instrumental band at their heart Civil Service do have a couple of guest features, alongside Knowles and Shepard, Luke Daly (Overhead, The Albatross) adds spoken word to the first track while Liz Heaton (Midas Fall) contributes more spoken words to These Cities Are Ruins.

This is a short track driven by oscillating synths, the programming and samples all bringing the cinematic touches to tracks such as Black Giraffe. You can hear the inspiration of bands like Mogwai, Mono or God Is An Astronaut on the propulsive guitar driven URBN DCY, as the piano driven beginnings of The Heurist is a gateway to that darkness that appears towards the close of the album, massive doom riffs switch into industrial pulse as the string-laden Every Beam Of Light Is An Invitation To Death swells and envelopes you.

An album where the roadblocks and futility of some parts of life are held in the spotlight of expansive musical brilliance. Ultimately DARK /// takes a different route than /// LIGHT however they are both journey's towards hope and better understanding. 9/10

Seven Blood - Life Is Just A Phase (Self Release) [Matt Bladen]

Seven Blood are an alt metal outfit from Germany, in the modern way of music industry they've been releasing singles for a while now to gain fans, which has seen them join Future Palace and Conquer Divide on tour. Life Is Just A Phase and it's a record that bristles with electronics, the thick groove riffs leading to anthemic, cathartic choruses.

The band are one who use emotion effectively, from personals lyrics filled with introspection and resilience, they're a band who are trying to connect with their audience in a number of ways through the emotive lyrics and the powerful music which they see as a release, their live shows and now this album, are spaces where their fans can feel empowered.

Seven Blood are a product of their heritage guitarist Oli Arnold and drummer Anfy Hartmann both were brought up in the German Democratic Republic, the urban decline of their childhood having a strong influence on their song writing as they struggled to know where they belong.

A similar longing to find a place comes from vocalist Azaria Nasiri who is the daughter of a Moroccan mother and Iranian father and this trio have let the music become a vessel to find somewhere to belong, extending it this to their fans too.

Born of frustration and crisis they were joined by bassist Josi Hille and now they have their debut to showcase their heavy meets melodic music. I've become the go to metalcore/alt metal guy in this publication, I'm not sure why, however with Life Is Just A Phase I've found another excellent addition to the forward thinking alt metal mob. 8/10

Skull & Crossbones – Time (Massacre Records) [Simon Black]

When you are a German Power Metal act, the constant benchmarks to the big Euro four acts in the genre must get a bit galling, but fortunately Skull & Crossbones are walking an even line between Power and more traditional Metal, but still with a very strong 90’s influence to their sound. Perhaps this isn’t surprising, given their pedigree as a band founded by former musicians from Stormwitch, which is stylistically not a million miles away from what we have here.

This sophomore release is my first exposure to them, and I have to say I was cautious going in, because this sub-genre has thousands of bands from the same corner of Europe ploughing all to similar furrows, but this was refreshingly original. OK, perhaps not if you are a follower of Stormwitch, but I spin a lot of Power Metal disks with this reviewing lark, and originality is increasingly a rare and scarce thing, but more important is a need to sound unique, original and fresh and in that Skull & Crossbones score well. 

Partly it’s getting the balance right between trad Metal and the Power tropes, but more importantly it’s because these gents are quite good at crafting catchy and strong songs that don’t sound like what everyone else is doing. The instrumental work is tight and crisp, but with the kind of interplay and fluidity that comes from a band with a good chemistry, and long-term experience of working together, even though drummer Bernd Heining is new to the line-up, he’s seamlessly part of the sound and thunderingly precise to boot. 

It’s vocalist Tobi Hübner who grabs my attention, with the kind of range and power of a that got me listening to bands like Judas Priest in the first place, he really holds the listener with his power and octaval range, although his melody lines sometimes follow those of the instruments a little closely, he gets away with it because he delivers such a soulful and charismatic performance.

I can see this working well live, however I don’t think I’m going to be seeing them anytime soon as so far they have yet to play outside of Germany, but the well-crafted stories they weave with these ten tracks work really well. Not only do they avoid sounding like any of their musical peers, but there is plenty of variety to these arrangements as well, which means the album passes well without sounding repetitious, contrived or clichéd. All in all, a highly pleasant surprise. 8/10

Mausoleum Gate - Space Rituals And Magick (Cruz Del Sur Music) [Simon Black]

Now this is a little odd..

Mausoleum Gate hail from Finland, and despite having been going for nearly twenty years and onto this, their third studio album, I had never heard of them before. Nothing unusual in that – there are hundreds of thousands of bands across a hundred different splintered sub-genres, all loosely falling under the category of Metal, by virtue of tracing a loose, but indubitable lie back to what four Brummie lads pulled off on the 13th February, 1970 (a few days after I was born) and promptly changed the world.

This record could have come from that era. With a loose and retro production feel, and the kind of influences taking in Prog Rock arrangements of the period (Traffic and Procol Harum spring immediately to mind), as well as some of the more spooky Occult sounding stuff that Coven and Black Widow produced, and with a vocalist who could probably now earn a good living in any kind of Ozzy-era Black Sabbath tribute act, it’s easy to see why. 

Let’s get that one out of the way first, because Jarno Saarinen is tonally a dead ringer for the late great Mr Osborne. A little less wailing, and with his own distinctiveness in his delivery, but the fact is it adds to the overall smorgasbord cauldron of sounds that hail from the late 60’s but which set the tone and direction for everything that came after.

I can’t compare to what went before, and to be honest there’s probably no point in bothering as three of the six in the line-up are new faces, but as a reader, it’s probably a more honest review, as I have no choice but to come at this fresh. The Prog influences means that these songs take their time but keep the interest in doing so. 

There are only six tracks on the whole record, but it really feels like all six of the players are contributing something here. The complexity in the arrangements doesn’t jangle within each track as it’s like an interesting story told over a pint of good ale – sometimes the journey is more interesting than the destination, and with some cleverly arranged harmonic twists and flourishes along the way you may not be sure of the point of the song, but you probably enjoyed the ride.

That said it can get wearing by the time you get to the end, and although there is a lot of tonal variety within each of the tracks, it’s a bit like being strapped to a slightly psychedelic rollercoaster most of the time. At least until you get to the title track, when things take a more Hard Rock turn, with a more driving beat and the kind of sound that wouldn’t feel out of place on an early Ghost album yet driven by a more straight ahead Graham Oliver era Saxon riff.

As I said from the outset, this is an odd record. Yet somehow it works, if only enough to make you wonder what you have just heard was real, thereby earning it another spin, and I can definitely see this stuff working live (green smoke optional). 6/10

A View From The Back Of The Room: Conan (Spike)

Conan, Chained To The Bottom Of The Ocean & KULK – Waterfront, Norwich, 23.11.25

Sadly, the official headcount on the night was tragic. A few days before payday, on a miserable Sunday night in Norwich, the crowd was sparse. But here is the immutable truth: the size of the room does not dictate the power unleashed inside it. The dedicated few who showed up were treated to a stellar line-up that served as a necessary reminder that Doom is not a genre; it is a physical state of being.

The night was a three-part descent into sonic oblivion, where silence was banished and bass frequency became a lethal weapon.

The assault began with Kulk (8), the two-piece who demonstrated the true meaning of making a huge racket with minimal resources. Forget superfluous guitarists. this unit delivered a monolithic wall of sound powered solely by a bass and a drum kit that had clearly mortally offended the drummer. She beat the hell out of that kit with a furious, precise energy, delivering a devastating, rhythmic foundation. Kulk is essential friction, using minimalist instrumentation to prove that if your percussionist is angry enough, you don't need melody. Their sound was a crushing piece of work, perfectly priming the audience for the coming tectonic shift.

Next up, the pure, distilled sonic decay of Chained To The Bottom Of The Ocean (9). This Massachusetts sludge-doom unit specializes in thematic weight and crushing density. They delivered a set without a single pause, no crowd chatter, and zero request for validation. This was a ritual of sound with the atmosphere so thick it felt like being submerged in the very name of the band performing. The only interaction was the sheer, suffocating density of the noise itself. The guitarist and bassist spent as much time facing their amps, squeezing out that thick, venomous wall of feedback and drone, as they did facing the faithful crowd. 

Their deliberate self-sacrifice in noise created a genuine deluge of sludgy, doom-laden metal that felt like the earth rupturing beneath the venue. Their capacity for maintaining that monolithic, unbroken weight across their entire set was epic, a testament to their uncompromising vision. The fact they arrived on stage, never spoke a word to the crowd, delivered an epic set and drenched it is feedback made this my personal stand out of the night.

Finally, Conan (9) arrived to do exactly what was expected. Loud, Heavy, grinding metal. Their sound is elemental, built on monolithic chug and riffs that operate at a pace best described as glacial inevitability. Known globally for their sheer volume and mythological themes, the trio performed with the brutal certainty of a storm front, ensuring every person in the room absorbed the full, necessary impact of their low-end power. Conan doesn't perform songs; they perform acts of sonic geological change, delivering crushing weight with undeniable groove. They left no doubt that they are the kings of the colossal riff.

I doubt there is a better way to spend a cold Sunday night in Norwich than getting your soul crushed by the combined weight of these three acts. The sparse crowd proved that only the truly dedicated brave the Sunday night Doom pilgrimage, and they were justly rewarded with total annihilation. All three bands deserved a bigger crowd, this was a brilliant night of sludge and aggression.

Reviews: Faetooth, Withering Soul, Caustic Waves, Old Dirty Buzzard (Matt Bladen)

Faetooth - Labyrinthine (The Flenser)

Self described Los Angeles 'Fairy Doom' band Faetooth explore grief, memory and uncertainty on their sophomore release Labyrinthine.

Continuing where the left off from their 2022 debut album taking the band further into the realms of mysticism with a musical style that invokes haunting vocals, hushed woozy atmospherics countered by crushing doom passages and harsh shouts.

Labyrinthine is inspired by the legend of the Theseus and the Minotaur as he enters the Labyrinth to confront the beast, however here Faetooth interpret this meeting as travelling through the maze of life to confront unresolved trauma, but rather victory and conquest Faetooth offer the listener a space to reflect and get bring resolution.

There is a very real feeling of unease on this record, the confusion of whether or not you will be faced with the ethereal atmospheric beauty or the pulverising heaviness, tracks such as White Noise offering both as the conflicting vocals of Ari May (guitars) and Jenna Garcia (bass) create dissonance and beauty vocally with the shoegaze of Eviscerate developing into blasts of aggression.

Drummer Rah Kanan keeping a steady, heavy beat as October retains those shimmering post metal and shoegaze elements as Mater Dolorosa shifts further into post/doom but it's the closing double header of The Well and Meet Your Maker that Faetooth lean heaviest into being the idea of 'Fairy Doom' creating that space needed to find solace.

Labyrinthine is a spectral journey though grief with from Faetooth and it's a wonderfully evocative record. 9/10

Withering Soul - Passage Of The Arcane (Liminal Dread Productions)

Blackened death metal now from Chicago, as Withering Soul bring us their fifth album, Passage Of The Arcane, the information I got with it makes comparisons to Dark Fortress, Hypocrisy and God Dethroned and yeah I can definitely hear those bands here.

The cinematic atmospheres that take you through icy tundra's and vivid landscapes are all part of the bands melodic meets extreme approach. Each one of theses songs is its own 'passage' within an overall thematic link to "human experiences traversing into cursed oblivion."

Every song tells a story through the expertly crafted music from Christopher (vocals/guitars), Joel (bass) and Rick (drums), they're joined by Nick "Exhul" Morgan on Trajectory and have added Frank G on guitar for live shows, but on this record the trio produce excellence.

From the rampaging Attrition Horizon, through the bludgeoning Grievance Eludes The Light, the punky The Monolith Embodied and tremolo picked black metal of Gallery Of The End there's plenty to discover for anyone who is new to the band.

The way they fuse the different styles is impressive, with the explosive Trajectory, the grooving Among Covetous Eyes and the dramatic closer Burden Of The Valiant all showing a different side to Withering Soul but retaining a link to their core sound.

If you love music that fuses the extremity of black and death metal and with melodic structures and harmonies then you'll find plenty of Magick on Passage Of The Arcane. 8/10

Caustic Waves - Echoes (Self Released)

It's not often you come across a one man project that isn't black or doom metal. However Caustic Waves is a Glasgow based project from Neil Thomas, inspired by his love of post hardcore and late 90's alt metal, Echoes is a deliberate throwback to bands such as Incubus, Deftones and Helmet. Basically if it appeared on Kerrang TV or a Tony Hawk's soundtrack you will probably find a reference to it here.

Thomas though doesn't want to slavishly copy those bands, he takes their inspiration to create his own anthems. The vocals are the focus, Thomas having that perfect vocal for the genre, angsty, emotive and very American in it's delivery, Echoes is definitely driven by the vocals as the though the music is good, it's not a genre that has too much technicality to it.

Though with this second EP Thomas has tried to expand his song writing with the chunky sound Quicksand or the atmospheric groove of Spotlights, the pop tones on Playing With Fire as Insignificance keeps the core sound strong. Sung, played, produced and mixed by Neil, the thick sheen of the master comes from Lewis Johns (earthrone9/Employed To Serve).

Echoes is a throwback but one treated with respect for the original material. One man with plenty of ideas and the talent to prove it. 7/10

Old Dirty Buzzard - One Foot In The Grave (Rotten Records)

One Foot In The Grave features a cover of The Hammer by Motorhead, from their Ace Of Spades album and that's pretty much what you need to know if you've never heard Old Dirty Buzzard's music before. The fuzzy, sludgy, bluesy heavy metal that you can call rock n roll if you want to.

Formed pretty recently they released a debut in 2023, but now they're back with the follow up One Foot In The Grave, another dirty set of heavy rock with filthy basslines from bassist and singer Kurt Kilfelt, thunder from drummer Ben Still and distorted guitars from Ben Litz.

Opening with Bag Of Nails, a song Kilfelt wrote in prison, One Foot In The Grave is a record that is dangerous, Hell Hath No Fury rampages with a gallop while Rotten Minds has a groove, both paying homage to Lemmy and Co.

With some forays into doom on Not My Cross To Bear, Old Dirty Buzzard brings heavy metal and rock n roll, that's loud and proud on album number two. 7/10

Reviews: Acid Death, Darklon, Steel Arctus, ΦΩΣ (Matt Bladen)

Acid Death - Evolution (7hard/7us Media Group)

Acid Death are veterans of the Greek scene formed just as the 80's closed their progressively minded blend of death and thrash metal saw them release a tonne of underground demos and two record before calling it a day in 2001. After ten years though they returned and since 2011 they have released three records, with Evolution being their eighth overall.

Their last was in 2019 and with a longer gestation period than usual and a pandemic in the middle has made them look inward at what makes humans who they are. Writing a concept record that explored "arc of human development across the ages" thus the title of Evolution. The concept is fully realised by the ferocious aggression and progressive atmospheres of the band. the likes of Death, Atheist and Coroner are all contemporaries of Acid Death and can be used as comparisons but these Greeks carve their own path of destruction with virtuoso excellence.

The duelling melodies and ever shifting gnarly riffs of Dennis Kostopoulos and John Anagnostou, at times are in harmony but then at others in opposition to each other, creating an expansive death/thrash delivery which reminds me of a band such as Sabbat too where they move between various styles all within one song. Those guitar riffs are underpinned by the unrelenting double kicks of drummer Kostas Alexakis who guides the pace changes with precision, locking in with the technical grooves of Savvas Betinis, his bass keeping the riffs moving but brining some flourishes of his own between the guitar sprints, checkout the ambient textures on (Walking) The Path To Certainty.

Savvas' vocals sit on the right side of the growled, where everything is understandable, delivering tracks such as The Rise Of Salvation with a mixture of vocal styles but snarling and clean singing on the blistering Shadows Of Our Despair. They really play up to the prog tag on The Gateway To Knowledge and unleash some bludgeoning death on Fallen Empires.

Acid Death, rewire their DNA on Evolution, progressive death/thrash played with purpose and extreme skill. 9/10

Darklon - Mind Reaper (No Remorse Records)

The third album from brawny power metal act Darklon comes with a new vocalist and harder edge.

The Athenians have always been closer to the US style of power metal than the European one but with former vocalist Nikos Migus A, busy with Omen (themselves US Power metal legends). Darklon have gained Bill Chrepas of Wildfire behind the mic but the rest of the band Kras K.D. (guitar), Savvas G (bass) and Geor Kana (drums) remains the same from their last album in 2023. 

Previous records have gained comparisons to Savatage, Jag Panzer and of course Omen but with their third record, they want to get a bit nastier with Vicious Rumours and Metal Church touted as influences and when In The Abyss kicks off with some savage speed metal riffs and those thrashier aspects are plain to hear.

As well as those bands I talked about earlier there's a strong vein of Mercyful Fate on the opening salvo but with Mind Reaper they get rougher. They blast away with thrash on Powercast, while The Mad Messiah and Shockwave bring the British Steel of Judas Priest.

Mind Reaper features a new voice for Darklon but keeps their commitment to the tough power metal. 8/10

Steel Arctus - Dreamruler (No Remorse Records)

Power metal of the epic side now with the conceptual fantasy metal of Steel Arctus.

They play songs about a warrior protagonist influenced by Greek mythology, J.R.R. Tolkien, H.P. Lovecraft, and Clark Ashton Smith. Formed in 2020 they are already on their third album of epic heavy metal that brings to mind Manowar and Dio.

The vocals of Tasos Lazaris screams and snarls with the power of Dickinson and Tate, on Fate Of The Beast and Will To Power. The drumming from Minas Chatziminas hurtles on Defender Of Steel as Strutter brings the groove and the galloping with his bass, on the mid-pace Dreamruler and the powerful Riding Through The Night.

Steel Arctus is the playground of founding member Thanasis "Nash" Gousis, he plays all of the guitars, both electric and acoustic (Wicked Lies), showcasing his virtuosity with all of them. He also brings the cinematic keys along with Strutter, (Glory Of The Hero). Both Nash and Strutter produce the record, giving it the massive sound it has and dynamics to something like Legend Of The Warrior.

Dreamruler is a great epic heavy metal album from Steel Arctus. Don your armour, raise your sword to the sky and join these warriors on their latest quest. 8/10

ΦΩΣ - I Am The Light (Hellenic Metal World)

Athanasios Papangelis aka Thespieus, is the founder and only member of SVET an atmospheric black metal band from Greece. He returns with a new project called ΦΩΣ which translates to FOS and means light in English.

For a project that dwells in the darkened realms of black metal ΦΩΣ has a lot of light within it but it's also introspective and takes the listener on an atmospheric journey through his creative mind. I guess you could call I Am The Light atmospheric black metal but you can trace these songs back to various styles within the black metal sphere.

Blasting tremolos, kick drums and tormented vocals on Trapped Within The Flesh hark back to the early black metal originators, while A Prayer To The Sun adds the melodic side from the second wave. There's torrents of viciousness on The Awakening, brooding dissonance on Dark Seduction and I Drink The Sun takes things further towards the melodic/atmospheric realms.

It's the final, eleven minute title track that really flaunts the skills of Thespieus, a leviathan of a slow-burning, structured extreme metal odyssey which closes this debut brilliantly. ΦΩΣ balances light and dark with deftness and dexterity. 8/10

A View From The Back Of The Room: Halestorm (Alex Tobias)

Halestorm, Bloodywood & Kelsy Karter And The Heroines, The nEVEREST Tour, Utilita Arena, Cardiff, Wales, 20.11.25

I am back in the Welsh capitol tonight to watch Halestorm start their latest UK part of The nEVEREST Tour with support from Bloodywood and Kelsy Karter And The Heroines, a ram packed Utilita Arena are in early tonight as the ques start forming in the afternoon and by 6pm we are all in as the first band takes the stage at 7. As its Thursday a early finish is much appreciated but from my research on these bands a quiet night is most defiantly not on the cards, lets get stuck into our first band of the night.

I am not going to lie I have never heard of Kelsy Karter (7), but after this performance I will not forget the performance tonight, Kelsy and the band walk to the stage without any intros or flashy lights etc just stroll on with an air of confidence and smiles all around. 

A bit of a change from a band just kicking into a song or playing a big dramatic intro, Kelsy talks to the crowed first asking "How is everyone doing Cardiff" and thanking Halestorm for being on the tour then the first song introductions. We do get a first night of the tour glitch when Kelsy's radio mic cuts out mid song but thankfully its sorted pretty quickly while she uses the mics set up for bass player and guitarist to finish the song. 

From there on a pretty flawless set from the band, listening to them beforehand I will admit they would not be a band that I would normally regularly listen to but digging deeper by hearing more songs and watching a few interviews etc I can very much appreciate the drive and attitude of the band, that comes across live also, looking good on stage and not looking out of place at all as they riff off each other seamlessly. 

A stand out song from the set was from the bands last album, 2025s Love Made Me Do It, Lightning In A Bottle is a really passionate song with snappy end guitar solo and a fun chanting na na na type sing along section, it gives off lots of different vibes and influences that the band have from mellow Bruce Springsteen stuff through to the more heavy rock style Foo Fighters type drumming and guitars. 

A really good set from a band that I would not normally see that really impressed me live, I am now a fan and will be keeping an eye out to see them again for sure, and so should you.

We get a break before our next band, New Delhi's own, Bloodywood (8). I have been a fan of this band for a while but haven't caught them live yet, I missed them the last time they came to Wales so I was excited to see what they can deliver live. This band was born to do this, they come to the stage with Sarthak Pahwa the bands dhol player crashing his sticks hard to the first song, Gddaar from the bands 2022 release Rakshak, a song that gets the crowd here up and bouncing. 

Described as Nu metal with folk metal and metalcore elements Bloodywood are so much more than a genre, they are a force of nature. Ploughing through with groove you can feel in your gut and that distinct Indian sound that just blends effortlessly with the heavy guitars and hypnotic vocals of singer Jayant Bhadula. 

The band fill the stage well, all dressed in a mix of traditional Indian get up with sprinkles of a pair of new rocks and a band T here and there, they just look and sound like a band that is so comfortable on the big stage. We get a few more songs from Rakshak until the band take a pause to thank everyone.

"This is our second time in Cardiff, and we loved it the last time and are so happy to be back" says the bands rapper Raoul Kerr. The introduction to the next song, "a song about fear, fear is a simple thing, either it holds you or you hold it" singer Jayant Bhadula explains to everyone, the song is Bekhuaf from this years album release Nu Delhi, a song that the band did in collaboration with Babymetal. 

I have had this banger of a song in my head most of the year so to see it played live, minus Babymetal, was such a pleasure, catchy as hell to the core, now I don't speak Japanese or Indian at all, I know you are shocked, but that doesn't stop me making a ass out of myself and singing along not just to this song but to all the bands songs. 

After the title track from the bands last album Nu Delhi we get to the bands last song, 2019s single Machi Bhasad, a song that made me aware of the band in the first place. A bouncing and heavy song that brings all those influences together that result in quiet a big circle pit something I was not expecting but made the ending of the set that little bit more. 

For the first time seeing Bloodywood I was not disappointed, sound was spot on, stage presence for days and just a really good fun heavy band to watch live, would most certainly see them again anywhere. 

After a short break we are back for the main act of the show, Halestorm (7), who are starting the UK run of their tour after the success of their latest album from august Everest. Before they come to the stage we get a huge white sheet covering the stage ready to be dropped for the first song, the band walk out and there shadows get projected out on the sheet which makes the crowed go wild and roar with cheers and excitement. 

I have never really given the band a good in depth listen before tonight, only catching a few songs on the radio or suggested to me on playlists so checking them out I was happy with what I heard and was excited to see what they could pull off in a live performance. (Another writer was supposed to do the review for this show but got called away for work last minute - Ed)

As soon as that sheet drops we blast straight into the first track from the latest album, a song called Fallen Star, a guttural song that starts fast and gets you moving then shifts to a very old school heavy rock groove into a catchy chorus straight from the heavens above, a great opener that has everyone jumping about and so many singing along which is showing just how well the new album was received by all. 

Between this and the next song I Miss The Misery from the bands acclaimed album 2012s The Strange Case Of... vocalist Lzzy Hale shouts out "How we doing Cambridge?" to which the reception wasn't to good from the Cardiff crowed but due to getting stuck into the song the band did not notice until we pause after and Lzzy says it again, only this time there is a huge boo from everyone and guitarist Joe Hottinger told Lzzy where they actually were. 

We get full apologies from Lzzy before we crack on with the rest of the set, by the reception after and during the show it was a funny mistake but not one that I think spoiled the night for anyone at all, mostly due to how tight and good the band sounded and performed on stage from start to finish. 

Next we get one of the bands most popular songs Love Bites (So Do I) which everyone here goes crazy for with lots of singing and we are really starting to see the whole arena moving and enjoying this now not just the front rowers. 

Halestorm have really good chemistry on stage with each other, genuinely look like they love performing and playing there music to people, they have not been called the hardest working band for nothing. Further into the set we get a awesome cover of Ozzy Osbourne's Perry Mason which the band played at the Back To The Beginning concert a few months ago before the great mans passing. 

Following that we get the soul piercing song Like A Woman Can which everyone is singing along and feeling the energy and passion that is coming from the stage, a great song that is performed flawlessly. After a few more songs from Everest we get a pretty impressive drum solo from drummer Arejay Hale, then onto another of the bands classic tracks and fan favourite Freak Like Me. 

The band have brought with them tonight lots of fire cannons and confetti throughout the set going off to roars from the crowed, the stage show that the band bring is very entertaining with the huge backdrop being the excellent artwork from the latest release Everest. 

We come to the last song of the night, a sing along song to end with the last song from The Strange Case Of... album Here's To Us has everyone here singing like a choir along with Lzzy. A good start to the UK tour and a very good performance from a band I was not sure of what to expect. 

Review: 1349, Pale Horse Ritual, Fessus, Doubtsower (Spike, Rich Piva, Mark Young & Matt Bladen)

1349 – Winter Mass (Season Of Mist) [Spike]

This is not a concert recording. This is a documentation of a plague, technically I guess it’s a documentation of a plague lifting being recorded shortly after the COVID lockdown passed. I’ll just pause on this, this is a live recording. I had to listen to this a few times to get that as it is so tight, so fast and so damn good.

1349's Winter Mass is the sound of the Black Death reaching Norway and deciding to take no prisoners for an hour straight. Named after the year of total societal collapse, this live album, recorded in their native Oslo, is a testament to unchained, uncompromising Norwegian Black Metal.

Forget ambience. this is a the band themselves say, aural hellfire. The core unit, featuring drummer Frost (Satyricon) and vocalist Ravn, operates at a velocity that defies physics. The band's guiding principle is simple. to be fast, brutal, and grim, and this performance is the ultimate delivery on that promise and yes, this is delivered in a live setting and it’s razor sharp. 

Frost's merciless, ultra-fast blast beats descend upon the listener like a blizzard of shrapnel, while Archaon's guitars thrash with a raw, chaotic fury. The production is sharp enough to capture the chaos without polishing away the necessary grimness.

The setlist is a calculated exercise in extremity, spanning three decades of hate. Early classics like Sculptor Of Flesh are executed with unchained madness, proving the band's older material maintains its lethal firepower. For me, the stand out track is I Am Abomination which blisters with unmatched speed, affirming Ravn's snarled declaration, "I will always be here / In all ways in all times." 

This isn't just music; it's a proclamation of endurance delivered through a sadistic, guttural snarl. Even the mid-set tracks like Cauldron and Striding The Chasm whip by at a pace that suggests time is actively running in reverse.

The band's sonic fingerprint is unmistakable. the chaotic energy is rooted in the legacy of Mayhem and Celtic Frost, bands they proudly align with. This is not about genre evolution. it is about unwavering adherence to a violent aesthetic. 1349 refuses to make concessions to the current scene. 

Winter Mass is the perfect proof that after three decades, they are louder, faster, and more vital than ever. Imagine being unlocked after months following COVID and getting welcomed to freedom by this. 9/10

Pale Horse Ritual - Diabolic Formation (Black Throne Productions) [Rich Piva]

There is a way I want a record to sound. It is impossible for me to put it into words, but it is some combination of heavy, fuzzy, dark, leaning more lo-fi than over produced, weird, mindbending, scary, evil, melodic, with harmonies, and different from most other stuff. Words, but not a real thought or description to that sound, and a combination not often heard in just about anything out there. 

Well, instead of trying to describe that sound, from now on I am just going to ask people to turn on the new record from Pale Horse Ritual, Diabolic Formation, to explain how that jumble of words in my head comes out in recorded form. 

The seven tracks from these veterans of the Canadian heavy underground can be exhibit A for what I want to hear when I start a record, and how I feel once it is through, and start it up all over again.

From the first fuzzy, dark, and psych dripping note of the opener, Deflowered, you know this record is about to be something special. The dual guitar action and Sabbath crawl is just killer, with James Matheson on lead guitar and Will Adams on rhythm laying out the template for exactly how fuzzy stoner psych doom should sound. This crawls up from the gutters of Toronto and steals your soul, all without any words, on the instrumental opener. 

Wickedness brings Paco’s haunting vocals to go along with the out of this world guitar tone and amazing playing, as well as hate of organized religion, which tracks with the whole evil thing I mentioned above. I love the old movie clips added, which doubles down on my need for something to amp up the fear factor. 

Holy shit the guitar work on this track. Holy Lies has drummer Jonah Santa-Barbara displaying how he brings his hard hitting style and cowbell to the table to amp up the heavy and partner perfectly with Paco’s way down low bass. Oh, and how about we add some subtle harmonies to the vocals too? And that solo just rips so hard. 

PHR obviously love Sabbath, and Save You is their Planet Caravan, but please, never think these guys are clones of the masters. The acoustic guitar and synth on this one bring so much atmosphere to the table with the layered vocals, creating the exact vibe this one was going for. 

This track is the perfect bridge to Bloody Demon, which may have the filthiest sounding riff of the year. The haunting background vocals is another small detail that makes this record so special. The vocal patterns on this one makes the melody stick in your head like the track’s anti-hero that is in your mind to make you do the most heinous of things. 

Just in case you needed another riff to belt you over the head and slash you up you get D.E.D., a track that is scarier than any horror movie since 1986, and another one where the synths add so much to the track in the background. The vocals in the bridge just rule, and show how both evil and harmony can mix. 

Can an album like this close more perfectly than with a filthy doom track titled A Beautiful End? With what sounds like an exorcism being performed in Italian over riffs and organ and, of course, the guitar tone straight from Hell circa 1976, there could not have been a more ideal record closer.

A perfect sounding record, Diabolic Formation is exactly how I would describe the music I love. An album of the year candidate for sure. If I was creating a record in Frankenstein’s lab, the monster that came alive and destroyed the town would be the nine songs created by Pale Horse Ritual. Diabolic Formation indeed. 10/10

Fessus - Subcutaneous Tomb (Darkness Shall Rise Productions) [Mark Young]

How often do you get a band whose output matches the accompanying PR words that come with a new release? Personally speaking, it’s few and far between for me if I’m honest so when one comes along with the now de rigueur grand description of brutality, of capturing a certain vibe or feeling and then actually delivers on it, well I’m going to pay attention. 

Such is the case with Fessus, who carve their own path by actively avoiding the usual speed fest and attempt to bring aggression in a more controlled manner. Subcutaneous Tomb is their debut courtesy of Darkness Shall Rise Productions and follows on from an earlier demo.

So, what do we have? An extremely gnarly guitar tone that is brittle, crystalline and unique to them. Its abrasive and completely fitting that medium tempo that Pointless Anguish occupies. As promised, this is death metal that concentrates on being oppressive and uses drawn out harmonic parts to keep that dark vibe in place. 

It’s a real blast of fresh (fetid?) air, one that is honest and doesn’t rely on speed to mask any shortfall in song craft. Their songs take as long as they need to take to get from start to finish with Pointless Anguish kicking things off. They have made a brutal opener that lives up to what they promise. 

Asphyxiate In Exile follows suit, and if you wanted to know the kind of speed we are looking at, I’d say its steady. And because of that it works so well, that reduced tempo is reminiscent of Obituary but just a tad slower. 

What it means is that when they do up the speed it registers more with you, but this is done in a controlled manner. Any change in tempo is done with the song in mind and if you take Cries From The Ether as a great example of this where they up that pace prior to dropping a lead break in it makes perfect sense. 

Brenton’s vocals move between the guttural and anguish and it has to be said that they are perfectly set to the music under them. What this does mean is that if speed is your thing, then you will need to look elsewhere for that fix. They say it themselves that their tempo leans more into the slower slide of things and if this isn’t your thing then no hard feelings.

The Depths Of Lividity has an almost boppy drive to it, one that seems to sit outside of normal death metal realms. It doesn’t stay like that for long but you have to admire that they are wanting to come at you like their predecessors Pungent Stench who did death metal their way. 

Does every song hit? Well again it depends on how you take your death metal. Yizkor certainly has the riffs but could have been shorter which for me would have made it more immediate. It is a minor criticism to be honest, but it felt that it was repeating itself.

Living Funeral is their final word and is a fine end piece. Perhaps recognising that Yizkor was a bit lengthy, this goes for a more concise build but one that doesn’t repeat itself. Using that reduced tempo to grind out each song gives them more life than just the usual blast-beat, super-speed affair. 

Their songs are memorable, and that guitar tone is cold and a complete departure from the norm. It will be interesting to see where they go next and I hope they continue to stick to their guns with their next release. 8/10

Doubtsower - The Past Melts Away With A Sneer (UBAII) [Matt Bladen]

Let's get this out of the way now The Past Melts Away With A Sneer clocks in at 48:29, it's an albums worth of music but in one track. I wouldn't expect anything less from One-Man Doom outfit Doubtsower, who has been producing some of the most experimental sounds in the genre for a good few years now.

Matt Strangis, the Doubtsower himself is also a member of funeral/atmospheric doom veterans Pantheïst and an electronic music producer under the name Kyam. He utilises both of these backgrounds plus countless more experimental and traditional influences within Doubtsower, be it funeral doom, post rock, sludge, field recordings and even soundtracks.

This release is his most adventurous yet, playing everything himself and drafting in Greg Chandler of Esoteric to give it a raw, uncompromising master, this journey has a punk ethos and sets an uncomfortable, uncompromising tone, leaning on the nihilism of modern life and rejecting the idea of music becoming content and revelling in the idea that this has to be taken as one whole journey rather than in snippets.

It's difficult to try to describe this record as it needs to be listened to, however if doom with nod to the avantgarde and no fear of embracing multiple genres thrills you then Doubtsower should be on your listening list. 8/10