Reviews: Masterplan, Stonecast, Vorax, Doomherre/Ordos/Hexjakt/Kaiser (Matt Bladen & Mark Young)

Masterplan - Metalmorphosis (Frontiers Music Srl) [Matt Bladen]

With their first new music since 2013, power metal legends Masterplan return on Frontiers Music with Metalmorphosis, their sixth studio album of originals and the culmination of this bands journey so far as they fully step away from their label as a Helloween offshoot.

Now Roland Grapow (guitars) didn't do himself or the band any favours with 2017's PumpKings covers record but after and extended hiatus it seems Masterplan return revitalised and infused with a new creative energy that is all over this new album.

Since their emergence in 2001, they've been through a number of line up changes most notably vocalist Rick Altzi replacing Jorn Lande, but the current line up of Grapow, Altzi, keyboardist Axel Mackenrott (since 2003), bassist Jari Kainulainen (since 2012) and drummer Kevin Kott (since 2017), have all been a part of the band long enough to understand their roles in Masterplan and bring what fans expect.

So what do they expect? Well power metal melodies, prog metal technicality and theatrical diversity that makes for epic songwriting, anchored on this record by the Title Track which displays the heavier sound Masterplan have returned with on this album. 

Tracks such as Through The Storm have their foot to the floor with full pelt European power metal while The Call goes deeper into the prog realms across 8 minutes.

This Masterplan's Metalmorphosis, shedding their hiatus to return with sharper songwriting and heavy hitting music. Veterans of the game it's great to have them back! 8/10

(P.S. I can't wait to see them at Quest Fest 2026 this year)

Stonecast - Expand Crimson Chaos (Pitch Black Records) [Matt Bladen]

I said in my review of French band Stonecasts last album. I, Earther that they "bristle with heavy metal glory" well with Expand Crimson Chaos they continue to just that. 

Creating heavy metal that merges the British and American styles, one moment they're Manowar, the next they're Judas Priest, but for most of Expand Crimson Chaos they stick with Iced Earth.

The seven year gap between the records taking into heavier paths and while Jon Schaffer's band is now a fractured mess of split members, insurrectionism and libertarian insanity, Stonecast can easily slip into that gap due to their thrashy power metal, which is the cornerstone of the American style.

The riffs come from guitarist Seb Casula (leads from Thomas Tiberi), bassist Lionel Antonorsi and the huge vocal prowess of Frank Ghirardi. 

Their IE credentials boosted by Brent Smedley behind the kit, with a track such as King Of Hell blasting like something off Burnt Offerings, switching between a stomping groove and more occult elements of theatre where they can flex their prog prowess as they transition into the blistering gallops of early Manowar.

They even drop a classic metal song in their native French, which is then given a piano version on CD bonus track, so Stonecast aren't afraid to take risks but they make their mark with some more muscular heavy metal. Play loud, raise your first and bang your head to Expand Crimson Chaos. 9/10

Vorax - Volcano Shock (Independent) [Mark Young]

Occupying the different side of the extreme metal coin is Vorax, and their full-length release Volcano Shock. 

Its surprising that no one thought to combine old school death metal and Dinosaurs, well at the least the apocalyptic part of that particular past. The band themselves are wholeheartedly onboard with this and treat this as a deadly serious exercise in music.

And let me tell you, it sounds serious from the off, they have nailed that 90s Swe-death guitar tone to a tee and basically run rampant with it. Magma Ocean is first, and well if you park any opinions on the song titles and just concentrate on the music this is a well-wrought opening salvo of nastiness. 

It just sounds like it stepped out of 1994, and the way that the songs are put together is that they are basically put in gear and are let loose, percussive and propulsive death metal that only moves in one direction. 

The vocals are gnarly, completely suited to the material on hand. Devouring Raw Flesh, with its slower tempo is no less immediate, as is the title track Volcano Shock which possesses that classic death metal super-strum to it. The question is whether you can stay the course with them, and wholly dependent upon your appreciation of OSDM, especially one that tips its hat towards Scandinavia. 

Fans of that era and that location should be able to get onboard with this with no trouble. The songs are good songs, lead breaks are broken out in all the right spots and they never miss with their riffs, which is always massive for me. The other thing is their approach; this is not meant to be a joke or something half-arsed, at least from as far as I can tell.

Yes, the subject matter could be considered to sit on the humorous side of things, but when you look at metal in general there are some sub-genres that raise an eyebrow or two. At least Vorax are bringing a relative a-game to proceedings. I keep going back to its sound, its something akin to stripping the enamel from your teeth. 

Add in that they don’t take a backwards step at any point on here and you have an album that succeeds in terms of offering you 8 songs that place great emphasis on craft. You can’t fault them for that. 7/10

Doomherre, Odos, Hexjakt, Kaiser - Four Altars Of Sin (Majestic Mountain Records) [Mark Young]

Well, this is certainly the treat!!

Four Altars Of Sin gives us a 4 way split of some top class Nordic doom/stoner via Majestic Mountain Records who somehow have combined some of the frostiest metal to be released during an extreme heat event in the UK.

Doomherre – Blood Relics Of Old

Ordos – Inferno

Hexjakt - Svartkonst

Kaiser – Sonic Satan

Putting improbable coincidence to one side, It’s a monumental slab of noise that is a dense as their names suggest. This feels as though Majestic Mountain have carefully curated this split, with each band offering the listener something that is different from the other without sounding out of place. 

The key is that each one delights in being unfathomably heavy whilst imbuing a sense of movement in each of their tracks. Some of the riffs are massive, just as you would expect and there is no way you will come away from this disappointed if this is your bag. 

Doomherre kick things off with Blood Relics Of Old, dropping a bass that is so low its likely to cause waters to break in the pregnant and a riff build that elicits a ‘Fuck yeah’ in right minded individuals everywhere. 

This is a quality start and positions the bar high for Ordos to follow with Inferno. This looks inwardly with a restrained sound that just builds along with one of ‘those arrangements’ that has that itch to it no matter how distorted it is. 

When it does kick in, it’s the vocals that do the heavy lifting, switching from cleans into the harsh. Like Doomherre, they are here to move you and I defy anyone not to get behind this.

Hexjakt start side 2 and just dive in with Svartkonst. This one rides that traditional doom train, again with a focused but fuzzed out mania.

Its central riff is like a monster, simple but massive and when you think about it, they don’t need it to be anything else. Its simplicity is devastating, punctured by a lead break that has that emotional lift to it. Again, at the core is a simple truth which doesn’t mean that this is without merit. It is pure, unspoiled doom. 

Bringing this to a close is Kaiser, with Sonic Satan. Its extended opening sirens and voice over grating until the guitars drop in. I did say that they all shared a similar sound, and this is true in that each band bring massive riffology. 

Kaiser do things differently in the vocal sense due to their lean into stoner territory rather than doom. They still have engage in immense tones, with a fabulous lead break that dominates their entry and ultimately wraps their entry to a close.

For fans of Doom/Stoner, and of Majestic Mountain Records in general, this will surely scratch an itch and introduce new followers to their flock. Hats off to Majestic Mountain with this, brilliant release 8/10

Reviews: MONO, Junius, Plaindrifter, Gin Lady (Matt Bladen & Rich Piva)

MONO - Snowdrop (Temporary Residence Limited) [Matt Bladen]

It’s difficult to lose a friend, difficult to lose a colleague, difficult to lose someone who you have been intrinsically linked with for so long, but when Steve Albini passed away in 2024, Japanese band MONO lost a collaborator, colleague and friend all at once.

His unrivalled production skills has featured on hundreds of albums, this made him one of the most recognisable and revered names in his field, but to MONO he was more than that, he was their “fifth Beatle” the concrete foundation upon which their work could be built upon, with a scientific understanding and emotional connection to their working process and exactly what made MONO tick.

This led to a period of uncertainty the grief of losing a friend but the more practical fear of losing such an integral part of the band, they must have asked themselves if they would ever sound the same again?

That is until they found Brad Wood a friend and devotee of Steve Albini, he too is a producer having made records with Touché Amoré and The Smashing Pumpkins, so he sat in the chair at Electrical Audio, Albini’s studio and alongside conductor Chad McCullough, a 10-piece orchestra and an 8-piece choir and rebuilt MONO, the group creating Snowdrop and record that this as intense as it is intimate, fuelled by the love of a brother.

This is a record that celebrates rather than commiserates, celebrating life rather than mourning death. It pays tribute to Albini, through Wood being sympathetic to the production style he had locked in with MONO, but also sees the band embracing their new working relationships and a jump into the unknown.

Snowdrop begins with the elegant title track, the guitars shimmering across the stereo spectrum, defined left and right instrumentation throughout, you must listen to this on good headphones or through good speakers to really hear it. The title track is like the first buds of spring flourishing at the start of the record before unfolding into the stunning duo of Winter Daphne where the orchestra and choir really come into their own and the triumphal feel of Gerbera, the drums like a distant marching band keeping the time against the orchestral swells.

From here Statice has me thinking of film soundtracks, it's the repetition, the piano and the whole general feel of it I think, especially comparing it to Hedera where the guitar is king, shifting back to the post rock early days of the band. However MONO's music has always been cinematic, songs built for never-ending horizons and long distance travels through beautiful vistas.

Fans should not fear, their first record without Albini behind the desk since 2014's The Last Dawn/Rays Of Darkness double release, is a tribute to the great man from those that loved him while also being another epic, evocative performance from this band who communicate through their virtuosity in an unspoken way. 9/10

Junius - Sotera (Prosthetic Records) [Matt Bladen]

Boston band Junius return after nearly a decade with their new album Sotera, which in the words of founding member Joseph E. Martinez "feels like a rebirth for the band".

Which it sort of is as vocalist/guitarist Martinez and drummer Dana Filloon are the only founding members of the band left, the rest of these soundscapes brought to life by Eoghan Mccarthy (guitar), Matthew Vincenty (guitar) and Orion Wainer (bass).

So yes folks it's another post metal band with three guitarists, but when you hear the density of Junius' music you'll understand why three guitarists are the minimum, shifting from colossal heaviness into introspective atmospheres, there's so much to unlock musically with this record, is no wonder they've been compared to the likes of Tool, Deftones and Cult Of Luna.

Produced by Martinez and Tom Syrowski (Blackberry Smoke, Mastodon), Sotera is a collection of songs where dynamics are key, undulating between ominous distortion and bright ambience, the angst of Deftones, sneer of Tool and the gothic brooding of Type O Negative all prominent in the expressive vocals of Martinez.

You could apply the term symphonic shoegaze to the album as while they do a lot of repeated shuffling and looking at their toes, the instrumentals layer across each other for a wall of expression and shifts in volume that comes from that 90's era of alt rock experimentation.

A record dedicated to Hekate and divine feminine powers, it's their first album not to be confined to just the conceptual but carry a narrative thread, rather than storytelling rigidity, so maybe Sotera is Junius relaxing into being a band after nearly 20 years.

The various genre tags that can applied all getting a bit muddled, as these tracks always offer something different to the last, yet retain a musical dexterity that's hard to define. A clash of sounds that create a post-something noise any devotee of the 90's alternative music scene will feel very comfortable inside. 8/10

Plaindrifter - Gestalt (Ripple Music) [Rich Piva]

Germany's Plaindrift have figured out the perfect and delicate balance of being both proggy and heavy on their amazing new record, Gestalt, brought to us by the best label in heavy rock, Ripple Music. These six songs walk the proggy/stoner/metal tightrope with the greatest of ease, bringing the best of all three of those genres to Gestalt.

Amazing vocals, killer musicianship, and the songs…the songs are breathtaking. Immediately you feel this with the opener, Moth Murmuration, which goes in lots of directions but never waivers too far to allow you to keep guessing but never questioning the direction chosen. Eternal Season is right with it, with some amazing guitar work and next-level songwriting. 

Hyborian Age starts out like it is getting you settled in for what will be quite the journey and that is exactly what you get for those seven amazing minutes that makes up my favourite track on the record. The heaviest song and riff, of course, has Ryan Garney guesting on it, as the middle psych-y part of this seven and a half minute trip leads to Garney’s killer vocals to close it out. Great stuff. Debaser closes Gestalt, pretty much defining what heavy prog should sound like moving forward.

Plaindrifter is just locked in on Gestalt. This record should be held up next to any album proclaiming to stay heavy and still wander into progressive territories, without ever being a parody of itself but instead helping to define what this genre should sound like. Another amazing Ripple Music release. 9/10

Gin Lady - Toads And Diamonds - Volume I: Live in Spain (Ripple Music) [Rich Piva]

If the Allman Brothers were from Sweden they may have toured with Gin Lady, and this set, from Gin Lady’s 2025 tour of Spain, shows that the band would have hung with those legends on stage, given how great Toads And Diamonds - Volume I: Live In Spain sounds.

Gin Lady has been around for a while now and has a great back catalog that they sample a lot of on Toads And Diamonds - Volume I: Live In Spain. The highlight for me is I'm Your Friend, where the guitar work and the harmonies are so precise and beautiful while still giving this raw live feel. I also love the chunky Flower People, with this Neil Young thing it has going on, Crazy Horse background vocals and all. 

Another amazing live band, My Morning Jacket vibes emit from Far Beyond The Sun while the most Allmans track musically, Brothers Of The Canyon, could not have been a better closer, leaving the crowd moving and wanting more. The Byrds-like harmonies pair perfectly with the Southern jamminess of the song. The sound of Toads And Diamonds is great, capturing the band in all their glory while also getting all the little intricacies of their sound.

This would have been quite the show to attend, but at least we get Toads And Diamonds - Volume I: Live In Spain for those of us who have not had the honour of seeing the amazing Gin Lady live and in the flesh. A killer live record in a time where they are few and far between. 9/10

Reviews: Primal Cult, Medusa's Wrath, Pulsar1081, Chants Ov Obscurity (Matt Bladen)

Primal Cult - Dark Passage (Northern Silence Productions)

Eve Alchemy and Aro Raven formed Primal Cult in 2012 and since then they've become a melodic black metal force in the Hellenic extreme metal world. Their music has "themes connected to nature, inner conflict and ancient imagery" as the duo combine ferocity and atmosphere like so many of the leaders in the genre from their country. 

Tremolo guitar, keys, melodic passages and blast beats all at the heart of the this cult. Their debut came out in 2018 so has this gap between releases changes anything? Well no, maybe there's something that's a bit more refined on this one, the creative mind of Eve Alchemy composing songs that are still carry a significant black metal darkness but offer glimmers of light with the clean guitars and synths.

There's also cello, piano (Shore Of Echoes) and more textures to broaden the sonic appeal of this record, spoken word parts and traditional Greek instruments come on the title track while there are acoustics that begin Below The Wave. Dark Passage keeps Primal Cult firmly in the grip of the Hellenic extreme metal world, not about speed but about power and cinematics. 7/10 

Medusa's Wrath - The Seventh Plague Of Babylon (Sleaszy Rider Records)

The second album from Medusa's Wrath doesn't change the formula of their debut, Pavor Exitium Mors too much. You can expect epic, US styled heavy metal which reminds me of the early records from Iced Earth when the vocals were overall a bit harsher, but the music still retained that classic heavy metal goes thrash style. 

With lyrics inspired by history this Athenian five piece still carry that epic heavy metal flag of Manilla Road (Shadows Dance), Iron Maiden (Eternal), Mercyful Fate (Breaking The Spell), Judas Priest on We Cannot Breathe and Lament Of The Serpent with more than a dash of Sabaton too. 

Medusa's Wrath do what they do, playing heavy metal which merges that robust US version with the speedier UK one. The Seventh Plague Of Babylon is a decent follow up to their 2024 debut. 7/10

Pulsar1081 - L’inizio Della Fine (FYC Records) 

Ok let's get into this one yeah? Pulsar1081 are a duo who have caught the ear of D.I.Y label FYC Records. Always having an ear to the ground and penchant for the creative FYC area perfect home for the ambient industrial soundscapes of Eterno and Momento. 

Between them they use keys, guitars, synths, samples, noises, takes and even some vocals to create these layered pieces of music where the synthetic and analogue instrumentation are blended with chants (Darkness), making a seven recordings that have an unnerving sense of dread that flows through all these pieces. 

I say pieces as they aren't really songs, they're soundtracks of a film that doesn't exist but you know would be psychologically terrifying. This isn't a metal album but then FYC has always been a place for the experimental underground and Pulsar1081 is very experimental. 7/10

Chants Ov Obscurity - Bloodstained Monuments (Self Released)

Some blackened deathcore now from Thessaloniki based Chants Ov Obscurity, with influences of Abigail Williams, Ov Sulfur and Cabal, this is fast, furious stuff, the grunt of death metal with the rage of black metal. 

Bloodstained Monuments low guttural vocal croaks/screams (Demios Sam), heavy breakdowns (Kostas Oiko) and symphonic elements (Maria Brkc) but ultimately doesn't do too much different from those bands I mentioned. 

I felt like most of the song bled into another but then deathcore is not always my preference, still fans will be chomping at the bit to pit to these tracks I'm sure, for me it's the Reincarnation In Blasphemy that's stands out as the best on the EP.

As I said blackened death if you're a fan you'll like it if not, then it won't convince you. 6/10

Reviews: Lost In Kyiv, Oh Hiroshima, Hanry, Million Moons (Matt Bladen)

Lost In Kyiv - We're All Going To Be Fine (Pelagic Records)

Some more fine French fancies from Lost In Kyiv and their new album We're All Going To Be Fine, over a decade of post rock excellence continues with this latest release that seamless integrates cavernous enveloping riffs and twitching electronic ambience.

This new record taking down a heavier/darker path than before, one that has been spearheaded by them looking inward for inspiration, drawing from their own lives to craft personal and emotional songs that delve into the less upbeat parts of their collective psyches then transferred into music that has also been inspired by Carl Gustav Jung.

A refocus rather than a reinvention, We're All Going Yo Be Fine is a record that the band describe as "the first record of a new version of the band", which has lead the name change from Kiev to Kyiv because if that's the way the Ukrainian capital describes itself then this change is reflected in the more tumultuous atmospheres on this record.

With so many "post" bands dynamics are at the heart of what they do and Lost In Kyiv master dynamism with every cut on this record, with electronic and analogue instrumentation weaving into each other throughout.

There's acoustic beauty, pulsating breakbeat, waves of synth melody, repeating clean guitars lines but also bigger and louder distorted riffs that take the band into those more ominous, metallic tones. The addition of their new drummer, giving them more powerful grooves powered by adrenaline and even aggression, while the guest vocals of Rebecca Need-Menear on Becoming again brings another dynamic to their sound.

We're All Going To Be Fine is a record from a band who were in a state of flux, but have slowly and carefully rebuilt themselves into a more potent force that has a stronger connection with their audience. 8/10

Oh Hiroshima - And The Dead Tree Gives No Shelter (Pelagic Records)

The duo of Jakob Hemström (guitar/bass/vocals) and Oskar Nilsson (drums and percussion) have been refining their full spectrum musical approach for years now, the Swedish based band curate a place for cinematic introspection, intensity builds, emotions are driven by the colossal soundscapes and soulful vocals.

Oh Hiroshima make music that climbs, like a slow ascent up a musical mountain, they take cues from Mike Oldfield and his ability to layer repeating rhythms over each other as another step of the journey. Inspired by T. S. Eliott's The Wasteland, there's a sense of hopelessness to the album that is communicated through these eight songs, an innate sadness for a failing world where guitars and drums are joined by stirring strings.

There's also moments that spark joy and hope, the feeling that perhaps we can change the world, The Tree Of Life leaning on Celtic tones while Broken Sunlight goes through flute driven grunge while Exit Cloud features organs, orchestras, electronics, horns and the biggest riffs of the record to close it out.

And The Dead Tree Gives No Shelter is an album that features musical complexity and emotional turmoil, a lament for the world explored through expansive music and emotive vocals, Oh Hiroshima continue to impress. 7/10

Hanry - What Came From Silence (Pelagic Records)

Another instrumental post rock group now with What Came From Silence by Hanry.

Despite only being formed in 2022 they have already positioned themselves as ones to watch in the world of post rock, so with their debut album they look to firmly define themselves as a band with it. Written and recorded during a harsh winter in Brittany, the fierceness and isolation of this process can be felt on this album.

It's a record where all the songs begin in cold and frigid tundra' but build into luminous vistas as the introspection evolves into acceptance, the band say: "What Came From Silence is a meditation on emergence, on how resonance is born from restraint, how sound gathers weight from quiet beginnings" which in my view sums up the album perfectly.

A virtuoso five piece that share a musical bond that's is strong across the record, a trio of guitars create the lush layered effect of melodies, harmonising and counteracting with the hand picked synths to make sure that this is the sound they want to be associated with, never over-complicating anything but defining their approach with the multiple guitars, synth lines and cello while the drums are propulsive and create spatial awareness beneath it all.

They also credit the addition of pianist Mariposa as bringing extra depth, for me though their mastery of electronic music is what makes this record exciting, inspired by Explosion In The Sky, Boards of Canada, and even Massive Attack, a track like Remains could be an easy entry into that 90's synth/triphop scene as would Time's Collapsing.

Their blending of electronica and post rock give a Hanry a unique position on the post rock scene, signing to Pelagic has helped them discover how creative they can be with their debut album. 7/10

Million Moons - You Be Good, I Love You (Ripcord Records/Dunk! Records/A Thousand Arms Music)

Continuing my current run of reviewing mainly post rock/metal, I have some animal conscious post metal from Scotland/London based band Million Moons.

On their new album You Be Good, I Love You, they approach it with the idea that animals are "different, yes—but never less than" their human counterparts.

I'd have to agree as I've had more intelligent and profound conversations with animals than many humans over the years but I digress as this album takes things further than I could have, delivering into consciousness. The title coming from the last words of parrot who learnt to communicate with his handlers developing a consciousness of his own, away from animals.

Outside of the band they are all very much involved in conservation so these themes are very close to their hearts, leading to songs that are there to inform rather than rebuke, though it's Secret Histories that does point the finger through the record heaviest moment.

Their music is a selection of structured soundscapes that are meant to reflect certain animals, the swooping movements of flocks of birds, the stillness of floating iridescent sea creatures, the epic journeys of mammals and even on Echoes In The Abyss, the 52-hertz-frequency call of whale 52 Blue.

Guitars are used for intricate but soaring melodies, the rhythm section thunders and floats, letting moments of heaviness consume, while when stripped back allowing the groove to settle in.

Electronics bristle and the band have also brought in sax and organ to swell their cinematic sound, captured by Lewis Johns (Rolo Tomassi, Slow Crush, Employed To Serve) who makes sure every single moment of this bright and bold record can be heard. 8/10

Reviews: Yawning Balch, Stormkeep, Wage War, Joseph Tholl (Rich Piva, Mark Young, Matt Bladen & Cherie Curtis)

Yawning Balch - Volume 4 (Heavy Psych Sounds) [Rich Piva]

Of course, the super group, and I am in no way using that term loosely, Yawning Balch, produced another killer atmospheric, desert-psych-trip on the fourth installation of the collaboration, aptly titled Volume 4. 

Yawning Man have been consistently awesome for decades now, with their what can only be described as legendary psychedelic desert instrumental goodness, but adding Mr. Balch to the mix gives them this vibe of just a little bit heavy too, but never enough to throw off the delicate balance of what Gary, Bill, and Mario in YM are all about.

Volume 4 is part of the second hour's long jam sessions the guys did in the desert, with Balch talking about his new pedal that played a prominent role in the two tracks offered here. Bob likes pedals and I like Bob using pedals. Pyramid Of Djoser is the first one, and Bob certainly has all sorts of trippy tricks going on with said pedal and his mastery of the instrument he has been known for. The most amazing thing about Balch is his ability to be awesome in any setting; as the riff maker in Fu Manchu, playing 80s Priest worship in Axe Dragger, or the desert trippy stuff you get here. 

The chemistry is obvious between these four amazing musicians, as Water Ritual may be my favourite on any of the volumes thus far. It is so hard to put a 22 minute jam into words, but if you want to take or not take your substance of choice and just chill, Yawning Balch got you. Bob never goes too far, sometimes you feel he may or maybe even you want him to, but he always keeps it right down in the good part of the trip.

Yawning Balch. As a fan it is fun just to write the name. It is even better experiencing all the goodness this collaboration brings. Bring on the next volumes, we are here for it for sure. 8/10

Stormkeep - The Nocturnes Of Iswylm (Vesperian) [Mark Young]

There is something about atmos black metal that when done right can't be touched.

The Taste Of Immortal Blood has that lofty opening touch, allowing the swells and Eddie's before they drop the hammer.

Fast drums, riffoloa

Then cleans that I actually liked in this context, they attempted to support or underpin the music in front of it. However, they remember that this is heavy metal and that having the atmosphere is nice but what really is key is guitars, drums and bass. It's suitably energetic, punching forward when it needs to, and allows the use of keys to come in to act as a natural break. The outer lead break, as quick as it is has the song in mind by actively not overshadowing it. 

It's a very strong start, one that The Black Dragons Of Iswylm maintains. It's a tightly wrapped song, the component parts are equally distributed behind a solid riff. Having this one run shorter means there is a race to get as many parts played as possible; piano here, atmos break there. T3 continues that run, a classic BM start that sees galloping guitars and machine gun double bass. By now it's settled into a pattern that shows a consistent approach to their craft. Its full of melodic lines (the early lead break as an example) that are positioned well within its arrangement. Obviously, we are never too far from a moment where they remind us they are about the atmosphere.

Imperious Sanguine Erotiscm gradually eases into play, a slow fade in that sees them deploy the clean singing first then rip into those harsh bm vox and back again. I think it was expected that they would have a relatively slow one which would give them room to breathe and spread out. There's still opportunity for them to go heavy, and they do whilst maintaining restraint ensuring that it flows as opposed to lurching into new ground. 

T5 decides its had enough and kicks into high gear once more. There's a hurry about this one, manifested in how they position lead breaks and changes in velocity to suit. Of the tracks so far I think that it suffers from being padded out slightly. Personally, this could have been reduced in length but given that the overall level of craft that has go e into these songs has stayed constant it really is a minor niggle. 

T6 has a cracking riff set to it, relying on speed to SOMETHING HERE. Whilst it has that in its favour, its shares a lot with the tracks preceding and its a good track there is a familiarity dropping into play. Again, its a personal thing, but the closing track, Ballad Of A Fallen Star needs to shake things up. I'm hoping that its not an actual ballad, because the last song has to be the one that stays with you once it wraps. Well, any thoughts that they would avoid expansive song lengths are put to bed straight away. 

It's a 9 minute showcase for the good stuff that they have done, but also one that highlights the need for a ruthless hand. It doesn't deviate from the path laid out at the start, nor does it throw in something out of character.

Something else. 8/10

Wage War - It Calls Me By Name (Fearless Records) [Matt Bladen]

Floridian band Wage War dwell in hot and humid swamps of Florida and on the opener of their new EP they encompasses the hidden threat of the alligators that lurk just under the water. It's a song that's brutal, oppressive and dangerous beginning to this record, Wage War at their most vicious and biting, massive grooves and breakdowns with ferocious vocals it's Wage War going down their heaviest route to date.

This renewed danger and aggression continws into 4x4, more screams low end booms but still massive chorus hooks. Wage War state their influenced by Florida itself and the aggressive power of nature, this has made sure that this EP is muscular and loud.

The five piece of drummer Stephen Kluesener, bassist Chris Gaylord, guitarists Seth Blake and Cody Quistand as well as vocalist Briton Bond all give incendiary performances especially Bond on closer Purify as the duality in the vocals on Blindfolded and Karma are more what you may expect from Wage War.

Inspired by the harshness of their home, Wage War, step up the ferocity on It Calls Me By My Name. 7/10

Joseph Tholl – It Might Be Art (High Roller Records) [Cherie Curtis]

Multi-instrumentalist Joseph Tholl brings us his second solo album, It Might Be Art and its hearty, melodic and sincere. It doesn’t rely on sickening breakdowns to be noticed and appreciated. Joseph Tholl has a respectable vocal range swinging from balmy to unfaltering passion with a dark bitter edge complimented by contrasting tension building backing vocals which brings a satisfyingly rich texture and dynamic.

It Might Be Art is something everyone can enjoy, though it’s not metal; it’s a piece of well-crafted, hard-hitting rock. It’s not distracting or pretentiously overcomplicated in any way, but what’s great about this album is that each track is unique from each other in style slightly so if you’re not a fan of one, you’re bound to enjoy the next.

For example; The Burial is a personal favourite, it’s fun and quick with sharp riffs with creative solos and a catchy chorus that's darker and more atmospheric with more of a specific narrative than the others and I’m In A darkness is measured, powerful and laced with romanticism and reverb that makes it more of a ballad which is an excellent change of pace.

As a whole, It Might Be Art is clear cut and undemanding and very well made. It will be a great addition to your everyday playlist when you want a pallet cleanser. It can come across on the first listen as safe and ordinary but as the album unfolds and you hear what’s being offered, you do get to appreciate the sheer effort being made, the level of thoughtfulness and years of experience that shines through. 

The album is different to what Joseph Tholl has worked on within bands past and present, so the energy, passion and creativity is obvious, and it's always makes a huge difference when someone creates out of love, fun and curiosity over comfort and expectation. 6/10