Cirith Ungol are mentioned a lot in this publication and that's because they've influenced countless bands under the 'epic metal' umbrella with their unique sound.
Merging the NWOBHM, 70's heavy rock and doom metal they have had a potted history of existence since their formation in the 1970's.
They've been fully back since 2015, releasing two albums before this one, but it was their return to the stage that was hailed as the bigger deal as live shows were few and far between so their return to the stage has been lauded, but in 2024 the announced they would perform their last shows.
It seems it's hard to keep a good band down as they're now releasing their seventh album All The Shadows through Greek label No Remorse Records, as it's the Greeks who have seen the lions share of these shows since 2015 as they have an affinity with Cirith Ungol and epic metal on the whole. So what's All The Shadows like?
Well it's Cirith Ungol, heavy metal distilled, with the heavy riffage of the title track getting what the band called one of their "strongest efforts ever."
They've been fully back since 2015, releasing two albums before this one, but it was their return to the stage that was hailed as the bigger deal as live shows were few and far between so their return to the stage has been lauded, but in 2024 the announced they would perform their last shows.
It seems it's hard to keep a good band down as they're now releasing their seventh album All The Shadows through Greek label No Remorse Records, as it's the Greeks who have seen the lions share of these shows since 2015 as they have an affinity with Cirith Ungol and epic metal on the whole. So what's All The Shadows like?
Well it's Cirith Ungol, heavy metal distilled, with the heavy riffage of the title track getting what the band called one of their "strongest efforts ever."
Going with all the heavy metal power you want, the doom comes This Mortal Stain and Turning Blind as Tim Baker's distinctive vocals howl at the moon on track such as Shallow Reflection and Empty Tomb.
They bring the epic feel of their music on the cinematic On Broken Wings, which has a lot of acoustic guitars and drama, that continues on Hollow Nimbus.
They bring the epic feel of their music on the cinematic On Broken Wings, which has a lot of acoustic guitars and drama, that continues on Hollow Nimbus.
By the time the bass driven Venus In Thirds closes All The Shadows, there's very little argument that this could be one of the best Cirith Ungol albums in their lengthy career. 9/10
Clocking across ten tracks, Abyssian wastes zero time dragging the listener down beneath the crushing weight of the continental shelf. The journey commences with Abyssian Doom, setting a grim, cavernous tone that immediately showcases their affinity for classic Scandinavian buzzsaw HM-2 guitar tones paired with sluggish, tectonic sludge.
Stoned Jesus – Songs To Moon (Season Of Mist) [Spike]
There has always been far more instrumental intelligence and emotional depth to Stoned Jesus than their weed-dappled moniker might suggest to the uninitiated.
There has always been far more instrumental intelligence and emotional depth to Stoned Jesus than their weed-dappled moniker might suggest to the uninitiated.
Anyone who pigeonholes Ukrainian mastermind Igor Sydorenko and his crew as a mere bong-rattling stoner outfit has clearly missed the last decade and a half of relentless sonic evolution.
Following on from the sun-scorched, sprawling ambition of 2025’s Songs To Sun, Songs To Moon arrives on Season Of Mist as the second chapter of Sydorenko’s grand thematic trilogy.
Make no mistake: where its predecessor basked in blazing heat and daylight urgency, this chapter plunges headfirst into the cold, introspective night of the soul.
Clocking in at seven tracks across forty-one minutes, Songs To Moon asks a fair bit from the listener, but it rewards your patience tenfold.
Clocking in at seven tracks across forty-one minutes, Songs To Moon asks a fair bit from the listener, but it rewards your patience tenfold.
Sydorenko has openly reflected on how so many of his narratives feature characters either falling from great heights or gradually losing their grip, and that psychological freefall forms the dark spine of this entire record.
The journey opens with Under The Skin, and it wastes zero time blowing away any lingering cobwebs. It hits like a thunderous slab of post-metal, heavy, dissonant, and bruising—before letting Sydorenko’s soulful, melodic vocal rise through the murk.
The journey opens with Under The Skin, and it wastes zero time blowing away any lingering cobwebs. It hits like a thunderous slab of post-metal, heavy, dissonant, and bruising—before letting Sydorenko’s soulful, melodic vocal rise through the murk.
It bleeds straight into Velvet, which Sydorenko playfully teased as "What if Nirvana was shoegaze?" It’s a brilliant description; marrying fuzzy 90s grunge riffs with intoxicating, reverb-washed doomgaze textures, it boasts one of the most irresistible, melancholic choruses they’ve ever written.
From there, the record enters genuinely adventurous progressive territory. ZYX rolls forward on a driving, syncopated rhythm, leading directly into Syzygy.
From there, the record enters genuinely adventurous progressive territory. ZYX rolls forward on a driving, syncopated rhythm, leading directly into Syzygy.
Sitting right at the physical centre of the track list and falling precisely at the midpoint of the entire album trilogy, it serves as the band's first-ever pure instrumental, cleverly threading melodic motifs from each chapter of the three albums into an atmospheric tapestry.
The theatrical peak of the album arrives with Jackal. At nearly seven minutes, it is Stoned Jesus operating as an eccentric mini-prog opera, shifting between jagged rhythmic stops, howling guitar leads, and harsh backing barks from bassist Andrew Rodin that push the band right to the brink of chaos before pulling back into focus.
Where Songs To Moon truly leaves an indelible mark, however, is its final, stark descent. In the proud tradition of classic records taking an acoustic left-turn, think Led Zeppelin III, Opeth's Damnation, or Alice In Chains' Jar Of Flies, the band strips away the colossal fuzz pedals for the back stretch.
The theatrical peak of the album arrives with Jackal. At nearly seven minutes, it is Stoned Jesus operating as an eccentric mini-prog opera, shifting between jagged rhythmic stops, howling guitar leads, and harsh backing barks from bassist Andrew Rodin that push the band right to the brink of chaos before pulling back into focus.
Where Songs To Moon truly leaves an indelible mark, however, is its final, stark descent. In the proud tradition of classic records taking an acoustic left-turn, think Led Zeppelin III, Opeth's Damnation, or Alice In Chains' Jar Of Flies, the band strips away the colossal fuzz pedals for the back stretch.
The eight-minute epic Window In My Room explores quiet, intimate space like the band never has before, letting delicate acoustic strumming and hushed vocals carry the emotional weight.
It transitions into closer One More Empty Day, where nylon-string acoustics and the faint, atmospheric sound of a rainstorm close the curtain on a note of weary, hard-won wisdom ("And when the sun goes down / It brightens up my mood").
Songs To Moon is a bold, challenging, and profoundly moving statement. It isn't afraid to let the silence hurt or trade crushing riffs for fragile beauty. As the halfway mark of this massive conceptual cycle, it proves Stoned Jesus are operating at the absolute peak of their compositional prowess.
Songs To Moon is a bold, challenging, and profoundly moving statement. It isn't afraid to let the silence hurt or trade crushing riffs for fragile beauty. As the halfway mark of this massive conceptual cycle, it proves Stoned Jesus are operating at the absolute peak of their compositional prowess.
An essential listen. 9/10
Rattlesnakes - Shadows In The Night (Listenable Records) [Matt Bladen]
Do you know how good you have to be to be signed to a label like Listenable Records for your debut? Well that's exactly what has happend with UK heavy metal act Rattlesnakes.
They released their first EP, Deeper Shades Of Torment was released in 2025 and it got rave reviews, massive listening figures and saw Rattlesnakes arrive as one of the British heavy metal bands to watch. It also led to them getting signed with Listenable Records and they set about writing their debut full length.
A huge part of their appeal as a band is that they treat 80's NWOBHM with some serious respect, no tongue in cheek here, just fist clenching, leather clad heavy metal, drawing from the greats of the genre such as Judas Priest, Iron Maiden, while there's also a lot of influence from Warlock and Chastain while Breakdown reminds me of Motorhead.
Now if you've not heard of Chastain then go listen to them but Rattlesnakes share a lot of similarities with the US powerhouse, founded by guitarist David Chastain who was key person in Gus G's career, his love of speed and shred is shared by Josh Brown and George Charleston, on blistering Lost Nor Found.
While there's bouncy and deceivingly techinical grooves from Elliot Dryden (bass) and Nathan Gratton (drums) on Spellbound, heavy metal galloping on For Even Gods Can Die, as things get folksy on Where The River Meets The Sea, a track that even features some flute to really show the creative brilliance of Rattlesnakes.
Rattlesnakes' influenece of Chastain can be heard mainly in the incredible vocals of Rowena Neale , the right kind of rough, but delivered with muscle and might she also reminds me of Lzzy Hale on Destroyer, The Other Side Of Midnight which adds a shimmering glimmer/AOR sheen.
Rattlesnakes pay homage to their love of classic heavy metal on Shadows In The Night, the Nottingham mob do so wrapped in modern trappings and aggression but heavy metal is their game and they play it extremely well.
Rattlesnakes - Shadows In The Night (Listenable Records) [Matt Bladen]
Do you know how good you have to be to be signed to a label like Listenable Records for your debut? Well that's exactly what has happend with UK heavy metal act Rattlesnakes.
They released their first EP, Deeper Shades Of Torment was released in 2025 and it got rave reviews, massive listening figures and saw Rattlesnakes arrive as one of the British heavy metal bands to watch. It also led to them getting signed with Listenable Records and they set about writing their debut full length.
A huge part of their appeal as a band is that they treat 80's NWOBHM with some serious respect, no tongue in cheek here, just fist clenching, leather clad heavy metal, drawing from the greats of the genre such as Judas Priest, Iron Maiden, while there's also a lot of influence from Warlock and Chastain while Breakdown reminds me of Motorhead.
Now if you've not heard of Chastain then go listen to them but Rattlesnakes share a lot of similarities with the US powerhouse, founded by guitarist David Chastain who was key person in Gus G's career, his love of speed and shred is shared by Josh Brown and George Charleston, on blistering Lost Nor Found.
While there's bouncy and deceivingly techinical grooves from Elliot Dryden (bass) and Nathan Gratton (drums) on Spellbound, heavy metal galloping on For Even Gods Can Die, as things get folksy on Where The River Meets The Sea, a track that even features some flute to really show the creative brilliance of Rattlesnakes.
Rattlesnakes' influenece of Chastain can be heard mainly in the incredible vocals of Rowena Neale , the right kind of rough, but delivered with muscle and might she also reminds me of Lzzy Hale on Destroyer, The Other Side Of Midnight which adds a shimmering glimmer/AOR sheen.
Rattlesnakes pay homage to their love of classic heavy metal on Shadows In The Night, the Nottingham mob do so wrapped in modern trappings and aggression but heavy metal is their game and they play it extremely well.
Keep you ear to the ground as these snakes are poised to strike. 9/10
Black Royal – Abyssian (M-Theory Audio) [Spike]
Labelling Finnish sludge metallers Black Royal under one neat banner has always been a fool’s errand.
Black Royal – Abyssian (M-Theory Audio) [Spike]
Labelling Finnish sludge metallers Black Royal under one neat banner has always been a fool’s errand.
Ever since they first emerged from Tampere, the quartet have proudly brewed an unholy, subterranean cocktail they’ve previously coined "death 'n' roll" or apocalyptic sludge-death.
On their fourth studio album, Abyssian, they plunge headfirst into the crushing, lightless depths of the oceanic void. It is a record dripping with dark, suffocating atmospheres, built from an eclectic DNA strand where the greasy pub-sweat and driving bounce of Motörhead collides head-on with the blackened, ritualistic majesty of Behemoth and the melodic, battle-hardened stomp of Amon Amarth.
Clocking across ten tracks, Abyssian wastes zero time dragging the listener down beneath the crushing weight of the continental shelf. The journey commences with Abyssian Doom, setting a grim, cavernous tone that immediately showcases their affinity for classic Scandinavian buzzsaw HM-2 guitar tones paired with sluggish, tectonic sludge.
Just when you think you’ve settled into a standard funeral crawl, Water Of The Crow and Extremophiles kick the tempo into gear with that unmistakable Motörhead-style engine block rumble, dirty, direct, and driven by a bassline that rattles loose fillings.
What keeps Abyssian so thoroughly engaging is its refusal to let the murk turn into a stagnant pond. On Suffocation and Vetehinen (named after the treacherous water spirits of Finnish folklore), the band weaves eerie, folkloric dread into huge, mid-tempo Viking-metal swagger.
What keeps Abyssian so thoroughly engaging is its refusal to let the murk turn into a stagnant pond. On Suffocation and Vetehinen (named after the treacherous water spirits of Finnish folklore), the band weaves eerie, folkloric dread into huge, mid-tempo Viking-metal swagger.
Sharfe's throat-tearing roars carry immense gravitas, sounding like an ancient titan bellowing through seawater, while Toni's guitars layer mournful melodic leads over crushing rhythmic downstrokes.
The standout centrepiece of the record is undoubtedly Drown The Seaweed. Premiered via Decibel Magazine, it condenses everything Black Royal excel at into a single, devastating package: rolling double-kick artillery, eerie aquatic sound design, and an infectious, neck-snapping groove that makes you want to smash pint glasses against a stone wall.
The standout centrepiece of the record is undoubtedly Drown The Seaweed. Premiered via Decibel Magazine, it condenses everything Black Royal excel at into a single, devastating package: rolling double-kick artillery, eerie aquatic sound design, and an infectious, neck-snapping groove that makes you want to smash pint glasses against a stone wall.
It proves that heaviness doesn't have to sacrifice a killer hook.
Down the back half, In Dark Embrace and Tidal Wave deliver on their promises of pure dynamic violence, ebbing and flowing between atmospheric ambient lulls and crushing sonic floods.
Down the back half, In Dark Embrace and Tidal Wave deliver on their promises of pure dynamic violence, ebbing and flowing between atmospheric ambient lulls and crushing sonic floods.
Closing out with the murky depths of Shallow Waters and the sprawling, apocalyptic weight of Beneath The Surface, the album leaves you feeling like you’ve survived a gruelling, oxygen-deprived dive into the Marianas Trench.
Abyssian is a massive, multi-genre assault that hits with physical, room-shaking force. By anchoring their crushing sludge-death attack to irresistible rock 'n' roll momentum and blackened atmospheric weight, Black Royal have delivered their darkest, heaviest, and most formidable statement yet.
Abyssian is a massive, multi-genre assault that hits with physical, room-shaking force. By anchoring their crushing sludge-death attack to irresistible rock 'n' roll momentum and blackened atmospheric weight, Black Royal have delivered their darkest, heaviest, and most formidable statement yet.
A crushing, essential spin. 8/10
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