Black Angel Promotions

Amulets Rem(a)inders EP Review

Sun, 26 Apr 2026 09:00:24 GMT

Amulets

Rem(a)inders EP

Pelagic Records

2026

The prolific, Portland-based Randall Taylor is an audio/visual artist best known for his musical project, Amulets.

All I can say is wow. This album is a tremendous wall of sci-fi soundscapes that make the listener feel transported or perhaps even transcended.

This is honestly experimental instrumental that is pivotal in current times. It can inspire, lull you to a dreamland, or leave you craving to fill the emptiness within.

I’ve had to listen to this multiple times because it’s truly a joy. A heartfelt masterpiece. I am so happy to have listened to this. I do need to highlight Former Shells because I have put it on repeat to get me through my day.

~ Rook

As Everything Unfolds Did You Ask To Be Set Free? Review

Sun, 26 Apr 2026 09:00:24 GMT

A s Everything Unfolds

DID YOU ASK TO BE SET FREE?

Century Media Records

2026

As Everything Unfolds are certainly not new to the scene. The band, fronted by female powerhouse Charlie Rolfe, is known for their emotion filled music as well as their dynamic live performances.

This is my first listening of them and I’m asking myself, why haven’t I been blessed before?

Did you ask to be set free is a powerhouse album. A nonstop wall of music, dance vibes, and heartfelt emotion. To me it’s almost as if The Home Team and Sumo Cyco had a love child. It’s so so good.

I love something that can make me feel while making me wanna shake my ass. It’s a blessing really. Even the slower songs carry this heavy impact. Charlie is absolutely a phenom vocally.

Highly recommend this album!

~ Rook

Long Distance Calling The Phantom Void Review

Sun, 26 Apr 2026 09:00:24 GMT

Long Distance Calling

The Phantom Void

earMUSIC

2026

For 20 years, Long Distance Calling has been telling stories without words. Their albums are cinematic rock monoliths, conveying profound emotion even without uttering a single syllable.

So, I’m like 99.9% positive they’ve played on my discover weekly, but silly ol’ me didn’t pay attention. Trust me when I say that’s a mistake and they have my attention now.

So, in my first ever actually paying attention listen of the band, I can’t help but think “this would be super epic gamer music.” It’s powerful, heartfelt and begs the listener to feel emotion and conjure their own lyrics while listening to the instrumentals.

The album is truly beautiful from start to finish. I love it when albums make you feel and think. It’s good writing music, if you’re a writer. Good gaming music, if you’re a gamer. Good instrumental music, if you’re a composer. Truly a solid work of art.

If you haven’t given them a listen, please do!

~ Rook

The Props Arrow EP Review

Sun, 26 Apr 2026 09:00:24 GMT

The Props

Arrow EP

Blue Grape Music

2026

Based in Los Angeles, the four-piece—Nick Ruiz (vocals), Dawson Henry (guitar), Sam Edelman (drums), and Jersey Sullivan (bass) are The Props. Their sound pulls from new wave and post-punk influences, blending sharp guitar work with honest songwriting in a way that feels both fresh and familiar.

This was such a fun 17 mins to start my day. While it is an EP and a bit short, that doesn’t take away the impact. It’s definitely something that had me dancing around while listening to it.

It’s a high impact pop/post punk experience. It’s a solid album with easy replay ability. I really enjoyed it. The lyrics are solid. The music is solid. The mix is solid. I guess that’s gives it 10s across the board.

But for real, take some time and give The Props a listen. You’ll enjoy it!

~ Rook

Toxikull Turbulence Review

Sun, 26 Apr 2026 09:00:24 GMT

Toxikull

Turbulence

Dying Victims Productions

2026

Dying Victims are unleashing “Turbulence”, the new slab from Lisbon’s Toxikull, and this one hits like it was ripped straight out of a dusty ‘80s tape bin and shoved through a wall of sound.

I hadn’t crossed paths with this band before, but the vibe is instantly recognizable. Toxikull has been active since 2016 with a few releases already under their belt, and it’s easy to hear why they’ve been turning heads across Europe. This is Heavy Metal stripped down to its core, no theatrics, no trend-chasing, no gimmick overload. Just pure, fist-in-the-air steel.

“Turbulence” lives somewhere between Accept-style bite and Manowar-level bombast, filtered through a sharp European Speed Metal edge. And yeah, plenty of bands try this lane, but Toxikull lock it in. The production, the songwriting, the energy… it all clicks in a way that feels immediate. No “grower” nonsense here. This is instant impact Heavy Metal. The kind that grabs you by the collar on first spin.

The vocals deserve a huge shout out - big falsetto bursts, strong melodic control, and a clear sense of identity driving the whole record. There’s a definite Manowar swagger in the delivery, and it works without feeling forced. Guitars blaze through with speed and urgency, but what really stands out is how dialed-in the songwriting is. Hooks everywhere. Real songs, not just riffs stacked on riffs.

I get buried in releases, and most of them come and go once the review’s done. “Turbulence” is different. This one sticks. It’s been looping like it already belongs in rotation, tapping straight into that teenage-era obsession with loud, fast, unapologetic Heavy Metal.

Standouts: “Midnight Fire”, “Burning Spark”, “Blessed By The Night”, “Dragon Magic”

~Black Angel

Whirlwind 1640 Review

Sun, 26 Apr 2026 09:00:24 GMT

Whirlwind

1640

Dying Victims Productions

2026

Spain seems to be on a serious run lately when it comes to Heavy Metal, with release after release pouring out of the scene. The latest to land on my desk is Whirlwind, gearing up to unleash their sophomore album “1640” via the ever-reliable Dying Victims Productions - who, at this point, are basically a guarantee of quality Metal.

I missed the band’s debut, but that’s about to change, because “1640” comes out swinging right from the gate. This is a straight-up clash of Speed and Power Metal, built on sharp melodies and strong songwriting. And honestly, that’s becoming a calling card for this label, they don’t just sign bands, they sign bands that know how to write songs, as opposed to just stacking riffs.

Whirlwind land somewhere in the orbit of Riot and early Helloween, but this isn’t imitation, its influence filtered through their own fire. The guitar work is the real weapon here: ripping riffs, scorching leads, and solos that feel like they’re barely holding together under their own intensity. Add in clean vocals with just enough grit and a clear lean toward speed-driven energy, and the record hits that sweet spot where melody and aggression actually work together instead of fighting each other.

If there’s a knock, it’s the production, it doesn’t quite have the clarity or punch I’d personally want for this style. But even that doesn’t derail the experience. Once this thing starts rolling, it’s all fist-in-the-air, head-down, full-speed ahead. “1640” still manages to deliver that undeniable “hell yeah” factor track after track.

If you live for Speed Metal with a dramatic, melodic edge, Whirlwind should be on your radar immediately. This is a strong step forward, and if this is just the band levelling up, the next release could be dangerous.

Standouts: “Days Of Doom”, “Through Fire and Blood”, “Ready To Explode”, “Marching To Victory”

~Black Angel

Dyed In Grey Harbinger Review

Sun, 26 Apr 2026 09:00:24 GMT

Dyed in Grey

Harbinger

Self-Released

2026

If Opeth and Mastodon had a baby and Brandon Boyd had a groovy love child, you’d get Dyed in Grey.

Dyed In Grey is a New York based progressive metal band blending precise technical musicianship, jazz-fusion inspired harmony, and emotionally charged songwriting. Their sound bridges polyrhythmic metal, atmospheric guitar work, and dynamic interplay between melody and heaviness.

This is my first time listening to them and I’m blown away. There’s absolutely something beautiful here. Something that stands on its own and could contend with a lot of major musicians currently.

There’s a lot of cleans on this album. Be it vocals, guitar, or what have you. I was honestly pretty surprised when I didn’t hear a lot of distortion at first. There’s a lot of prog and technical elements. A unique take on time signatures. I think what makes them so innovative is how they weave the music they’re presenting us with.

There’s album does get heavier as it goes on, so there’s definitely a progression to the album that makes it just that more enjoyable to me.

They are absolutely deserving of more listeners. Go give them a chance!

~ Rook

Haserot The Advent Of Suffering Review

Sun, 26 Apr 2026 09:00:24 GMT

Haserot
Advent of Suffering
Redefining Darkness Records
2026

Texas is no stranger to the global death metal scene. Ask anyone within the know about this particular genre, and I guarantee they will rattle off a few bands from the Lone Star State as their favorites. As the saying goes, there's just something in the water (or maybe it's the BBQ) there that churns out quality. Well, rough and tumble Houston old schoolers Haserot can be added to that list with their first full-length (and second overall) release, The Advent of Suffering.

For proof that these guys mean business, they enlisted Swedish death metal musician/producer extraordinaire Dan Swano (Edge of Sanity, Bloodbath, Odyssey, Hypocrisy, etc.) to mix and master. The mix is full, every vocal and instrument discernible, and has a more pronounced higher end than most stuff similar to this. The main atmosphere is, dare I say, “cold” and mean, not unlike a lot of modern black metal albums, just with a bit more chug and bottom end. Not content to just have one of the biggest underground names behind the board, they also have guest appearances from vocalist Mark Greer (Morgoth) and guitar heroes James Murphy (Death, Obituary, Disincarnate, Testament) and Andy LaRocque (King Diamond). The pedigree here definitely sets a bar.

The Advent of Suffering is eight songs of melodic, moody old school death/doom. Haserot are that rare band that can combine these elements with the previously mentioned black metal motifs, and somehow it just works out beautifully, angrily, and somewhat melancholic in the same breath. Given that these fellas tend to merge all three styles, the songs are not overly long, but they aren't 2-3 minute excursions either. Haserot specialize in cavernous high/low vocals (that could be a bit more up front in the mix to my ears) that recall Jeff Walker, harmonized single note riffing passages, melodic and dark leads, a smattering of keyboards, and tempos that never get snailish, but that never break the sound barrier with their speed as well. Then again, this particular subset of death metal has never relied on blinding fast aggression. No, the brutality comes here from mid-tempo crushers like “Beneath the Calm,” the serpentine riff and double bass gallops of “Madness and the Void.” That's skipping ahead, as the opener and title track does kick off with requisite blazing d-beat and tremolo chugs. That's really the only song that is four on the floor, though. What happens from there is sinister, menacing Finnish styled complexity, barbarity, and slow grooves that are the musical equivalent of quicksand or trudging through a tar pit, and it's fucking awesome. If I am being moderately biased here, please forgive me, but there isn't a bad cut amongst us on this album. Haserot are poised to be mentioned in the same revered breath as such progenitors like Temple of Void, Hooded Menace, Demigod, and At the Gates. Get The Advent of Suffering and let its atmosphere entrance, depress, and make you violently misanthropic all at once….

RIYL - Carcass, Gorguts, Morbid Angel, Hooded Menace, Temple of Void, Bloodbath

~TB

Eradikated Wiring Of Violence Review

Sun, 26 Apr 2026 09:00:24 GMT

Eradikated
Wiring of Violence
Indie Recordings
2026

It's been a while since I tackled a thrash release here at BAP, but lo, the Gods of mosh have smiled upon me. Whilst wearing their high tops, tight skinny jeans, bullet belts, denim vests, and flat-billed hats, they brought me an offering of Teutonic proportions. The offering in question is the second full-length from Sweden’s Eradikated, the ill-intended 11-song Wiring of Violence…

Eradikated have been detonating stages all over Europe and were even nominated for a Grammis (the Swedish Grammys) for their last effort, Descendents (2023), for Best Hard Rock/Metal Album of the Year. From rubbing shoulders with other genre heavyweights to earning the accolades above, they are definitely to be taken seriously. While taking in these aggressive and catchy tunes, I was very pleased with the modern production. Unlike so many other albums in this field, it seems that the spit and polish are kept to a minimum. The vocals sit where they need to, and every instrument falls into an audible place behind them. Given that this is thrash, the production is very guitar-forward, but that's to be expected, as any thrash band or fan will tell you, it's all about the RIFFS. After an intro, we dive right in with “British Petroleum,” which is a fast, chugging d-beat rager that doesn't let up in its entire 2 minutes and 38 seconds. It's a strong opener with all its triplet-picked guns blazing. “Mortality” follows suit with more breakneck tempos and some tasty half-time riffing and gang shouts. Elvin Landaeus Czismadia, vocalist, guitarist, and primary lyricist of Eradikated, has a delivery that is reminiscent of Tony Foresta of Municipal Waste in that he yell sings, but within his rasp he is also very adept at melodies as well. I feel this is important to note because it sets them apart from the glut of newer bands doing this style.

“Again I Rise” is a mid-tempo punisher that has some cool open-string chord voicings, Elvin’s cleaner vocals, and a double-kick-led call-and-respond chorus. This is a highlight for sure. “Precipice” is a slower song, but the heaviness is not lost here and is full of moving riffs, a catchy chorus, and some truly shreddy leads. Lyrically, the band seem to prescribe to the tried and true societal evils. Elvin sums it up as “Wiring of Violence is furious, aggressive and fast, but also heavy and relentless, raw energy channeled into music that highlights the defining issues of our time. The album throws you straight into the frontlines of war. It attacks growing inequality, greedy oil companies, and wannabe dictators. It challenges us musically, and it challenges you to act.” The best thrash has historically been politically and sociologically critical, so they nail it with these songs. The marching, bass-led “Confession-Obsession” is noteworthy because it too is a slower song that grooves during the verses and choruses to morph into a Slayeresque bridge that is instantly headbangable. Another strong cut here!

Eradikated aren't doing much new, but they are doing it with conviction, intention, and proficiency, and adding their unique spins also. The results are a modern-leaning and worldly conscious slab of thrash that makes a strong case. In fact, I will go as far as to say that Eradikated have a style that, while familiar, brings in new elements to a style that has been done to death by newer bands the last 18 years or so. Aptly titled and aptly lethal, Wiring of Violence should whet the appetite of thrash maniacs worldwide and cause plenty of bloody and broken bodies in the pit…

RIYL - Slayer, Exodus, Municipal Waste, Condition Critical

~TB

Warsenal Endless Beginnings Review

Sun, 26 Apr 2026 09:00:24 GMT

Warsenal

Endless Beginnings

Massacre Records

2026

Another Canadian Thrash/Speed release has been unleashed, this time from Warsenal. The band has been turning and burning for a few years now, but unfortunately, they don’t have many albums under their belts, so if you blink, you might miss them. I’m not sure why the discography is so slim, but I’ll take quality over quantity any day. Their latest release, “Endless Beginnings”, arrives courtesy of German label Massacre Records, which has been on a tear lately with killer Thrash and Speed Metal releases.

Unlike many modern Thrash albums, Warsenal have embraced strong production values, meaning “Endless Beginnings” is one of the more polished Thrash/Speed records I’ve heard in recent months, and I’m not mad at it one bit. The album is packed with razor-sharp riffs, ripping leads, and enough low-end power to arm a tank, all delivered with clarity and precision. Outside of production, Warsenal are a total throwback to the mid-to-late ’80s Thrash era. I hear nods to bands like Anvil Bitch and fellow Canadians Annihilator. Once again, I’m not mad at that either. The occasional falsetto scream and screech always wins me over, it brings back fond memories of when the genre was still new.

Beyond the obvious retro vibes and influences, the band succeeds in injecting their own personality into the sound. The arrangements and songwriting showcase their talent perfectly. These guys aren’t sitting in some basement chugging beers and trying to recreate the past, they’re attacking the genre with relentless aggression and intensity while pushing it forward with sharper technicality. If I had to compare them to a current band, I’d say they sound like a more polished version of Goatwhore.

Warsenal are a three-piece, so there’s nothing here beyond bass, guitar, vocals, and drums - but it’s what they do with those tools that matter most. While some songs run a little long for my tastes, the band does a great job of keeping the listener engaged through strong riffs, memorable melodies, and constant energy.

“Endless Beginnings” is a tremendous step in the right direction for a band that has been grinding for years. I, for one, am stoked out of my mind for this release and excited for what the future holds. Grab this one the first chance you get and prepare to be amazed.

Standouts – “Mass Grave Mass”, “Dawn Mowers”, “Onward To Our Death” and title track “Endless Beginnings”.

~Black Angel

Crippled Black Phoenix Sceaduhelm Review

Sun, 26 Apr 2026 09:00:24 GMT

Crippled Black Phoenix

Sceaduhelm

Season of Mist

2026

Crippled Black Phoenix was formed in 2004 by multi-instrumentalist and songwriter Justin Greaves, initially conceived as a fluid musical project rather than a fixed band.

I won’t lie; it took a min for it to click. The opening track is all music and samples, which made me think of the industrial goth bands I listen to. But as the album progressed, it became more interesting.

I would absolutely throw this under goth rock. It’s moody and edgy. When there are vocals, they’re done perfectly. The lyrics for those songs are fantastic.

Again, this album gives me nostalgic vibes, mostly throwing it back to my teen/young adult days when I was a brooding goth kid. As a now more mature Bat Mama, I can still appreciate the music.

I’d say give it a go.

~Rook

Savage Master/Mystic Storm The Power/Wandering Time Split Review

Sun, 26 Apr 2026 09:00:24 GMT

Savage Master/Mystic Storm

The Power/Wandering Time Split

Shadow Kingdom Records

2026

May 1st sees Shadow Kingdom Records issuing a 12” split EP from U.S. Metal maniacs Savage Master and Russian phenoms Mystic Storm. While the runtime is short, the sheer depth and firepower packed into this release is more than enough to carry you through another hot summer.

Still riding high on the success of last year’s “Dark & Dangerous”, Savage Master delivers three more tracks steeped in their signature blend of Traditional Heavy and Speed Metal. Having caught the band on their U.S. tour, I can confirm that Stacey Savage and her hooded henchmen are the real deal. These songs feel like a natural continuation of the band’s ongoing dominance. Extra points go to Amy Lee Carlson (Solicitor) and Tony Dolan (Venom), who lend their vocal talents to “The Last Kiss.” If you were into “Dark & Dangerous”, this side will not disappoint.

On the flip side, Mystic Storm also contributes three tracks, and while I wasn’t previously familiar with them, they wasted no time making an impression. Their sound hits like classic European Speed Metal in the vein of early Warlock, but with a heavier, grittier edge. The vocals soar into the upper stratospheres, while the music has a slightly atmospheric feel that further adds depth. Meanwhile, the riffs and guitar work bring a sharp sense of clarity and nostalgia to the 3 tunes presented here. This is a band worth keeping an eye on.

Overall, this pairing is a perfect match. Once again, it proves that female-led Metal bands are a force to be reckoned with, these musicians and their bandmates are ready to burn down every stage they step on. With the release reportedly limited to 1,000 copies, this is one you don’t want to sleep on. It has all the makings of a future classic.

~Black Angel

Six Feet Under Next To Die Review

Sun, 26 Apr 2026 09:00:24 GMT

Six Feet Under

Next To Die

Metal Blade Records

2026

It feels like just yesterday that Six Feet Under dropped “Killing for Revenge”, but alas, that was 2024. Now it’s 2026, and Chris Barnes and his longtime running mate Jack Owen are back with another corpse stuffed full of rotting hymns about torture, mutilation, and whatever other grisly nonsense Barnes is gargling about these days. (I can barely understand half of it, but that’s part of the charm.) The band’s new album, “Next to Die”, arrives once again via Metal Blade Records.

Full transparency: when the first single, “Unmistakable Smell of Death,” hit my inbox, I wasn’t impressed. But Death Metal has never been my everyday go-to. Six Feet Under may be my favorite band in the genre, yet Death Metal singles rarely land with me. I need the full album experience, the whole blunt-force beating, so I can really understand where a band is coming from. And, as usual, I was wrong to judge too early.

“Next to Die” works best as a complete listen. According to the press sheet, there are “two sides” to the record, and that checks out. There’s plenty here for older fans who came in around the “Haunted” era, when the band leaned hard into groovy, stomping Death Metal with that filthy Death ’n’ Roll swagger. That’s the era that made me a believer, and I’m still a massive fan of it. I come from the school of “just because you can, doesn’t mean you should.” In Death Metal, that means endless speed and technical wankery don’t automatically equal quality. Sometimes less is more. Sometimes serving the song matters, even when the song is about caving in skulls with a shovel.

So yes, you’ll get zero argument from me when it comes to groove-loaded, no-frills Death Metal where I can count the BPM, nod like an idiot, and dig into the riff. There’s plenty of that here, and it benefits everything: the songs, the production, Barnes’ vocals, and especially Jack Owen's guitar work. The man has always been a riff factory when given room to breathe. Teaming with Barnes in SFU has clearly uncaged him. His creeping riffs, nasty melodies, and face-searing leads are all over this thing like maggots on roadkill.

As for those “two sides,” it’s not split into a groovy half and an angry half. The tracks are mixed throughout, which makes the album far more digestible. The faster, nastier songs come off almost Punkish rather than just being mindless steamrollers. I’m catching early ’80s Punk energy in spots, and honestly, it rules. And fuck yes, Six Feet Under albums are supposed to be fun. “Haunted”, “Warpath”, and “Maximum Violence” were party-starting soundtracks during the peak of my drinking years. If I were still tying one on, “Next to Die” would absolutely join that degenerate rotation.

Vocally, Barnes is Barnes, his usual grumbly, swamp-monster self. There really isn’t anyone else who sounds quite like him, and for all the jokes people make, the man still wears his scars proudly. His guttural reputation remains intact. That said, I would’ve liked the vocals pushed a little higher in the mix, more in line with the “Warpath” era where you could hear the actual tone of his voice cut through. I don’t have the lyrics in front of me, but I’m going to assume they’re exactly what you’d expect. The song titles certainly don’t hide much - “Mutilated Corpse in the Woods” leaves little to the imagination. And I’ll admit it: some juvenile, blackened corner of my soul gets a stiffy every time I read that title.

If you heard the single and felt underwhelmed like I did, do yourself a favor and listen to the whole record. If you’re an old-school Six Feet Under fan, “Next to Die” is essential. Skip it, and you’re missing a damn important chapter in the band’s history. So quit screwing around and grab it now, it’s out and ready to wreck your speakers. And remember "Don’t you ever laugh as a hearse goes by,
for you may be the next one to die."

Standouts – “Approach Your Grave”, “Mister Blood and Guts”, “Skin Coffins”, “Mind Hell”, “Next To Die” and “Ill Wishes”.

~Black Angel

In Malice's Wake The Profound Darkness Review

Sun, 26 Apr 2026 08:45:01 GMT

In Malice's Wake

The Profound Darkness

Self-Release

2026

What happens when Dimmu Borgir & Slayer have a baby with uncles in Anthrax and Cradle of Filth? You get In Malice’s Wake.

IN MALICE'S WAKE are the unholy crossing of Death Metal, Thrash Metal and total darkness. Over two decades of savagery across countless stages and five studio albums have honed the band into the force it is today. Combining timeless songwriting with an infamously violent live show, IN MALICE'S WAKE have left a true impression throughout Australia and overseas.

I went into this album, like many, completely blind. At first, I wasn’t sure I fully enjoyed it. So, I sat with it for a couple of days. Listened to it multiple times. With that, I realized I actually really do enjoy the album!

There is a lot of musicality in this album. I kept thinking that Mark Farrugia must have massive calf muscles. Those blast beats and consistent double bass drums are incredibly impressive.

Shaun Farrugia must have vocal chords of steel to keep the vocal fry and harshness consistent! Honestly, listening to every track I found myself thinking “this dude has a neck of steel”. What a truly stellar performance.

This is their fifth album and what a blast it is. Give it a spin when it drops! Who knows, you may be headbangin with me!

~ Rook

Lair Of The Minotaur I Hail I Review

Sun, 26 Apr 2026 08:45:01 GMT

Lair Of The Minotaur

I HAIL I

Grind-House Records

2026

Chicago’s savage trio LAIR OF THE MINOTAUR will deliver their monstrous fifth album – their first in sixteen years – unveiling the merciless I HAIL I, confirmed for release through The Grind-House Records on May 1st.

I guess I’ve been living under a rock because this was my first introduction to Lair of the Minotaur. What a dive into what I would call, heavy f**king metal.

It’s a soundscape of perfection. It’s brutal and bleak. It invokes feelings of anger. This album stacks up there with metal giants. I feel like I could gush on and on about it. There’s just this…rawness, this grittiness that they bring with this album.

Now that could be due to the extended break. Not releasing music for 16 years is a heavy build up. And what a gift to give us listeners. The mix is perfect. The vocals are honestly very impressive. I’ll forever tip my hat to people who can access that part of their vocal cords without frying them.

I’ve sat on this for days trying to think of who I can compare these guys to and honestly, I’ve come up blank. They’re in a realm all their own. One in which I’m sure Hades is blasting their music in.

Horns up y’all and give this a spin!

~ Rook

Poseydon Time Is A River and The Waters Are Red Review

Sun, 19 Apr 2026 09:30:01 GMT

Poseydon

Time Is A River And The Waters Are Red

Self-Released

2026

Poseydon was formed in 1992 by Alain De Block with the ambition to play a mix of Thrash and Death- metal.

The band’s playing style should appeal to fans of early Slayer, Sepultura, Testament and many more…

I feel like I may have heard this band in my youth, however that could be the nostalgia I get from the band too.

We start with Storm and what a way to bring in album. We start heavy and have a progression that makes sense. One of the things I love about the thrash genre is that most bands within it aren’t scared to experiment with time signatures. It makes for dynamic music.

Poseydon definitely delivers on the dynamics. Strong lyrics, great music, surprise synths, and galloping drums that make it a fun wave to ride.

Safe bet says this installment continues to please the God of the Waters, Poseidon!

Give them a listen!

https://poseydonmetalband.bandcamp.com/music

~ Rook

Frontside Nemesis Review

Sun, 19 Apr 2026 09:30:01 GMT

Frontside 

Nemesis

Massacre Records

2026

Polish metalcore veterans FRONTSIDE have officially signed a new worldwide deal with Massacre Records and announce their brand-new studio album “Nemesis”, set for release on March 20, 2026, in Poland, followed by the worldwide release on April 10, 2026.

Firstly, all I can say is BROOOOOOO.

I’ve never heard of Frontside before, but they’ve made their way into my normal rotation now! Heavy, guttural, and brutal. This album also debuts Mollie as their newest full-time singer. The way they can ebb from falsetto chords, to gutturals, to straight up throat vocals. It’s heavily impressive.

There’s so much talent lying within this band. Demon did an amazing job writing the lyrics and everyone chipping into the composition is just this insane amount of work and musicality.

All parts of the music are complimentary to the next part. The guitar riffs are next level, the drums? Bro has legs of steel, the bass isn’t hidden or ignored in the tracks. Honestly, this is the metal that “melts faces”!

If you like heavy, noisy, wall to wall metal definitely check out Frontside and enjoy the new album!

~ Rook

Nazghor A World Ablaze Review

Sun, 19 Apr 2026 09:15:00 GMT

Nazghor

A World Ablaze

Self-Released

2026

I have to give credit to Flight of Icarus over at Metal Trenches for exposing me to this band. Every few weeks or so, he posts a video on YouTube where he listens to a number of metal artists (of varying sub-genres) on Bandcamp and gives his first impressions. Frankly, it's my favorite type of video he does, but they're all pretty solid. That said, there are times when some of the highlighted bands sound like a razorback yielding swords engulfed in flames fighting off the legion of the dead and duh...that makes it mandatory for me to check out.

When sampling "Baptized in Blood" from Nazghor's A WORLD ABLAZE, my interest was immediately piqued. One of my favorite offerings, the song showcases just how raw and intense the song writing can be and the mid-song scream of "she was baptized in blood!" is chilling. The opening riffs brought me to Satyricon, but the atmospheric and melodic black metal turned into much more than that. Upon listening through the entire album, it became clear that the band's sound contained the DNA of death, progressive and even thrash metal.

Opener "Cursed and Unblessed" is a barnburner from the get go and its aggression and hatred set the tone for the rest of the album. "Bathe in Ashes" sounds like it's a modern-era Dark Throne track with those oppressively heavy riffs and mid-tempo crawl that throws everything it has at you with a beautiful piano piece closing it out. "The Black Light of the Spectral Keeper" reminds me of their fellow countrymen, Dissection, and sends me through a snowstorm of blood that burns the eyes and cuts the skin."Within Crimson Kingdom" has a major Amon Amarth influence, but you'll get no complaints from me as I love AA.

When it's all said and done, Nazghor are much more than just a black metal band. They are able to cohesively intertwine copious other influences into their music making them considerably more interesting than your traditional black metal bands. If you're a fan of the genre and are looking for something different, you've found it.

~ TJ

Astraya Atropine Review

Sun, 19 Apr 2026 09:15:00 GMT

Astraya

Atropine

These Hands Melt

2026

The second full-length album entitled “Atropine” from Stuttgart-based dark rock outfit Astraya will be released on 24 April 2026 via These Hands Melt.

I consider myself so lucky to do this. To have new to me music to review and fall in love with. Which is exactly what I’ve done with Astraya.

Atropine oozes this bleak sadness but one that yearns for the sight of a silver lining. This beautiful ebbing of feelings is truly what makes the music simply breathtaking.

Melina Abele is a siren; I’m convinced of it. Her voice is alluring and could 100% lead men to crash their ships upon rocks on the sea.

The music is melancholy at its best. It reminds me a lot of how Katatonia’s songs hold sadness. This isn’t negative. I think it’s absolutely important that we have musicians like this for the current climate we’re living in.

If you need to express the sadness built in your heart, give Astraya a listen. They’ve found the words for you.

~ Rook

Leila Abdul-Rauf Andros Insidium Review

Sun, 19 Apr 2026 09:15:00 GMT

Leila Abdul-Rauf

Andros Insidium

20 Buck Spin

2026

Okay my fellow Pagans, Spiritualists and those of us who dance in the place in between, come follow me through the entrance that is Leila Abdul-Rauf.

I honestly had no clue what to expect going into this album. I think I found something to help ground me and assist in my journey as a Practitioner.

This album feels like a deeply old folk magick witch of the woods luring you to come and listen. There’s a drowning that is meditative. Vocals that are haunting. Music that seeps into your blood and does its bidding. Color me surprised too when we had some actual low bass throat singing.

The song in which the album gets its name, Andros Insidium, is this guttural spell that we all become a part of. The way in which I got goosebumps is…insane. The gutturals are almost akin to Karyn Crisis.

Honestly, this whole album is unsealed and unsettled magical workings. Demanding an audience through grit, truths and calling. I highly recommend giving it a listen.

~ Rook

Protrusion The Last Suppuration Review

Sun, 19 Apr 2026 09:00:29 GMT

Protrusion

The Last Suppuration

Extremely Rotten/Unholy Domain

2026

Few things make me happier the last 2-3 years than the abundance of younger bands taking the golden age of death metal (1990-1999) sounds and putting their unique spins on it, sometimes combining genres with it (most notably modern hardcore), strictly being influenced by it, or simply being full-blown love letters to the old school. Lafayette, Indiana newcomers Protrusion fall in the latter category, and today we are examining the sheer weight of their debut 10-song full-length, The Last Suppuration.

Protrusion’s individual members are no strangers to the brutal death metal underground, as they contain members from some of the style’s heaviest hitters. Within their ranks are current and former members of Gorgasm, Sarcophagy, Human Filleted, and Found Hanging, so they know a thing or two about creating extremity. Their sound is easy to pinpoint, as it sounds like it came straight out of Tampa’s Morrisound Studios, was produced by Scott Burns, bearing the old R⚡C Records logo and with Dan Seagrave (cult underground artist Jon Zig actually did this one) cover art. This is death metal by way of 91’ and 92’, and they make no apologies for it. The production is murky (in the best way), bottom heavy, chunky, and full of creepy atmospherics. Despite the old school aesthetics and soundscapes, every instrument can be heard clearly, and nothing is fighting for space, a benefit of modern recording techniques marrying with old school SOUNDS. That's an important distinction.

The whole thing starts off with some acoustic guitars/voice samples and then proceeds to blast our heads off with the force of “Confined to Anguish.” Vocally, we are treated to the DEEP gurgling growls reminiscent of Frank Mullen (former Suffocation front man), then shifts into churning, chugging pinch harmonic-laden grooves and reverb-drenched mournful creepy leads atop double bass galloping and time signature changes. That's how you lead off an album! Next, classically tinged piano begins “Morbid Mortality,” and we are flung across the room violently with more of the same from the opener, except this track seems to plod a bit more at a foreboding mid-paced nod, then there are more Luc Lemay/Rick Rozz inspired leads and tremolo-picked breaks in the action. What struck me about this tune is that it also includes horror movie-esque keyboards that are straight out of the Nocturnus playbook, and it makes me happy to see them get a tip of the hat, because back in the day they were and are truly groundbreaking. Crushing chugs and double kicks follow on “Exhumer's Romance,” and here they also throw in some doom elements and modulated clean guitars for extra despair. “Accursed Skin” is led by a busy bass intro and a thrashier pace and those ungodly low growls. “Boiled at Birth” is truly a highlight, as it merges techy parts, swirling bass lines, and more intensity by way of d-beats and blasting. The minor key leads and dive bombs only aid in the mood before they close things out with a walking single-note riff as the song ends with “help me!” grunts and the sounds of boiling water, truly gruesome! It's important to note that these are not short songs, with each one averaging four to five and half minutes, so this is truly an album. A collection of songs meant to be enjoyed as a whole and experienced in one setting. I realize those with short attention spans may need to tackle a few songs at a time, but however you consume it, give the entire thing a spin, even in sections. Other notable moments are the ferocious “Scorned Vengeance,” the creeptastic doom/guitarmonies of the title track, and the church bell drone/intro/dirge of the closing track “Anthropophilic Anomaly.”

And there we have it. Protrusion has crafted a fifty-minute rager that, while rooted firmly in the past, has enough twists, turns, and utter brutality to keep fans of the old and the new interested. I mentioned at the onset of this writing that there are a plethora of bands doing the “old school death metal” thing, but few, if any, sound like a bloody and gore-soaked time capsule and as exciting as these guys. If you dig the days of discovering bands via Metal Maniacs magazine, deciding to drop coin on a record simply because of the cover art/record label it was on, or bought most of your metal via mail order and DIY labels you read about or saw ads for in the aforementioned rag, then you have probably found your favorite death metal album of 2026 so far. I know I have…

RIYL - early Gorguts, Suffocation, Internal Bleeding, Nocturnus, Broken Hope, Lividity

~TB

Fulci Risorsero dalla Tomba e Fu… L’Apocalisse! Review

Sun, 19 Apr 2026 09:00:29 GMT

Fulci

Risorsero dalla Tomba e Fu… L’Apocalisse!

20 Buck Spin

2026

Fulci are no strangers to the festering, bubbling rotten soil where underground death metal resides and thrives. Nay, these Italian gore hounds have been kicking over tombstones since 2013, and their love of Italian horror (their very name inspired by famed horror filmmaker Lucio Fulci himself) knows no bounds. This sextet even hosts and organizes an annual convention in Milan dedicated to the man himself called FULCICON that just recently wrapped up this year. Needless to say, they are deeply rooted in the macabre, the morbid, and the insane. Hot off the heels of their last outing Duck Face Killings (no idea what that album title has meant, ever), we have their new maxi-single Risorsero dalla Tomba e Fu… L’Apocalisse!

For those uninitiated, Fulci blend old school death metal plod with hardcore chugs and breakdowns, with a smattering of speed here and there. If I had to name check influences I personally hear, I would say they are a direct fist to the face by way of Obituary, Merauder, early Hatebreed, Barnes-era Cannibal Corpse, and newer stuff like 200 Stab Wounds. Jason Dahlke’s vocals never veer from low gutturals, and I'm absolutely fine with that. There are no inhales, bree brees, high screams, or pig squeals here, just deep, cavernous beastly traditional growls. The mix here is dark, punchy, and atmospheric, and all the instruments are heard perfectly and thankfully, the production is polished enough to be modern but maintains a real, organic feel. The EP was produced by FULCI, recorded at Spvn, and mixed and mastered by Stefano Santi.

The interesting thing about this single is that it serves as the soundtrack to a 30-minute film of the same name. “Created in collaboration with director Domenico Montixi, the 30-minute film merges paranormal horror with Spaghetti Western atmosphere, drawing direct inspiration from Lucio Fulci’s City Of The Living Dead and Four Of The Apocalypse.” How cool is that? We begin here with the title track. This is an intro of spoken word about the City of the Dead. In addition to that, sparse, minor key clean guitars are juxtaposed alongside creepy synths that spiral into low tuned guitars, bass, and drums with a single note riff not dissimilar to the intro of Black Sabbath. It certainly creates a foreboding and desolate mood. From there we go smack dab into “Paura che Uccide,” which is a near five-minute exercise in death/doom, muscular churning riffs, and tempo shifts with some effected guitars near song’s end. This is simply what Fulci do best, their “gore-giallo” brand of death metal, as it were. The last song is actually their interpretation of “Apoteosi Del Mistero” by Fabio Frizzi from “City of the Living Dead.” This track finds Fulci at their most atmospheric and cinematic, with synths, reverb-drenched guitars, and vocals colliding with more death/doom (by way of Finland) and ten-ton heaviness. It's all forlorn and dreary yet somehow melodic and beautiful. Imagine Hooded Menace and Morgion scoring an entire film, and it would sorta sound like this. Further cementing the vibe are strings and excellent guest clean vocals provided by Neon Nightmare/Spirit Adrift singer Nate Garrett. And then just like that, it's over. So I listened again, then again, and once more before I thought, “Ok I need to write this review and stop being transfixed by this.” I let it play during this writing, too. Just like most good horror movies or good music, it mesmerized me and let me escape the mundanity of everyday life. This is a standout in Fulci’s catalog, and I for one hope they continue to do these from time to time or add more of these elements into their sound because they are not only adept at them, but they also excel at them. Pick this up and be transported into the darkness where madness dwells…

RIYL- Obituary, Cannibal Corpse, 200 Stab Wounds, Merauder, All Out War and Hooded Menace

~TB

Monstrosity Screams From Beneath The Surface Review

Sun, 19 Apr 2026 09:00:29 GMT

Monstrosity

Screams From Beneath the Surface

Metal Blade Records

2026

Monstrosity are a name that should be familiar to all the fans of not only brutal death metal that leans on the technical side of things, but to all those who have an affinity for true Florida death metal. There are a few reasons for this. The most obvious is the fact that one George “Corpsegrider” Fisher got his start with them as their vocalist and lent his throat (and his windmilling neck) to Imperial Doom in 1992 before going on to front Cannibal Corpse, where he remains today. After that, you have to consider that since the now classic debut, they have remained constant and consistent in the game, releasing no less than thirteen albums and 2 EPs. Monstrosity, just as their name suggests, has delivered beastly and thought-provoking music through it all despite lineup changes, cultural shifts, and an ever-changing climate within their own genre. There's no stopping them. That dogged determination and ability are on full display here with their fourteenth effort, Screams From Beneath the Surface, from the revered Metal Blade Records.

Across the ten songs we are treated to here, one thing is apparent. The band are firing on all cylinders and have crafted some of the most ferocious yet catchy songs of their career. Founding member and drummer/primary songwriter Lee Harrison sits atop his kit with vigor, technicality, speed, and an incredibly tight, focused performance. Joining him are returning original bassist Mark Van Erp, longtime guitarist Matt Barnes, and ex-Massacre vocalist Ed Webb. Speaking of Ed, his vocal performance here is commendable. Not only are his deep gutturals on point, but they are also clearly enunciated, mixed nice and up front, and they can go from lows to the high screams interchangeably and are always controlled and just very clean. That's not to say he is doing any actual clean singing, but his vocals/growls are just done very well and accentuate the songs so well it makes them all the more listenable.

The sound here is tight, even, and every instrument has room to breathe, and nothing is buried or overriding anything else. Monstrosity “spanned multiple studios to achieve sonic perfection. Drums, bass, and mixing were handled at Audiohammer Studios under the expert guidance of producer Jason Suecof (The Black Dahlia Murder, Deicide, Job For A Cowboy), while vocals, guitars, and mastering took place at the legendary Morrisound Studios, where Monstrosity reunited with revered producer Jim Morris (Iced Earth, Warrant, Savatage), alongside Mark Prator and BJ Ramone.” It's incredibly refreshing to hear a band with the tenure these guys have opt for this modern production but still keep things organic and live sounding with real instruments. If they used any modern bells and whistles (quantized drums, lifeless and brittle digital amp tones, and overly processed and compressed vocals), I certainly can't hear it. I'm also thankful they bucked the trend of everything being drenched in reverb and the murky, bottom-heavy mud of most old school inspired newer bands.

Now, on to the actual music itself. As I mentioned, Monstrosity are pure old school brutal death metal with some tech flourishes. Seriously, these riffs are crushing and instantly enjoyable and run the gauntlet from tremolo-picked burners to double kick-led chugging, melodic and atmospheric flourishes, and some of the best lead work I've heard in recent memory. Standout tracks are the mind-bending synth and clean guitar-led “Banished to the Skies,” which shifts into a harmonized power metalesque motif, and a mid-paced start-stop verse that is an instant and involuntary head bob. The near 7-minute runtime is over before I even realized it. That's a testament to great songwriting when 6:40 seems like you want it to keep going and are surprised/bummed it's concluded. “Colossal Rage” is pure vintage Monstrosity with fast chunky riffs and drumming and vicious vocal renderings and fretboard abuse across a tasty, harmonized section before delivering more fantastic lead work. Somebody must've pissed off Matt Barnes by insulting his playing ability at some point because he is flexing and bringing an A+ game here on every song. I kid, but yeah, he is playing on this record like he has something to prove or an axe to grind (no pun intended). “The Atrophied” is another that jumps out with its meticulous riffing, tempo changes, and commanding verse/chorus sections. These are but a few that grabbed me, but I can honestly say that every song here is a winner and seems to fly by despite a 41-minute running time.

In summation, Monstrosity are doing what they do best here, being pioneers of brutal and somewhat catchy Florida death metal. Don't misunderstand when I say that though. They are adding elements I've never heard them attempt and bringing new sounds and ideas to the table 34 years into their life as a band. Screams From Beneath the Surface is an exhilarating exercise in all things intense, brutal, melodic, and heavy. This record just made my end-of-year best albums list. If you are new to Monstrosity or classic brutal death metal, you have just found the album I suggest you start with.

RIYL- Cannibal Corpse, Death, Obituary, Deicide, Immolation, Suffocation, etc.

~TB

Sons Of Eternity Human Beast Review

Sun, 19 Apr 2026 09:00:29 GMT

Sons Of Eternity

Human Beast

Massacre Records

2026

The German Heavy/Power Metal band Sons of Eternity recently released their sophomore effort, “Human Beast”, via Massacre Records. While I wasn’t deeply familiar with their debut, I did check it out when it was released, and it wasn’t bad at all. I even went back and revisited it before writing this review. That said, this new album feels like a significant step forward for the band.

On “Human Beast”, we’re hearing a group that has clearly figured out who they are, and more importantly, locked in on their songwriting and arrangements. Every track oozes a kind of reckless confidence - the sort that says, “hold my beer, I’ve got this vocal melody,” or “I’ve got this blistering lead break covered.” The album’s dynamics are excellent; the songs flow naturally into one another without feeling forced or disjointed.

The vocals are outstanding. In Power Metal, the higher vocal register can often feel overdone or strained, but that’s not the case here. The singer delivers consistently strong performances without ever tipping into excess, he simply sings his ass off and nails it at every turn. There isn’t a moment where I felt bored; if anything, the record gets more enjoyable with each listen.

Guitar-wise, this is another “what the hell?” kind of album, in the best way. Face-melting lead breaks and neck-snapping riffs are everywhere from start to finish. I also must mention the ballad, which is a welcome change of pace. It leans into that classic, slightly cheesy but effective Scorpions-style sentimentality, and it works surprisingly well.

I strongly recommend checking out Sons of Eternity. This isn’t just another Euro Metal outfit; these guys are onto something real. They’ve got the chops and songwriting ability to stand toe-to-toe with just about anyone in the genre right now. Give this one a spin and pick it up when you get the chance.

Standouts – “When Fantasy Dies”, “Sons Of Eternity” and “Human Beast”.

~Black Angel

Lion's Share Inferno Review

Sun, 19 Apr 2026 09:00:29 GMT

Lion’s Share

Inferno

Metalville Records

2026

After a 17-year absence, Swedish Heavy Metal Band Lion’s Share returns with a new full-length titled “Inferno”. A lot of you may not be familiar with the band but give it a single spin and that will likely change. The best part is there’s plenty to dig into afterward; “Inferno” marks their seventh studio album, and they’ve built a respectable catalog worth exploring.

Right out of the gate this is unapologetic Traditional Heavy Metal in the lineage of Dio, Savatage, and their contemporaries. Melodic hooks are everywhere, the choruses are built to soar, and fans of ‘80s metal will feel instantly at home. I’m constantly reminded of Dio throughout the record, and that’s hardly a complaint. “The Lion’s Trial” opens with a movement strongly reminiscent of “Egypt” and carries that grand, mystical momentum through the entire track. Considering we don’t have Dio anymore, channeling that spirit feels more like homage than imitation. “We Will Rock” hits with similar weight, but the riffs inject a Speed Metal edge that pushes it into sharper, more aggressive territory.

Speaking of riffs, “Inferno” is practically a clinic in classic ‘80s guitar tone and phrasing. Thick, singing leads, confident harmonies, and galloping rhythms fill every corner of the album, and there’s never a weak moment in that department. Twelve-year-old me would’ve absolutely lost his mind over this. Truthfully, 50 year-old me isn’t complaining either; it’s a welcome surprise after so many quiet years from Lion’s Share.

Vocally is where the band truly separates itself from many modern traditionalists. Too often bands flying the classic Metal flag fall short in the vocal department, not here. Frontman Nils Patrik Johansson hits every note with authority, and the conviction behind his delivery is addictive. His vocal melodies are what ultimately anchor the record; they pull you back in for repeat listens, and he sounds every bit as commanding as ever.

I’ve been pleasantly surprised by how often I’ve returned to this outside of review time. It’s been a weekly spin since it landed in my inbox, and I’ll gladly be picking up a physical copy when it hits shelves at the end of March. If you have any love for classic ‘80s Heavy Metal, don’t sleep on this one.

Standouts – “Pentagram”, “Chain Child”, “We Will Rock”, “The Lion’s Trial” and “Run For Your Life”.

~Black Angel

Cruel Force Haneda Review

Sun, 19 Apr 2026 09:00:29 GMT

Cruel Force

Haneda

Shadow Kingdom Records

2026

There are bands that play Speed Metal… and then there are bands that rip open a time-portal, drag 1985 out by the throat, slam it onto a modern recording console, and force it to drink gasoline and scream at jets taking off overhead. That’s basically what’s happening on Cruel Force’s latest long player, “Haneda”.

For anyone who came up with Cruel Force as the savage Blackened-Speed wrecking ball, razor tremolo chaos, teeth-grinding aggression, the feeling that the songs might bite you, this record is going to feel like the band kicked down a different door entirely. Not softer. Not safer. Just older with a purpose.

“Haneda” doesn’t sound like the present looking backward. It sounds like the past refusing to die. The riffs don’t swarm anymore, they charge. Big, heroic, strutting mid-80s Speed Metal gallops dominate the DNA here. Instead of the constant frantic violence, they lock into those wide-open highway rhythms: the kind of riffs that make you picture leather jackets, mirrored shades at night, and bullet belts.

Cruel Force used to feel like they were chasing you. On “Haneda” they’re leading you, pointing forward, raising fists, yelling “keep up.” The choruses land with that almost-anthemic European Speed Metal swagger, closer to the era when bands weren’t afraid to be triumphant while still sounding dangerous. It’s melodic without ever going clean and heroic, without sounding like Power Metal, and catchy in the same way a chainsaw engine rhythm is catchy.

Production plays a massive role in the shift. The guitars are sharp but not suffocating, the bass walks instead of hiding, and the drums feel like a real kit being beaten by a human who might be smiling while doing it. There’s air in the mix, the good kind, the kind that lets riffs strut. The whole thing feels like it could have come out on a battered LP between 1984-1987, yet it doesn’t feel fake or nostalgic. It feels lived in.

Vocally, the snarl remains, but it’s wielded differently now. Less rabid possession, more commanding bark. The voice doesn’t fight the riffs anymore; it rides them like a war banner. That shift alone sells the era pivot harder than any production choice.

Too many retro records feel like museum exhibits. “Haneda” feels like a bar fight with history. They’re not imitating mid-80s Speed Metal, they’re re-weaponizing it. The songwriting has modern muscle underneath the vintage chrome. Tempos vary, arrangements breathe, and the band trusts groove and momentum instead of constant sensory overload.

Released through Shadow Kingdom Records, the album fits perfectly with the label’s tradition of preserving the spirit of Classic Heavy Metal. Without a doubt, “Haneda” and Cruel Force’s best effort to date.

Standouts – “Savage Gods”, “Warlords”, “Titans Awakening” and “Whips A Swinging”.

~Black Angel

Midryasi's Kult Italian Dark Sound Review

Sun, 19 Apr 2026 09:00:29 GMT

Midryasi’s Kult

Italian Dark Sound

Dying Victims Productions

2026

If you crave Doom Metal that reeks of ritualistic fervor, the debut album “Italian Dark Sound” from MIDRYASI’S KULT doesn’t just knock on the crypt door, it blows it off the hinges, lights the ceremonial candles, and beckons you inside with a knowing grin.

From the opening moments, the atmosphere is suffocating in the best possible way. The production carries a shadow-drenched, subterranean weight, murky enough to feel dangerous, yet defined enough that every ominous detail can be traced as it coils through the mix. There’s a strong current of classic Doom Metal DNA flowing through these veins, particularly in the spirit of early Pentagram, but it’s filtered through something more arcane and theatrical. The riffs don’t rush; they crawl, they loom, they hang in the air like incense smoke. And when the tempo does surge forward, it burns with controlled intensity rather than devolving into chaos.

What separates “Italian Dark Sound” from the endless wave of Doom worship is its sense of purpose. This isn’t mere homage, it’s invocation. The songwriting feels deliberate and patient. There’s pacing. There’s tension. Each track stacks its layers carefully, building pressure until the release feels both triumphant and faintly malevolent. The band understands that true heaviness isn’t just about distortion; it’s about anticipation.

The vocals serve as a commanding focal point. There’s authority behind the microphone, less performance and more a proclamation. The delivery carries a cult-leader gravitas that transforms the listening experience into something immersive and slightly unsettling. You don’t feel like you’re simply hearing a band; you feel as though you’ve wandered into a ceremony already in progress.

And atmosphere, let’s be honest, is the true high priest here. The album breathes within its own shadowed world. At times it leans into hypnotic, mid-paced passages that let the darkness simmer and coil. At others, it lashes out with urgency, reminding you that ritual can turn violent without warning. That constant push and pull keeps the record from stagnating. It remains dynamic without sacrificing its grim, doom-laden identity.

What’s most impressive is confidence. MIDRYASI’S KULT embrace their aesthetic fully and unapologetically. The roots in tradition are undeniable, but they aren’t shackled to them. There’s personality seeping through every riff and refrain, giving the album a sense of authenticity that many in the genre strive for but rarely achieve.

If your Doom Metal must be steeped in ritual, atmosphere, and controlled chaos, MIDRYASI’S KULT have crafted a debut that demands more than casual listening, it demands reverence.

Standouts – “Taste For Damnation”, “Hypnopriest”, “M.I.M. Mayhem” and title track “Italian Dark Sound”.

~Black Angel

MIdnight Feature Hex Rentals Review

Sat, 18 Apr 2026 08:33:15 GMT

Midnight Feature

Hex Rentals

Independent

2026

Out as of April 17 ^th , “Hex Rentals” is the debut full length album from Birmingham gothabilly punks Midnight Feature. Featuring (haha) Joshua on lead vocals and rhythm guitar, Rich on lead guitar, Neary on bass, and Rob on drums and backing vocals. The album was produced by Si Reeves at Blotto Studio in Birmingham. It's a killer piece of sing-along, retro flavored horror punk that reanimates a much-missed micro-genre.

Now, to address the Tarman-shaped elephant in the room; do you like Mister Monster? Because Midnight Feature sure do! And I do too! “Hex Rentals” is pure, unadulterated boo wop. Plenty of horror punk draws inspiration from 50s rock and doo wop, but for me at least, nothing has truly encapsulated that sound and aesthetic since we lost Jason Trioxin. Until now! That's not to say Midnight Feature is just a Mister Monster tribute act, far from it, they have their own personality, their own sound, and their own sense of humour. But they really do recapture that magic. The album has a fantastic sense of propulsiveness, it ticks over like a drag racer, and bounces like a cemetery sock hop.

“Final Girl” opens the record with a rock-n-rollin' tribute to goth girls, anthemically shouting out Vampira and Elvira over fuzzy guitars and rollicking drums. The album has a bit of a recurring theme of badass witchy women and retro occultism, channeling both Satanic Panic horror cinema, and 70s Thelema. Which as someone who hangs out with a lot of witches, all of whom are awesome, I appreciate greatly. We see it come back on “Death Walks in High Heels”, with its psychobilly swagger. Then again in “Satan's Day Out”, which trods some of my favourite thematic unholy ground, BLASPHEMY! With an absolute belter of a shout-along chorus.

The entire album is soaked in retro horror worship. “Night of the Demon” brings the classic British horror vibes by devoutly invoking the 1957 film based in the 1911 short story 'Casting the Runes'. Then “Helllavision” blends rapid-fire punk riffs with Danzig-ian warbles and a bloody brilliant Evil Dead inspired DIY music video.

“Saturday Night Fever Dream” and “His and Hearse” are where we really start to hear Midnight Feature's sense of humour shine through. Halloween, back-of-the-candy-wrapper grade puns, delivered with a complete and total commitment to the bit. It perfectly tows the line between being deeply, deeply silly, and genuinely kind of intimidating. We get lines like 'the man of my screams' delivered with such charisma and conviction by Joshua that I don't know whether to shudder, swoon, or break down laughing. “Let's All Do the Frankenstein” follows as a masterpiece of wordplay, stringing together vintage horror reference after vintage horror reference. This is exactly what I want from my boo wop. I would also like to officially propose 'close casket collective' as the nickname for Midnight Feature fans.

To mention Mister Monster again (the comparison is unavoidable), I half thought “Damned if You Do” was a cover of a Mister Monster song I had somehow never heard before. The melody and the harmonies are so fucking good, and Joshua is seriously channeling the spirit of Jason Trioxin. This is the song that really made me feel like “Hex Rentals” is the spiritual successor to the Mister Monster sophomore album we never got to hear. Midnight Feature carry the torch in the best possible way and use it to light a sacrificial pyre of rock-n-roll for us all to ritualistically dance around.

Finally, the title track ends the album on a soft, somber note. It feels like it's saying rest in peace, don't forget to rewind the tape, and see you next time spooks and freaks.

“Hex Rentals” captures a very specific kind of horror punk sound and atmosphere. So, your mileage is going to vary depending on exactly how nostalgic you are for boo wop. However, any horror punk fan is going to have a blast with this album, and for myself, it is an all-time great. I highly recommend it and look forward to endless sequels.

RIYL: Mister Monster, Psychostars, Nim Vind, Mr. Underhill, Calabrese, The Spookshow, Zombie Ghost Train, Kitty in a Casket

Standouts: “Final Girl”, “Death Walks in High Heels”, “Saturday Night Fever Dream”, “Let's All Do the Frankenstein”, “Damned if You Do”, “From the Grave”, “Rite Here”

~Gwilym

Rise From Your Grave Tales Stay Awake Single Review

Wed, 15 Apr 2026 09:00:03 GMT

Rise From Your Grave

Stay Awake Single

Self-Released

2026

Pittsburgh Horrorpunk Thrashers Rise From Your Grave are back with a sneak attack of a single, “Stay Awake”, and whether they planned it or not, it lands like a perfect halfway-to-Halloween treat. They’ll get no complaints from me – every day is Halloween here!

Long time fans will notice a slightly more melodic edge this time around. Don’t worry, the band hasn’t lost an ounce of bite. If anything, the sharpened hooks and more anthemic vocal lines give the track a killer sing-along energy that hits exactly where it should for this genre. Even catching the track fresh off of another ear surgery, it’s clear the song taps into “Nightmare on Elm Street” territory, Freddy’s lurking, and the vibe is spot-on.

The vocal arrangement and vocals themselves are the secret weapon here, they give the tune that secret sauce, while the lead break borders on absolute chaos in the best way possible. Seriously, this guitarist doesn’t sleep, he just shreds.

Bottom line: go hit Bandcamp or Spotify and spin this immediately. “Stay Awake” is a vicious teaser for the upcoming full-length “Choose Your Scare”, due out this fall - and if this track is any indication, it’s going to tear some ass!

https://risefromyourgrave.bandcamp.com/

~Black Angel

Exxûl Sealed Into None Review

Sun, 12 Apr 2026 09:00:01 GMT

Exxûl

Sealed Into None

The Stygian Oath

2026

I’m always up for a challenge, or better yet, something that genuinely surprises me. Exxûl’s debut album “Sealed Into None” falls squarely into that category. It’s both challenging and unexpected in ways I didn’t see coming.

Hailing from Canada, the band features members who’ve had success in other projects, though I’m coming into this completely fresh. What they deliver here is Epic Doom with soaring vocals reminiscent of classic Prog Metal acts like Fates Warning, Queensrÿche, and Crimson Glory. There’s also a distinct Power Metal edge that recalls the grandeur of Manowar. On paper, that combination sounds wild, and it is, but somehow it works.

At first glance, “Sealed Into None” looks like an EP, clocking in at just five tracks. It stretches to nearly 45 minutes, making it a dense and immersive listen. The songwriting leans heavily into atmosphere, often allowing the music to breathe rather than overwhelming the listener with constant vocals. Musically, it carries the weight and dramatic pacing of Solitude Aeturnus and Candlemass, with towering riffs and a sense of deliberate, epic scale.

The vocals are the real revelation. The falsettos and high-register acrobatics soaring over massive Doom riffs are nothing short of stunning. If you had told me I’d connect with something like this, I might have brushed it off, yet here I am, completely drawn in by the melodies and vocal performance. Riff-wise, this isn’t traditional Doom. There are shades of Black Sabbath here and there, but the overall presentation is more elevated, blending Doom weight with Power Metal’s sharpened edge.

The production, however, may divide listeners. It isn’t as polished as one might expect for a release of this scope. There’s a raw, almost tape-trading-era quality to it - nostalgic in one sense but occasionally lacking the clarity and low-end presence that could have made the material hit even harder. A brighter mix with more attention to detail in the bottom end might have elevated the experience.

This isn’t an album you throw on while cruising with the windows down. It demands focus and patience. It’s a grower, not a shower. For seasoned Metalheads who remember when Metal Blade Records was expanding their reach in the mid-’80s, this could easily scratch a very specific, very satisfying itch.

~Black Angel

Fangus Emerald Dream Review

Sun, 12 Apr 2026 09:00:01 GMT

Fangus

Emerald Dream

From The Urn Records

2026

On their debut “Emerald Dream”, the Canadian Proto Metal band, Fangus, dives headfirst into the murky, lava-lamp haze of early ’70s Heavy Rock, dragging the listener through a soundscape that feels equal parts basement ritual and amplifier worship.

Fangus don’t just mimic the 70’s era, they embrace its looseness, its danger, and its lack of polish. The riffs are thick and swinging, often teetering on the edge of collapse before snapping back into a grimy groove. There’s a raw physicality to the guitar tone that feels alive, buzzing and slightly unhinged, like the speakers might give out before the band does.

Vocally, there’s a snarl and swagger that recalls the unrefined power of early David Byron (Uriah Heep). The delivery isn’t pristine, it’s urgent. At times it borders on confrontational, matching the band’s more aggressive moments where the tempo surges and the rhythm section locks into a pounding, almost primitive drive.

What really stands out, though, is the thick Psychedelic undercurrent that runs through “Emerald Dream”. There’s more than a passing nod to Iron Butterfly in the way certain passages stretch outward, allowing riffs to hypnotize rather than simply pummel. Extended instrumental breaks drift into a heavy trance, organs and sustained guitar notes swirling into something ritualistic and slightly ominous.

Make no mistake: this album isn’t for the faint of heart. Fangus lean hard into the abrasive side of Proto Metal. The production keeps things organic and slightly rough around the edges, amplifying the sense of danger.

If you’re looking for pristine studio sheen or modern metal precision, you won’t find it here. But if your tastes run toward the primal heaviness where blues roots were mutating into something darker and louder, “Emerald Dream” will feel like a welcome excavation of that era’s spirit.

Standouts – Title track “Emerald Dream”, “Stardust Regulator”, “Shape Shifter” and “Howling Hammer”.

~Black Angel

Kal-El Astral Voyager Vol. 2 Review

Sun, 12 Apr 2026 09:00:01 GMT

Kal-El

Astral Voyager Vol. 2

Blues Funeral Recordings

2026

If you’re like us and somehow let Kal-El slip under your radar until now, “Astral Voyager Vol. 2” is one hell of an introduction. We came into this record cold, no deep dive into their back catalog, no familiarity with “Astral Voyager Vol. 1”, and no roadmap to the larger narrative. What we walked away with, though, is a burning desire to go back and absorb everything we’ve clearly been missing.

As the title suggests, this is a continuation, picking up where “Astral Voyager Vol. 1” left off. While we’re not fully versed in the overarching storyline, it’s clear that Kal-El are building something expansive and cinematic... The album feels like the middle act of a Sci-fi cosmic saga: massive in scope, immersive in tone, and unapologetically heavy. Even without the full narrative context, the atmosphere alone pulls you into orbit.

Musically, this is a Stoner Rock fan’s dream realized. The guitars are tuned low enough to rattle the hull of your spacecraft, delivering thick, syrupy riffs that move like tectonic plates. The bass grooves are equally commanding - warm, fuzzed-out, and gloriously prominent in the mix. There’s a physicality to the sound; you don’t just hear it, you feel it pressing against your chest.

What stands out most is the band’s ability to balance weight with momentum. The riffs are colossal, but they don’t lumber. Instead, they surge forward with a hypnotic drive, creating a sense of propulsion that perfectly matches the album’s astral themes. There are moments that lean into Psychedelic textures, letting the songs breathe and expand before diving back into crushing heaviness.

Vocally, the approach complements the instrumentation rather than overpowering it. The melodies ride the waves of distortion, adding an almost otherworldly quality that enhances the album’s cosmic vibe. It all feels deliberately constructed to serve the larger journey rather than individual spotlight moments.

For a band I’d never encountered before, “Astral Voyager Vol. 2” makes a bold statement. It’s the kind of album that not only commands repeat listens but also sends you straight to youtube in search of their earlier releases. If this is a continuation, we can only imagine how epic the full saga must be when experienced front to back.

Simply put, this could be one of the strongest Stoner Rock releases we’ve heard this year. Massive riffs, immersive atmosphere, and enough groove to power a warp drive.

Standouts – “The Nine”, “Juggernaut” and “Asteroid”.

~Black Angel

Ozark Shaman A Traitor Is Worse Than An Enemy Review

Sun, 12 Apr 2026 09:00:01 GMT

Ozark Shaman

A Traitor Is Worse Than An Enemy

Self-Released

2026

What happens when you cross Gojira with Bluegrass and Banjos? You get Ozark Shaman!

Per usual, I went in blind. I do my best not to even read bios, so that the music can speak for itself. By the second song, I literally said out loud “Was that a banjo?!” And yes, it was.

Ozark Shaman is a one-man black metal band from the shadowy fringes of Ozark, Missouri. Brad Nailling handles all instruments and production while the music features his wife Madeleine Nailling on viola.

This is such a unique polyjamorous arrangement of musicality and southern roots. Bet, you never thought you’d read those words together! But honestly this is what self made music is about.

There’s a rawness to the music and lyrics, a familiarity to the music, and under it all roots that are as old as the Appalachian Mountains themselves. It’s absolutely an impressive amount of work. Surprisingly enough, the banjos work. The synths work. It’s a beautiful melding of genres to become something of its own.

If you’ve ever caught yourself asking “What would Appalachian Death Metal sound like?” Look no further.

Ozark Shaman needs more love. Go give him a listen!

~ Rook

Nomad Oxygen Review

Sun, 12 Apr 2026 09:00:01 GMT

Nomad

Oxygen

Independent Release

2026

Born from the shadows of Kortrijk's underground scene, Nomad emerges as a mysterious force in the realm of metalcore.

Per usual, I went in blind. I won’t lie, it took me a minute to catch the vibe they were giving, but in the end I do enjoy them!

Pros: it’s a well done, well thought out album! I dug the lyricism and a lot of the music! It’s heavy and in my opinion heartfelt. There’s a sense of heartbreak to the songs.

Cons: I thought it was my headphones, but I did try again in the car. There is a lot of peaking in the album, which can start to sound almost like static. It’s not super frequent but it is enough to be considered annoying. Don’t let this deter you though!

All in all, it does feel like a brand new band, making their own records, doing their own music, and trying to make waves! That in and of itself is so impressive. In these dark times, expression is important!

Go give Nomad a listen!

~ Rook

Xtinguish The Code The Conflict Review

Sun, 12 Apr 2026 09:00:01 GMT

Xtingush The Code

The Conflict

Grey Matter Records

2026

Bronx-based metallic hardcore band XTINGUISH THE CODE presents their second album, The Conflict, set for release March 27th on Grey Matter Records.

You know what I love about the hardcore genre? How damn raw it is. How there’s this incredible roughness and rowdiness to the music. The lyrics are almost always speaking out against injustice and crime.

Xtinguish The Code gives us the gritty feeling of New York. Not the pretty picture of Manhattan, but what’s actually happening to the everyday people who are running the streets.

We get a lot of samples from various outlets, but this isn’t a deterrent. If anything, it’s adding to every song. It’s setting a tone. There is a beautiful mix of rap and from the heart to the chest screaming. It’s the type of music that demands you listen to it.

Honestly, they remind me a lot of Body Count! Which is a positive and powerful feeling. More people need to listen to the message they’re sharing.

~ Rook

Kerrigan Wayfarer Review

Sun, 12 Apr 2026 09:00:01 GMT

Kerrigan

Wayfarer

High Roller Records

2026

The resurgence of traditional ’80s melodic Heavy Metal seems to be at an all-time high, and the latest band to cross my desk is Germany’s Kerrigan. Fresh off their 2023 debut, “Blood Moon”, the band wasted little time getting back to work. Now they return with their sophomore effort, “Wayfarer”, once again arriving courtesy of High Roller Records.

Right from the jump, “Wayfarer” reveals a band that leans heavily into melody while remaining firmly rooted in Classic Metal traditions. At times it feels like cracking open a lost mid-’80s record from Heavy Pettin or Y&T. There’s still a noticeable Speed Metal edge in the guitar attack, but the emphasis on melody and layered harmonies keeps everything grounded in that unmistakable era. The result is Metal that hits hard without sacrificing accessibility - something that’s been missing from a lot of modern releases that mistake sheer force for songwriting.

Vocally, the band sits comfortably in the mid-to-high register without resorting to many glass-shattering falsettos. It’s a smart choice that reinforces the album’s overall sense of control and musical maturity. Restraint, musicianship, and confidence define Kerrigan’s approach. They know exactly what they want to achieve and never abandon melody for the sake of cheap thrills or posturing.

Clocking in at nine tracks and roughly 42 minutes, “Wayfarer” hits the sweet spot. The album never overstays its welcome, and the songs maintain their impact without drifting into unnecessary excess. As sophomore releases go, this is a strong statement from a band that seems to be poised to climb quickly within the modern Traditional Metal scene.

If you’re a fan of the melodic side of Classic Heavy Metal, “Wayfarer” is well worth your time, and if you missed their debut, “Blood Moon” deserves a spin as well.

Standouts – “The Ice Witch”, “Asylum”, “Surrender”, and “Blood and Steel”.

~Black Angel

LORD OF THE LOST OPVS NOIR Vol. 3 Review

Sun, 12 Apr 2026 09:00:01 GMT

LORD OF THE LOST

OPVS NOIR Vol. 3

Napalm Records

2026

LORD OF THE LOST bring their ambitious album trilogy to a brilliant finale with OPVS NOIR Vol. 3. A direct continuation of OPVS NOIR Vol. 1 and Vol. 2, which were both unveiled in 2025, it releases on April 10, 2026 and gloriously expands on the genre-defying band’s opus.

This was another that I was very excited for! I’ve listened to Lord of the Lost in passing but truly got to enjoy them this past January while they toured with Wednesday 13 and The Birthdays Massacre. I was actually even in the photo pit at this show!

Hearing them live was an experience and solidified me as a fan! Opvs Noir III is a powerhouse album! It oozes emotion (yes, even with My Funeral & I Hate People) in the most fun and enticing way. But there’s such a beautiful quality to it!

For me, there’s no skips on the album. Of you skip, you’re skipping an emotion they’re asking for you to invoke. Given how the world is currently, we need more feelings.

We can hug and cry on the barrier okay? Give this album a listen. I don’t believe you’ll regret it.

~ Rook

The Last Ten Seconds Of Life The Dead Ones Review

Sun, 12 Apr 2026 09:00:01 GMT

The Last Ten Seconds Of Life

The Dead Ones

Metal Blade Records

2026

This new to me band is releasing their eighth full length album!

Intense and intensely personal, The Dead Ones marks THE LAST TEN SECONDS OF LIFE’s Metal Blade Records debut. For the ten original tracks of pulverizing deathcore produced by Carson Slovak and Grant McFarland of Pennsylvania’s Atrium Audio, the band focused on the guitar, bass, and drum tones as well as the mix/master to achieve what guitarist Wyatt McLaughlin calls, “a super-thick sonic output and ‘rolling-tank’-like feel.”

So, as usual, I threw on my noise cancelling headphones and gave them a spin. I was immediately mean mugging from the face melting music that hit me! My first thought was ‘move over Knocked Loose, there’s a new breakdown band in town!’

THE LAST TEN SECONDS OF LIFE definitely don’t make me think I have ten seconds left, but they definitely left an impression. The mix is beautiful. Nothing is overwhelming or overshadowing another part of the music. The musicality of the musicians in this band is top notch. The drops they create make you want to throw hands on the pit. The vocals? Being able to hear proper technique through their tone is something I value as a vocalist!

The album is heavy at the beginning, heavy in the middle and heavy in the end. It’s ten songs of constant brutality in the best way. All that to say that each song stands on its own and is never boring.

Catch this album when it drops! You will not be disappointed!

~ Rook

Wielded Steel Sins Of Your Domain Review

Sun, 12 Apr 2026 09:00:01 GMT

Wielded Steel

Sins of Your Domain

1126 Records

2026

Alabama. Probably not known for much, I'll grant you that. But famously, film’s Forrest Gump is from there, as are Cancerslug, UAB sports, and some seriously good coastal seafood. My point is, it's not necessarily a hotbed for music, especially music that resides on the heavier, metallic end of the spectrum. Wielded Steel are laser-focused on changing that with their brand new, pit-inducing full-length, Sins of Your Domain.

Wielded Steel have been kicking around for some time, and they've honed their sound to a violent mash-up between death metal and hardcore. This ain't deathcore, and the band are quick to point that out. From their press, “I’ve got a lot of feelings when it comes to the word deathcore,” notes vocalist Jesse Clark. “It’s used to describe every stadium band that tries to tune their guitar the lowest and have the longest breakdown possible.” Noted, sir, and honestly, completely agreeable. Wielded Steel are coming from more the Internal Bleeding meets Irate side of the street, and it's all brutal, scathing, and intense. Devoid of any melody, these eight songs and an intro are just pissed off and monolithically heavy.

Produced, mixed, and mastered by Kevin Langley, the production is what you would expect from stuff of this ilk. It's modern, loud, and focused mainly on a vocals-, guitar-, and drum-forward mix. If I had any complaints or nitpicks, it's that the snare has a bit too much ping or clang for my taste, but that's just personal preference. Wielded Steel never seem to relent from a solid, chugging, mid- to slower pace, but it honestly makes the venom and angst they are doling out feel that much harder, “Fabricated Integrity” being a shining example. Guitarist Michael Caroenter also has a knack for writing riffs that have a simple, stripped-down technicality to them that then morph into more intricate rhythms. This approach is most notable in “Your Words Mean Nothing” and “In The Line Of Fire” (feat. Blaythe Steuer of No Cure). Vocalist Jesse Clark sounds downright incendiary, going from a controlled lower growl to black metal-esque screams and just good old-fashioned shouting. As with all death metal via hardcore, there are breakdowns and mosh parts aplenty, handled tightly and proficiently by drummer Cyrus Patel. These are bone-breaking songs that serve to just groove and pump your blood up. The songs seem to call out people for, quite frankly, not being very good people. According to Clark, “Lyrically, Sins Of Your Domain is a record about how people I see as evil should be made to acknowledge and, in one way or another, atone for their sins committed by their 'domain.’ Whether that's their country, their class, their corrupt belief systems, or the people they surround themselves with.” These tunes have something relevant to say, and that continues with hardcore's tradition of bringing it real and relatable with your words, backed by an explosive backdrop of meat-and-potatoes, death-infused NYHC stylings.

Sins of Your Domain is consistent, fully realized, and arranged perfectly, and we are only out of 21 minutes in its entirety. Trust when I say you're gonna feel like you've been beaten with ball-peen hammers repeatedly once the running time stops. Wielded Steel are a vicious, misanthropic, worthy addition to the death metal/hardcore scene and offer up an album that, while it sounds familiar, has plenty of new knuckles to bloody our teeth with. Here's to putting Alabama on an already bruised-up map. Relentless….

Vomitory In Death Throes Review

Sun, 12 Apr 2026 09:00:01 GMT

Vomitory

In Death Throes

Metal Blade Records

2026

From a faraway Scandinavian land that is damn near mythical as it is iconic, Sweden has some of the best metal that has graced our ears in the past 40 years (God, I feel old saying that). However, the country's main export that has left an indelible scar on the underground and the music industry as a whole is its death metal. The macabre tradition continues here with the latest from countrymen Vomitory and their brand new 10-song full-length, In Death Throes.

This latest full-length is accentuated by two important facts. Vomitory got their start in 1989 (releasing no less than eight albums between 1996–2011), parted ways in 2013, then returned to the stage in 2019. Secondly, this is their tenth studio album following their 2023-recorded comeback, All Heads Are Gonna Roll. With that brief history lesson out of the way, when discussing Vomitory’s music, it's important to note that they defy the genre trappings of Swedish death metal. You're not getting HM-2 buzzsaw guitars, nor are you getting the fabled “Gothenburg Sound” (At the Gates, etc.). What they do bring to the table is brutal death metal with a dash of technicality and old-school sensibility, and plenty of seething rage. IDT was “recorded across multiple studios in late 2025. Drums and vocals were recorded at Leon Music Studios in Karlstad, Sweden, with producer Rikard Löfgren, who previously worked on Terrorize Brutalize Sodomize, Carnage Euphoria, and Opus Mortis VIII, handling the engineering. Guitars and bass were tracked at Goff Studios in Karlstad, with Christian Fredriksson taking the reins as the engineer. For mixing and mastering, the band once again turned to Lawrence Mackrory (Paradise Lost, Bloodbath, Lik) at Rorysound Studios in Uppsala, Sweden.”

The mix is even, crushing, and heavy, while still giving every instrument and vocal plenty of breathing room.

Leading off with “Rapture to Rupture,” they surely mean business right from the get-go. Punctuated by speed-of-light blast beats, shredding guitar solos, and the low-slung growls n’ grunts of Erik Rundqvist (vocals/bass), this is a riffing speed fest that is over in just under three minutes. Continuing that thread, “For Gore and Country” hits with more of the same before settling into a mosh-worthy mid-paced verse, only to circle back around to more blasts, d-beat madness, bellows, and intensity. “Forever Scorned” punches you in the face next with even more fast-paced misanthropy. By now, if you are familiar with Vomitory, you know what you are getting, and these first three tracks drive that point home: pure, unadulterated brutal death. This is not to say they are resting on any laurels. The urgency and ferocity seem to have been turned up a notch, and this is no doubt due in part to fresh blood in new guitarist Christian Fredriksson, who contributed to four of the ten tracks here. “Wrath Unbound” is the highlight for me personally, as it has a nice, thrashy plod peppered with some well-placed, slower melodic sections and double-kick-led chug parts. The harmonized guitar bit into a ten-ton breakdown doesn't hurt here either toward the song's end. Atmosphere and creepy ambience start off the title track, “In Death Throes,” and then it leans into more tremolo-picked, mid-paced plod with a blistering solo section behind more caffeine-fueled drumming. Other notable highlights are the Slayeresque “Two and a Half Men,” the distorted bass-led stomper “Erased in Red,” and the closer, “Oblivion Protocol.”

Vomitory have delivered an album that is on par with their previous comeback full-length and, in many ways, have surpassed it with keen attention to more brutality and speed this time out. The whole shebang clocks in at just 35:10, so they have also trimmed the arrangements of any fat and seem focused, invigorated, and out for blood. Cheers to a now 37-year career, gentlemen. If they keep churning out stuff this tight, catchy, and concise, then they're going to be sticking around for a while and will have piles of bodies to prove it. Slay on, dudes. The death metal world is better with you in it…

RIYL- Suffocation, Dying Fetus, Obituary, Vader, Deicide, Rotten Sound

PowerRage Beast Review

Sun, 12 Apr 2026 09:00:01 GMT

Powerrage

Beast

High Roller Records

2026

Here’s something you might not expect to hear: John Ricci, the legendary guitarist of world-famous Thrash outfit Exciter, is gearing up to release a debut album titled “Beast” with his new band, PowerRage. Ricci hasn’t been much in the spotlight since Exciter’s live shows roughly eight years ago, making this project something of a surprise return.

Joining him in this venture is a familiar voice - former Exciter vocalist Jacques Belanger, who appeared on the band’s albums “The Dark Command”, “Blood Of Tyrants”, and “New Testament”. Rounding out the lineup are Todd Pilon of Witchkiller on bass and drummer Lucas Dery.

Right out of the gate, I can assure you this sounds nothing like Exciter. There’s little to no stylistic overlap here. That’s both a blessing and a curse. If you were hoping Ricci and Belanger would simply run it back and deliver another dose of classic Exciter-style Thrash, you’ll probably walk away disappointed. On the other hand, the complete shift in direction makes the album feel fresh, especially considering the pedigree of the musicians involved.

Belanger, first and foremost, has dramatically reshaped his vocal approach. His performance lands somewhere between King Diamond–style falsetto theatrics and a harsh, snarling delivery reminiscent of Norwegian Black Metal acts like Satyricon. Ricci, meanwhile, still comes across as the riff-slinging Metal maniac we’ve always known, though I’d be lying if I said his playing is instantly recognizable here. That may very well be the point, this feels like a deliberate attempt to step outside his established identity and explore something new.

The result is an album that leans heavily into Black Metal territory, punctuated by occasional flashes of Traditional Heavy Metal. Those classic elements are present, but they’re few and far between.

The record is consistent from start to finish, though I struggled at times with the harsher vocal passages. Personally, I would’ve welcomed more of Belanger’s falsetto moments, but ultimately the songwriting leans toward the darker, more aggressive approach, and the snarling vocals fit the atmosphere the band is aiming for.

Where the album really shines is in its slower, grinding sections. These passages give Ricci room to stretch out, and his guitar work is in top form throughout. Whether you’re here for crushing riffs or frantic, blitzkrieg-style lead breaks, he delivers plenty of both.

For older Metalheads who don’t venture too deeply into Black Metal, “Beast” might be a tougher sell. Younger fans, or anyone who likes a little Satan with their breakfast cereal, may find it far easier to embrace. Either way, it’s a strong record that has the potential to pull listeners from across the Metal spectrum.

It also earns bonus points for brevity. With eight tracks clocking in at just 34 minutes, “Beast” hits hard, gets its point across, and disappears before it ever risks overstaying its welcome.

Standouts – “Dragon Man”, “Haunted Hell”, “Damned And Cursed”.

~Black Angel

Corrosion Of Conformity Good God/Bad Maan Review

Sun, 12 Apr 2026 09:00:01 GMT

Corrosion Of Conformity  

Good God / Baad Man

Nuclear Blast

2026

American heavy metal legends CORROSION OF CONFORMITY will release their long-awaited new double album, Good God / Baad Man, on April 3rd via Nuclear Blast!

Oh maaaaannn…I was so stoked to see this hit my inbox. I won’t lie and I’m likely showing my age here, but I’ve grown up with C.o.C. I’ve heard a *lot* of their music and I was so keen to dive into their latest installment.

It feels like an album I’ve heard, but only because I’ve had it on repeat for eons. For me there’s a comfort to the album. Nostalgia wrapped in a shiny new package. Is it weird to say the album feels like a big hug from my dad? I’ll blame the memories of C.o.C for that!

Honestly though, Good God/BAAD Man is a solid album! Perfect mix, great vocals, and just a power of elder punk glory. Yes, time has robbed us of members and there have been amicable splits, but this album feels like a welcome lived in home.

Super sad I missed out on tickets for the show in Asheville! One day, I’ll be lucky enough to see them and just maybe take their photos. In the meantime, you go to the show for me. Horns up, hair down, Groove for me!

~ Rook

Winterfylleth The Unyielding Season Review

Sun, 05 Apr 2026 09:00:25 GMT

Winterfylleth

The Unyielding Season

Napalm Records

2026

Another Black Metal release this year has piqued my interest enough to warrant some thoughts. The latest from the UK band, Winterfylleth is entitled, “The Unyielding Season”. This is their first effort for Napalm Records; it’s also their ninth release in their storied career. I haven’t followed the band since their debut album; I’ve sort of lost touch with the Black Metal genre outside of a few chosen pieces here and there. But here we are…

This new effort is quite atmospheric and oftentimes bleak, but there’s a melodic element here that gives it a cinematic feel which enriches it overall for me. Yes, there are brutal moments that tend to pummel and grind, but it doesn’t deter from the listen if this is your chosen flavor of music. It does have an icy feeling to it, no doubt thanks to the swift tremolo picking/riff attack and the consistent bludgeoning. There’s also a cover of Paradise Lost’s “Enchantment” which ends the album in dramatic fashion. I typically don’t care much for covers in Black Metal music, but the respect given in this cover is brilliant!

I’d love to comment on the social commentary of the album, but the vocals are indecipherable – mostly because they set way back into the mix. Nevertheless, this is typical of this genre, but where Winterfylleth set themselves apart of course is in their approach and the atmosphere they create.

There are moments in this album where I’m often reminded of the 90’s Black Metal scene when it was new and fresh – not a bad thing if you ask me, this genre has gotten way to predictable, so the throw back vibes/feels are welcomed. The atmospheric/cinematic approach offers a vast array of colors and emotions which works specifically well for me. If you’re into Atmospheric Black Metal that’s well recorded/produced/arranged, Winterfylleth’s “The Unyielding Season” is certainly worth checking out.

Standouts – “The Unyielding Season”, “In Ashen Wake”, “Enchantment”.

~Black Angel

Radian Subterfuge Review

Sun, 05 Apr 2026 09:00:25 GMT

Radian

Subterfuge

El Burno Records

2026

There’s something undeniably satisfying about stumbling onto a band for the very first time and realizing they’ve already honed their craft. That was my experience with Akron Ohio’s, Radian and their latest slab of Sludge Metal fury, “Subterfuge”. I went in blind - no expectations, no preconceived notions and came out impressed, intrigued, and ready to spin it again.

“Subterfuge” is a full-blown concept album centered on a man willing to do whatever it takes to guard his home, his people and his way of life. The story is set-in modern-day Egypt, and it has parallels to the world we’re currently living in. The band avoids preaching and being overly political on the album. Instead, they let the narrative breathe through massive riffs and oppressive atmosphere.

Musically, Radian lean hard into the weight and grit that defines Sludge Metal. The guitars are thick enough to blot out the sun, churning with a low-end density that feels tectonic. There’s a primal swing to the rhythm section that keeps the songs from collapsing under their own heaviness. It’s punishing, but it grooves.

If you’re a fan of High On Fire, Baroness, or Corrosion of Conformity, this will hit you like a bag of hammers. You get that same combination of muscular riffing, raw vocal conviction, and a sense that the songs are built as much on mood as on brute force. There are moments where the band leans into a more expansive, almost cinematic approach, but they never lose sight of the genre’s core: heaviness with purpose.

Vocally, there’s a convincing grit that sells the protagonist’s desperation and determination. You can hear the strain, the anger, the resolve. It makes the narrative feel personal rather than abstract.

What impressed me most is how “Subterfuge” feels layered. This isn’t a one-and-done listen. The alternate-history setting, the socio-political undertones, and the sheer density of the instrumentation all beg for repeat spins. It’s the kind of album where new details reveal each time, a subtle melodic line buried beneath distortion, a lyrical thread that ties two seemingly separate moments together.

For my first encounter with Radian, this was the way to go. “Subterfuge” is heavy, thoughtful, and unapologetically crushing. If you like your Sludge Metal with brains behind the brawn and a concept ambitious enough to match the riffs, this one deserves your time and several listens to fully absorb its weight.

Standouts – “Fathom”, “Subterfuge”, “Toothless Wolf” and “Ethereal Thirst”.

~Black Angel

Life Cycles No One Escapes Death Review

Sun, 05 Apr 2026 09:00:25 GMT

Life Cycles

No One Escapes Death

1126 Records

2026

I can’t lie; the main reason I enjoy writing reviews is that I get to hear stuff I wouldn’t otherwise. Sure, there are times when I’d rather shove screwdrivers in my ears, but then there are moments like this, when something new just trucks me and I’m better for having my ass handed to me.

Enter San Antonio’s Life Cycles, a Crossover Thrash unit delivering a lethal mix of groove-laden and, at times, Blackened Thrash with a slice of CORE that sounds like it was conjured during a picnic on the banks of the River Styx. The band’s latest EP, “No One Escapes Death”, marks their sixth release, no small feat in today’s musical climate. Somehow this is my first encounter with the band, but it won’t be my last.

For me, Life Cycles checks every box a modern Metal band should. They carry the soul of the old school while embracing a fearless, genre-bending approach where nothing feels off-limits. On first listen I caught shades of Trivium, Earth Crisis, and even a bit of Goatwhore. With every spin, something new revealed itself. The Earth Crisis influence stuck with me the most, the crushing breakdowns and bulldozing vocal delivery hit with serious force. There’s also a distinct Pantera-style groove running through the EP, which isn’t surprising given the band’s Texas roots.

Where Life Cycles really separate themselves from the pack is in the songwriting. Across these six tracks, the musicianship and arrangements feel sharp, seasoned, and confidently executed. Not once is melody sacrificed in the name of sheer brutality. These guys clearly want to pummel you, but they also want you grinning while it happens, and that balance works beautifully here.

The result is 21 minutes of blistering melodic Crossover Thrash that should satisfy Metalheads old and new alike. Honestly, I’m surprised a label like Nuclear Blast or Metal Blade hasn’t scooped them up yet, they’ve got the kind of “it” factor those labels tend to chase. I’d be shocked if that doesn’t change soon.

In the meantime, don’t sleep on “No One Escapes Death”. Life Cycles are also gearing up for a U.S. tour starting in April, and if these songs are any indication, this band in a live setting must be deadly.

Standouts – “Fatal Path”, “Mirror Of Doubt” and “The End Still Awaits”.

~Black Angel

Heavy Metal Shrapnel Heavy Metal Hairspray Review

Sun, 05 Apr 2026 09:00:25 GMT

Heavy Metal Shrapnel

Heavy Metal Hairspray

Nameless Grave Records

2026

Gather round, children of 80’s Sleaze, Cheese, and spandex, we’ve got a humdinger courtesy of Nameless Grave Records. “Heavy Metal Hairspray” is the sophomore effort from Heavy Metal Shrapnel, led by guitar virtuoso Andrew Lee. The debut was a full-on instrumental shred record in the spirit of the old Shrapnel Records days.

This time Lee brings in vocal firepower, most notably Mark Boals, known for his work on Yngwie Malmsteen’s “Trilogy” and the one-off Glam band, Billionaire Boys Club (Something Wicked Comes, 1993). I still spin both of those CDs regularly, no apologies.

Before diving into the music, the title and cover art honestly don’t do the album any favors. Anyone not steeped in the era might skip it outright, which would be a mistake. Fans of late-80s Traditional Heavy Metal and U.S. Power Metal should absolutely give this a shot. Yes, it’s over the top, probably intentionally, but the music underneath is serious business.

“Heavy Metal Hairspray” is a full return to the period when Metal ruled, and not just the Glam side of things. With Boals on vocals, this is firmly rooted in Classic Heavy Metal territory. If you spent late Saturday nights watching Headbangers Ball, this record feels like it was made for you.

Musically it carries that Shrapnel-style shred foundation, while the vocals add a nostalgic flash of bands like Nitro, except Boals favors control over sheer vocal demolition. He still reaches the stratosphere, but there’s warmth and purpose in his falsetto instead of chaos.

You’ll also hear echoes of lesser-remembered acts like Reckless, Hawk, Black Sheep, and Shok Paris. The approach is aggressive yet faithful to the era, almost no modern influence, just pure late-80s Metal spirit. Lee’s riffs and solos are wild and inventive, proving familiar ideas still hit hard when handled by the right player.

If listeners can look past the title and artwork long enough to press play, this could end up a sleeper success for Nameless Grave Records. I know I won’t be passing on a vinyl or CD copy - records like this remind me why I’ve carried the torch for this style of metal since day one.

Standouts – “Heavy Metal Overdose”, “When Love Isn’t Enough”, “Love Is A Racket (Baby Grab My Handle)” and “Heavy Metal Loudness”.

~Black Angel

The Neptune Power Federation Mondo Tomorrow Review

Sun, 05 Apr 2026 09:00:25 GMT

The Neptune Power Federation

Mondo Tomorrow

Cruz Del Sur Music

2026

The Neptune Power Federation channels punk rock energy into a foreboding tale about the all-consuming nature of technology on Mondo Tomorrow. The incomparable Australian rock outfit returns with their 7th album, a raucous foray into the depths of the dirtiest clubs from Down Under!

This was a BLAST. The Neptune Power Federation is nostalgic but in the best way possible. I could easily picture some songs being performed on Dragula or even in the Rock Opera ‘Tommy’.

I found myself bopping my head and dancing along to the music. Screaming Loz Sutch is a PHENOM on vocals. Haunting, entrancing and weird.

Stand out track for me is absolutely Mind Controller. It gave me acid queen vibes set in my favorite dive bar.

I cannot wait for this album to drop so I can keep it on repeat. You should absolutely pre-save it now and get ready for the get down!

~ Rook

Poly-Math Something Deeply Hidden Review

Sun, 05 Apr 2026 09:00:25 GMT

Poly-Math
Something Deeply Hidden

The Lasers Edge

2026

Okay, so you might think this crazy. I was wracking my brain trying to think of “who does Poly-Math sound like?” And shewwwwww. I landed on if the Ocean/Animals as Leaders and Slightly Stoopid had a groovy love child, it would be Poly-Math.

Based in Brighton and London, POLY-MATH is heavily influenced by early classic prog, Ethio-jazz, post-rock, and math rock, having explored different genres and identities over the course of their five albums, two side project lockdown albums, and numerous EPs. The band has morphed through several lineups, initially started as a trio in 2013, formed by guitarist Tim Walters. Originally the drummer of post-rock band Monsters Build Mean Robots, Walters formed POLY-MATHto focus on guitar and explore more expansive instrumental music, joined by bassist Joe Branton and drummer Chris Woollison.

Their newest album, Something Deeply Hidden, is a land of fun grooves, jazz and technical prog. There’s so much range in this album.

It is an instrumental album, but don’t let that deter you from listening. There’s truly enough here to keep you intrigued. I, personally, found myself head bopping while wanting to merengue with my spouse.

Poly-Math definitely bridges the gap between smooth jazz and prog. There’s for sure something for everyone to enjoy.

They’re touring in the UK, April through May. If you’re in the area, go see them life. Dance for me!

~ Rook

Graveborn Metempsychosis Review

Sun, 05 Apr 2026 09:00:25 GMT

Graveborn

Metempsychosis

Self-Release

2026

What happens with Dani Filth sings for Trivium or even TesseracT? You get Graveborn!

Boston-based progressive death metal band GRAVEBORN are set to return this spring with the release of their fifth full-length album Metempsychosis.

There is so much to unpack with this band and this album. Per usual, I went in blind. I was met with so many unique time signatures, gutturals and this other worldly embrace of lyrics.

Some highlights for me. I love that the music will be doing on thing and the singers sorta doing another. It adds this fun weaving of a song. You don’t know what to expect. The music is incredibly technical. Prog music and even Djent falls into those super technical time signatures that can sometimes be hard to follow. The vocalist is something special too from a technical aspect. It’s not easy to have the range and power that they have without throwing out your voice. I am also so fond of the reverb on the BLEGH.

A couple of low lights. The mix felt a little off. I did listen to this the same way I always do, via sound cancelling headphones. For me the vocals were so pushed forward that sometimes I lost the music. This actually improves as the album goes on, but the first handful of songs were a bit distracting.

A highlight track for me is Epistatic Drift. I’m so big into impactful lyrics that I was absolutely caught off guard with “we’re not who we pretend to be.” This was delivered in a more raw way. I don’t have adequate words for it. It was a punch to my soul.

If you like Prog, djent, screaming, and heavy impactful lyrics. I’d say give Graveborn a listen!

~ Rook

Voidchaser Interstellar I Review

Sun, 05 Apr 2026 09:00:25 GMT

Voidchaser

Interstellar I

Self-Release

2026

Are you ready to leave the citadel? Welcome to Terra Corp y’all! Strap in for a fun ride from Voidchaser!

Based in Montreal and Stockholm, Voidchaser is a progressive metal band that quickly established itself as a band worth watching on both local and international stages.

This album is definitely a concept album, but don’t let that deter you from giving it a listen! Diving into a story of planetary corruption, technological overreach and personal struggles. The lyrics tell the story here and are absolutely worth listening to!

There’s a lot of musicality to this album. Even the instruments are telling the story. It’s a rollercoaster through this Interstellar debate. The mix is perfect. Nothing overpowers the other. The vocals are perfectly aligned with the music too.

It’s hard to say who they sound like because you could pull a million references out, but Voidchaser stands in a realm all their own. So, strap in, enjoy the ride and remember Terra Corp wishes you a harmonious day!

~ Rook

Only Human Planned Obsolescence Review

Sun, 05 Apr 2026 09:00:25 GMT

Only Human

Planned Obsolescence

Season of Mist

2026

When I read a bit about this band, I wish you could have seen my face. It lit up like a Yule Tree.

Despite evolving with greater speed and scope than other corners of the metal archives, progressive metal never strays from the cutting edge. ONLY HUMAN are fresh on the scene, having signed with Season of Mist at the beginning of 2026 ahead of an appearance at this year’s Sweden Rock Festival. But the Danish band are already on the brink of a major discovery with their debut album. With Planned Obsolescence, they’ve invented an existential form of prog metal that warns of our not-too-distant dystopia.

Only Human listed TesseracT as a sound that they’re similar to. And YEA BOY I HEAR IT!!! This isn’t a negative! They took that inspiration and created their own sound.

Starting with Drift, I was blown away. Again, going in blind to the album and never hearing of the band before I was super excited to hear them. Drift is heavy, beautiful and guttural. It definitely paints a stunning portrait of what the album gives you.

The mix on the album is peak. I was able to hear everything fairly equally. The vocals ebbs from soft to falsetto to fry and then guttural screams are chefs kiss! I hear you on the guitars making those difficult riffs see easy. The drums and bass offer booming compliments to the overall composition.

Half way through the album we’re gifted with two power ballads and they perfectly fit the progression of the album. Heavy and soft at the same time.

I don’t know if you can tell, but I absolutely vibed and fell in love with this album and artist. They’re officially on my bucket list for photography now. Please, do yourself a favor and listen to this album!

~ Rook

Green Carnation A Dark Poem, Part II: Sanguis Review

Sun, 05 Apr 2026 09:00:25 GMT

Green Carnation

A Dark Poem, Part II: Sanguis

Season of Mist

2026

No matter how long or where the journey has taken them, Green Carnation has never been afraid of a challenge. After reaching crushing new highs during the grand and gloomy opening chapter to their long-awaited album trilogy, the Norwegian prog bards are descending into deeper, darker and more personal depths with Part II of A Dark Poem.

Learning that, I put on my headphones and gave it a spin! We start with a song that had me dancing. I’m pretty sure that wasn’t the intent, but what can I say? A good beat makes me dance. Then we’re given what is my favorite on the album. Loneliness Untold, Loneliness Unfold.

What an absolute head whip of a vibe too! The second song on the track list is a deeply impactful one. Raw and full of emotions that I would say a lot of us are currently experiencing. It could bring someone to tears.

Lunar Tears was another that I really felt in my soul. Yes, I’m saying that enjoy both of the slower songs but that isn’t to take away from the heavier bits of the album. Calling this album ‘A Dark Poem’ is so fitting.

I was entranced from beginning to end. The mix was great; the music was excellent but the lyrics? Next level. Definitely give them a listen!

~ Rook

Chariots Overdrive The End Of Antiquity Review

Sun, 05 Apr 2026 09:00:25 GMT

Chariots Overdrive

The End Of Antiquity

Gates Of Hell Records

2026

The whole “damn, it’s a small world” thought process jumped out at me with the album we’re talking about today. Early last summer we went to see Nite and Savage Master at a small venue. We expected a great show, but we didn’t expect the opening band to rip us a new one.

Chinese transplants Chariots Overdrive opened the night and absolutely exploded out of the gate with some of the most ferocious US Power Metal and NWOBHM I’ve heard from an opener in years. We couldn’t help but be impressed. They were every bit as good as Nite and Savage Master yet seemed genuinely thrilled just to be on the bill.

I was so impressed that when I got home, I went straight to their Bandcamp page and bought both of their Eps before I went to be bed, which is something I almost never do. I hate buying mp3s. But when a band kicks your ass like that, you support it however you can. Since then, I’ve caught them live a few more times around Atlanta, and let me tell you, these guys are a force to be reckoned with on stage.

Now, just a few short months later, Chariots Overdrive have inked a deal with Gates Of Hell Records and are set to release their debut full-length, “The End Of Antiquity.” It almost feels like I’ve been living with this record for months already since three of the songs appeared on their earlier EPs, though they’ve been re-recorded and remixed for this release.

What we get here is over forty minutes of unapologetic old-school NWOBHM worship, laced with flashes of US Power Metal influence. The album is largely guitar-driven, stacked with massive riffs and gargantuan lead breaks. Armed with a twin-guitar attack, the band frequently channels the spirit of Iron Maiden and Thin Lizzy without sounding like a cheap imitation. Rhythmically, everything is tight and purposeful - no filler, no wandering interludes. The mission is simple: crack your skull open with 100% Heavy Metal.

Vocally, things are a little less impressive, though to be fair, English isn’t the band’s native language. But honestly, if vocals were my top priority, I probably never would’ve fallen in love with Metal in the first place. The vocals do exactly what they need to do - deliver memorable melodies and hooks between the relentless barrage of riffing.

Having seen this band live a few times and spent a lot of time with their earlier material, “The End Of Antiquity” feels like a triumphant step forward. It’s a fantastic debut, and I’m more than happy they’re currently based in Atlanta so I can sneak out and catch them live whenever the opportunity pops up.

If you kneel at the altar of Heavy Metal and proudly call yourself a Lifer or a Rock Warrior, this album is an absolute must. It’s already lining up for a spot in my Top Ten releases of 2026.

Now I just need the vinyl, and I need two patches. One for the vest, one for the jacket and I’ll be set!

Standouts – “Parasite”, “A Taikonautic Alchemist”, “Chariots Overdrive” and “Nomadic Warfare”.

~Black Angel

Dark Ride Blade Manor Review

Sun, 05 Apr 2026 09:00:25 GMT

Dark Ride

Blade Manor

Fiendforce/Massacre Records

2026

I'll be the first to admit that I'm a bit of a curmudgeon when it comes to modern horror punk. As someone who was there to see the inception of labels like @ntidote, Fiend Force, Horror High, Blood and Guts and others that shined a blinding and blistering spotlight on horror punk/rock artists, I know talented bands when I hear them. Back then I ate well. Today, ehh, not so much. A lot of it I find boring, uninspired and flat. It doesn't reanimate me the way I felt 20+ years ago. There are, however, rare instances when I am introduced to or stumble upon something that harkens back to the good ol' days. Goddamn, I'm getting old.

That being said, I can only try to explain how excited I was when I ran across Dark Ride's BLADE MANOR. Fronted by Emilio Menze, who has been a stalwart of the genre and has been one of the hardest workers in the scene by means of his contributions with Stellar Corpses, Mister Monster and Plan 9, it is no surprise this album feels as legitimate as they come, as there's true heart and passion on display. The self-titled opener immediately hits home as it reminds me of the theme to Tales From the Crypt and then sinks its hooks into you with some old-school (and dearly missed) AFI with a chorus that you cannot shake."Rewind" throws me back to the 80's as I see a slideshow of classic horror films playing in my mind like Re-Animator, The Howling and Maniac. It also has some really well placed synth parts that stitch it all together like Captain Howdy.

"Life at the End of October" feels like a crisp autumn breeze on your face as blood rains down and pools at your feet. I always appreciate the traumatic/unrequited or disturbing love song, but so much more so when it's catchy and you want to sing along to it. And this has all that in spades. And while each track is single worthy, it's easy to see why this one has received extra attention, especially with the operatic female vocals. The synth on "Psycho Summer" reminds me of something from Stranger Things and builds up into some straight-forward punk rock with lyrics that paint a picture that'd fit perfectly during the credit scroll of The Burning.

BLADE MANOR is like washing your bloodstained hands - you can try to wash it away, but it'll stick with you long after you've removed yourself from it. Even if you're not a horror punk fan, I would still suggest giving this a shot because it's melodic, catchy and fun. And I think that's one of the key takeaways from BLADE MANOR is that each track will burrow itself into your brain, dig its own grave and rest in peace.

~ TJ

Crimson Glory Chasing The Hydra Review

Sun, 05 Apr 2026 09:00:25 GMT

Crimson Glory

Chasing The Hydra

Bravewords Records

2026

I’m always a bit apprehensive when a band I loved in my younger years returns after years of dormancy. In the case of Crimson Glory, that apprehension was even stronger. The band has long lived somewhere between legendary status and the occasional “what the hell happened there?” moments.

Growing up in the South, Crimson Glory was easily accessible to me as a kid. I picked up their Self-Titled debut within weeks of its release on Roadrunner Records, and my fandom quickly shot through the roof. The band’s look and sound were completely unique at the time, and the masked mystique only added to the allure. But what really pushed me over the edge was the vocal prowess of the late Midnight. His voice was extraordinary, and his presence was a massive part of the band’s identity.

Outside of a few select Progressive Metal acts - most notably Queensrÿche during the Geoff Tate era, my fandom for this style of music pretty much begins and ends with Crimson Glory.

Midnight’s absence on later Crimson Glory material has always been difficult for me to reconcile. He was such a defining element of the band that it never felt the same without him. Because of that, I was never able to fully embrace “Astronomica”. It wasn’t so much the music itself as it was the missing piece at the center. When it was announced that Midnight had returned and the band planned to re-record the album with him back in place, I was thrilled. Unfortunately, that never came to fruition. Midnight eventually passed away, and Todd LaTorre stepped in behind the mic. After hearing a few live clips online, I decided to pass on seeing the band during that era, it just didn’t click for me.

So, when Crimson Glory announced in 2023 that they had recruited a new vocalist in Travis Wills, I didn’t even bother checking it out. At that point, I simply didn’t want to risk another disappointment.

Fast forward to 2026, and the original members of Crimson Glory are finally preparing to release their first album in 26 years, “Chasing the Hydra”, with Wills on vocals. I went into it with minimal expectations, but after a few spins I came away with a tremendous amount of admiration for both the album and the band’s perseverance. The members clearly refused to let Crimson Glory fade away, and in hindsight, they were right to fight for it.

Do I miss Midnight? Of course I do. But Travis Wills brings his own flavor to the band, and his voice fits the material far better than previous attempts at filling those enormous shoes. For me, he’s earned his place in the lineup. It also helps that the band has spent time back on the road, rebuilding their chemistry and momentum. “Chasing the Hydra” feels earned, it’s not a nostalgia grab, and that authenticity comes through in the music.

Musically, the band sounds remarkably close to where it all began. The album delivers well-crafted Progressive, Power, and Traditional Heavy Metal with the dramatic flair that defined their early work. The riffs, lead breaks, and rhythm section performances are every bit as sharp as they were on the debut. In that sense, it almost feels like the band never left.

Wills’ vocals soar high into the stratosphere - exactly where longtime fans expect them to be. There’s also a tonal quality that occasionally echoes Midnight’s style. Whether intentional or not, it works. It feels respectful rather than imitative, and it ultimately pulled me back into the world of Crimson Glory.

Lyrically, the album fits comfortably within the band’s established themes, though I’ll admit I’ve been more focused on the overall sound and atmosphere. Listening to this record brought back the same feeling I had the first time I discovered the band all those years ago.

For the skeptics and longtime fans who might still be on the fence, I strongly encourage giving “Chasing the Hydra” a chance. Yes, Midnight’s absence is still felt - there’s no replacing a voice and presence like that. But his spirit remains deeply woven into the band’s DNA, and Travis Wills has clearly earned his stripes. In many ways, he’s helped give Crimson Glory something they’ve been searching for since Midnight’s departure: renewed meaning and purpose.

“Chasing the Hydra” is about as close to perfect as anyone could reasonably expect from a band releasing its first album in 26 years. The album will be pressed to vinyl and CD, so don’t miss out on that either – the pre-orders are up now!

Standouts – “Chasing The Hydra”, “Angel In My Nightmare”, “Beyond The Unknown” and “Redden The Sun”.

~Black Angel

Mega Colossus Watch Out! Review

Sun, 22 Mar 2026 09:39:02 GMT

Mega Colossus

Watch Out!

Cruz Del Sur Music

2026

Another year, another true Heavy Metal record that understands the assignment. North Carolina’s Mega Colossus returns swinging with “Watch Out!”, an album I had months to live with - plenty of time to crank it irresponsibly, dissect it, and see if it could survive serious abuse. It does. Repeatedly.

If you already know Mega Colossus, you know what you’re getting, and “Watch Out!” stays locked in that lane with conviction. For the uninitiated: this is Classic Heavy Metal, forged in the old ways, with sharp flashes of early Speed Metal baked into the riffing and lead work. The guitars are the real weapon here - wild, surgical, and flat-out excessive in the best possible way. Frankly, it’s absurd how much firepower this band packs for a name that still flies under the mainstream radar.

What keeps “Watch Out!” from feeling like a museum piece is the band’s sense of groove and melody. You’ll catch hints of Thin Lizzy swagger and Blue Öyster Cult atmosphere creeping in, adding depth without sanding off the aggression. It’s familiar, but never lazy.

Vocally, Sean Buchanan operates somewhere in the general orbit of Bruce Dickinson and early Helloween, but don’t get it twisted. This isn’t a carbon copy job. He carves his own path, dialing back the expected glass-shattering falsettos and letting the songs do the heavy lifting. And it works. The power comes from songwriting, structure, and restraint, not cheap histrionics.

That’s the real triumph here: no gimmicks, no nostalgia cosplay, no apologies. Every instrument pulls its weight. No ego trips. No spotlight hogging. Just a band locked in and firing as a unit, delivering an album that’s loud, proud, and unapologetically METAL.

If you’re like me, denim vest permanently within reach, knees that remember leather pants a little too well, “Watch Out!” will hit like a fistful of memories and bruises. And if you’re younger but worship at the altar of Traditional Heavy Metal done right, don’t overthink it. This one’s mandatory.

Standouts – “Battlefront”, “Good Hunting”, “The Bad Thing”, and “The Halls Of Mystikos”.

~Black Angel

Vaya Album 10 Review

Sun, 22 Mar 2026 09:35:19 GMT

Vaya

ALBUM 10

VAYA AM

2025

What happens if you take Siouxie Sioux, The Dead Weather, GRLwood and a dash of the Yeah, Yeah, Yeahs? You get artist Vaya.

This is a completely new artist for me. But shew does it make me want to put on my combat boots, battle vest and go fight. I’m thrown back to my Riot days for sure.

Each track is an emotional calling, demanding to be heard. Raw, Punk and surprisingly Gospel. Vaya compels you to listen. When you dive into the lyrics, you’ll find that each track is a call to Spirit.

Admittedly I think that’s what surprised me the most. I wasn’t expecting God to be present yet there he was. They do say you find Him in the strangest of places. ALBUM 10 is a good place to find Him.

I definitely suggest giving the album a go. Who knows what you might find. You may be just as surprised as I was.

~ Rook

Midnatt Skräckfylld Förtjusning Review

Sun, 22 Mar 2026 09:00:24 GMT

Midnatt

Skräckfylld Förtjusning

Jawbreaker Records

2026

There’s something exciting about going in completely blind on a band, and that’s exactly where we find ourselves with Midnatt and their full-length debut, on Jawbreaker Records, “Skräckfylld Förtjusning”. We missed their first two releases, so this record serves as our introduction to the band’s world with no expectations, no preconceived notions, just pure discovery.

Right out of the gate, “Skräckfylld Förtjusning” plants its flag firmly in classic New Wave of British Heavy Metal territory. Think twin-guitar harmonies, galloping rhythms, and a raw, no-frills production – think early Iron Maiden. Midnatt aren’t trying to reinvent the wheel here. What they are doing is paying sincere homage to a sound that’s been inspiring Metalheads for over four decades.

The riffs are sharp and purposeful, driven by that familiar, almost triumphant energy that defined the early ‘80s underground. Nothing feels forced. The band clearly understands the DNA of NWOBHM, lean song structures, hooky choruses, and plenty of melody layered over crunchy, straightforward riffing.

One of the more intriguing aspects is that all the lyrics are performed in the band’s native tongue - Swedish. For those of us who don’t speak the language, it creates a barrier. We’d love to dig deeper into the themes and stories they’re telling, but instead, we’re left interpreting emotion through delivery and atmosphere alone. That said, sometimes not understanding the words adds a certain mystique. The vocals become another instrument, urgent, melodic, and commanding.

Musically, the band stays true to tradition. The rhythm section locks in with a driving pulse, keeping things tight and energetic without overcomplicating arrangements. The guitar work is the real star here, weaving harmonies and throwing in tasteful leads that never drift into self-indulgence. There’s a workmanlike quality to the songwriting: solid structures, memorable riffs, and choruses that feel built for fist-pumping live settings.

For fans who crave the classic sound, those who still spin their old-school Heavy Metal records and never tire of harmonized leads and galloping rhythms, Midnatt absolutely has something to offer. This debut may not shatter ceilings, but it stands tall within its chosen lane, delivering honest, riff-driven Heavy Metal with heart.

Standouts – “Sfinxen”, “Satán” and “För Evigt Märkt”

~Black Angel

Kate's Acid Hellbender Review

Sun, 22 Mar 2026 09:00:24 GMT

Kate’s Acid

Hellbender

High Roller Records

2026

If you clicked this review, you probably already know the name. If not, let’s fix that. Kate’s Acid is fronted by the legendary voice behind Belgian Speed Metal Pioneers Acid, the band responsible for ripping out early ‘80s staples like “Maniac”, the Self-titled record, and “Engine Beast”. They only dropped three albums before disappearing, but that was more than enough to leave a permanent scar on the scene, especially for those of us just discovering Metal at the time.

A few years back, Kate assembled a new lineup and started tearing up stages again. Now that era has an official release under the banner Kate’s Acid. Why the name change? No clue, and honestly it doesn’t matter. The music tells the story.

On “Hellbender”, the band picks up right where Acid left off: raw, street-level Heavy Metal pulling from Speed, early Thrash, and Traditional Metal without trying to modernize or sanitize it. This isn’t nostalgic, it sounds like the kind of record you’d’ve dubbed onto a tape, blasted in a muscle car, and driven far too fast to. Pure motion music.

Kate’s voice is still ridiculous. No decline, no polite comeback performance, she sounds locked in. The high notes still cut, the grit is intact, and surprisingly she even leans into a few restrained moments that border on ballad territory, something the original band barely touched. Don’t worry, though: this isn’t a soft record. It’s built for late nights, bad decisions, and blown out ears the next morning.

Getting this in my inbox was a genuine surprise. Acid meant a lot to me growing up, and hearing Kate still out there swinging and doing it convincingly, rules. The band behind her clearly understands the assignment too; they’re not imitating the era; they’re operating inside of it.

I’d love to see them hit the U.S. for an East Coast run, but realistically they’ll probably dominate the European festival circuit instead, and these songs will absolutely destroy live. “Hellbender” isn’t a legacy release. It’s a continuation of the original formula.

Standouts – “Hellbender”, “Do Not Burn The Witch”, “Taking Back My Wings” and the ballad “Air Raid”.

~Black Angel

Stainless Lady of Lust and Steel Review

Sun, 22 Mar 2026 09:00:24 GMT

Stainless

Lady of Lust and Steel

High Roller Records

2026

There’s clearly something brewing in the Pacific Northwest -Washington and Oregon have been cranking out legit Metal at a ridiculous pace lately. Portland’s Stainless are the newest offenders. Formed in 2022, they’ve already knocked out an EP and a 7”, and now they’re ready to swing with their debut full-length “Lady Of Lust And Steel” via High Roller Records.

What does Stainless deal in? Straight-up, no-apologies ‘80s Heavy Metal. Krokus, Chastain, Judas Priest, Accept all in the DNA with a shot of Plasmatics-style attitude thrown in for gasoline. Yes, it’s female-fronted, but this isn’t a gimmick band riding nostalgia points. This is leather, hooks, attitude, and volume, the way it was meant to be.

I went in blind on the first spin and didn’t even clock the vocals at first, and that’s honestly the best compliment I can give. The band doesn’t lean on identity; they lean on songs. By the second track it felt like I’d stumbled into a record store in 1985, pulling some unknown import off the rack and immediately wondering why it wasn’t huge. Massive choruses, confident pacing, and riffs that stick. If you need blast beats or modern extremity to stay interested, move along. But if you lived for those budget Metal comps and mystery purchases, Stainless absolutely scratches that itch.

Vocally you’ll catch flashes of Pat Benatar, Lorraine Lewis, and Betsy Bitch-era grit, but there’s also a Marc Storace sneer in the delivery that keeps things from sounding too polished. The guitars do the real heavy lifting, hooks everywhere, memorable melody lines, and just enough AOR shine to nod toward Dokken and Ratt without watering anything down. It’s catchy, but never soft. The leads are dialed in perfectly: warm tone, tasteful effects, and zero sterile modern gloss. Everything breathes.

I’ve heard a thousand retro bands at this point. Most feel phoned in, Stainless doesn’t. This sounds like a record made by people who live this stuff, not tourists visiting it for aesthetics. That’s the difference, and it shows.

This debut deserves attention. I’ve already preordered it, and if they hit town I’m there. Don’t be surprised if this ends up on a lot of year-end lists, mine included. Ignore it and you’re missing one of the more convincing Traditional Metal records in recent memory.

Standouts – “Vitamin Tease”, “Whore Frost”, “Take A Listen Mama” and title track “Lady Of Lust And Steel”.

~Black Angel

Godsticks VOiD Review

Sun, 22 Mar 2026 09:00:24 GMT

Godsticks

VOiD

Kscope

2026

UK-based heavy proggers Godsticks have announced their long awaited seventh studio album and the follow up to 2023’s lauded This Is What A Winner Looks Like.

I think most everyone knows that I love Prog. So I was super excited to dive into this album. It promised to be heavier and darker than previous albums from Godsticks.

The music is technical, which is one of my favorite aspects of Prog. There’s a richness and flare to it. Vocalist Darren Charles definitely delivers an epic performance. A stand out track is Master of a Plan.

For me, Darren’s voice is akin to that of Layne Staley So it was a neat mix to listen to. The overall band gives the same vibes as Haken with a dash of Alice In Chains. My only tiny pet peeve is the vocals were so forward in the mix that it almost took over the music.

If you’re in the UK check the out while on tour! Definitely give VOiD a listen!

~Rook

~ Rook

Unverkalt Héréditaire Review

Sun, 22 Mar 2026 09:00:24 GMT

Unverkalt

Héréditaire

Season of Mist

2026

UNVERKALT are drawn to the edge. Since emerging from the underground, the Germany by way of Greece post-metal band have balanced boundless atmosphere with suffocating heaviness. Their third album and first since signing with Season of Mist doesn’t continue in that direction so much as it plunges into the darkness that’s always been waiting below. Héréditaire lifts the veil from our cursed existence. What emerges is Unverkalt’s heaviest and most heartfelt offering.

I love discovering new music. So, learning and listening to Unverkalt was an absolute joy. This is yet another band that I threw myself blindly into. I was met with raw emotions and left reeling.

The music is full of melodic blast beats and heavy riffs. The vocals are both delicate and gut wrenching. The ebbing of this bird like sing song to screaming from the depths of being is something of art.

I tried and failed to think of similar bands so that you, the reader, could adequately understand who this band is. Unverkalt stands unique in their genre. It’s most definitely metal. It is akin to black metal but if the band had the vocalists from both TaTu and Cradle of Filth. It’s…something special.

If you’re in the mood to have your soul pulled out and held in front of you, definitely give Unverkalt a listen.

~ Rook

Suicidal Angels Years Of Aggression Review

Sun, 15 Mar 2026 09:15:00 GMT

Suicidal Angels

Years Of Aggression

Noise Art Records

2019

I get it. 2019 saw some of the biggest bands in thrash put out some solid albums:

Death Angel - Humanicide

Wraith - Absolute Power

Flotsam and Jetsam - The End of Chaos

Exumer - Hostile Defiance

Toxic Holocaust - Primal Future: 2019

Possessed - Revelations of Oblivion

Sacred Reich - Awakening

And the list could go on. What I don't understand, however, is how Suicidal Angels' YEARS OF AGGRESSION is completely left out of the conversation. No one talks about it. Quite frankly, I never really hear their name brought up in any conversation. I thought they had a solid fan base, but maybe they're more underground than I thought. These Greek monsters absolutely lay every other thrash album of 2019 to waste with their technical thrash that paints pictures in blood with their precision, speed and heaviness that is reminiscent of Slayer, Death Angel, Sodom and even modern bands like Havok and Hatchet.

As soon as the opening riffs of "Endless War" are unleashed, you know exactly what you're in for. You're thrown onto the battlefield with an assault rifle, trudging through blood and gunfire. And really, those are primarily the subject matters of the album - war and death. Something that's been done ad nauseum, but there's just something here that makes it more engaging and interesting. The title track features some of the best overall performances like an insane guitar solo that makes you feel like there's shrapnel flying around you and Nick's deep, furious vocals that makes you feel intense hate. "From All the One" and "Order of Death" are as heavy and brutal as the rest, but start to wind the album down, but there is no lack of ferocity; however, if you get to the point you feel you need a moment of solace, album closer "The Sacred Dance with Chaos" provides you with a little reprieve with a Middle Eastern-sounding guitar intro and a slower, meddling tempo that is still as heavy as anything that came before it. It also features a classical guitar part about halfway through the track before crashing right back on top of you.

This is one of my VERY rare 10/10 albums. Not just thrash, but in general. Their album DIVISION OF BLOOD is just as relentless and fantastic, but I always lean more towards this one. It's just a shame that the band tends to get overshadowed and don't receive the recognition they deserve. DO IT VERSUS ANYONE!

~ TJ

Via Doloris Guerre et Paix Review

Sun, 15 Mar 2026 09:00:08 GMT

Via Doloris

Guerre et Paix

Season Of Mist

2026

Whenever someone steps out from the shadow of a well-known band, the first question that pops up is simple: can they stand on their own? With “Guerre et Paix,” the debut from Via Doloris, Gildas Le Pape doesn’t just try, he makes a pretty convincing case right out of the gate.

Most Metal fans will recognize Le Pape from his time in Satyricon, one of Norway’s longest-running and most consistently evolving Black Metal institutions. Being part of that machine means you’re already operating in a world where experimentation and atmosphere carry just as much weight as pure aggression. That mindset seeps into Via Doloris, but “Guerre et Paix” isn’t just some offshoot or carbon copy. If anything, it feels more inward-looking and mood driven, less concerned with spectacle and more interested in atmosphere and tension.

Of course, Le Pape didn’t exactly go into this thing alone. Behind the kit is none other than Frost, whose reputation at this point hardly needs an introduction. Frost does what Frost does best - precision, power, and the ability to absolutely level a song when the moment calls for it. But what’s nice here is that he never bulldozes the material. The blasts hit hard when they need to, but there’s just as much restraint and control, giving the album room to stretch out and breathe.

Musically, “Guerre et Paix” sits comfortably in that lane of Black Metal where atmosphere carries just as much weight as speed or brutality. The guitars drift between icy tremolo lines and slower, almost reflective passages that occasionally brush up against Post-Metal territory. There’s a cinematic feeling to a lot of it. The songs are constantly circling around themes of conflict and duality. One moment things feel chaotic and violent, the next they pull back into something colder and more introspective.

Le Pape’s vocal approach fits that push-and-pull pretty well. Instead of just blasting everything with the same scorched-throat delivery, there’s a little more nuance here. Sure, there’s plenty of bite where it counts, but there are also moments that feel more measured and controlled, which helps reinforce the darker, more reflective tone of the album. The production walks that same line - clear enough that you can pick out the details, but still abrasive enough that it never loses that raw Black Metal edge.

What really stands out, though, is how fully formed this thing feels for a debut. A lot of first records from side projects feel like testing the waters. “Guerre et Paix” doesn’t really have that problem. It feels deliberate and confident, like Le Pape already had a clear idea of what he wanted this project to sound like before the first note was even recorded.

If you’ve followed the broader evolution of Satyricon over the years, you’ll probably pick up on a few familiar threads here and there. That’s inevitable, especially with Frost hammering things home behind the kit. But Via Doloris never feels like it’s living in anyone else’s shadow. “Guerre et Paix” comes across as Gildas Le Pape planting his own flag and doing it with enough confidence to make this project worth paying attention to going forward.

Standouts – “For The Glory”, “Communion” and “Omniprésents”

~Black Angel

Blue Ambition The Scarlet Touch Review

Sun, 15 Mar 2026 09:00:08 GMT

Blue Ambition

The Scarlet Touch

Perris Records

2026

After a rousing debut with “The Seduction of the Innocent” last year, the supergroup Blue Ambition has come storming back with another heavy dose of AOR gold on their latest release, “The Scarlet Touch”. If you missed their debut, you missed a collection of tunes that felt like they were pulled straight from the glory days when jukeboxes were packed with 45s from Foreigner, Journey, and Bad English. You know… the good stuff.

While the debut leaned heavily into that classic AOR Radio-Rock vibe, the new album brings a bit more bite to the table, and I say that lightly, because we’re still firmly planted in Melodic Rock territory. This time around there’s a stronger emphasis on riffs and lead breaks, delivering the kind of gut punch you’d expect from bands like Alias, Survivor, and Night Ranger. That shouldn’t come as a surprise - Frédéric Slama is a world-renowned guitarist, and his musical instincts here not only meet expectations but often exceed them.

Vocally, things remain squarely in the Lou Gramm school of thought. Frontman Robbie LeBlanc is damn near a dead ringer for the Foreigner legend, and truth be told, he would’ve been my pick to replace Gramm years ago. For some listeners that might be a turn-off, but for me it feels like coming home. The vocals, harmonies, and melodic lines are top-tier, and considering this style of music has largely vanished from the mainstream, I’m more than happy to soak it all in.

There are ten tracks here and not one slacks. The album is catchy, confident, and executed with precision from start to finish. Sure, there are plenty of tried-and-true Glam and AOR vibes throughout, but that’s partly because I’m cut from that cloth. If you know me, you know my music collection is packed with records just like this. If it looks like AOR or Glam and I’ve got a few bucks in my pocket, I’m probably buying it without even hearing a note. That’s just who I am.

“The Scarlet Touch” will be released on CD via Perris Records on March 20th, and I strongly recommend checking it out and grabbing a copy. While you’re at it, take a deeper dive into the Perris Records catalog - they’re still one of the last great homes for AOR and 80’s style Metal. They’ve also just released a new Helix album that absolutely slams. And don’t stop there, dig further back and grab Sweet Cheater’s “Eatin’ Ain’t Cheatin’” or a Broken Teeth release. Support the label. From where I’m standing, they’re keeping this style of Rock alive.

Standouts – “In Love With A Shadow”, “Love From A Stranger”, “Burning Secrets” and “Two Nights With You”.

~Black Angel

Hellripper Warlocks Grim & Withered Hags Reissue Review

Sun, 15 Mar 2026 09:00:08 GMT

Hellripper

Warlocks Grim & Withered Hags Reissue

Peaceville Records

2023/2026

Let’s shift a few gears and talk some Black Metal, something I don’t normally spend a lot of time with. I’m rarely impressed enough to make it past a song or two before I feel the urge to run screaming into the woods like I’ve just stumbled onto a goat sacrifice. But, as has happened a few times this year, a handful of releases have managed to pull me in.

This time around we’re looking at a reissue of “Warlocks Grim & Withered Hags” from Hellripper. The album originally dropped in 2023, and now it’s getting another press. Why? I couldn’t tell you. This is all new territory for me, the band and the album alike. If you’re already familiar with Hellripper, none of what I’m about to say will shock you. If you’re not, well… I’ve got a few thoughts.

First off, this isn’t your corpse-paint-wearing cousin’s frosty forest Black Metal. What Hellripper delivers here is essentially Speed Metal with a blackened snarl, and it hits you like a runaway freight train the moment the first riff kicks in. There’s as much worship here for Motörhead as there is for Venom, and that’s the hook that really dragged me in. The riffs have that scrappy, Punk-fueled bite, and the whole thing runs on the philosophy of “everything louder than everything else.”

Now, can I understand the vocals? Absolutely not. Not a single damn word. But honestly, that’s not the point. The real draw here is the riff barrage and relentless speed. This album lives in that sweet spot where the guitars scream turn it up to ten and rip the fuckin’ knobs off!

What surprised me most is the occasional epic flair that sneaks into the guitar leads and melodic runs. Every now and then the band slips in a moment that feels almost triumphant before immediately flooring the gas pedal again. It’s enough to keep things interesting and prevent the record from becoming a blur of blast beats and infernal shouting.

A few tracks do stretch out a bit, but that actually works in the album’s favor. It gives Hellripper room to stretch their legs and show they’ve got more going on than just raw velocity. The band never loses the plot or wanders off into some bizarre Black Metal side quest involving candles, daggers, and questionable livestock. Instead, they keep the songs tight and focused while still delivering a high-speed ride through a landscape of shrieks, riffs, and controlled chaos.

If all Black Metal sounded like this, I might actually get into the spirit of things - throw on some corpse paint, stand in the corner brooding, maybe mutter “Hail Satan” under my breath while making breakfast in the morning. As it stands, bands like Hellripper are a bit of a rarity to me.

I’m still scratching my head over the sudden reissue, but considering how much I enjoyed this record, I’m not exactly complaining. So, to all you Speed Metal and Black Metal faithful out there: if this somehow slipped past you the first time around, now’s your chance to fix that. Go ahead - Satan is calling.

Standouts – “The Nuckelavee”, “Goat Vomit Nightmare”, “The Hissing Marshes” and the bonus track – a re-recorded version of the band’s classic, “Mephistophelian Dreams”

~Black Angel

Axe Dragger Self-Titled Review

Sun, 15 Mar 2026 09:00:08 GMT

Axe Dragger

Self-Titled

Ripple Music

2026

The 12-year-old kid in me absolutely lost his mind a few weeks back when I learned that Terry Glaze (formerly of Pantera and Lord Tracy) had joined a new band called Axe Dragger. And this isn’t just some random side project either - the lineup also features players tied to Pentagram, Fu Manchu, and Dark Funeral. That’s a hell of a pedigree right out of the gate.

But I’ll be honest about something: I’ve always been more of a “Glamtera” guy than a later-era Pantera devotee. Those early records stick in your brain forever. And once you throw Lord Tracy into the conversation, I’m basically sold on anything Glaze touches. The guy has always had that thing - the kind of frontman presence you just can’t teach.

Dig into Axe Dragger and the origin story is modern: riffs and drum tracks getting fired back and forth across the internet until something real started to take shape. On paper, you might assume this is going to be straight-up Stoner Rock because of the Fu Manchu connection. But that’s only part of the picture. What this band delivers is a greasy hybrid of Stoner Rock muscle and classic Heavy Metal steel. At times it feels like the ghosts of Trouble, Iron Maiden, and Judas Priest are hanging around the rehearsal room. And trust me, I’m not complaining.

The riffs are the first thing that grab you. Massive, fuzz-soaked slabs of guitar that feel like they’re rolling downhill straight at you. Tracks like “Axe Dragger” and “The Damned” hit like a freight train. A lot of that Stoner feel probably comes down to Bob’s tone, he may very well be dipping into some of the same gear he uses in Fu Manchu, but whatever the recipe is, it absolutely crushes. And when it’s time for leads, Bob lets them rip. Molten, screaming, and unapologetically loud.

Still, none of it would land half as hard without the rhythm section locking everything down. Drummer Pete and bassist Fredrik build a thick, unshakeable groove underneath the chaos. It’s the kind of pocket that feels straight out of a ’70s Hard Rock record - loose enough to breathe but heavy enough to knock dents in the floor.

And then there’s Terry Glaze.

Honestly, this might be some of the most compelling vocal work he’s done in years. Sure, time has roughed up the edges a bit - but that only adds grit to the delivery. The voice has some miles on it now, and that weathered bite works in the band’s favor. Glaze doesn’t hold anything back here. He leans into these songs and belts them like a guy who still has something to prove. His performances on “Axe Dragger” and “Death Is Calling My Name” are flat-out killer.

While the album carries that thick Stoner aesthetic, it’s far from a one-trick pony. There are plenty of faster, fist-pumping moments that keep the whole thing from getting bogged down in fuzz. Tracks like “Fight Another Day,” “Shock’em Dead,” and “El Toro” kick the tempo up and dive headfirst into pure mid-’80s Heavy Metal territory. There were moments where I swear it felt like I had just dusted off a lost album from Savatage.

Considering this band reads like a part-time project on paper, the result is surprisingly lethal. If people catch onto this record the way they should, I’d love to see this band turn into something more than just a one-off experiment.

As it stands right now, this thing is sitting comfortably in my Top Ten albums of the year, and I wouldn’t bet against it staying there.

~Black Angel

Vøvk Litera Review

Sun, 15 Mar 2026 09:00:08 GMT

Vøvk

Litera

Self-Released

2025

Kyiv-based progressive rock band Vøvk present their second studio album “Litera”. A conceptual release, it is a cohesive, multi-layered narrative exploring Ukraine’s emotional landscape in wartime. Although the word “war” is never spoken, its shadow runs through the metaphors of animals, landscapes, and natural cycles: from drought to fire, from flood to desolation.

I went in excited to hear this based on who they said their musical influences were. This three-piece band lives up to the hype. The music feels new however nostalgic. If you’re into Deftones, Chevelle, Karnivool you need to lock in and listen.

The album flows. Each song is absolutely unique, but the vibes are immaculate. Reading the translated lyrics definitely puts you into the space of someone or someone’s struggling watching their countries fall apart while trying to give hope.

The lyrics are pure poetry. Be it heard in their native tongue or read in English, it’s astonishing how they convey their pain. How on Earth they only have 1600 listeners via Spotify is beyond me.

Absolutely do yourself the greatest gift and listen to this band.

~Rook

~ Rook

Total Maniac Love Overdrive Review

Sun, 15 Mar 2026 09:00:08 GMT

Total Maniac

Love Overdrive

Self-Released

2026

What do you get when you cross Zodiac Mindwarp, Venom, Motörhead, Slave Raider, and dump in industrial quantities of booze, amphetamines, and sleaze? You get Total Maniac, and yeah, the name fits like a blood-soaked leather jacket.

Formed in 2018 and crawling straight out of Baltimore, Maryland, Total Maniac has already stacked a demo and a self-titled debut (2022) without the safety net of a label. No corporate babysitter. No marketing committee. Just the grim reality of self-releasing, where you gamble rent money, grocery cash, and sanity on riffs and blind faith. If they haven’t landed a label yet, it’s probably because they haven’t found one brave enough, or stupid enough to let them off the leash.

Their latest assault, “Love Overdrive,” drops digitally and on vinyl at the tail end of March, and it’s a full-throttle collision of Metal filth, Punk belligerence, Thrash bite, and Sleazy swagger. This thing doesn’t walk; it swerves. One minute you’re locked into a Motörhead-style churn, the next you’re getting smacked sideways by vocal hooks that feel ripped straight from “Tattooed Beat Messiah”. It’s not clean. It’s not polite. It’s controlled chaos, the kind where riffs bleed and lead breaks come at your throat like a bar fight that spilled onto the sidewalk.

Vocally, it’s a beautiful mutant, somewhere between Chainsaw Caine (Slave Raider) on a bender and a blue-collar, knuckles-bruised version of Philly Byrne (Gama Bomb). No polish, no affectation, just raw piss-and-vinegar delivery that sounds like it was screamed into a mic held together with duct tape.

Sonically, this album feels like it crawled out of late 1986, smelling like cigarettes and bad intentions. Analog, reckless, and gloriously unhinged. No Pro Tools grid. No quantized bullshit. Just 27 minutes of Metal swagger, tracked the way it should be, by people who trust their hands, their amps, and their instincts. This is lifer music. If you need your Metal smoothed out and sanitized, turn around now.

“Love Overdrive” is already elbowing its way onto my year-end list, and if history tells us anything, the vinyl pressing will disappear fast. Self-released, limited, and destined to become a pain-in-the-ass to track down. Do yourself a favor: hit their Bandcamp, snag a copy, and thank yourself later.

This record, a hot chick, and a face full of speed could probably keep me upright for days, and honestly, that feels exactly like the point.

Standouts – “Drinking Our Way To Hell”, “Early Grave”, “Set Fire To The Sun” and “Flatline”.

~Black Angel

The Ghoulstars The Dark Overlords Of The Universe Review

Sun, 15 Mar 2026 09:00:08 GMT

The Ghoulstars

The Dark Overlords Of The Universe

Season Of Mist

2026

Season of Mist didn’t pull a rabbit out of a hat with this signing; they raised something from the grave and handed it a microphone. Enter The Ghoulstars, Finland’s best-kept crypt secret, now clawing their way into wider infamy with their debut full-length “The Dark Overlords Of The Universe.”

Comprised of former members of Hooded Menace and Thermate, this isn’t some novelty Horror Punk cash-in. This is what happens when seasoned Metalheads decide to exhume their VHS collections, wire them directly into a Marshall stack, and let the static bleed.

From the first crack of thunder, the influence of White Zombie oozes from the speakers - Horror samples, Grindhouse Sleaze, and a vocal snarl that feels possessed by a young Rob Zombie before the rasp turned to dust. But here’s the twist in the blade: The Ghoulstars aren’t looping their identity through a sampler. The riffs are alive. The drums hit like coffin lids slamming shut. The Punk backbone is raw muscle and bone, not programming.

There’s the expected DNA of The Misfits and Wednesday 13, but this isn’t lo-fi worship or Hot Topic cosplay. This is Horror with studio sheen and jagged hooks - catchy enough to infect, heavy enough to maul. It’s the difference between watching the monster and becoming it.

Lyrically, the band raids 80’s pop culture like masked slashers in a video store after midnight. The title track, “The Dark Overlords Of The Universe,” rips its name straight from Howard the Duck and mutates it into a blistering Punk anthem. It charges forward like a chainsaw without a safety switch. And this chorus is pure sugar-coated menace. It burrows into your skull and sets up residence.

“Zombie Apocalypse” drags the corpse of “Night of the Living Dead” back into the light, complete with the immortal “They’re coming to get you, Barbara!” sample. Yes, you’ve heard it before, but not like this. The band injects it with nitro. The bass thunders like approaching footsteps on hollow floorboards. You can practically see it soundtracking a blood-splattered rampage in Planet Terror, all severed limbs and machine-gun-leg fury.

Lead single “Too Ghoul For School” struts in with a grease-slicked Rock ’N’ Roll swagger, possessed by the spirit of Twisted Sister at their most rebellious. It’s bubblegum dipped in embalming fluid - shamelessly catchy, built for fist-pumping in a graveyard parking lot.

“The Dead In Purgatory” veers into spaghetti-western territory, all dust, bones, and whistled melodies that haunt like a phantom theme song. There’s a macabre desert swing that would make Ghoultown tip their hat, while channeling the dramatic flair of The Other. That whistle line is parasitic. You’ll catch yourself humming it in the dark without realizing when it started.

Closing track “They Danced Upon Our Graves” is a full-tilt Punk riot, but beneath the pogo-ready energy lies something colder. There’s melancholy stitched into the verses, like laughter echoing in an empty mausoleum. It ends not with a wink, but with dirt hitting the lid.

For a label known for navigating extreme territories, this move feels inspired. The Ghoulstars don’t just dabble in Horror Punk — they’re living it and bringing it screaming into 2026. The genre has been crawling out of coffins for decades, but rarely does it feel this RE-animated.

At 33 minutes, “The Dark Overlords Of The Universe” doesn’t overstay its welcome. It strikes, feeds, and disappears into the fog, just as fast as it came.

Fans of The Misfits, Wednesday 13, and White Zombie should swarm to this like freshly turned corpses sniffing out warm flesh. This isn’t Horror Punk done to death. This is Horror Punk resurrected - stitched together, jolted with lightning, and set loose on an unsuspected world.

~Black Angel

Scream 7 Review (2026)

Sun, 08 Mar 2026 13:09:05 GMT

Three decades after the original slasher classic changed the landscape of modern Horror, Scream 7 arrives with something fans have been asking for: a genuine return to the heart and spirit of the franchise. With Neve Campbell stepping back into the spotlight, the film leans heavily into the legacy of the original Scream, and honestly, that’s exactly what it needed to do.

Right from the start, the film feels like a course correction. After the previous two installments pushed the story in a different direction, Scream 7 pulls things back toward the core identity of the franchise. That means sharp writing, a self-aware tone, and a heavy dose of the commentary that made the series iconic in the first place.

Let’s talk about kills because a Scream film lives or dies by them. Here, they’re plentiful, creative, and absolutely glorious. The body count stacks up quickly, and the film clearly understands that audiences come to these movies expecting memorable slasher moments. It delivers them in spades. The brutality never loses the franchise’s signature style either; it’s violent, sure, but it’s also staged with that familiar theatrical flair that longtime fans appreciate.

Of course, what truly defines Scream is its tongue-in-cheek humor and constant commentary on Horror itself. That tradition is alive and well here. The infamous “rules of horror movies” concept returns in a big way. The self-awareness isn’t subtle, and it shouldn’t be. This series practically invented that style of storytelling.

Another interesting touch is the film’s acknowledgment of modern technology, particularly the presence of AI in everyday life. Instead of treating it like some dystopian nightmare scenario, the movie simply recognizes it as part of the world we live in now. Technology evolves, culture evolves, and Horror has always adapted alongside it. In that sense, the film feels very contemporary without becoming gimmicky.

For me personally, the biggest strength here is the return of Sidney Prescott. Sidney has always been the backbone of this franchise and seeing her reclaim that role is incredibly satisfying. The last two films introduced new blood and while Jenna Ortega was cute and she had a presence, it didn’t feel right – this isn’t a Disney Princess franchise, which is what Ortega feels like often. The actress Melissa Barrera who was written as Billy Loomis’s daughter never quite landed as a true scream queen and quite frankly, I didn’t find her believable at all. She simply couldn’t carry the role and story line, so her being gone is the best thing that could’ve happened at this point. And let’s be honest: there’s only one Sidney Fucking Prescott.

And that’s part of why Scream 7 works so well. It understands the DNA of the franchise and leans into it rather than trying to reinvent the wheel.

Which makes the poor reception from some fans a little puzzling. What more could fans realistically ask for? The film delivers the thrills, the humor, the legacy characters, and the clever commentary that defined the series.

More importantly, it reminds us why this franchise matters in the first place.

Back in 1996, Horror as a genre was struggling. The slasher boom of the 80’s had burned out. Then the original Scream arrived and flipped the entire genre on its head. It revived mainstream Horror almost overnight and ushered in a new era of self-aware film-making.

Thirty years later, that legacy still carries weight. And that’s where I stand with Scream 7.

~Black Angel

The Plowboys Self-Titled Review

Sun, 08 Mar 2026 12:54:48 GMT

The Plowboys

Self-Titled

Self-Released

2024

I don’t often get to wave the flag for Country, Rockabilly, and Americana around here. Most of those bands and labels aren’t exactly lining up for coverage from a site known for Metal. Fair enough. But here’s the twist: these days, I’m a Rockabilly drummer. That’s it. That’s my preferred playing lane. I’ve hung up the Metal boots (they’re heavy, and I’m not 25 anymore) and gone back to playing the music that first lit the fuse for me. It keeps me honest. I want to enjoy playing music. Outside of that, I’m Metal through and through.

Every once in a while, though, I stumble across a band that makes me reach out and say, “Hey… you feel like letting the Metal guy talk about some twang?” Sometimes I even get a response that doesn’t include “unsubscribe.” That brings us to today.

The Plowboys out of Ontario are knee-deep in that classic Bakersfield sound popularized by my hero Buck Owens. Rhinestone suits? Check. Tongue-in-cheek lyrics? Absolutely. Gritty, tight musicianship? You bet. They carry the same torch that Owens and his Buckaroos did - music that feels tailor-made for the stage at the Grand Ole Opry.

For now, they’re grinding it out the old-fashioned way: playing wherever they can and winning over fans one show at a time. And honestly, that’s how this kind of music is supposed to grow. Give them a couple of fans, a hardwood floor, maybe a dog asleep near the stage, and they’re going to deliver.

Their 2024 self-titled debut was recorded in vocalist Scott Hagerty’s barn, specifically in the room where they store preserves. Yes, preserves. And no, you’d never know it. This thing sounds like it came out of a high-dollar studio in Nashville or California. The tones are crisp, the mix is warm, and the performances are locked in. I hear Buck’s influence all over it, blended with the driving punch of the Kentucky Headhunters and a touch of the polish and swagger of The Mavericks. As someone who’s recorded demos in garages and barns that sounded like garages and barns, I can tell you, this is no small feat.

The Bakersfield DNA runs deep here. The twangy, sharp-edged guitar work nods heavily to Don Rich, Buck’s right-hand man and one of the true architects of that sound. Rich was every bit as crucial as Owens himself, and you can feel that reverence in these riffs.

And then there’s the steel guitar. Sweet mercy. Played by Bruce Hoffman, who once worked with the legendary Mel Tillis, it’s all over this record in the best possible way. If there’s space for steel, Hoffman fills it. If there isn’t space, he politely creates some. Modern Country may have misplaced the steel guitar somewhere between drum machines and snap tracks, but The Plowboys found it, dusted it off, and put it right where it belongs.

At a tight 34 minutes, the album flies by. My wife and I put it on during a small road trip, and while this isn’t technically “her thing,” she’s been married to a Rockabilly/Country drummer for three decades. She’s been force-fed enough Buck Owens to qualify for honorary Buckaroo status. Within minutes, we were both humming along. We’ve lived this soundtrack. We’ve stood in Honky Tonks and beer joints where this kind of music was the norm and it was revered. I’ve played in some of those beautiful spots too – at this point in my life, I feel like I was born in a Honky Tonk.

There isn’t a weak track in the bunch, but standouts for me include “Burger Date,” “Our Love Is A Hurtin’ Kind,” “Out Of Luck Out Of My Mind,” and “She Did Me No Wrong Out Behind The Barn.” The titles alone should tell you what you’re getting: clever wordplay, playful turns of phrase, and humor that enhances the songs rather than turning them into novelty acts.

Vocally, Hagerty delivers with a rugged smoothness that calls to mind a young Roger Miller, with flashes of Junior Brown attitude sneaking in. It’s confident, unforced, and authentic, which is more than can be said for a large chunk of what passes for mainstream Country radio these days.

And let’s just say it plainly: this album is a reminder of how far-removed commercial Country has drifted from its roots. Somewhere along the line, Rhinestones and Telecasters got traded in for programmed beats and arena-pop choruses. If you need proof that real Country music is still alive and well, The Plowboys are it.

Their music is available on YouTube and Spotify, and the album is out there waiting for you. Do yourself a favor, don’t just stream it. Support it and buy the CD.

Hands down, this is one of the best albums I’ve heard this year in any genre. If you dig Buck Owens, Marty Stuart, The Mavericks, the Kentucky Headhunters, or Dwight Yoakam, this should absolutely hit home.

~Black Angel

Bizarrekult Alt Som Finnes Review

Sun, 08 Mar 2026 12:48:46 GMT

Bizarrekult
Alt Som Finnes
Season of Mist: Underground Activists

2026

Somewhere in the forests, I can picture a bonfire and a young man. Standing, sulking, screaming his sadness and hopes into the universe. This is exactly the imagery that Bizarrekult’s Alt Som Finnes gave me while listening to their newest installment.

I won’t lie, I went into this album expecting not to like it. I am picky about my black metal, be it post, modern or futuristic. However, this album is entrancing. It’s more than just blast beats and gutturals, which yes you get, but you get heart. You heard a soul being laid out for you to hear.

It’s easy to fall into this album. There’s almost this droning to it that makes it so easy to listen to. A standout for me on the album is Håp. It feels beautiful, haunting and what a surprise with the clean vocals. Truly something wonderful to hear. I know the band akins themselves to Deafhaven, but I truly feel as if Bizarrekult is a sound all their own.

Alt Som Finnes, which translates to All There Is, feels like this journey into the soul of someone who may have been broken down to their foundations, but allowed themselves to rebuild. Similar to epics of old, let us be the Virgil to their Dante and descend into the depths to be brought anew.

~ Rook

Deeper Graves Pull Me Towards The Dark Review

Sun, 08 Mar 2026 12:41:24 GMT

Deeper Graves

Pull Me Toward The Dark

Disorder Recordings

2026

Since its inception, DEEPER GRAVES exists in the quiet spaces between weight and release – a slow-moving, atmospheric post-punk project shaped by restraint and emotional gravity. Created by Jeff Wilson – also of Chrome Waves, Contrition, formerly of Nachtmystium and Wolvhammer, and owner of Disorder Recordings – the project serves as a deeply personal counterpoint to his work in heavier realms, favoring mood, texture, and introspection over immediacy.

I was immediately impressed. Harkening back to my days as a goth kid, stomping around listening to The Cure, Joy Division, :Wumpscut:, and London After Midnight this album would have soothed the soul of 16-year-old Rook.

Pull Me Toward The Dark is this super easy album to listen to. You’re immediately pulled in with the sweeping soundscapes, synths, and haunting vocals. Easy song flows into the next, giving you the ease of listening, however each song still stands out. Truly the only complaint I have is that while the vocals are this ghost whispering and haunting, I do wish they were pushed a bit more in the mix.

All in all, this will be an album that I keep revisiting. Sometimes nostalgia is all we need.

~ Rook

Eihwar Hugrheim Review

Sun, 08 Mar 2026 09:00:21 GMT

Eihwar

Hugrheim

Season Of Mist

2026

When we cover new releases, it’s usually with distortion, riffs, and traditional song structures in mind. So, stepping into the world of Eihwar and their latest album “Hugrheim” is outside our normal lane, but sometimes that’s exactly what’s needed.

“Hugrheim” isn’t Metal in the conventional sense. There are no galloping twin guitars or soaring choruses. Instead, Eihwar build their sound around pounding war drums, ritualistic percussion, Nordic folk instrumentation, and a heavy dose of trance-driven electronics. The result feels less like a collection of songs and more like a fully immersive experience.

The album leans hard into atmosphere. Rhythms pulse and repeat with hypnotic insistence, creating a ritualistic vibe that borders on meditative one moment and battle-ready the next. The vocals shift between commanding chants and more primal expressions, adding to the sense that this is music meant to be felt physically as much as heard. It’s tribal, cinematic, and unapologetically theatrical.

What stands out most about “Hugrheim” is its commitment to mood. Eihwar don’t chase radio hooks or easy accessibility. Instead, they craft layered soundscapes that pull from Norse mythology and pagan aesthetics without feeling like a historical reenactment. There’s a modern edge in the electronic elements that keeps the album from becoming purely folk-driven, giving it a kind of “future-primitive” energy.

For listeners strictly rooted in Traditional Heavy Metal, this might feel like a detour. But for those open to something darker, more rhythmic, and immersive, “Hugrheim” offers a compelling journey. It’s bold in concept, heavy in atmosphere, and proof that intensity doesn’t always require distortion pedals.

This may not be our typical review or our typical genre, but that’s part of what makes it worth talking about.

Standouts – “The Lake Of The Dead”, “Berserkr (Tim's Memorial Version)” and “Freyja's Calling”

~Black Angel

Wreck-Defy Dissecting The Leech Review

Sun, 08 Mar 2026 09:00:21 GMT

Wreck-Defy

Dissecting The Leech

Massacre Records

2026

Canadian Thrash Metal outfit Wreck-Defy have quietly built a respectable catalog over the years, and with their sixth full-length album “Dissecting The Leech”, they sound sharper and more confident than ever. Released through Massacre Records, the album is a lively, high-energy blast of classic-minded Thrash that feels like it could have crawled straight out of the mid-80s, only performed by musicians with decades of experience.

From the opening moments, the band locks into a relentless groove built on speedy, tightly wound riffs and a rhythm section that rarely lets up. The guitar work drives the record with rapid-fire patterns and sharp melodic runs that recall Thrash’s golden era. Still, this isn’t simply nostalgia, Wreck-Defy inject enough personality into the songwriting to keep things feeling fresh, balancing aggression with the precision of seasoned players.

Vocally, the performance adds another interesting layer. While rooted in intense Thrash tradition, there are moments where the vocals climb into high-pitched falsetto territory reminiscent of classic Power Metal. These flashes give the album an unexpected lift, adding dramatic flair that fits surprisingly well with the band’s sharp instrumentation.

The record also benefits from a strong lineup of guest musicians. Appearances from Stu Block, Amanda Kiernan, Chris Poland, Mike Gilbert, and Steve Smyth expand the album’s sonic palette. Rather than feeling like simple cameos, their contributions are woven into the fabric of the songs and enhance the overall impact.

Musically, “Dissecting The Leech” thrives on intensity. The riffs are fast and biting, the solos fluid and energetic, and the pacing rarely slows. Even when the band shifts into more melodic passages, the tension remains high, giving the album a constant sense of forward momentum.

What ultimately makes the release work so well is its balance between old-school Thrash spirit and mature musicianship. The songs carry the urgency fans crave, while the arrangements show a band that understands dynamics and structure.

With “Dissecting The Leech”, Wreck-Defy deliver a fast, intense album packed with strong musicianship, exactly the kind of record that reminds you why Thrash Metal remains such a powerful force.

Standouts – “Under The Sun”, “Revolt”, “The Haunting Past” and title track “Dissecting The Leech”.

~Black Angel

Mauled When Your Eyes Are Shut EP Review

Sun, 08 Mar 2026 09:00:21 GMT

Mauled

When Your Eyes Are Shut EP

Silver Back Gorilla Records

2026

I’ll be upfront, Deathcore isn’t normally where I park my listening time. I lean toward riffs, structure, and songwriting over pure impact, and a lot of the genre tends to focus on sheer heaviness first and everything else second. So, going into Mauled’s new EP, “When Your Eyes Are Shut”, I expected the usual: big breakdowns, massive production, and not much staying power. Instead, this thing grabbed me by the throat.

The aggression here feels purposeful rather than decorative. From the opening moments the guitars don’t just chug, they lurch. The riffs have weight, almost a dragging quality to them that makes the heaviness feel physical instead of just loud. When the faster parts hit, they’re sharp and violent, but the slower sections are what stick. The band understands that space makes brutality hit harder.

Production helps a lot. It’s modern and thick but not plastic. You can hear the low end moving under everything and the drums sound like they’re pushing the songs forward rather than just marking time between breakdowns. Instead of everything blending into a single blur of distortion, each hit lands.

Vocally this is exactly what the style calls for but delivered with intent. The lows are cavernous, the higher screams cut through, and neither feels over-edited. More importantly, the phrasing follows the riffs instead of floating on top of them, which keeps the songs cohesive instead of turning into vocal gymnastics over random heaviness.

And yeah, the breakdowns are here. Plenty of them. But they’re placed where they belong, acting like impact points instead of the entire identity of the music. That’s probably why this works for me more than most Deathcore: the songs feel written, not assembled.

The EP also doesn’t overstay its welcome. It comes in, hits hard, and leaves before the formula can wear thin. By the time it ends you want another pass rather than feeling exhausted.

This isn’t usually my genre comfort zone, but the sheer hostile energy and thoughtful construction kept pulling me back in. Heavy for the sake of mood rather than trend, and because of that, it hits harder than a lot of records twice its length.

Standouts – “Unidentifiable Autopsy” and “The Last Thing You See”

~Black Angel

Bloodsucking Zombies From Outer Space Blood Is For Suckers Review

Sun, 08 Mar 2026 09:00:21 GMT

Bloodsucking Zombies From Outer Space

Blood Is For Suckers

Schlitzer-Pepi Records

2026

We have a review of a new release coming from the incredible band Bloodsucking Zombies from Outer Space. Hailing from Vienna, Austria, with their own recording label, Schlitzer-Pepi Records, this band never misses a beat and has been releasing music since 2002 - nearly a 25-year tenure in the Horror Punk genre.

Their new album release, “Blood Is for Suckers”, is a continuance of their blend of rockabilly horror punk. From the intro song “Intro – Venous” to their outro song “Outro – City,” they come nonstop with their own unique sound, and the whole band shines.

The title song, “Blood Is for Suckers,” is clearly the shining gem in this treasure trove. If you love previous albums such as “All These Fiendish Things” and “Decade of Decay”, you’re going to love this set. It just makes me look forward to what they’re going to release next.

~Kevin

Templar Conquering Swords Review

Sun, 08 Mar 2026 09:00:21 GMT

Templar

Conquering Swords

Jawbreaker Records

2026

Swedish Metal warriors Templar have unleashed their debut full-length, “Conquering Swords,” via Jawbreaker Records. The album was recorded by Staffan Tengnér of the band Century - a fitting choice, as both bands draw from the same well of classic, steel-forged Heavy Metal tradition.

What Templar delivers here is unapologetic, old-school NWOBHM worship that channels the spirit of Cirith Ungol, Manilla Road, Angel Witch, Manowar, early Iron Maiden, and Sweden’s own Heavy Load. This isn’t modernized nostalgia, it’s a full-blooded throwback to a time when fantasy-driven Heavy Metal stood proudly on its own, long before it was neatly categorized as Power Metal. This is music for the lifers, the denim-clad faithful who remember when swords, sorcery, and steel were central pillars of the genre.

Lyrically and atmospherically, “Conquering Swords” leans hard into myth and legend. If your imagination was shaped by Conan the Barbarian or The Lord of the Rings, you’ll feel right at home. Even for someone like me, who doesn’t actively seek out fantasy literature, the band makes a compelling case. “Witchking” is a prime example. Twin guitar leads duel over galloping rhythms, summoning a firestorm of classic riffing that feels ripped straight from 1983. It’s vivid, triumphant, and unashamedly dramatic, Heavy Metal with sword raised high.

“Excalibur” follows suit but sharpens the edge even further. The recording has a warm, analog bite, and the vocal delivery carries both tenacity and grandeur. The urgent riffs and soaring melodies linger long after the final note fades, practically demanding to be hummed on repeat. Meanwhile, “Exiled in Fire” accelerates the pace with blistering momentum, stacking classic Metal riffs atop driving percussion in a way that will satisfy even the most hardened traditionalists.

Templar isn’t content to rely solely on speed and bombast, though. “The Sorceress” pulls back just enough to showcase dynamic range. The slower pacing adds weight to the riffs, while the lead break burns with precision and feeling. It’s a reminder that restraint can be just as powerful as full-throttle aggression.

I don’t often go out of my way for bands performing this Metal much, but Templar has managed to drag me back into that world. They’ve got me wanting to revisit the movie Excalibur and spin those early Cirith Ungol records again. For a debut album, “Conquering Swords” sounds remarkably seasoned - muscular, confident, and lived-in rather than forced. If Templar continues to wield their steel with this level of conviction and swagger, they won’t just be honoring the past, they’ll be carving out a legacy of their own. Don’t pass this one by, jump on it now – swords, steel and glory await you…

~Black Angel

Witchcraft A Sinner's Child Review

Sun, 08 Mar 2026 09:00:21 GMT

Witchcraft

A Sinner’s Child EP

Heavy Psych Sounds

2026

While the Swedish Doom/Folk band Witchcraft hasn’t always been a favorite of mine, “IDAG” felt like a step in the right direction. I really connected with that release. Fast forward a year, and the band returns with the surprising EP “A Sinner’s Child”.

Here, Witchcraft strip back even more layers of their Proto-Doom sound and lay everything bare. Even in the heavier moments, there’s a deep sense of vulnerability. There’s little to no angst; instead, the EP unfolds like a warm winter’s day - understated, intimate, and genuinely cozy. Music with this kind of vintage lean can sometimes lose me, but not here. I was hooked from the start, and I don’t mind that some of the lyrics are sung in the band’s native tongue.

The title track, “A Sinner’s Child,” is cinematic, layered with ethereal passages and acoustic textures. It plays like a reflective life testimonial, weighing hard lessons and quiet revelations. The EP’s emotional peak, however, is the acoustic “Even Darker Days.” The beauty in this track is difficult to overstate, it’s a tragic tale of love lost, delivered with striking restraint. The guitar approach recalls passages from Lord Vicar’s “Fear No Pain”, adding a familiar yet fitting touch.

It’s not all acoustic, though. “Själen Reser Sig” is a slow, grinding opus built around massive riffs that carry the EP into heavier, more immersive territory.

Once again, Witchcraft have me reconsidering my earlier dismissal of their catalog. The band continues to evolve, and this new era suits them well. I strongly recommend giving this EP your time, it’s not a fleeting release, but one with real staying power.

~Black Angel

Ravenspell Obsidian King Review

Sun, 08 Mar 2026 09:00:21 GMT

Ravenspell

Obsidian King

Fighter Records

2026

“Obsidian King” is the debut album from Quebecois symphonic power metal band Ravenspell. The band comes out swinging oversized swords and axes with a delightful bit of 80s inspired swords-and-sorcery cheese. Which tempers the steel of its own ridiculousness with genuinely impressive musicianship, and total commitment to the bit.

Ravenspell know who they are, all the way down to their stage names; Alisander the Seer on vox, Ravok Blackwing on Guitar, Corvax Crowhammer on Bass, and Volpale the Ravenous on drums. The band draws heavy influence from the golden age of heavy metal, a fact that is readily apparent throughout the entire record. The album is drenched in a distinct 80s style of Conan-ian fantasy. If bands like Beast in Black, Lovebites, Battle Beast, and Alestorm are the musical equivalent of 5 ^th edition Dungeons and Dragons, this is AD&D.

The album features predominantly clean vocals, with some powerful low register screams and shrieking high notes sprinkled throughout. Guitars, bass, and drums are fast and noodley, and the band does a great job playing around with tempo and dynamics to keep the music exciting and propulsive.

“Onwards We March” opens strong and fast, before breaking in the final verse for a slow buildup, with a chant of 'march march' leading straight into the first big guitar solo of the album. And it's a blistering one!

Looking at the track listing, I was curious whether “Book of the Dead” would concern itself with The Evil Dead, or the Egyptian funerary text, either would match Ravenspell's vibe. As a big horror fan and occultist, I was going to be happy no matter what, and the ode to Ashes adventures in Evil Dead II was a fun spooky romp that does its inspiration justice. The track yo-yos between faster and slower passages that keeps the listener guessing.

“Warriors 9 to 5” goes all in on speed. Charging the pikewall at 90 mph and never slowing down. It also features some of the best screams on the album. This and “Hellstorm” with its apocalyptic imagery and soaring guitar solo are probably the heaviest songs on the record, and will please the speed demons plenty.

“Obsidian Wing” is probably the most symphonic song on the album. It slows the tempo down a bit, opening with a stomping beat, and a subtle haunting organ in the background that I like a lot. We got some very nice operatic background vocals and grandiose imagery. This was my favorite song on “Obsidian King”.

“Raise Hell” continues Ravenspell's interesting use of tempo, contrasting very fast guitar and drums, with much slower, more drawn out vocals. I'm a sucker for juxtaposition in music, and I think it creates a very cool sonic effect.

The closing track “Attila” marks a DRASTIC tempo and tonal shift. Starting very slowly, soft, and somber, bringing the energy down. It gradually picks up to a driving, pounding rhythm a little over a minute in. Leaving the listener with an anthemic fare-thee-well.

Ravenspell's “Obsidian King” is a sound debut offering, and an easy recommend to any fan of classic heavy metal and John Carter novels. The camp factor won't appeal to everyone, but for those of us who enjoy a bit of theater, “Obsidian King” is a hell of an adventure.

RIYL: Beast in Black, battle Beast, Judas Priest, Dio, Alestorm, Lovebites

Standouts: “Onwards We March”, “Book of the Dead”, “Warriors 9 to 5”, “Obsidian Wing”, “Raise Hell”, “Attila”

~Gwilym

Blackwater Drowning Obscure Sorrows Review

Sun, 01 Mar 2026 11:10:29 GMT

Blackwater Drowning

Obscure Sorrows

Nuclear Blast Records/Believe

2026

BLACKWATER DROWNING is a five-piece US melodic death metal/metalcore band from North Carolina. Forged by singer Morgan Riley and guitarist Jeremy Bennett, the band is completed by guitarist Ron Dalton Jr, bassist Aria Novi, and drummer Aamon Dalton. Since the band’s inception, BLACKWATER DROWNING has recorded two EPs and a debut album (Sonder//Satori) and has supported iconic acts such as Soulfly, Jinjer, Crypta, and many others. The band is now set to unleash Obscure Sorrows. Mixed and mastered by Cryptopsy guitarist Christian Donaldson (Shadow Of Intent, Suffocation, Ingested), the album features guest solos by Greg Burgess of Allegaeon and Japanese guitar virtuoso Yo Onityan as well as stunning album art by Giannis Nakos (Emperor, The Agonist, Aborted).

Now that you know a bit about them, let’s dive into the album. We open heavy, which is to be expected. I was lucky enough to not go into this band fully blind as I’ve been listening to them for a while now. The Sixth Omen is heavy and paints a good idea for the album in store! Knowing that they took a different approach to this album also had me excited. Most bands will take pieces of demos or riffs and attempt to place them together to make something. This go around, the band sat down together and made something organically.

I truly feel like them sitting down and writing it collectively was the way to go. I was greeted with heavy riffs, beautifully placed synths and orchestral moments, great lyrics and the band ability to put so much emotion into every song. Everything from the guitar solos, double bass and the occasional softness of Morgans voice lends itself to an album worth listening to repeatedly.

I will go out on a limb and say this is their best album to date. I’m excited to see what they do with this when they perform live, which if you haven’t seen them what are you waiting for? If you’re in the mood for haunting vocals, growls and a devilishly good time, I’d say to give this album the love it deserves.

~ Rook

Course Of Fate Behind The Eclipse Review

Sun, 01 Mar 2026 11:10:25 GMT

Course Of Fate
Behind The Eclipse
Roar

2026

Course Of Fate delivers a new album following their concept album Mindweaver that came out in 2020. Behind The Eclipse gives us a glance at the future that is the band. This isn’t a concept album, but don’t let that deter you from listening! I went into this completely blind to the band and the music and let me say, what a treat this was!

I personally enjoy good lyrics, a great beat and something that I can completely dive headfirst into. Behind The Eclipse gave me just that. Beautifully haunting soundscapes, great storytelling via lyrics and something I got lost in. Admittedly, I was happily surprised with some of the growls I got on the album. Ebbing from this wonderfully timbre into gutturals is impressive and honestly gave me chills.

It feels as if the album was inspired by melodic progressive bands of old and new. If you are an older metal head and enjoy Queensryche or a newer metal head and enjoy Unleash the Archers, I think you’d find a familiar comfort with this album.

A personal standout for me has been Acolyte. I feel like this song specifically could inspire writers globally to create beautiful worlds that hold fantasy and a bit of darkness that leaves you craving more. As a creative, I love it when music makes me want to create something. So, a huge thank you to Course Of Fate for delivering on that.

~ Rook

Assignment With The End Comes Silence Review

Sun, 01 Mar 2026 11:10:22 GMT

Assignment

With The End Comes Silence

Massacre Records

2026

Sometimes you hit play on a record and within the first minute you already know exactly what lane it’s driving in, and whether you want to ride shotgun or jump out at the next stop sign. Today, we’ll be talking about the latest release “With The End Comes Silence”, from German Progressive Power Metal band, Assignment.

This album wastes no time letting you know it lives squarely in the melodic Heavy/Power Metal world, but it doesn’t feel sterile or overly polished like a lot of modern releases in that category. There’s a certain grit to the production that keeps the songs feeling human rather than clinical.

Right out of the gate the guitars do the heavy lifting - tight, rhythmic chugging paired with harmonized leads that lean more classic European Metal than modern Power Metal bombast. Instead of drowning everything in keyboard layers, the band keeps the synths as atmosphere rather than the main course. That choice alone makes the album breathe a lot better than many of its genre contemporaries.

The vocals are a major centerpiece here. They sit in that strong, mid-to-high register melodic style - not overly theatrical, not overly aggressive, just confident storytelling delivery. The hooks land naturally rather than feeling engineered, and that’s important because this record lives and dies on its choruses. Thankfully most of them stick after a couple spins, especially when the band lets the melody ride instead of overcomplicating arrangements.

Where the album shines is pacing. A lot of melodic Metal albums front-load their best songs and then coast. Here, the energy rises and falls in a way that feels intentional. Faster tracks keep the momentum going while the mid-tempo cuts add weight instead of dragging the record down. The band clearly understands restraint; solos serve the songs rather than turning into a technical exhibition.

Lyrically the tone carries a reflective, almost somber mood throughout. It never becomes depressing, but there’s a mature weight to the themes that separate it from the typical fantasy-centric Power Metal approach. That emotional grounding helps the melodies feel earned instead of sugary.

If there’s a weak point, it’s familiarity. Nothing here reinvents the genre. You’ve heard these structures before, these riff styles before, these kinds of choruses before. But the difference is execution, this feels written by people who genuinely love the style rather than people trying to replicate a formula. Because of that, even the predictable moments come off comforting rather than tired.

In the end this isn’t an album trying to conquer the world, it’s an album trying to resonate with listeners who still value melody, strong songwriting, and actual feeling in their Metal. Spin it loud, give it a few plays, and the songs start settling in your head without you realizing it.

Standouts – “Nothing To Say”, “The Tower”, “Angel Of Berlin” and “The Curtain Falls”.

~Black Angel

Desert Collider Generation Ship: Endless Drift Through Infinity Review

Sun, 01 Mar 2026 11:10:17 GMT

Desert Collider

Generation Ship: Endless Drift Through Infinity

Small Stone Records

2026

There’s always been a certain romanticism baked into Desert/Stoner Rock - the open highway, the heat haze on the horizon, the feeling that the riff itself is carrying you somewhere far away. But every now and then a band comes along that doesn’t just sound expansive… They write music that feels like movement. That’s exactly what Italy’s Desert Collider achieve on “Generation Ship: Endless Drift Through Infinity”, their debut release for Small Stone Records, and honestly, it sounds like a band that has been waiting a long time to make a statement.

Right from the opening moments you get the sense this isn’t going to be a “song collection” album. This is a journey record. The band leans hard into atmosphere before the groove ever fully locks in, letting the guitars simmer in reverb-drenched space before the rhythm section drops anchor. When it finally does, the payoff is massive - thick, low-end driven riffs that don’t sprint.

What stands out immediately is patience. So many bands in the genre either jam endlessly or rush to the next hook. Desert Collider does neither. They build tension. A riff might repeat just long enough to hypnotize you before a subtle harmony creeps in behind it, then a lead line floats across like radio interference from some dying satellite. You don’t always notice the transition, but you feel it.

Mid-album is where the record really stretches its legs. There’s the track “Orphans Of The Sky Part II: Disembark” that starts almost meditative, bass carrying the melody while guitars act more like texture than rhythm. Slowly the drums become more insistent, and by the time distortion thickens into a full wall of sound the band has essentially transformed the same core idea into three different moods without ever “changing songs.” It’s the kind of composition that rewards volume, not just loudness, but immersion.

Vocally, the approach fits perfectly. Instead of dominating the mix, the vocals ride inside it, acting almost like narration rather than a spotlight. That choice keeps the focus on atmosphere and reinforces the sci-fi theme; this album feels less like a band performing in a room and more like transmissions picked up mid-voyage. The melodies are memorable without ever becoming pop-leaning, which keeps the record grounded in Heavy Rock rather than drifting into Space Rock indulgence.

Another highlight is how the band uses dynamics. When they pull back, they really pull back, nearly clean guitars, minimal percussion, just enough structure to keep the listener floating. That restraint makes the heavier passages land harder than if everything stayed saturated. When the fuzz returns, it hits like gravity switching back on.

Production-wise, the album strikes a great balance: warm and analog-feeling without becoming muddy. You can hear the air around the instruments, which is crucial for this kind of music. The bass tone especially deserves mention - present, melodic, and often the real engine behind the movement of the songs.

For a debut on Small Stone Records, this doesn’t sound like a band testing the waters. It sounds like a band that already understands pacing, mood, and narrative - three things a lot of seasoned acts still struggle with.

“Generation Ship: Endless Drift Through Infinity” is less about riffs you remember after one listen and more about a feeling you want to revisit. The kind of record you throw on during a late-night drive and suddenly the road feels longer, but you don’t mind.

Standouts – “Nebuchadnezzar”, “ThumpeRRR”, “Orphans Of The Sky Part II: Disembark” and “Sonic Carver”.

~Black Angel

Necrofier Transcend Into Oblivion Review

Sun, 01 Mar 2026 11:10:14 GMT

Necrofier

Transcend Into Oblivion

Metal Blade Records

2026

Often when a band signs to a bigger label, suddenly the rough edges get sanded off. This isn’t at all what happened with Metal Blade’s recent signing of Houston’s Black Metal lifers, Necrofier. The band’s MBR debut “Transcend Into Oblivion” feels like it crawled out of a basement at 2am… it’s just a bigger basement now. Black Metal isn’t my thing at all on most days, but there are moments and albums that really latch on, this is one of those rare times where I was really drawn in.

Necrofier has always lived in that space between traditional Black Metal coldness and something a little Heavier Metal spirited. Not Rock ‘N Roll, not Melodic Death, more like ritualistic aggression that remembers that riffs matter. The album immediately leans into that approach: shorter compositions, recurring themes, and a structure that plays more like movements than songs. You don’t just listen to tracks; you move through phases.

The guitars carry the whole record. Not in a wall-of-noise way either, the tremolo picking cuts, but the band constantly drops into slower, stomping sections that feel almost epic instead of chaotic. That push and pull keeps the album from becoming background blur, which is the curse of a lot of modern Black Metal releases.

Production wise, this is the biggest change from their earlier material. It’s clearer, but not clean. You can hear the bass moving underneath the riffs and the drums have weight instead of sounding like a distant typewriter. The atmosphere is still there; it’s just not buried under tape hiss. The result is something more immersive than raw.

Vocally, the delivery avoids the theatrical and sticks to conviction. No over-processed shrieks, no cavern echo, just a commanding rasp that feels grounded in the music instead of floating above it. It helps the album feel intentional rather than aesthetic.

What really makes the record stand out is how it’s arranged. The recurring track suites and pacing give the whole album a narrative flow. Faster sections ignite, mid-tempo parts feel almost ceremonial, and the longer passages let melodies sink in before the next wave hits. You end up remembering moments rather than just speed.

And that’s the key difference; this album isn’t trying to overwhelm you constantly. It wants to pull you in.

If there’s criticism, it’s commitment. This album demands attention. You don’t throw this on while doing dishes and absorb it. It’s a sit-down, with the light’s low kind of record. Some listeners want instant hooks; this one’s a grower.

~Black Angel

Desert Storm Buried Under The Weight Of Reason Review

Sun, 01 Mar 2026 11:10:10 GMT

Desert Storm

Buried Under The Weight Of Reason

Heavy Psych Sounds

2026

The UK underground has always had a knack for breeding bands that sound like they crawled out of rehearsal rooms soaked in sweat, diesel fumes, and cheap lager. Desert Storm has been carrying that torch for years, and on “Buried Under The Weight Of Reason” they don’t so much refine their formula as they tighten the bolts and aim it squarely at your ribcage.

This record feels deliberate. Not cleaner. Not softer. Just more focused. The riffs don’t meander; they march. There’s a weight here that isn’t just about down-tuned guitars and fuzz pedals set to “obliterate.” It’s in the pacing. The band knows when to let a groove sit and fester, when to choke it off, and when to kick it down the stairs.

If you’ve followed Desert Storm’s trajectory, you’ll notice the balance has shifted. The Stoner Rock swing is still present - those desert-hardened grooves that nod to wide open highways, but there’s a thicker seam of Sludge running through this album. The guitars grind with a metallic edge that leans closer to modern heaviness than retro worship. It’s less about Psychedelic drift and more about impact.

The rhythm section deserves serious credit. The bass anchors the chaos, adding low-end menace that makes even the mid-tempo sections feel crushing. The drums are punchy and purposeful, avoiding flashy excess in favor of propulsion. There’s a blue-collar work ethic in the way these songs are constructed, built to last, built to hit live.

Vocally, there’s a raw, throaty grit that cuts through the density without feeling forced. No melodramatic overreach. No studio trickery masking shortcomings. Just a direct, unfiltered delivery that fits the tone of the record.

What stands out most is control. Desert Storm don’t rely on endless fuzz jams or drawn-out instrumental indulgence. The songs are concise by Sludge standards. They get in, make their point, and leave dents. Even when they stretch out, it feels earned rather than obligatory.

Production-wise, the album strikes a smart balance. It’s heavy without being muddy. You can hear the grit in the strings, the snap of the snare, the growl in the low end. It sounds like a band in a room, but a room reinforced with concrete and steel.

This album is a consolidation of everything Desert Storm has been building toward. It’s the sound of a band confident enough to strip away the excess and trust the heft of their songwriting. No gimmicks. Just riffs, groove, and that unmistakable UK heaviness pressing down from start to finish.

For longtime followers, this is validation. For newcomers, it’s a solid entry point into a catalog built on volume and conviction.

Standouts - “Woodsman”, “Cut Your Teeth”, “Rot To Ruin” and “Twelve Seasons”.

~Black Angel

Pagan Altar Mythical and Magical Reissue Review

Sun, 01 Mar 2026 11:10:03 GMT

Pagan Altar

Mythical & Magical

Dying Victims Productions

2026

There are bands that chase legacy, and then there are bands that are legacy. Pagan Altar exist in that rarified space where time doesn’t diminish the magic, it deepens it. “Mythical & Magical”, once again brought back into circulation by Dying Victims Productions, is another reminder that true Doom Metal doesn’t age; it haunts.

Originally released in 2006, the bulk of the material here was written and 1976 & 1983. “Mythical & Magical” feels like a spellbook. These songs breathe the same arcane air as Pagan Altar’s other classics -steeped in folklore, mysticism, and that unmistakable British Doom atmosphere that feels pulled straight from mist-covered moors and candlelit stone circles.

Terry Jones’ vocals are the guiding spirit here. His delivery is never rushed, never forced, more incantation than performance. There’s a fragile power in his voice, one that carries equal parts wisdom and sorrow, as if he’s passing down ancient knowledge he knows won’t survive the night. It’s impossible to hear these songs and not feel the weight of his presence, especially knowing the legacy he left behind.

Musically, Pagan Altar remain masters of restraint. The riffs are simple but deliberate, moving with ritualistic patience rather than brute force. Guitars weave melancholy melodies that linger long after the record stops spinning, while the rhythm section keeps everything grounded, plodding forward like an unstoppable procession. This is Doom Metal that understands atmosphere is just as important as heaviness, sometimes more so.

The importance of this reissue cannot be overstated. Dying Victims Productions continue to do vital work preserving and honoring underground metal history, and “Mythical & Magical” fits perfectly alongside their growing catalog of essential restorations. This release ensures that Pagan Altar’s material remains accessible, audible, and alive for a new generation of listeners who may have only known the band by name or reputation.

“Mythical & Magical” isn’t an entry point designed for casual listeners, it’s a deepening of the mythos. For longtime devotees, it fills in crucial chapters of Pagan Altar’s story. For newer listeners, it reveals just how rich, sincere, and spiritually charged this band truly was.

Some bands play Doom Metal. Pagan Altar lived it.

~Black Angel

Beyond Creation Reverence Single Review

Sun, 01 Mar 2026 11:09:29 GMT

Beyond Creation

Reverence Single

Season Of Mist

2026

Montreal’s Prog Tech-Death mainstays, Beyond Creation, are gearing up for a 15th anniversary tour celebrating their debut album, “The Aura”. To mark the occasion, the band has unveiled its first new track in eight years, “Reverence.” While this style isn’t typically my go-to, the level of musicianship on display is undeniable.

“Reverence” unfolds in carefully constructed layers that continue to expand as the song progresses. Blistering technical passages collide with moments of calculated restraint, balancing sheer brutality with atmospheric, almost meditative interludes. The dynamic shifts feel intentional rather than indulgent, allowing the track to breathe without sacrificing intensity.

Stylistically, the song leans heavily into Progressive territory, drawing comparisons to acts like Fallujah and Obscura. Still, Beyond Creation maintains a distinct identity, delivering the complexity and precision fans expect while sounding wholly confident in their own approach.

Even outside my usual listening preferences, “Reverence” feels like a purposeful step forward. If this single is any indication of what’s to come, the next chapter for the band should be well worth the wait.

~Black Angel

AGGRESSIVE PERFECTOR Come Creeping Fiends Review

Sun, 22 Feb 2026 10:00:01 GMT

AGGRESSIVE PERFECTOR

Come Creeping Fiends

DYING VICTIMS PRODUCTIONS

2026

Coming March 27 ^th via DYING VICTIMS PRODUCTIONS, “Come Creeping Fiends” is the Sophomore album from Blackened Horror Speed Metal trio AGGRESSIVE PERFECTOR. These ghouls have clawed their way out of Hell and emerged through the streets of Manchester England to deliver a full musical omen, six years after their debut “Havoc at the Midnight Hour”.

The fiends of AGGRESSIVE PERFECTOR have a background in Black Metal, but cite a range of classics as major influences, including Raven, Warfare, Venom, and Tank, as well as modern contemporaries. This didn't surprise me; the album captures a lot of that evil foreboding atmosphere that Black Metal is known and lovingly loathed for. However, it approaches that atmosphere with a depth and variety, that personally hit a lot harder for me than most Black Metal. The whole record has a great sense of theater, without undercutting its menace. It really feels like it's inviting the listener to revel in its Caligulan wickedness.

Throughout the album, I was very impressed by Dan Chainsaw's vocals. They're strictly harsh, no cleans in sight, but he showcases a range of harsh vocals from really low guttural growls to much higher register screams and barks, that keep you on your toes and stop the album from getting monotonous. Instrumentally, the guitar takes center stage, with some great riffs and stings, especially on “Return of the Axe” and “Strange Companion”.

The mix strikes a great balance of being just clean enough to let all the instruments come through, not too much distortion, but not so over polished that it feels sanitized instead of Satanic. The thudding bass and drums, courtesy of Mr. 666 and Intimidator, provide a great foundation. Coming in loud and clear and get their moments to shine too.

Lyrically, “Come Creeping Fiends” draws on a lot of Apocalyptic and post-Apocalyptic imagery. It reminded me a lot of some Industrial tinged Horror Punk, Metal, and Goth bands, especially The Order of the Fly. The sound isn't particularly Industrial, but the aesthetic is, and if that fires your imagination, I think you'll dig it.

My favorite track on the album has to be “Obscene Cult”. It has a slower, doomy, stomp to it, that gives a real sense of something cyclopean and implacable coming. Before picking up, and then slowing down even further into an extended, slow, nightmarish passage. This song, and “Strange Companion”, feature some light keys that add some great contrast to the thrashing guitar and drums, and really deepen that atmosphere of the day after judgment day. I think it showcases the band's willingness to really lean into that evil sound, but without forcing themselves to only do it by being as gnarly as possible, and I applaud them for that.

Other standout tracks include “Harlot's Spell”, which features a lot of tempo changes, that keep it feeling very dynamic and engaging. It absolutely refuses to fade into the background, this is the music of Satanas, and its foreground music dammit!

“Return of the Axe” opens fast and hard, and never lets up for more than a second, to let the listener take a quick, desperate breath before stampeding them again. On the whole, the album might not wow fans of Speed Metal on pure intensity and technical mastery. It's plenty fast, and very good, but if you're used to 200+ bpm in your headphones, it just might not melt your face off. This track is probably going to scratch that itch the best for the speed freaks, and if you're down for something that blends speed and intensity with some really cool atmospherics, I think you'll get down with the whole thing.

The opening track “Dead Undead” and closer “Gallows Eve” both evoke a lot of zombie imagery, which as a big fan of classic zombie cinema, I enjoyed a lot. “Dead Undead” sets the pace nicely, making you feel that sense of running through urban decay, desperately fleeing the equally decaying zombie hoard. Then “Gallows Eve” brings that back and satisfyingly bookends the album with some really sinister pseudo-spoken word.

On “Come Creeping Fiends” AGGRESSIVE PERFECTOR has delivered an Apocalyptic thrash-fest, with impressively rich atmosphere, and bloody horror charm. Those looking for sheer, unrelenting speed and intensity may not click with the album's slower moments, but for those looking for a novel spin on classic Devil Music, “Come Creeping Fiends” is well worth checking out.

RIYL: The Order of The Fly, Combichrist, Wednesday 13, White Zombie

Standouts: “Obscene Cult”, “Dead Undead”, “Harlot's Spell”

- Gwilym

Locus Noir Shadow Sun Review

Sun, 22 Feb 2026 10:00:01 GMT

Locus Noir

Shadow Sun

Listenable Records

2026

It’s not often that I’m treated to Gothic Rock that truly connects with me. I’ve always been hard-pressed to dive too deeply into the genre beyond the giants that dominated my youth - Bauhaus, Sisters of Mercy, Fields of the Nephilim. You know the ones. The only modern band that ever came close for me was Type O Negative, though they leaned far more into Metal than Goth.

So why the trip down memory lane? Because there’s a new band on the horizon called Locus Noir, and they’ve taken everything that was right and glorious about those classic acts and distilled it into a stunning debut album titled “Shadow Sun” As a bit of backstory, Locus Noir is a side project of Ben DMN from the Deathwave outfit Sybreed. I can’t speak on Sybreed, they’ve never crossed my path, but based on this release alone, I can say this much: this album feels like a much-needed course correction for the Goth scene.

On “Shadow Sun,” we’re treated to something genuinely striking - vocals that sound like a spectral fusion of Peter Steele and Peter Murphy. That’s not hyperbole; it’s exactly what’s happening here. Longtime fans of Steele will rejoice… and maybe question their sanity for a moment, wondering if he’s secretly still among us. Sadly, that’s not the case, but Ben of Locus Noir is about as close as you’re going to get.

Beyond the vocals, what really seals the deal for me is that this is a real band playing real music. No overreliance on programming. No laptops doing the heavy lifting. That’s always been my biggest hurdle with Goth - if the music requires a keyboard shortcut more than a guitar string, I’m usually out. There have been exceptions, but they’re few and far between. Locus Noir sidesteps that pitfall entirely, crafting a dark, melodic Rock record that feels like what Type O Negative might have become had they shed their Metal skin and fully embraced the night.

This isn’t an everyday spin for me, but in those quieter, late-night hours, “Shadow Sun” is a welcome and worthy addition to my admittedly small Goth collection. Fans of the bands mentioned above, and Goth Rock in general, should absolutely flock to this album. If you’re into Darkwave, Goth, or music that exists strictly after sundown, this comes highly recommended.

Standouts – “Cemetery Youth”, “Hollow”, “Shadow Sun” and “She Haunts The Night”. Bonus mention – “Marry The Night” (Lady Gaga cover).

~Black Angel

Suplecs Hymns Under A Blood Moon Sky Review

Sun, 22 Feb 2026 10:00:01 GMT

Suplecs

Hymns Under A Blood Moon Sky

Ripple Music

2026

It’s been ten years since NOLA Stoner Titans, Suplecs last unleashed an album. Now, thanks to the band and Ripple Music, “Hymns Under a Blood Moon Sky” is tearing its way onto the scene February 20 ^th , and it’s worth the wait.

If you’ve caught Clutch in the last two decades, you’ve probably seen Suplecs on stage, they’ve toured relentlessly, leaving jaws on the floor. That’s how I first discovered them: opening, raw, unstoppable. I’ve always believed in showing up early for the openers, and Suplecs reminded me why. Over the years, I lost track of them - sparse releases, life getting in the way, but now they’re back, hungrier than ever.

Recorded at High Tower Studios with James Whitten (Thou/High On Fire), this album screams New Orleans. You can hear the streets, the grime, the grit seeping out of every riff. Stoner grooves run thick, but there’s also a heavier, darker pulse, a hint of Crowbar’s Sludge, a dash of COC’s power and Down’s crushing groove. Suplecs have absorbed it all and forged their own hellfire.

And make no mistake, they’ve leveled up. Every track is a blast of speed, weight, and intensity. This trio wastes no time, striking fast and leaving scorched ruins in their wake. Lyrically, the album spans every emotion, but it’s the music that smashes through, relentless and unyielding.

Call it sacrilege, but this might be their finest hour. “Hymns Under a Blood Moon Sky” deserves a place on every best-of list this year, and for me, it’s already cemented. One listen, and it’s clear: Suplecs are still hungry, still dangerous and still untouchable.

Standouts – “Mountain”, “Old Spanish Trail”, “Blackwater Rising”, “Pentacle Star”, “Forest Of Fire”, “Got Nothing” and “No Apologies”.

~Black Angel

Kevin Steele One Thing Left To Do Review

Sun, 22 Feb 2026 10:00:01 GMT

Kevin Steele

One Thing Left To Do

Steele Records

2026

It has been a long time since we’ve heard new music from Kevin Steele, long enough, perhaps, that some listeners may not immediately recognize the name. That’s understandable. Steele is best known as the lead vocalist of Roxx Gang and Mojo Gurus, two bands that occupied very different but equally compelling corners of his career. Roxx Gang’s debut, “Things You’ve Never Done Before”, remains a high point of late ’80s Metal and notably stands as one of the earliest Metal releases on Virgin Records. It’s a record that has aged remarkably well and still deserves a place in any serious collection.

Steele later found success with Mojo Gurus, a Southern-fried Rock outfit that released several albums through Perris Records. Looking back, there’s a consistent thread running through all his work: an unfiltered emotional honesty. Steele has always worn his heart on his sleeve, and that sincerity has been a defining strength throughout his career.

In late February, Steele will release his first, and possibly only, solo album, “One Thing Left To Do”. The title feels deliberate, even reflective. For longtime fans, this release feels especially meaningful, not only because of the time that has passed, but also considering Steele’s health scare a few years ago. Simply put, it’s good to have him here, still creating.

On this album, Steele leans confidently into his influences and his own musical history. Elements of Roxx Gang and Mojo Gurus surface throughout, but there’s also a pronounced swagger that recalls the New York Dolls and Johnny Thunders, an influence that feels more prominent here than in his previous work. That gritty, loose-limbed energy runs through much of the record, balanced by the Southern Rock sensibilities longtime listeners have come to expect.

The album is co-produced by Billy Summer, whose work has appeared across numerous television soundtracks. Summer also handles guitar duties and background vocals. While none of Steele’s former Roxx Gang bandmates appear on the record, the “solo” designation feels appropriate. Steele has always been the centerpiece; his distinct Southern snarl and conversational songwriting are what drew many of us in from the start.

If there’s one area where the album might benefit from a bit more refinement, it’s in the production of the rhythm section. The drums don’t always hit with the force one might expect. The overall sound evokes the looseness of a late ’60s Rolling Stones recording, hardly a flaw, but it does invite curiosity about how these songs might land with a firmer, more driving backbeat production.

That said, the larger point remains: Kevin Steele has finally delivered a true solo album. For those of us who’ve followed his journey over the years, it’s something to be thankful for. “One Thing Left To Do” isn’t about chasing trends or rewriting history, it’s about showing up, once more, with heart, grit, and a voice that still carries its own unmistakable character.

Standouts – “Snake charmer” “Sad Sad Song”, “The Bedspring Boogie”, “The 9 Lives Blues” and “Fingers Crossed”.

~Black Angel

Rob Zombie The Great Satan Review

Sun, 22 Feb 2026 10:00:01 GMT

Rob Zombie

The Great Satan

Nuclear Blast Records

2026

Let the sick, the filthy, and of course the freaks come forth, there’s reason to celebrate. Rob Zombie is gearing up to drop a new solo album, “The Great Satan”, set to hit the streets on February 27th.

For some, this is cause for celebration; for others, it’s just another opportunity to poke holes in Zombie’s career. Regardless of where you stand, there’s no denying his success in both film and music. Personally, I don’t care for his movies, and that’s coming from a Horror fiend. I’ve never connected with the characters or storylines; they’re just not my vibe. Musically, I land somewhere in the middle, it all depends on how it comes across. I’ve been a White Zombie fan from the word go. The music and approach were unique as hell, and they still are to me.

Zombie’s solo career has been hit or miss. Some albums were great, others not so much. These days, I don’t rush to his releases on day one, the last album, “Kool Aid”, didn’t grab me at all. That said, “The Great Satan” hits differently… or maybe it just feels familiar in the best way.

On this new album, Zombie wastes no time unleashing the sounds, samples, and vibes that defined his solo identity. Yes, this is very much a return to the “Hellbilly Deluxe I & II” era. The Horror aesthetic runs rampant, paired with an underlying Thrash/Punk energy, the exact combination that pushed those early solo albums over the edge. The first seven tracks hit hard and fast, and if you’re a fan of his earlier work, it’s nearly impossible not to pump your fist and crack a devilish smile. This is exactly what I’ve wanted from Zombie: fast, loud, and fully submerged in the creep factor. I’ve always preferred less Industrial influence and more Metal bite, and here both sides coexist nicely, depending on the track.

The intensity and energy scream Metal, and that’s what pulls me in immediately. Unfortunately, the singles released so far don’t adequately represent the album or its true aesthetic. I would’ve led with the opening track, “F.T.W. 84.” Maybe Zombie didn’t want to ruffle feathers with its politically charged lyrics, but then again, a little provocation never hurt anyone. Food for thought is a good thing.

Regardless of where you land on Zombie, politics, Horror, or his films, “The Great Satan” is absolutely a return to form. If you were a fan of the “Hellbilly Deluxe” era, this album will have you biting your nails in anticipation.

Personally, I’ll be preordering the vinyl - no brainer. The timing couldn’t be better either. Music and the world at large could use this right now. The world needs this album in its life, and it needs it now.

Standouts – “F.T.W. 84”, “Tarantula”, “The Devilman”, “Out Of Sight”, “The Black Scorpion” and “Black Rat Coffin”.

~Black Angel

Chaos Over Cosmos The Hypercosmic Paradox Review

Sun, 22 Feb 2026 09:45:01 GMT

Chaos Over Cosmos

The Hypercosmic Paradox

Self-Released

2025

Founded in 2017, Chaos Over Cosmos is an international progressive metal and technical death project led by Polish guitarist and composer Rafał Bowman . With a rotating lineup of vocalists from around the world, including artists from Spain, the USA, and Australia, the project continues to evolve its sound in bold and unpredictable ways. Despite the distance separating its members, Chaos Over Cosmos has always been created entirely through remote collaboration.

Isn’t that the beauty of the internet? Being able to collaborate globally, producing music that makes your soul happy. Chaos over Cosmos blends heavy technical riffs with guttural vocals, creating a niche that seems all their own.

The Hypercosmic Paradox is 5 tracks of technical precision, blast beats and speed that rivals most speed metal bands. We’re greeted with Taha Mohsin, a Pakistani vocalist, delivering melodic death metal-esque vocals over the tracks.

I won’t lie; I absolutely love technical progressive metal. So, this album is a joy to listen to. The technicality of the riffs reminds me of other great progressive bands like Intervals, Within Ruins and The Algorithm. Personally, the only let down for me is the vocals. The music lends itself to diversity, however the vocals remain harsh. This isn’t to say they’re bad. They fit the rawness were given within the album. I personally am left craving something to sing along with.

The production is top notch. You can absolutely hear the love they have for the music within each track. It is an impressive amount of work to listen to! I feel like the work and effort alone make Chaos Over Cosmos worth listening to. There’s just something about appreciating the talent, effort and grit it takes to make something so technical. Considering that it’s almost exclusively done remote, this almost moves beyond impressive into something magical.

~Rook

Mawiza Ngulutu Single Review

Sun, 22 Feb 2026 09:30:00 GMT

Mawiza

Ngulutu Single

Season Of Mist Records

2026

Ok coming from the country Chile, we have the band, Mawiza. An absolute powerhouse of a band with a Thrash-Core sound that immediately pulls your ears in and demands attention. With the recent release of their single, “Ngulutu”, this band carries a strong thrash feel in the vocals, as well as giving a metalcore vibe with the screams and breakdowns. This is something that can reach teenagers and young adults, with the feel of bands like Lamb of God and Breaking Benjamin. I also think this can pull in fans of Alestorm and Nekrogoblikon, just an overall well-rounded experience that hits teen to early-30s listeners. Regardless of age, this band deserves attention and needs to be shared amongst the masses.

~Kevin

Cemetery Reign Confined To Time Review

Sun, 15 Feb 2026 12:00:01 GMT

Cemetery Reign

Confined to Time

Carbonized Records

2026

In 2026, it's sometimes strange to look back on what became the global COVID pandemic. Many were confined to their homes, whether by work mandates or because their workplace effectively shut down along with everything else. The times were hard, and we all had to adapt. This was true for many bands, promoters, and venues too. Bands had to cancel tours, studio dates, and clubs shut down either temporarily or fully. It was a very uncertain time to be a musician. However, some took that downtime and ran with it. Such is the case with Cemetery Reign, a project that began in the throes of those troubled times. Thanks to the hellscape that was 2020–2022, we have their debut full-length, Confined In Time.

Cemetery Reign is a solo death metal project created by “the depressed and deteriorated mind of David McMaster, riff menace in Street Tombs and drum punisher in Superstition.” This macabre entity is based out of Northern New Mexico, and they have both feet firmly planted in the rotten soil of late ’80s/early ’90s death metal, so they are old-school to the bone. Over the last three years, there seems to be an appreciation of the more meat-and-potatoes sounds from those days by the younger crowd, not unlike the influx of thrash fanatics in 2007–2009. I am all about it. Confined In Time was recorded, mixed, and mastered by Augustine Ortiz at The Decibel Foundry and The Kitchen Sink in Santa Fe, New Mexico. The mix is bass-heavy, grimy, and murky, with plenty of punch in the guitars, bass, and drums, and cavernous low growled vocals. There is no polish here; it's raw, every instrument is discernible, and it's devastatingly heavy. McMaster, unless I'm missing it in the press release, recorded everything himself, recording riffs to his phone and then laying down drums on the spot and changing them as the arrangements needed. That's an admirable work ethic, and it doesn't sound like a one-man band, but a fully operational unit, which is also impressive.

So, what of the songs then? Well, we get nine of them, and they seem to average four to five minutes, save for the opener “Escape Survival,” which acts almost as an intro at 1:47, and “Infernal Punishment” near the end at 3:18. This is often plodding mid-paced chug (“Pendulum Clock”) with foreboding riffs (“Grave Depression”) and an overall sense of dread intact, with the requisite fast parts smattered here and there (“Captive In A Coffin”). Lyrical themes seem to focus on “war, apocalyptic devastation, suicidal depression, and psychedelic-death insanity happening above, beneath, and beyond the funeral grounds of Earth.” So, that said, these are not happy tunes, they are angry, gritty, and hateful. Perhaps a proper description would be cold and atmospheric. This is to be enjoyed by those who have strong misanthropic tendencies, and realistically, that's kind of all of us right now.

Cemetery Reign is not interested in reinventing the genre or pushing it forward. What they do best is hearken back to the days when death metal was its most primal and dangerous. After hearing this record, I can fully ascertain they've succeeded and, quite frankly, are doing it better than most. I'm excited to see this evolve (a full lineup for live shows this year is being assembled as I write this) and rank them among the OSDM revival’s best. Bloody, baring teeth, and grave-robbing the entire time. Sometimes, death is only the beginning…

-TB

RIYL-Carcass, Autopsy, Grave, Asphyx, Nihilist, Sepultura, Demigod, Bolt Thrower, and Incantation.

Hermano Clisson, France Review

Sun, 15 Feb 2026 10:00:00 GMT

Hermano

Clisson, France

Ripple Music

2026

Let’s kick things off with something a little out of my usual wheelhouse, a live album. Not just any live album, but one pulled from a performance nearly a decade old. In 2016, legendary Stoner Rock outfit Hermano returned to the stage at Hellfest after an eight-year absence, and the anticipation was massive. By most accounts, their set ended up being one of the standout performances of the day.

A few weeks back, Ripple Music finally unleashed this show as both an LP and a DVD. If you’re already a Hermano fan, you know the drill, and chances are you’ve seen this footage floating around YouTube in one form or another. The setlist leans heavily on the band’s early catalog, with several cuts from “Only a Suggestion” and “Dare I Say”, along with a handful pulled from other releases. It very much feels like a band reconnecting with its audience, and considering how long they’d been away, that approach makes perfect sense.

I’ve never had the chance to catch Hermano live, I’ve managed to miss them every time they’ve come anywhere near me, but this release makes it clear they weren’t just showing up for nostalgia’s sake. The performance crackles with intent. They’re locked in, energized, and clearly enjoying the moment. You can hear it in the playing and see it in the way the band attacks these songs.

If there’s a knock to be had, it’s that the sound isn’t pristine, but that’s also part of the charm. Over-polishing this set would’ve sucked the life right out of it. What you get instead is something raw, honest, and unmistakably live. For fans of Hermano or Stoner Rock in general, this is essential viewing and listening, a reminder of how the genre should be done.

Standouts: “Left Side Bleeding,” “Cowboys Suck,” “My Boy,” “Is This Ok?”, “Kentucky,” and “Angry American.”

~Black Angel

Every King Has A Clown Self-Titled Review

Sun, 15 Feb 2026 10:00:00 GMT

Every King Has A Clown

S/T

Cleopatra Records

2026

I love the diversity of stuff I get sent for review here. From death, grind, thrash, and power metal to hardcore, punk, and traditional metal, the moments as a scribe here at BAP are never boring, and they always keep me on my toes. This self-titled offering from Every King Has A Clown is no exception.

It's not really that often in 2026 that bands will just drop their latest music without a bevy of promotional posts, reels, TikToks, or YouTube lyric or full-form music videos. Every King Has A Clown apparently didn't get that memo and have just sort of appeared out of nowhere. The band is a remote entity with ties to the Canary Islands and Sweden. They are headed up by bassist/songwriter Ryker Castro. EKHAC is his primary outlet, and according to the man himself, “Every King Has A Clown is my solo project. I created it to have total freedom over the songwriting, the sound, and the artistic direction. The idea was simple: write the record I always wanted to hear, with strong melodies, heavy energy, and no compromises. The jester-king on the album cover, named EKHAC, is the visual symbol of the project — the contrast between good and evil.” The music here straddles the fence between European/international power metal with progressive flourishes and the heavier side of modern hard rock.

Through twelve songs and a 45-minute playing time, the glaringly obvious strong point is the overall mix. Unless otherwise noted, Castro handled it himself, and the production is clean, crisp, and modern, with no individual instruments fighting for space, but all shining brightly and never drowning anything out. This is due in no small part to the superb mastering job by Tony Lindgren (Katatonia, Enslaved, Testament, Haken, and hundreds more) at his home base, Fascination Street Studios in Örebro, Sweden.

The album opener and lead single “Crucify Me” is a hook-laden, faster tune that has an infectious chorus and some excellent guitar work. This song also has some gothic touches à la HIM and The 69 Eyes. It's important to note here that Castro hasn't worked alone, as the album features a who’s who in the underground metal scene on several songs for vocals. Whilst he proves himself quite adept vocally, the aid of Mats Levén (Therion, Candlemass) on “Victim of the Night” propels the chugging rhythms, backed by mournful keyboard motifs and its mid-paced plod, into epic, somewhat doomier territory.

The album’s best track is no doubt “Revenge,” which features none other than Ray Alder (Fates Warning), and it's an exercise in the high-octane progressive metal he's known for, backed by galloping rhythms, soaring chorus vocals, time-signature changes, and multiple parts, all of which meld together seamlessly. Other standouts include the downtuned meanness and guitar shred of “Higher,” which recalls the magical partnership of Bruce Dickinson and Roy Z on the classic Accident of Birth album. Elsewhere, “The King Has Lost His Crown,” feat. Mark Boals (Yngwie Malmsteen) blends melodic vocals, harmonized guitars, busy serpentine riffing, and start-stop dynamics. Lastly, I'll mention the most accessible track, the horns-up, party-esque, anthemic “All We Need Is Rock N’ Roll,” which has punctuated keyboards amongst a driving chorus and a sound not unlike ’80s KISS on steroids with otherworldly musicianship.

Now, put all of this together with Bastian Thusgaard (Soilwork) and his precision drumming, along with Fabio Alessandrini (Annihilator), Christian Palin (ex-Adagio), Berzan Önen (Deer From Space), Steve Braun (Halcyon Way), Anders Engberg (Sorcerer), Mike DiMeo (ex-Riot), and Mark Boals (Ring of Fire), and you've got a truly bulletproof cast of musicians giving Castro a hand in making sure these songs are undeniable.

I truly hope Castro continues collaborating with EKHAC, and that he is inspired for years to come, exploring the duality of man and the good and bad parts in all of us. If his soul searching keeps resulting in quality such as this, everyone who loves heavy-handed power/prog metal and memorable, catchy, goth-tinged hard rock wins…

-TB

RIYL- Queensryche, Fates Warning, HIM, Helloween, The 69 Eyes, Bruce Dickinson's solo work

Teratoma Longing Voracity Review

Sun, 15 Feb 2026 10:00:00 GMT

Teratoma

Longing Voracity

Me Saco Un Ojo

2026

Coming straight out of one of metal’s most celebrated countries, that being Germany, we have the second offering of stench-filled, cryptic death metal madness from Teratoma. Before we dig into this fresh grave, let's dive a little deeper into their blood-soaked backstory.

Unfortunately, I don't know much at present other than that they are a quintet. The press release doesn't really go into their band history and instead chooses to let the music do the talking. Putting on my sleuthing cap and scouring the web, their name (per Google) means “a rare, usually congenital, germ cell tumor composed of various tissue types, such as hair, muscle, teeth, or bone, resulting from abnormal development.” So right out of the gate, their name is a bit of a human deformity, and you can't get much more genre-specific than that. After further information gathering, they began in 2021 in Ilmenau and released the full-length Purulent Manifestations that same year.

The production here is what you would expect: megaton-heavy, downtuned guitars (Sandro and Rolo), murky, distorted bass (Giacomo), raw and organic drums with a fondness for double bass every now and again (Caue), and some seriously low-slung, slightly buried growls (Dani). I wouldn't call this lo-fi, but I would call it raw, visceral, and befitting of the golden age of death metal (the early to mid ’90s) style of recordings. That suits me just fine, as it all sounds mean, organic, and not the least bit modern. I wish more extreme metal would approach things this way, as much of it is starting to sound entirely too perfect and immaculately produced and performed.

We get an intro and nine songs with Longing Veracity. The whole album runs 45 minutes, and it held my attention for its duration with little to no variance in the actual tempo of the compositions themselves. I know that sounds like a detriment, but it's not. I like it when a band locks in and gives the overall album a certain mood or feel. The mood presented here is that of impending doom and is very dark and morose. Sometimes you can be extremely heavy and powerful without breaking the sound barrier with speed or blast beats. Teratoma excels at that.

Musically, this is coming from the gut-level, mid-paced grinding school of thought (“Chaotic Bewilderment”), with some harmonized, doomier guitar lines, short bursts of speed (“Ravaged and Absorbed”), and even the odd acoustic-led interlude with flute flourishes (“Interim”) and simple yet impactful riffs (“Spewing Atrocities”). Another aspect that I find interesting is Dani’s vocal approach. While it's mostly very deep and guttural, sometimes he chooses to end his vocal patterns with these gross, netherworldly high grunts, and they make the atmosphere even more unsettling.

Teratoma aren't really doing anything new. In fact, like many death metal bands right now, they are combing the old-school desert for inspiration, but they are doing it very effectively and in a well-informed manner without sounding like the 7,000th iteration of Entombed or something. In all actuality, if I had to absolutely pin down exact references, this is a perfect marriage of the non-HM-2 Swedish bands with the twisted and depressive Finnish sound, all rolled into a tidy, rotting corpse. So, dig on this unholy union of sounds from below and get destroyed by it as it fully devours you with its meaty hooks like a feral, lumbering beast. Here's hoping they don't take another five years between releases. Longing Veracity is a worthy addition to the old-school death metal–worshipping hordes out there.

-TB

RIYL- Rotted, Hyperdontia, Tomb Mold, Molder, Hooded Menace

https://mesacounojo.bandcamp.com/album/longing-voracity

Legionary Never-Ending Quest For Purpose Review

Sun, 15 Feb 2026 10:00:00 GMT

Legionary

Never-Ending Quest For Purpose

Self-Released

2026

New Jersey melodic death/thrashers Legionary have an interesting history. They initially started in NYC, and throughout their existence they've released several EPs and once played live quite regularly. Nowadays, main man and the brainchild of the band, multi-instrumentalist, composer, and founder Frank D'Erasmo, usually goes it alone while enlisting some A-list players for the studio. His latest effort, the five-song Never-Ending Quest For Purpose, follows suit from the previous outing Prison Realm.

The first thing I noticed when listening is that the production is top-notch, crisp, clean, and polished. Engineer Ben Karas, along with mixing and mastering by Mike Low, really did a great job here and made the band sound huge yet organic. However, it's not all on them. I feel this has as much to do with the caliber of the players as it does with studio trickery, compressing, or quantizing. The whole thing is absolutely modern in its presentation, but I feel these are all real performances without the aid of any shortcuts or trickery. Another pleasant surprise is that even though it falls into the extreme metal spectrum, the bass, held down admirably and creatively by D’Erasmo, is way more audible than most music of this ilk. His drumming is incredibly proficient and technical as well, and his double kicks and forays into blast beats are tight and concise. Joining Frank here are returning members Chris Clancy (As I Lay Dying, Invictus, Mutiny Within) on vocals and lead guitarist Tony Barhoum (Chaos Sanctuary, Condition Critical). Like I said, some heavy hitters here rounding out the lineup.

We get just five songs here, but they make every one of them count. The first track, “Sentenced to a Life of Chronic Guilt,” is a raging instrumental that shifts from tech death to metalcore to thrashy power metal within its two minutes and fourteen seconds. Straight away from that comes “The Judges Become the Judged,” which has a decided thrash edge via metalcore, with a fantastic clean-sung chorus that recalls prime The End of Heartache-era Killswitch Engage. Here the riffs are technical yet accessible, and the lead guitar work is just impeccable. I also thoroughly enjoy the mid-paced bridge/outro, which alternates between Clancy’s pristine cleans and anguished growls.

Following that, a clean guitar intro backed by harmonized guitars sways into a swinging chugfest on the title track and more double bass drumming and d-beat thrash than is probably legal. I'm not saying it's a “formula” here, but I notice that they employ another cleanly sung melodic section before going back to the bludgeoning and then bringing it back around again. It's been done to death, right? Yes, but what sets Legionary apart from the 7.8 million bands employing a similar approach is that these sections serve as but a brief respite. It's almost like they are harboring a split personality that teeters from all-out rage to melancholic self-reflection.

Speaking of self-reflection, lyrically it seems these songs touch on a variety of topics, whether they are introspective or somewhat social and vaguely political, which is sort of par for the course for stuff like this. It's refreshing to hear after the usual blood, guts, zombies, demons, and Satan stuff that usually permeates anything remotely resembling death metal. “Controllers of Perception” is a blasting, tech-infused fire-breather with snaking riffs and another sublime melodic chorus.

Lastly, they flex their prog muscles on the closer, beginning with the forlorn intro of “Story Without Closure,” which morphs into a mid-paced staccato riff and some Schuldiner-inspired guitar lines. We're dealing with a pretty angry vibe here until 3:40, where Clancy again graces us with those superb cleans. Then a clean guitar section, complete with some downright jazzy, Skolnick-like leads, crashes into another heavy section. From there, the song seems to build, going from riff to riff with time-signature changes aplenty, then back to that melodic chorus and bookended by more clean guitars and a violin solo to cap it off. A real testament to their ability to keep things interesting is the fact that this song is 11:39 in length but never gets tiresome and keeps you engaged with the constant build-ups.

There we have it, dear reader. Legionary may not be for everyone, and they are mining soundscapes that have surely been heavily picked over in the last two decades, but they do it in such a way that they offer their own approach while sounding familiar all at once. I, for one, am highly impressed, and I hope Never-Ending Quest For Purpose nets them some bigger visibility and critical praise. Most importantly, I hope they keep at it—the genre they reside in needs more forward-thinking music like this.

-TB

RIYL -Kreator, Iced Earth, Into Eternity, Mutiny Within, Control Denied, Death, Unearthed

Cryptic Shift Overspace and Supertime Review

Sun, 15 Feb 2026 10:00:00 GMT

Cryptic Shift

Overspace and Supertime

Metal Blade Records

2026

I will start this writing with a bit of a disclaimer. I am not a huge fan or an overly enthusiastic listener of anything with the genre tag of “progressive.” That's not limited to metal. I've never been a huge Rush, Yes, or early Genesis guy. I've never been a huge fan of quite a few metal bands in the same area. HOWEVER, some bands have come along over the years that I have grown to love. Who, you ask? Well, Voivod (to be fair, they may not be progressive, just downright weird…), Dream Theater, Atheist, Cynic, later Death, and Pennsylvania’s best-kept secret, Believer. Those bands have written albums that have stood the test of time, even if they are not easily digestible, hard to market, and usually reserved for prog or music nerds. I say that lovingly, mind you, as some of my best friends are, in fact, prog nerds. They're a different breed, and they can understand it better. But sometimes, despite lofty arrangements, tripped-out concept album ideas, and songs that are forever fucking long, it clicks with those of us not traversing the astral plane. Such is the case with Leeds, UK sensations Cryptic Shift and their latest long player (emphasis on LONG), Overspace and Supertime.

So, what's Cryptic Shift’s story? Well, you see, in 2015, “vocalist/guitarist Alexander Bradley and drummer Ryan Sheperson set out to accomplish a project embodying their joint passion for the art of science fiction and heavy metal music,” as per their press release. From there, they set out to present these interests in Cryptic Shift by combining thrash, death metal, and all things sci-fi. In 2020, their debut, Visitations From Enceladus, was unleashed on an unsuspecting worldwide audience and, despite or perhaps because of its very heady vibes, garnered critical acclaim. The compositions were not only straddling the progressive thrash and death metal fences, but it seemed they were an entirely new, twisted form of extreme metal that many refer to as “Phenomenal Technological Astrodeath.”

So, with some history and kooky descriptions intact, now we have this new album. I'll start by saying that it's going to be difficult to ingest unless you have over an hour to set aside to fully immerse yourself in it. We get only five tracks here, but two of them break the twenty-minute barrier. Overspace & Supertime was produced by Jack Helliwell and mastered by Greg Chandler (Esoteric, My Dying Bride) and features the stunning artwork of Jesse Jacobi. The mix is even, tight, punchy, and oddly enough sounds devoid of anything other than purely organic performances, which is a rarity in 2026 for anything under the “tech” umbrella. On the contrary, it seems the lads went for a more old-school approach that recalls Scott Burns productions from the ’90s. Whether this was intentional or not, I can't say, but I love that it sounds so live and in no way overly polished, though the musicianship is quite literally otherworldly good. With players this learned, there's no need for studio shortcuts, and I am absolutely here for it.

When trying to discuss these songs, it's important to know that there are several interweaving concepts at play. Bradley states it thusly: “The concept of Overspace & Supertime plays as an alternative reality to the happenings of Visitations From Enceladus, taking our character into new dimensions filled with both greater adventures and more bizarre encounters.” The opening track, “Cryogenically Frozen” (clocking in at 9:24), starts the journey with Schuldiner-informed death metal, jazz parts, clean guitars, exceptional lead work, and a precision that is just mind-boggling across all the tempo-shifting interludes and the sheer volume of song parts. Next, we have the epic “Stratocumulus Evergaol,” which is more of that same vibe but also employs several cinematic soundscapes between each movement of the song. There are a lot of them, as this particular tune is just shy of a half hour in length. Amazingly, it never gets boring, and I am fully captivated by their commitment to tackling a marathon track. I have full-length albums that are shorter than this song!

“Hyperspace Topography” (9:40) continues the twists, the turns, and the swirling maelstrom that is the Cryptic Shift sound. An interesting aspect of that sound, at least on record, is that the fleet-fingered fretboard wizardry of Bradley and Joss Ferrington is often hard-panned left or right, which is unheard of today. This technique gives the leads even more character and further aids in the mind-bending aspect of these arrangements. The bass playing of John Riley is phenomenal throughout as well, informed by Tony Choy-like lines and never overstepping bounds, forever in service to the overall songwriting. “Hexagonal Eyes (Diverity Trepaphymphasyzm)” (10:06) is probably the most full-throttle, death-metal-paced kid on the playground here, but it still has the droning notes, the snaking riffs, and the impressive stop-on-a-dime speed and tasteful fills of Sheperson’s drumming before going all space jazz on us at seven and a half minutes, then back again to the razor-sharp, precise tech thrash/death. Lastly, the title track (20:22) closes out with more jazz movements, growling vocals, and dissonance. What separates this track from its predecessors is the abundance of mid-paced parts and clean guitar interludes.

Overspace and Supertime is NOT for everyone and might fall into the progressive category with all of its thrashy goodness and death metal histrionics, but it is in no way inaccessible. There are hooks, well-thought-out song progressions, and plenty of jaw-dropping musical moments without sounding wanky or self-indulgent. They just take a while to get to the easily heard stuff. Again, you're going to have to dedicate some time to this, maybe even repeated listens before you “get it,” but once you do, it flies by and is what every album should be: a great collection of songs. I love that about it. These extraterrestrial weirdos have delivered a work that is anything but normal and thinks way outside the box. Death and thrash need way more of that. Put on The X-Files, put it on mute, crank this, and get lost in the fictional world Cryptic Shift have curated here. Let the weird travel on indeed…

–TB

RIYL – Death, Cynic, Blood Incantation, later Gorguts, Atheist, Vektor, Voivod, Coroner

Oreyeon The Grotesque Within Review

Sun, 15 Feb 2026 10:00:00 GMT

Oreyeon

The Grotesque Within

Heavy Psych Sounds

2026

Italian Stoner/Psych/Doom outfit Oreyeon has just dropped their fourth release, “The Grotesque Within”, via Heavy Psych Sounds. Unfortunately, this is my first exposure to the band, so I can’t speak to their earlier work, but if this album is any indication, it won’t be my last.

“The Grotesque Within” is the band’s first self-produced effort, and the results speak for themselves. The album flows effortlessly, packed with infectious grooves and riffs that never overstay their welcome. Too often in this genre, bands linger on a passage until it becomes exhausting; Oreyeon avoids that trap entirely. Each track is approached with precision while keeping melody and structure front and center. Every second feels intentional.

Clocking in at just over 36 minutes, the album carries strong Grunge undertones, particularly those rooted in the ’90s Seattle scene - think Alice in Chains, Soundgarden, and, in subtler moments, Mother Love Bone. The vocals remain clean throughout, favoring melodic and emotive delivery over growls or screams, which suits the material perfectly.

What truly sets this album apart is its sense of tone and movement. The guitar and bass tuning firmly plant the band in Stoner territory, driven by groove and atmosphere rather than excess. The songwriting and arrangements are all about mood, making “The Grotesque Within” feel like the perfect soundtrack for a long desert drive in an old beater with the windows down, exhaust roaring, tape deck cranked.

Don’t be surprised if this album lands on more than a few year-end top ten lists. It’s the kind of release that speaks loudly within the Stoner scene and sticks with you long after it’s over.

Standout tracks: “Echoes Of Old Nightmares,” “Nothing But Impurities Part I & II,” and the title track “The Grotesque Within.”

~Black Angel

Lead Injector Witching Attack Review

Sun, 15 Feb 2026 10:00:00 GMT

Lead Injector

Witching Attack

High Roller Records

2026

Lead Injector is a newer Blackened Thrash Metal trio with strong Extreme Metal tendencies, hailing from Dresden, Germany. Active since 2022, the band already has a demo under their belt, “From the Crypts… of Hell”, and they’re now gearing up to unleash their debut full-length, “Witching Attack”, via High Roller Records.

My first pass left me unsure. The band sounded raw, borderline feral, and some of the extremity felt like it might push past my comfort zone. Still, there were flashes that caught my ear, enough to drag me back in for another listen. That second run sealed it. The oldhead in me picked up on some filthy, old-school Thrash and Punk DNA -Whiplash, Destruction, Anvil Bitch, and Desaster all loom large. Toss in a bit of that NWOTM energy ala Toxic Holocaust, and I was locked in.

I won’t pretend every track is a knockout. Some of the more extreme moments don’t fully land for me. But when Lead Injector leans hard into the old-school side, that’s where this record comes alive. Sudden high-pitched falsettos, chainsaw riffing, and a chaotic, breakneck pace hit all the right pressure points. Production plays a huge role here too; this is not a slick record. It’s grimy, abrasive, and proudly old-school, echoing the mid-to-late ’80s Thrash scene when bands like Whiplash, Anvil Bitch, and Destruction were ripping shit apart and I was devouring it like candy.

That influence, the production, and the overall vibe are the real draw. If the album leaned more heavily on the extreme elements alone, my interest would drop off, it’s just not where my tastes live. If there’s a notable downside, it’s the vocals. I’d love to hear them pushed higher in the mix; as it stands, many of the lyrics get buried, leaving me riding blind and relying purely on feel. Thankfully, the vibe carries more than enough weight - studded leather, violence-soaked ’80s aggression, and pit-ready chaos are in abundance here.

Standouts – “Chains”, “Sacrifice This Bitch”, “Angel Destructor” and “Nuclear Antichrist”.

~Black Angel

A Wilhelm Scream Cheap Heat Review

Sun, 08 Feb 2026 12:12:31 GMT

A Wilhelm Scream

Cheap Heat

Creator -Destructor Records

2026

Since the dawn of the early 90’s and San Francisco’s Fat Wreck Chords (a label run until recently by Mike Burkett, or “Fat Mike” of NOFX), punk rock as we know it from the 70’s and 80’s fundamentally changed. Bands weren’t afraid to mix up their influences and showcase that they loved poppy hooks and a little bit of hardcore and metal along with their favorite East Coast/West Coast punk bands. I’m not sure what to call it other than the decade-specific “skate punk.” That particular descriptor is accurate, but since the days of those nascent recordings from the likes of Strung Out, No Use For A Name, Good Riddance, and Propagandhi, the genre has continued to evolve, and bands like Straightline, Heart Sounds, Atlas Losing Grip, and New Bedford (BEDFID if you’re a local New Englander), Massachusetts’ own A Wilhelm Scream (formerly Smackin’ Isiah—whom this here writer had the pleasure of playing on a bill with at a tiny club in Bristol, TN over two decades ago) are taking the genre to incredibly technical and dizzying heights. Today we’re checking in with A Wilhelm Scream’s newest melodic shred fest, the ten-song Cheap Heat.

From their humble beginnings as Smackin’ Isiah, to then changing their name to A Wilhelm Scream and signing to Nitro Records, to releasing their classic album Ruiner in 2005 and the groundbreaking Career Suicide in 2007, this is their sixth time at the full-length dance in the 25-year career they have cultivated. I must point out here, too, that they have one of the coolest band names ever. Ever heard that canned/sampled scream when someone falls in a movie or TV show? Well, per the web, “sound designer Ben Burtt named it after Private Wilhelm, a minor character in the 1953 Western The Charge at Feather River, who lets out the iconic scream when shot with an arrow. Burtt rediscovered the stock sound effect (first used in Distant Drums for a man eaten by an alligator) and used it in Star Wars, popularizing it as an inside joke among sound effects artists, which led to its widespread use in hundreds of films as a humorous nod to itself.” How cool is it that such an obscure reference gave them their name? OK, enough background, let’s get to the album and the songs contained within.

Cheap Heat was produced by guitarist/vocalist Trevor Reilly at their hometown Anchor End Studio, with mastering handled by his father, Joe Reilly, at Black & Blue Mastering. The core of Reilly, vocalist Nuno Pereira, drummer Nicholas Angelini, and bassist Brian Robinson remain. The new addition of Ben Murray (Light This City, Heartsounds, Darkness Everywhere) on second guitar has further expanded their sound. The sound in question is full; it’s bass, drum, and guitar-driven behind Nuno’s gritty yet melodic vocals. I freely admit that I’m behind on their catalog, but there’s one thing that is glaringly apparent since they began and upon my initial listen here: these mofos CAN PLAY. It’s hard to pinpoint exactly where they are coming from stylistically other than the previously mentioned fast skate punk. There is so much more going on than that, though. Opener “Somebody’s Gonna Die” begins with an almost swirling staccato barrage of guitar and subdued vocals in the intro, only to explode into a melodic hardcore ripper that has more harmonized guitar and tapping bass licks than I can wrap my head around. The “whish oh oh” chorus, coupled with the rapid-fire vocals, gives way to a bridge that is drums, quieted vocals, and what sounds like Billy Sheehan providing the lone accompanying bass line. It’s barely 3:16 in length, and my head is already spinning. “Scumbag Grift” is more of the same and varies it up with a nice hardcore chug and more harmonized tremolo-picked guitars and a bit more gruffness vocally. The precision bass and clean guitars of “Midnight Ghost” break things up before they dive headlong into another speed-tastic verse. So far, all these songs carry more tempo shifts, technically proficient guitars, and progressive bass and drum interplay in short, concise songs than your average prog metal album.

“I Got Tunnel Vision” is next, and it might be the most traditional melodic punk song here, yet it still maintains the guitar gymnastics. Then it hits me. A Wilhelm Scream, to me, is what would happen if power metal and thrash fans formed a melodic hardcore band. Need more convincing? Listen to the mind-bending guitar noodling of the insanely catchy “Let It Ride.” Lyrically, the marked difference is that the overall vibe has gone super dark. Reilly explains, “We embraced our dark side on this one. Dove into sociopathy, personality disorders, concepts of evil, nature vs nurture, and came out of this process with some savage stories told from our signature perspective of the sore winner that refuses to lose. There are no good guys here.” There is simply not a bad song here in the 28:04 playing time. This time out, it seems A Wilhelm Scream crafted musically and technically sound arrangements while maintaining their trademark heaviness and melody and upped their own ante with a sense of urgency and razor-sharp precision that, to my ears, is their best work to date.

In summation, A Wilhelm Scream sound as relevant as ever and have delivered an album that is equal parts relentless riffs, soaring hooks, an otherworldly rhythm section, and more piss and vinegar than I can ever recall hearing from them before. These dudes have been at it since the melodic West Coast punk shaped their earliest sounds and are one of the last few from that era still standing. Cheap Heat proves one thing: they can stand proud and stand tall. I hope they continue standing for years to come. Where, you ask? On their own fucking island, because there ain’t no one else like them. Simply a brilliant and amazing collection of tunes. Officially on my best of 2026, and it’s only February…

-TB

RIYL - Strung Out, Hot Water Music, Comeback Kid, With Honor

CYCLONE Known Unto God Review

Sun, 08 Feb 2026 12:12:26 GMT

CYCLONE

Known Unto God (EP)

M Theory Audio

2026

Late last year, Germany’s Darkness blessed us die-hard thrash fans with some mosh-pit-ready re-recorded classics and four new songs after being in the game for forty years. Well, they aren’t gonna be the only ones if Belgium’s CYCLONE have their druthers, as well as some LONG overdue new stuff to say in this new year. What we are about to discuss is 35 years in the making, and that is the incendiary five songs contained in Known Unto God.

Let’s give those uninitiated a brief history first. These teenage friends began in 1980, and on the strength of their demo In the Grip of Evil, they landed support slots opening for Anthrax, Overkill, Agent Steel, Kreator, and Destruction, which led to label interest, with the band choosing to sign with Roadrunner Records. After releasing their debut album Brutal Destruction, they lost some of the core lineup, with Guido and Stefaan working with three new players on 1990’s Inferior To None. By 1993, they called it quits. Now reinvigorated and reunited (at least the core two main members of vocalist Guido Gevels and guitarist Stefaan Daamen), along with some new players, we have this barn-burner EP.

With that out of the way, main man Guido recorded this with the help of Martin Furia (Destruction, Nervosa, Evil Invaders) handling the mixing and mastering. It’s a tight, pummeling, dry mix, yet still maintains its bite without forsaking the low end of the guitars. My only minor critique is that the vocals are a little hot and up front, and the bass frequencies could’ve been brought up a notch. Those personal gripes aside, you’re gonna be hard-pressed to find something in the thrash arena that sounds this pissed off and intentionally murderous. CYCLONE don’t play these songs so much as they ATTACK them. I think reintroducing the band to old and new ears, alike with an EP was smart in this age of short attention spans. The rapid fire of opener “Eliminate” comes bursting out of the speakers with those patented tremolo- and triplet-picked riffs, fast drumming, hateful “yell-talking” vocals, and some high screeching that recalls Schmier and Mille Petrozza. Lyrically, these songs seem to tackle personal traumatic situations and socio-political fare. Stefaan proves himself quite the adept rhythm and lead guitarist, as is evident in the riffy and surprisingly catchy title track (“Known Unto God”) and the scorching lead work of the punk-infused “I Fear Myself.” My favorite moment comes in the wah-infused midsection breakdown of “Nothing Is Real.” We are capped off with the succinct, near three-minute rager that is “The.Truth.Lies.”

CYCLONE’s Known Unto God doesn’t even break 20 minutes, but in that time, they sure break a sweat with their economical approach to East Coast crossover-, Germanic-, and Bay Area-infused thrash. The best albums often take hold of us at first listen and leave us wanting more. That seems to be the model for these bruisers here. It’s nonstop aggression that grabs you by the throat from the word go, and I have probably listened to these songs at least three times through now. The best part is that while they aren’t reinventing the wheel, they are surely making sure the wheel is getting beaten mercilessly with some of the angriest stuff I’ve heard in recent memory. I’m absolutely stoked for a full-length now. The only waffles these Belgians are making are the Doc Marten boot prints I now have on my cranium after having it kicked in by such an acerbic and exhilarating listen…

-TB

RIYL- Kreator, Destruction, SOD, DRI, Suicidal Tendencies

Vanishment And Now We Die Review

Sun, 08 Feb 2026 12:12:22 GMT

Vanishment

And Now We Die

M Theory Audio

2026

The early 90’s was an interesting time for metal. Full-on thrash was becoming boring, glam was gasping its last breaths, and death and black metal were pushing extremities’ boundaries. There had to be some stylistic hopping around if new bands wanted to stay apart from subgenre tropes. Specifically, bands kept cropping up that flirted with thrash and healthy doses of power metal and classic metal. By now you’ve heard some of them, I’m sure. Helloween, Sanctuary, Powermad, and Iced Earth gave way to Blind Guardian, Hammerfall, Jag Panzer, Angel Dust, Nevermore, etc. With the genre already at max capacity, it’s increasingly difficult today for bands employing the sounds mentioned here to stand out or bring something new to the table. Vanishment, a quintet from Seattle, may have something to say about that with their second effort here, the blistering And Now We Die.

Vanishment began in 2019, “taking inspiration from classic thrash and heavy metal bands like Metallica, Iron Maiden, Megadeth, and Judas Priest,” and released their debut No More Torture in 2023. Critical praise, West Coast live dates, and writing followed and has brought us to these ten songs. Sonically, the album has a modern feel to the production yet sounds surprisingly organic and devoid of over-polishing every note and quantization. The drums sound real, the guitars crunch with real amp tones, the bass pulses out low end, and the vocals soar with conviction and purpose without the aid of any auto-tune or heavy processing. You know what I mean, right? How metal of this caliber USED to sound. Kudos to the job by Nicholas Wilbur (Sumac, Mamiffer) at Anacortes Unknown and mastering by Alan Douches (Three Inches of Blood, Baroness, Darkest Hour). These considerations are quite literally music to my ears.

In this record’s running time (just shy of 47 minutes), Vanishment have constructed songs that are equal parts thrash syncopation and speed (opener “Scarred By Fate”), fist-pumping true metal anthem (“How I Bleed”), and harmonized guitar power/speed metal gallop (“Unleash The Storm”). The individual performances of guitarists Brian Johnson and Jeremy McAllister anchor things with razor-sharp riffs, excellent lead work, harmonized interplay, and a keen sense of melody. A true highlight is the intro of “Conviction,” which showcases their tandem abilities, along with its earworm chorus and the ultra-heavy breakdown part (complete with tapping and whammy bar dives!). I must mention the drumming of Chris Wozniak here too, as he grooves, d-beats, and tastefully fills his way through every song with fleet-footed double kicks. The slightly overdriven and trebly bass of Nate Baker is audible and, in the pocket, and the coup de grâce must be the very capable vocals of Rob Ropkins. Rob has “THAT tone” to his voice. What I mean is he has the soaring highs, the grit, and the raspiness coupled with melodic soul and purpose behind every note he sings. Far be it for me to draw comparisons here, but he sounds like Eric AK (Flotsam and Jetsam) and the forever-missed Warrell Dane (Sanctuary, Nevermore) are having a fistfight in the best of ways. He knows his way around some epic battles and sword-and-sorcery storytelling lyrically, too.

By the time this album wrapped up, I felt I had heard something nostalgically familiar. I am also left feeling that not enough bands combine these varied influences, much less so seamlessly and sounding like a breath of fresh air. In a musical landscape where the old guard are either calling it a day or will be in the coming years, the mantle is up for grabs. Vanishment could very well sit atop that mountain if they keep churning out high-quality music such as this. And Now We Die is a finely crafted, steel-bearing long player that is brutal, melodic, and as “true metal” as it gets in 2026…

-TB

RIYL: Flotsam and Jetsam, Sanctuary, Nevermore, Megadeth, Metallica, Helloween.

Rollerball Submarine Review

Sun, 08 Feb 2026 12:12:19 GMT

Rollerball

Submarine (LP Reissue)

Ripple Music

2009/2026

Ripple Music is one of the best labels in the Stoner scene that’s still out here picking it up and putting it down. No matter the time of year, or how closely you’ve been paying attention, you can always count on Ripple to pull something out of the hat that’s fun, exciting, and worth your time.

The latest release to get the Ripple treatment is “Submarine,” originally released in 2009 by Australian Stoner/Heavy Rock outfit Rollerball. Admittedly, this one wasn’t on my radar back when it first dropped, but it didn’t take more than a few spins for me to catch the waves the band was making at the time. This reissue falls under Ripple’s “Beneath The Desert” series.

Originally, “Submarine” only saw a CD release through Plus1 Records - no vinyl, no fanfare, and apparently not many copies making their way down South where I’m at. That said, geography doesn’t mean a damn thing when the music hits like this. What Rollerball delivers here is a straight-up love letter to ’70s Hard Rock, drawing clear inspiration from Free and Humble Pie, with a subtle nod to Uriah Heep if you’re listening close. There’s even a bit of Soundgarden lurking, which adds an unexpected but welcome layer to the sound.

One of the standout aspects of this album, beyond the music itself, is how it was recorded. According to the one-sheet, “Submarine” was tracked live, without a click. As a drummer who prefers working that way, I can absolutely appreciate that approach. You can hear it throughout the album: the songs breathe, the groove is alive, and the vibe feels natural and unforced. Too often, click-tracked recordings come off mechanical and soulless, creating a disconnect between the band and the listener. Recording live without a net allows for those subtle pushes and pulls - playing slightly ahead or behind the beat - that gives the music character and intention.

On “Submarine”, Rollerball fully lean into that freedom. The performances are honest, heartfelt, and believable across the board. Gargantuan riffs, smooth and confident vocal delivery, and some killer bass work are present throughout. The band sounds locked in, comfortable in their skin, and fully committed to the moment.

Whether you’re a die-hard ’70s Hard Rock fan, deep into today’s Stoner scene, or someone who still dabbles in the ’90s Stoner/Grunge crossover, “Submarine” is an album you don’t want to miss. There isn’t a weak moment on the record; the band is juiced and firing on all cylinders from start to finish. Highly recommended, and a no-brainer addition to any well-curated collection.

Standouts – “Tame Existance”, “Youth Bailed (Back To Hell)”, “We Always Slide” and “Submarine”.

~Black Angel

Weedpecker V Review

Sun, 08 Feb 2026 12:12:14 GMT

Weedpecker

Heavy Psych Sounds

2026

Heavy Psych Sounds continue to sign and unleash some of the most vital bands in the Stoner, Psych, and Doom underground, and few loom larger than the Polish masters, Weedpecker. With their fifth full-length, appropriately titled “V,” the band once again redraws the boundaries of what their sound can be. Where you enter the Weedpecker universe will very much determine how this album hits you, and whether you’re willing to follow them further into the unknown.

I first encountered Weedpecker on their debut, back when the mission was simple: tune low, drag knuckles, play slow. It was primal, earthy, and unapologetically heavy. I loved it. But stagnation has never been their language. With each release, Weedpecker has molted another layer of skin, trading brute force for nuance, depth, and a growing sense of transcendence. “V” feels like the culmination of that journey.

This album abandons gravity in favor of atmosphere. It drifts through lush dreamscapes soaked in Psychedelia, tinged with Progressive and Shoegaze hues, and painted in colors that feel both warm and otherworldly. This isn’t Pop Psychedelia, it’s contemplative, immersive, and patient. A thinking person’s trip. There are moments where, stripped of context, you might not even recognize this as a Metal band at all. Longtime devotees of knuckle-dragging Stoner riffs may recoil unless they’re willing to surrender, open their third eye, be it through a cap, a spliff, or sheer willingness, and let the music reshape their expectations.

For the clear-headed listener, “V” unfolds like standing behind a master painter, watching each deliberate brushstroke bring a timeless canvas to life. It’s hypnotic without being numbing, euphoric without being indulgent, pure vibration and good energy, flowing freely. The album invites you to dissolve into it.

The production is immaculate. Every instrument breathes, every layer revealed, nothing buried or sacrificed. It’s a rare kind of sonic clarity that serves the mood rather than overpowering it. I’m hard-pressed to recall another album in recent memory that achieves this balance so effortlessly. I usually crave chaos, volume, and raw abandon, but there’s a time for stillness too. Sometimes the most powerful experience comes from sitting quietly, staring out a window, and letting music carry you somewhere far removed from the present moment.

“V” isn’t just an album, it’s a vessel. A spaceship lifting you into the stratosphere, where time loosens its grip and space becomes irrelevant. Out there, it’s just you, your thoughts, and sound drifting endlessly in the void.

Standouts – “Ash”, “Fading Whispers” and “The Last Summer Of Youth”.

~Black Angel

Zepter Self-Titled Review

Sun, 08 Feb 2026 12:12:10 GMT

Zepter

Self-Titled

High Roller Records

2026

So far, 2026 has been overflowing with Traditional Metal, and for someone like me, that’s nothing short of a blessing. It keeps the fire burning in my Rock Warrior heart and feeds the part of my soul that refuses to let go of youth like a crazed lunatic clutching a denim vest. The latest band to stoke those flames is Austrian newcomers Zepter. Formed in early 2024, the band wasted no time dropping an EP, and now their history continues in real time with a Self-Titled full-length debut set for release in the coming weeks via High Roller Records.

Zepter deal in no-frills, straight-up Traditional Heavy Metal, soaked in the blood of the ancient gods of the NWOBHM. This is a total throwback - echoes of Thin Lizzy, Iron Maiden, and Tygers of Pan Tang run thick throughout, with flashes of early Speed Metal kicking in when the throttle gets pushed. There’s also a strong Angel Witch and Blue Öyster Cult vibe here that scratches a very specific, very personal itch.

Twin-lead harmonies run rampant across the album, and that alone should get old-school Metalheads nodding in approval, it’s a lost art in today’s scene. Sonically, this record doesn’t sound modern in the slightest. There’s no glossy studio sheen, and that’s clearly by design. This is an album meant to be played loud on a turntable, pumped through a battered old hi-fi system, the proper way to experience Metal like this.

If there’s a weak spot, it’s the vocals, which sit a little too deep in the mix. At times, it feels like the album was cut live in the studio with the vocals riding the same track as the guitars. That said, the reverb and echo applied to the vocals help them cut through enough to work, and honestly, pulling them further forward might rob the album of some of its vintage charm.

As an old tape trader, this album hits me right in the gut. It feels like something I would’ve received in the mail in the early ’80s, a dubbed cassette, a beat-up piece of notebook paper listing the songs, and zero context beyond “check this out.” And I wouldn’t have had it any other way. This one’s for the lifers, the oldheads, and anyone who still believes in the old ways of Metal – it’s home!

Standout tracks: “Slasher on the Highway,” “Hit the Streets,” “Exterminator,” and the cover of Screems’ “Lonely Night”, which is worth the price of admission all by itself.

~Black Angel

PONTE DEL DIAVOLO De Venom Natura Review

Sun, 08 Feb 2026 12:12:01 GMT

PONTE DEL DIAVOLO

De Venom Natura

Season Of Mist

2026

There’s a certain kind of record that doesn’t kick the door in immediately, it lurks. “De Venom Natura” is one of those albums. It creeps into the room on bare feet, drags a cold fingernail across your spine, and only then decides whether it needs to bare its fangs. Ponte Del Diavolo aren’t interested in speed-for-speed’s-sake or extremity as a checklist; it’s more about atmosphere, intent, and the slow burn of venom doing its work.

From the opening moments, of “Every Tongue Has Its Thorns” the band establishes a sense of ritualistic weight. The riffs aren’t flashy, but they’re deliberate, coiled, oppressive, and soaked in a dark Rock/Doom lineage that feels ancient without being dusty. There’s a strong Occult Rock pulse here, but it’s been dragged through blackened soil and left to rot just enough to smell dangerous. The songs breathe, expand, and constrict when they need to, never rushing toward a payoff. This is music that trusts patience.

The real centerpiece, though, is the vocal presence. Rather than overpowering the music, the vocals move within it, commanding without grandstanding, seductive without softening the menace. There’s an almost ceremonial delivery at times, like an invocation rather than a performance, which adds to the album’s unsettling charm. It’s not about range or acrobatics; it’s about conviction, and “De Venom Natura” has that in abundance.

Production-wise, the album walks a fine line between clarity and grime. Everything feels intentionally placed but never sterilized. The low-end rumbles with purpose, the guitars carry a thick, shadowy tone, and the overall mix reinforces the record’s claustrophobic mood rather than trying to “modernize” it. This isn’t meant to shine.

What really makes “De Venom Natura” stick is its identity. Ponte Del Diavolo doesn’t sound like they’re chasing trends or trying to fit neatly into a subgenre box. This is dark music for listeners who appreciate mood as much as muscle, those who want something that crawls under the skin and stays there. It’s an album that rewards full, uninterrupted listens, lights low, distractions gone.

In the end, “De Venom Natura” isn’t about instant gratification. It’s about immersion. It’s about letting the poison seep in slowly until you realize it’s already in your bloodstream. For those drawn to the shadowed corners of Doom, Occult rock, and Blackened atmospheres, Ponte Del Diavolo has delivered something genuinely quietly dangerous.

Standouts – “Every Tongue Has Its Thorns”, “Spirit, Blood, Poison, Ferment!”, “Delta-9” and “Silence Walk With Me”.

~Black Angel

Cuyahoga Fails Still Punk As Fuck Review

Sun, 01 Feb 2026 10:00:00 GMT

Cuyahoga Fails

Still Punk As Fuck

Self-Released

2025

Ohio has always been ground zero for Punk Rock shenanigans, and that fact is hammered home once again with the release of Cuyahoga Fails’ debut full-length “Still Punk As Fuck.”

Cuyahoga Fails is made up of the leftovers of the old Horror Punk band Horror Of 59 and a handful of other crusty Punk bands you’ve probably never heard of. I say that half-jokingly, but I also lifted it straight from their bio. After spinning this debut, I’m starting to feel like I actually missed out on those “unknown” bands they’re talking about…

I picked up CF’s demo “Come Fail Away” a few years back and dug it quite a bit. I still have ties to former Horror Of 59 vocalist Bobnoxious, and I was a big fan of that band, so checking out Bob’s new gig was a no-brainer. The demo was solid for what it was, apparently, we never reviewed it though… my bad. Consider this the long-overdue course correction.

A handful of tracks from the demo resurface on “Still Punk As Fuck,” and that’s a good thing. Hearing songs you already like come back louder, tighter, and better recorded is always a win. What really makes CF click, though, is the lyrical chaos. It’s random as hell - reads like a bunch of grumpy old men on a front porch bitching about whatever happens to cross their line of sight. That might very well be the entire point. This isn’t your run-of-the-mill Punk Rock, and the music doesn’t pretend to be either. Sonically, CF leans hard into the Ramones, The Stooges, and MC5 camp, and you don’t fuck with that lineage. I don’t care if they’re singing about Mexican Pizzas or an HOA, it works.

There’s a surprising amount of melody baked into this record; hell, you could even call it pop-leaning. Before anyone panics, we’re talking about Ramones pop, not Blink-182 nonsense. The band has that four-on-the-floor stomp locked in, amps dimed, no frills, no apologies. Bobnoxious has always had a smooth delivery, and here he sounds exactly like what he is: a working-class Punk Rock vocalist with mileage and zero interest in polishing the edges.

Cuyahoga Fails is the kind of Indy Punk band you expect to stumble into on a random Friday night at a dive bar - the kind where PBR on tap is a dollar, the bathrooms are wallpapered in stickers, and someone is either puking, fucking, or shooting up in one of the stalls. This is Punk Rock that isn’t trying to maul everything in sight, it’s just loud honest fun. Exactly how it should be.

Standouts – “Broflake”, “Angry Red Planet”, “You”, “Goodbye Cruel Girl” and “Mexican Pizza”.

~Black Angel

Turbo's Tribunal Mills Of Tribunal Review

Sun, 01 Feb 2026 10:00:00 GMT

Turbo’s Tribunal

Mills Of Tribunal

Jawbreaker Records

2026

Scandinavian Metal label, Jawbreaker Records just dropped the solo release “Mills Of Tribunal” from Andreas Thunbo under the name Turbo’s Tribunal. Thunbo isn’t a newcomer to the scene he’s a veteran in the Danish Metal scene having played in the projects Peine, Oath Of Woe and Pugnator.

There’s no mention of other band members in Turbo’s Tribunal, so let’s assume that this is a one-man band and then let’s rejoice that it’s not a Black Metal band for a change! Then again, I wouldn’t expect that genre from Jawbreaker, they deal in Speed, Heavy and Classic Metal which is exactly what we’re looking at here.

Firstly, let me say that this is 40 minutes of oldschool NWOBHM worship and I’m not mad at it, I’m quite enamored with it. It has a strong Euro feel to it and reminds me a lot of Sweden’s Heavy Load which is always welcomed! There’s also an underlying Mercyful Fate/Judas Priest vibe – one listen to the vocals and you can’t help but feel that way. However, we’re not just getting our faces blasted with earsplitting falsettos, there’s a lot more depth and warmth in the vocals here. I love Thunbo’s tone, it’s thick and rich. No cheap imitation copy-cat here. I’m also getting a strong Mercyful Fate in the riffs/structure, but again, I expect and admire it.

I’m also enthused by the approach, there’s no re-inventing of the wheel and or playing outside of the norms, it is what it is with no apologies – Real Heavy Metal. Lyrically, there’s a bit of a Satanic undertone in specifically in the tune “Satan Is Here”. Again, it fits the feel of the album. There’s a great deal of galloping riffs throughout the album that really drive how that NWOBHM vibe, it also shows off Thunbo’s love for Iron Maiden. Album title “Mills Of Tribunal”, “Death Gallop” and “Boogieman (Father Of Evil)” are perfect examples of this.

Sonically, the album feels 100% analog, I could see pulling this one out of a beat-up record cover that’s been knicked to hell and back – probably smells like smoke, regret and if you look really close it could have some leftover cocaine residue from an all-nighter.

For a one-man band debut release, “Mills Of Tribunal” packs a helluva punch. It scratches every itch that all of us oldschool Metalheads that were around when the influences heard on this album were current. I strongly recommend checking this album out and while you’re at it, check out Jawbreaker Records as a whole, they’re releasing some criminally underrated Metal albums!

~Black Angel

Alice In Chains Self-Titled 30th Anniversary Vinyl Review

Sun, 01 Feb 2026 10:00:00 GMT

Alice In Chains

Self-Titled 30 ^th Anniversary Reissue

Columbia Records

1995/2026

Anyone familiar with my rantings knows the ’90s music scene never fully welcomed me, but that doesn’t mean I ignored everything coming out of it. Alice In Chains was an exception. There was always something different about them, and it lived squarely in Layne Staley’s lyrics and vocal delivery. Jerry Cantrell’s guitar work and presence only deepened that identity. I won’t pretend I didn’t love this band; I absolutely did.

“Facelift” was fucking brilliant. “Dirt” was solid, but it never fully grabbed me like it did everyone else. The album that truly branded itself into my soul was 1995’s Self-Titled release, the three-legged dog record. I was a high-school senior when it dropped, and my drug use was beginning to spiral out of control. That album hit me square in the chest. Maybe the chemicals helped, but the connection was real.

Most AIC fans agree this was their darkest record, and you can feel it in every second. It had a weight and atmosphere that didn’t sound like anything else at the time. Today, we’d probably slap the “Sludge Metal” tag on a lot of what’s happening here, and honestly, this album is a blueprint for how that style should be done. Not perfectly aligned with the genre as it exists now, but close enough that I hear its DNA everywhere. It’s probably why I gravitate toward Sludge in the first place.

That said, a lot of modern bands miss the point vocally. All the growling and snarling isn’t necessary. Staley didn’t force it; he let it pour. You can do that too. Put the bong down, clear your head just enough, and sing your truth, no matter the demons you’re wrestling with.

The darkness here clearly mirrors Staley’s addiction, and that honesty is exactly why this album resonates so deeply with me. It’s also heavy on acoustics, giving it an almost Unplugged feel even when the Sludge kicks in. This record is a masterclass in how tunings set the mood and tone. More than anything, it’s brutally honest. After a couple of listens, you feel like you know who Staley and Cantrell were. Sadly, this would be the last studio release that Staley would record with AIC.

Now to the reissue. This isn’t some half-assed bootleg for collectors, it’s a proper, respectful release. The album’s been remastered, and I’m happy to report they didn’t cheat us. The vinyl absolutely kills. Nothing is bricked. Everything breathes. The highs are crisp; the lows hit like a wrecking ball. Being a double LP helps, minimal compression, maximum depth. Analog warmth all the way through. The album is a gatefold with printed inner sleeves, but analog nerds like me already have anti-static sleeves waiting in the wings to protect this precious vinyl.

There isn’t a weak track here, but my standouts remain: “Shame In You,” “God Am,” “Again,” “Over Now,” and “Sludge Factory.”

There are multiple color variants depending on your preference. Me, I’m from the “whatever’s available and cheapest” school. That said, cheap isn’t really an option, this one’ll run you about 40 bones. The good news? It’s currently available at Wal-Mart, of all places, including an exclusive variant. I grabbed mine while grocery shopping – that’s called good living where I come from!

This won’t sit on shelves for long. Fans have been begging for this reissue for years. So, before you get hosed online, hit Wal-Mart, snag a copy, and grab your dog a toy while you’re there. Everyone gets a treat! Seriously, don’t miss out on this reissue – you’ll regret it!

~Black Angel

Ritual Arcana Self-Titled Review

Sun, 01 Feb 2026 10:00:00 GMT

Ritual Arcana

Self-Titled

Heavy Psych Sounds

2026

The first Doom/Stoner album of 2026 to truly knock me on my ass has arrived, and damned if that doesn’t feel good. This is a genre that rarely gets me fired up anymore, it takes more than fuzz and volume. There must be staying power, something that lingers long after the smoke clears, whether it’s in the lyrics, the intent, or the overall spiritual weight of the record. Ritual Arcana, the new project from husband-and-wife duo Scott “Wino” Weinrich and SharLee LuckyFree, have delivered exactly that with their self-titled debut via Heavy Psych Sounds. Rounding out the trio is drummer Oakley Munson, whose presence completes the triangle nicely.

I’ll be upfront: I wasn’t deeply familiar with LuckyFree’s prior work, nor Munson’s. Wino, of course, needs no introduction, you can trip over a band he’s played in while grabbing produce on aisle four. Jokes aside, his presence here is pronounced, arguably more focused than on many of his other projects. That focus feels intentional. When you’re creating something with your partner, you share blood, breath, and belief with, there’s a deeper investment. This isn’t just another band; it feels like a shared ritual, a private fire made public. And that intimacy matters. You can hear it in every note.

Musically, fans of The Obsessed will immediately feel at home. This isn’t a copy, but the DNA is unmistakable: direct, no-bullshit Stoner Rock delivered with conviction. The difference lies in the atmosphere. Ritual Arcana is more melodic, more accessible on the surface, but don’t confuse that with softness. There’s a slow-burning darkness underneath it all, one that pulses rather than explodes. This is music that coils instead of charges.

That darkness is carried, no, its summoned by LuckyFree. Her vocals ooze confidence and command, steeped in shadow and sensuality. There are echoes of Coven here, and flashes of Lucifer, but LuckyFree’s voice is deeper, stronger, and far more convincing. Where some bands flirt with occult imagery as aesthetic, Ritual Arcana feels initiated. This doesn’t sound like cosplay, it sounds lived-in, practiced and possibly dangerous. The lyrics feel like invocations, whispered over candlelight and sweat, tapping into tarot, lustcraft, and the kind of witchery that blurs pleasure and power. There’s an undeniable eroticism at play, not cheap or voyeuristic, but ritualistic, sacred, and a little unclean. Lustmord in spirit: seductive, murderous and exotic.

Wino’s riffs and leads are classic yet restrained, acting as a solid altar upon which LuckyFree delivers her sermons. His playing doesn’t overpower, it supports, giving her space to command the room, to preach and entice in equal measure. The chemistry is undeniable, and it’s that chemistry that elevates Ritual Arcana beyond just another Doom release.

Casual fans of Stoner and Doom Metal will find plenty to love here. None of the tracks overstay their welcome, most hit hard and vanish within four minutes. There’s no aimless droning, no indulgent noodling. Every song feels purposeful, like a spell cast quickly but effectively. This album knows exactly what it wants to do and wastes no time doing it.

If you’re searching for something darkly seductive, something that feeds the shadowy corners of the mind while still delivering riffs with teeth, Ritual Arcana’s self-titled debut is more than worth your time. This is Doom with intent, Stoner Rock with desire, and it leaves a mark long after the ritual ends.

Standouts – “Ritual Arcana”, “Berkana”, “Summon The Wheel” and “Mistress Of Change”.

~Black Angel

W.E.B. Darkness Alive Review

Sun, 01 Feb 2026 09:45:02 GMT

W.E.B.

Darkness Alive

Metal Blade Records

2026

Typically, Extreme Metal, especially live Extreme Metal albums, isn’t something I reach for anymore. It’s just not my lane these days. That said, there are a handful of bands that still hold my attention: Rotting Christ, Dimmu Borgir, Cradle Of Filth, Behemoth. Athens-based W.E.B. doesn’t come off as a clone of any of them, but the parallels are unmistakable, particularly in their execution, atmosphere, and overall musicianship.

This February, W.E.B. will be unleashing a live album recorded in their hometown of Athens titled “Darkness Alive” To the best of my knowledge, it pulls from various points in their discography. Truth be told, this was my first real exposure to the band, and I went in with tempered expectations.

Live Symphonic Extreme Metal albums often suffer from the same fatal flaw: they’re a chaotic wall of sound that I want to escape from as quickly as possible. “Darkness Alive” avoids that pitfall entirely. The recording quality is shockingly strong, so much so that it borders on feeling like a studio session. Crowd noise is kept to a minimum, the mix is clean, and every instrument is clearly defined. There’s no excessive bleed, no hiss, and none of the murkiness that usually plagues this kind of release. From the opening moments, the album feels inviting rather than overwhelming.

Long-time fans should be more than satisfied hearing how W.E.B. translates their sound to a live environment. As for me, this release did exactly what a good live album should, it made me want to dig into the band’s back catalog and keep an ear open for their forthcoming studio album. For a genre and format, I usually avoid, “Darkness Alive” managed to pull me in, and that says more than I expected it to.

Standouts – “Murder Of Crows”, “Morphine For Saints”, “Into Hellfire We Burn”.

~Black Angel

Burning Path Self-Titled Review

Sun, 01 Feb 2026 09:30:00 GMT

Burning Path

Self-Titled

Dying Victims Productions

2026

Chile’s Burning Path rises from the ashes of Lucifer’s Hammer, a band whose legacy was tragically cut short in 2024 when frontman Hades was senselessly murdered. What should have been the end instead became a line in the sand. Refusing to let his brother’s voice and vision fade into silence, Titan, alongside longtime guitarist Hypnos, forged Burning Path, not as a reboot, not as a nostalgia grab, but as a continuation of blood, sweat, and steel.

The band’s self-titled debut makes one thing immediately clear: this isn’t a reinvention. Longtime LH fans will feel right at home, as the core DNA remains intact, sharp riffs, melodic hooks, and that unmistakable Heavy Metal heartbeat. The biggest shift comes at the mic, where Titan steps up and delivers with conviction, grit, and reverence. I’ll be honest, I missed the boat on Lucifer’s Hammer while they were active, and after digging into their catalog, that realization stings. But Burning Path doesn’t feel like a consolation prize. It feels like the next chapter.

My first spin had me double-checking to see if I’d accidentally unearthed some long-lost cassette from the early ’80s. This album sounds authentically dated in the best possible way, channeling the spirit of bands like Heavy Pettin’, Malice, and Dokken, with just enough AOR sheen to keep things soaring without going soft. It’s melodic, confident, and unapologetically rooted in a time when Heavy Metal lived and died by hooks and heart.

Soundwise, this album is pure vintage - warm, analog, and refreshingly unpolished. No modern studio trickery, no overproduction, just honest Metal that breathes. If you’re an old dog like me who grew up on Headbangers Ball, tape trading, and blind-buying records just because the logo looked mean enough, Burning Path should absolutely be on your radar.

Standouts – “When Darkness Falls”, “Take Me High” and “Chasing The Future”.

~Black Angel

Exhumed Red Asphalt Review

Sun, 25 Jan 2026 12:37:32 GMT

Exhumed

Red Asphalt

Relapse Records

2026

For those of you who are unfamiliar with extreme metal journeyman Matt Harvey, let’s give you some background. He formed the death metal/grindcore band Exhumed (whose new splatter platter we will be discussing shortly) in 1990 as guitarist/vocalist, where he remains today. In addition to them, he also fronts the very Death (the band)-inspired throwback unit Gruesome, Left To Die (a legitimate Death tribute band), Expulsion, and the more traditional metal-flavored Pounder, and those are only his most well-known acts. Forever ensuring he would never sleep, one look at the guy’s list of bands since 1990 reads like a CVS receipt. Now 50, he shows no signs of slowing with the brand-new gore metal full-length from his mangled baby Exhumed and the ten-song Red Asphalt.

Exhumed fall firmly in the “old school” space of things, but their sound is an amalgam of the finest of vintages. Think Repulsion, Autopsy, Aborted, Dying Fetus, etc. While they may have those influences either directly or indirectly, somehow Exhumed manage to toss them into a meat grinder and come out with a discerning and well-seasoned mince that never sounds forced or carbon copied. Joining Harvey on these ten tales of (if the song titles are any indication) vehicular horrors are longtime cohorts Ross Sewage (bass/vocals), Sebastian Philips (guitar), and Mike Hamilton on drums. The mix is fitting of the genre in so much that it's loud, in-your-face, and straddles the line between cruelly raw and polished just enough. Don't read that as these West Coast cretins becoming commercial; nay, they are still going straight for the jugular. These songs are still high-octane, speedy death/grind with a barrage of riffs, brutality, and some dangerous twists and turns.

Opener “Unsafe At Any Speed” pummels and blasts its way through a scant three-plus minutes. The ferocity doesn't stop for the next (title) song, “Red Asphalt”, which begins with some minor harmonized guitars and grimy bass before they settle into a galloping double-bass groove, dialing back the speed but doubling down on the chugging, a breakdown, and more blast-beaten insanity wrapped up with, dare I say, a catchy chorus. “Shock Trauma” follows with busy riffing, interplay between higher and lower growls, searing leads, and a melodic midsection. “Shovelhead” begins with a dirgy, Carcass-inspired verse, replete with more double-bass licks, mid-tempo groove, fantastic harmony guitars, and searing leads. We are only in for 2:55 here, and I could've absolutely enjoyed another 30–45 seconds. Settling into some somewhat slower pacing, “Iron Graveyard” and the mastodon-heavy “Crawling From the Wreckage” are next, and the blasts on the latter take things up a notch between crushing chromatic riffing and, once again, great lead guitar work. I feel this is one area of strength Exhumed has over MANY playing similar stuff: absolutely technically proficient and shredding soloing that serves the songs and never become a wankfest. A prime example is the tasteful lines found in “Signal Thirty”. “Death on Four Wheels” taps into some thrashy guitar and drum interplay before falling headlong into more bludgeoning grind. “Symphorophilia” grinds us to dust in under two minutes. Finally, “The Fumes” is perhaps the purest death metal cut here, as it plods away with a decidedly Swedish d-beat. Definitely a STRONG way to close this whole thing out.

For a band that has been active since 1990 (off and on), Exhumed sound energized and vital here. They aren't repeating the same albums over and over. Through the years, they've taken us on sonic journeys through VHS horror shelves from our youth, graveyards and operating theaters of 19th-century Scotland, their very own band history, to now the unforgiving and kill-or-be-killed mindset of America’s roadways. Red Asphalt is a sleazy, whiplash-inducing slab of tongue-in-cheek, yet monolithically heavy, blood-soaked Americana by way of gore, death metal, and grindcore. Buckle up and join these freaks on Route 666!

RIYL: Carcass, Repulsion, Autopsy, Hemdale, Impaled

~TB

Rave In Fire Square One Review

Sun, 25 Jan 2026 12:37:28 GMT

Rave In Fire

Square One

High Roller Records

2026

Classic metal (those bands, songs, and albums fashioned in the ’70s to the early ’90s) is very much a niche genre in 2026. Sure, you have the old guard still touring, recording, and in some cases still selling, but metal as a genre has now splintered into what is seemingly around 18,000 genres and subgenres. The classic stuff (Priest, Maiden, Dio, etc.) isn't really producing new and noteworthy bands on American soil unless you have an ear to the ground and are in the know. There is an argument to be made that there are bands and fans for that sound still here and alive in a thriving underground independent scene, and while I don't disagree, the main fanbase and plethora of bands that seem to invoke the denim n’ leather feelings of old, and in increasing numbers, reside in Europe. That brings me to Madrid's Rave In Fire, and the neon glow of their newest album, Square One, from the prolific High Roller Records.

Rave In Fire have been kicking around for a few years, and in 2018 they released the EP Chronicle of a Timeless End, followed by the full-length Sons of A Lie in 2022. After making a German live debut in 2024 at the Trvheim Festival, we are now here with the nine-song third release. Fully produced and engineered by the band themselves (specifically by guitarist Jonjo Negrete), the production is clean, with every instrument and vocal being heard loud and clear with a modern sheen. What's interesting about Rave In Fire is that they are a female-led band. I bring this up not because it's uncommon now, but simply because you don't hear many bands in this style (classic, power, and even some proggier moments) having women on the vocals. Sele’s pipes remind me of an edgier Pat Benatar and prime Doro Pesch from her Warlock days. She can belt, has the right amount of grit and rasp, and can be quietly subdued and vulnerable in her approach.

Musically, the band (rounded out by Jonjo – guitars, Sara – bass, and Jimi – drums) meld together a sound that relies on metal of the somewhat poppier, yet edgy variety. It's not a guitar-centric record (they have riffs, make no mistake), and it allows space for the other instruments to be featured and to breathe. Rave In Fire flirt with speed, thrash, and prog throughout, but the main modus operandi here recalls Dio, the Scorpions, harder Dokken, and Chastain. They are all at once tuneful (“Witch’s Hell”), speedy and catchy (“Dark Poison”), and introspective and epic (“Square One”). For my money, the absolute best track is the open-stringed picked guitars, double kicks, and soaring melodic vocals of “Crown of Stars”. The chorus is worth the price of admission alone.

Rave In Fire have crafted an album that is nostalgic, yet forward-thinking. They seamlessly go from fist-pumping NWOBHM to radio-friendly mainstream metal and traditional fare with progressive nuances, without sounding disjointed or unfocused. These are well-thought-out arrangements and superb musicianship that I, for one, hope bring them loftier accolades within the global scene. Square One should be in everyone's collection this year, even if the cover art depicting an alligator or lizard riding what appears to be a motorcycle amongst a brightly neon-lit city street is a bit quizzical. Like the band themselves, it's just weird enough to work!

RIYL- Dio, The Scorpions, Chastain, Dokken and Barón Rojo and Obús, but also acts like Witchtower, Leather Heart, Steelhorse or Hitten.

~TB

Fili Babliano's Fortress Death Is Your Master Review

Sun, 25 Jan 2026 12:37:22 GMT

Fili Babliano’s Fortress

Death Is Your Master

High Roller Records

2026

Once again, the oldhead in me - the one forever hunting down legitimate, no-bullshit Traditional Heavy Metal, is being absolutely spoiled by yet another killer release in 2026. I’ll be honest, I was starting to worry for a minute… then the gates of hell were kicked clean off their hinges and the Metal came spewing out like lava from a ruptured vein. Fili Babliano’s Fortress is back, and this time they’re swinging a sharpened blade titled “Death Is Your Master.”

One major change worth noting right out of the gate is the arrival of a new lead vocalist, Juan Aguila. I’m not entirely sure what prompted the lineup shift, but former vocalist Chris Nunez does resurface on the track “Blackest Night,” which tells me there’s no soap-opera nonsense happening behind the scenes - always a good sign. Aguila may be a new name to some, but don’t let that fool you. The kid sounds like he was born screaming into a mic, baptized in Marshall stacks and sweat. He sounds hungry, and hunger is non-negotiable in Heavy Metal. Once you lose that edge, the music rots. That’s not happening here.

After digging into the PR sheet, which mentions Babliano basically playing whatever came to mind, whatever felt right, I’m inclined to agree. There’s a noticeable shift in approach compared to the previous album. Instead of every track detonating like a high-speed missile, “Death Is Your Master” shows restraint where it counts. Mid-tempos, controlled headbangers, and breathing room sit comfortably alongside the faster cuts. Speed freaks, relax, there’s still plenty here to get your neck wrecked.

Given Babliano’s lean toward a Neoclassical, virtuoso guitar style, this album absolutely reeks of old Shrapnel Records energy, and that’s never a bad thing. Back in my youth, if it had that Shrapnel logo on it, I’d blind-buy without hesitation. While the album clocks in at just seven tracks, it stretches to a solid 34 minutes, and every second feels intentional. No filler, no spastic nonsense, no rushed ideas stitched together just to pad a runtime.

And let’s circle back to Aguila again, because his performance demands it. His vocal work here is a full-on falsetto clinic, the kind that would’ve had the guys in Helloween side-eyeing each other back in the day. There’s a subtle Power Metal edge because of it, but it never derails the album’s Heavy Metal spine.

Bottom line: this is a magnificent record for what it is - pure, uncut Traditional Heavy Metal. And let me be crystal clear: there is absolutely nothing wrong with that. I come from the tape-trading trenches of the ’80s. I’m forever chasing TRUE METAL, and every time I find it, I feel obligated to shout it from the rooftops - which is exactly why you’re reading this. Don’t sleep on this release if you worship Shred, sky-high vocals, and Metal played with conviction.

Standouts: “Savage Sword,” “Fugitive,” “Night City,” and “Flesh and Dagger.”

~Black Angel

Greyhawk Warriors Of Greyhawk Review

Sun, 25 Jan 2026 12:37:18 GMT

Greyhawk

Warriors Of Greyhawk

Cruz Del Sur Music

2026

Washington has been on an absolute heater lately, with band after band crawling out of the Pacific Northwest and dropping records that demand attention. The latest assault comes from Epic Power Metal warriors Greyhawk, whose new album “Warriors Of Greyhawk” is set to hit the streets in February via Cruz Del Sur Music, and yeah, this one comes in swinging.

Greyhawk have been active since 2018 and already have a few releases under their belt, all of which somehow flew completely under my radar, because of course they did. Power Metal has never been my go-to subgenre. In fact, most of the time it leaves me cold, bored, or checking the runtime every three minutes. But every so often, a band slips through the cracks and kicks my ass when I least expect it. Greyhawk are one of those exceptions.

“Warriors Of Greyhawk” is soaked in that glorious throwback energy, and it wears it proudly. If you were raised on Helloween, Fates Warning, or Dio, this album is going to hit you right in the nostalgia gland. We’re talking sky-scraping falsettos, massive fist-pumping choruses, and songs that move at full-blown blitzkrieg speed. The guitars carry serious weight, buzzsaw riffs, heroic leads, and that unmistakable pure steel tone that feels forged rather than recorded.

What really seals the deal here is the band’s sense of dynamics. The album isn’t just pedal-to-the-floor speed worship. There are tasteful AOR-leaning moments slipped in just enough to keep you locked in, and the slower tracks absolutely sink their hooks in deep. The melodies stick, the choruses linger, and the title track in particular delivers some of the most genuinely epic moments on the record. Then there’s “Chosen”, which throws a curveball with choir-style vocals that wouldn’t feel out of place on a Therion album, an unexpected move that works shockingly well and says a lot about the band’s broader influences.

In a world where Power Metal usually bores me to tears, “Warriors Of Greyhawk” somehow landed squarely in my wheelhouse. Maybe it’s the oldhead in me, but I’ve spent hours with this album, letting it creep under my skin and set up shop. The feeling is dangerously familiar, like the first time I dropped the needle on “Keeper Of The Seven Keys Part II.” And yeah, that’s a hell of a comparison, but I stand by it.

This is not an album to sleep on. Even if Power Metal isn’t usually your thing, there’s more than enough meat on this bone to satisfy any fan of real Metal.

Standouts – “Ascension”, “Warriors Of Greyhawk”, “Hyperspace”, and “Endless Race”.

~Black Angel

Zerre Rotting On A Golden Throne Review

Sun, 25 Jan 2026 12:37:02 GMT

ZERRE

Rotting On A Golden Throne

Dying Victims Productions

2026

Germanic thrash has a long, storied history in the annals of metal. Since the dawn of the ’80s, bands such as Sodom, Destruction, and Kreator have been cranking out pit-worthy anthems and quality albums alongside Darkness, Tankard, etc. The country’s latest export, Würzburg’s Zerre, are no exception. Let's dive deep into these mosh merchants’ fourth full-length, the savage Rotting On A Golden Throne.

ZERRE operates as a quintet and, upon checking out their earlier releases, I can ascertain one thing: they are committed to waving the flag and carrying the torch for old-school thrash, with a few twists and turns giving them a unique sense of individuality in a very crowded scene. This newest effort is of that same mind, yet a bit darker and more aggressive than previous albums. With top-notch production (that relies a bit too heavily on the overly reverb-soaked, yet vicious vocals of Nico Ziska, to my ears anyway), all their guns are blazing here. Guitarists Dominik Bertelt and Rocco Lepore crank out fast alternate picking, churning and chugging riffs as if it's second nature. Meanwhile, the lightning speed and tasteful drumming of Basti Spahn and the galloping yet in-the-pocket simplicity of Tim Müller (bass) hold down the airtight rhythm section. Together they crank out an intro and eight songs that plod, stomp, and swiftly worm themselves into your brain.

The songs here all seem to have an overtly more political and social tone to them this time out, as is evident by the mere album title. Yet, upon a closer look, there's more meat to those bones in the rapid-fire d-beat of “Pigs Will Be Pigs,” the double-kick-lined punch of “Deception of the Weak” (the open strings and chording of the guitars on the gang shouts in the chorus are chef’s kiss), and the title track “Rotting On A Golden Throne.” ZERRE knows how to write catchy yet scintillating tunes that are definitely not short on anger, heaviness, and pure headbanging bliss (the mid-paced breakdown of the title track is a certain vertebreaker live). I'm not big on comparing bands, but if I had to reference where they are coming from, imagine elements of classic Exodus and Metallica colliding with Municipal Waste’s more crossover-related material and the Bay Area nods Faith No More dished out on The Real Thing, and you are pretty much in their ham-fisted, denim-vest-wearing ballpark. It's certainly nothing groundbreaking, but they combine all of these influences to make for an engrossing, song-oriented listen. I have done far worse things with 40 minutes and 5 seconds of my time.

ZERRE can comfortably hang their bullet belts amongst the progenitors of German thrash lineage. They are giving them a run for their money, too. Crank this. If you can listen to the opening of “Concrete Hell” without gritting your teeth, then you just don't like good thrash… Bang on, gentlemen!

RIYL: Exodus, Municipal Waste, Slayer, early Metallica, Faith No More

~TB

Rotgut 8 Oz Cantrip Review

Sun, 18 Jan 2026 12:08:10 GMT

Rotgut

8 Oz Cantrip

Self-Released

2026

2025 introduced me to the Pac-West menace known as Rotgut via their debut EP “24 Oz Cantrip”, and I’m not exaggerating when I say it rewired my brain. Instantly obsessed. The band hit every pressure point I didn’t even know I still had - Thrash, Horror, Blackened filth, all stirred together like some forbidden back-alley potion. It felt like being blasted back into my VHS-rotted youth: late nights, Horror marathons, flickering screens, bad decisions, worse soundtracks. This wasn’t nostalgia, this was home.

The only problem? Physical media. The band only had it on cassette, and unless someone wants to donate a functioning tape deck from 1988, that wasn’t happening. So, I did what any sane person would do: burned a CDR like it was 2001 and parked it in my car permanently. It’s lived there ever since. I’ve spun that thing more times than I can count, and every time the same thought creeps in: “Fuck it, let’s go again.” Full-blown ritual listening. No skips. No regrets. Total obsession.

Rotgut themselves are still wrapped in mystery. Masked up, nameless, looking like they crawled straight out of the wreckage with the Acolytes from Mad Max. Are they survivors? Are they psychos? Are they even human? Who knows, but if I saw them rolling down the highway, I’m changing lanes and minding my business.

Fast forward, sneak attack. The band has quietly dropped another EP and somehow, I didn’t know beforehand, which feels like a personal failure. But whatever, because now there’s fresh audio filth to roll around in, and that’s all that matters.

Enter “8 Oz Cantrip.” I have no earthly idea what the deal is with the “Cantrip” theme, and honestly, I don’t care. I’m sober, my ears work, and my tolerance for filth is extremely high, that’s all the prerequisite listening gear you need.

This time it’s only four tracks, which is admittedly a kick in the teeth, but that’s the fanboy talking. I want a full hour of this stuff injected directly into my skull. Thankfully, the repeat button exists for a reason. According to the bio, these are older tracks from the band’s early days, now dragged out of the shadows and unleashed properly. And holy hell, you can feel it.

There’s a noticeable shift here. The debut leaned heavier into a Black ’n’ Roll swagger; “8 Oz Cantrip” is meaner, nastier, and way more unhinged. The blackened edge is still there, but now it’s colliding head-on with Death Metal aggression, smearing genre lines like blood on concrete. What really takes center stage though is the craftsmanship. The songwriting. The intent. This band does not miss. Ever.

Riffs that snap necks. Leads that cut like razors. Vocals that sound like they’re summoning something ancient and severely pissed off. And a rhythm section that doesn’t budge - an immovable, unstoppable force. Everything hits with purpose. No filler. No wasted motion. Just controlled violence.

“8 Oz Cantrip” is a vicious follow-up from a band that knows exactly who and what they are – “meat for the beast”. And its borderline criminal that they aren’t already on a bigger label, getting shoved in front of massive crowds. That’ll change. All it takes is one listen, one show, one exec with a spine. Put Rotgut on a stage at Wacken or Hellfest and watch the crowd lose their goddamn minds. This is the kind of band that gets carved into skin.

If that doesn’t happen soon, I’ll settle for vinyl pressings, a growing cult following, and fewer nights blasting this shit alone in the dark like a maniac. This EP should easily find its way into my top ten list of 2026 just as the band’s previous release. Hit their bandcamp page up right fucking now, don’t wait. This is Black Sex Horror Magic in its most vile form, the kind that crawls out of the sewer and demands a sacrifice.

Standouts: “Slash and Burn” and “Gods and Masters”

~Black Angel

Bullet Kickstarter Review

Sun, 18 Jan 2026 12:08:04 GMT

Bullet

Kickstarter

Steamhammer

2026

Some bands ease back in after a long absence. Bullet doesn’t. They kick the door off the hinges, light the room on fire, and ask why anyone ever stopped paying attention in the first place.

The band’s new album “Kickstarter” sounds like it was written by people who remember why Heavy Metal mattered before everything got polished, quantized, and sanitized for mass consumption. This is street-level, knuckles-bleeding, denim-and-leather Metal - the kind that doesn’t ask permission and sure as hell doesn’t chase trends.

From the opening moments, the riffs come swinging with that familiar Bullet bite: sharp, direct, and loaded with attitude. No fluff, no filler, no “let’s pad this out for streaming numbers” nonsense. Every song feels like it’s been pressure-tested in a filthy rehearsal room with the amps cranked just past reasonable and the neighbors already calling the cops.

The guitars are the real weapon here - lean, mean, and locked into that classic Hard Rock/Heavy Metal sweet spot where melody and aggression collide. There’s a hunger in these riffs that only comes from a band that still believes in what they’re doing. This isn’t nostalgia. This is conviction.

I’d be lying if I didn’t mention that the vocals have always been reminiscent of UDO/Brian Johnson, but that’s just icing on the cake/ There’s also an underlying John Gallagher (Raven) tone lying just below the surface. These gravel-throated voices have never missed and the same goes for this band.

The rhythm section deserves a raised fist as well. The bass isn’t hiding in the shadows, and the drums drive everything forward with a no-nonsense assault. This album moves and grooves without overthinking it.

What really seals the deal is the attitude dripping off every track. Bullet isn’t here to reinvent Metal or explain it to anyone. This is Heavy Metal for people who already know - the lifers, the tape-traders, the ones who never stopped caring even when the scene went sideways. There’s pride here. There’s defiance. There’s that unmistakable feeling of a band saying, “We’re still here, are you with us or against us?”

In a time where so much new Metal feels calculated, Bullet’s “Kickstarter” album delivers something rare: honesty, grit, and fire.

If you’re still searching for legitimate Heavy Metal that hits hard, stays loud, and doesn’t dilute the message - Bullet just handed you your fix. Turn it up, don’t skip tracks, and remember why this shit mattered in the first place.

Standouts – “Kickstarter”, “Avenger”, “Full Throttle”, “Night Falls Down”.

~Black Angel

Six Feet Under Unburied Reissue Review

Sun, 18 Jan 2026 12:07:55 GMT

Six Feet Under

Unburied Reissue/Remaster

Brutal Planet Records

2026

In February, Brutal Planet Records will be cracking open another chapter of SFU lore, and this time it’s one of the band’s most elusive curios finally crawling out of the dirt. “Unburied” has long existed as one of those releases you heard about more than saw. Originally tucked away in a flimsy cardboard sleeve and hidden in random locations like some kind of Death Metal scavenger hunt, the only way I managed to land a copy was by buying the “Nightmares Of The Decomposed” CD box set. It later got a blink-and-you-missed-it vinyl run via Night Of The Vinyl Dead Records. Now, for the first time, there will be proper, legit CD and vinyl pressings available for normal humans. That alone makes this reissue worth talking about.

For the uninitiated, “Unburied” is a collection of leftover tracks pulled from the “Undead,” “Unborn,” and “Torment” sessions. As a longtime SFU devotee, this is absolutely a required piece of the puzzle, but let’s not pretend this is peak-era Six Feet Under. Most of the hardcore fanbase will tell you the same thing. The talent is unquestionably there, but once Greg Gall and Terry Butler exited, the band’s signature Death N’ Roll swagger went with them. What remains here is SFU at their meanest, most technical, and at times most clinical.

And sure, for some fans that technical edge is the whole selling point. For me? Not so much. I’m still firmly planted in the school of thought that just because you can doesn’t mean you should. I miss the groove. I miss the filth that felt like it was swinging instead of slicing. And it doesn’t help that several of these tracks feel exactly like what they are - leftovers. Not bad songs, but unfinished, undercooked, or lacking that final push that would’ve elevated them beyond bonus material.

The remastering job is solid enough, but it’s working with limited raw material. These recordings weren’t stellar to begin with, and no amount of polish is going to magically conjure drum and bass presence that was never fully there. Still, for the diehards - and this release is very much for the diehards - there’s plenty of meat left on the bone.

Despite my reservations, I’ll absolutely be grabbing the vinyl. It’s a necessity, not a question. Tracks like “Midnight In Hell,” “The Perverse,” and “Possessed” still hit hard and stand as strong reminders of what Barnes and this incarnation of SFU were capable of when everything clicked. “Unburied” may not be essential listening for the casual fan, but for collectors and longtime followers, this reissue finally gives this underground oddity the proper burial and resurrection it deserves.

~Black Angel

Rotting Christ Aealo Re-Recorded Review

Sun, 11 Jan 2026 10:00:00 GMT

Rotting Christ

Aealo Re-Recorded

Season Of Mist

2026

Rotting Christ revisiting “Aealo” could have easily been an exercise in vanity or nostalgia, but instead it comes across as a deliberate act of restoration. This re-recording isn’t about rewriting history; it’s about finally letting one of the band’s most important and evocative albums breathe the way it always deserved to.

“Aealo” was already a towering release in their catalog: ritualistic, martial, steeped in ancient fire and spiritual defiance. The songs themselves were never the issue. The intent, the atmosphere, the conviction of that was firmly in place from day one. What this re-recording does is strip away the limitations of its original sonic frame and reveal the full weight of what was always there. Using modern technology, Rotting Christ sharpen the edges, deepen the lows, and give the album a sense of scale that feels closer to the band’s original vision.

The biggest difference is clarity, but not the sterile, over-polished kind. Every chant, every percussive strike, every layered guitar line now stands tall and distinct, contributing to a sound that feels both more massive and more immersive. The album’s ritualistic pulse hits harder, the martial rhythms feel more commanding, and the dark, ceremonial atmosphere is more enveloping than ever. Rather than dulling the album’s raw spiritual intensity, the updated production amplifies it.

What’s most impressive is how faithful this re-recording remains to the soul of “Aealo”. The band doesn’t modernize the songwriting or soften its character; they simply present it with the power and definition it always warranted. This version feels less like a replacement and more like the album’s true form finally emerging, ancient hymns carved in clearer stone.

For longtime devotees, this re-recording offers a chance to reconnect with one of Rotting Christ’s finest works in a way that feels renewed and reinvigorated. For newer listeners, it serves as a definitive gateway into a pivotal moment in the band’s evolution. “Aealo” reborn isn’t a revision, it’s a revelation, and a reminder of just how commanding Rotting Christ can be when their vision is fully realized.

~Black Angel

Pagan Altar Lords Of Hypocrisy Reissue Review

Sun, 11 Jan 2026 10:00:00 GMT

Pagan Altar

Lords of Hypocrisy Reissue

Dying Victims Productions

2026

There are records that feel like relics, stones pulled from the earth still warm with the heat of the fire that forged them. Pagan Altar’s “Lords of Hypocrisy” is one of those records. Pagan Altar never needed hype, trends, or algorithms; their music traveled the old way, the honest way, through tape trading circles, late-night letters, and whispered recommendations between the few who understood what true Doom sounded like before the world caught on. For some of us, these songs were gospel long before anyone pressed a fresh vinyl reissue.

This new reissue from Dying Victims Productions feels less like a re-release and more like an act of preservation. There’s a candlelit warmth woven into these songs, the same glow that once made the original recordings feel as if they’d been carved inside an abandoned chapel on the outskirts of time. That unmistakable Pagan Altar aura, half occult mystique, half working-class grit, remains fully intact, perhaps even stronger now. The crackling magic of the early tapes is preserved, yet SAINT Terry Jones’ voice and Alan’s unmistakable guitar work have the room they deserve to stretch their limbs and breathe.

“Lords of Hypocrisy” remains one of the purest distillations of what real Doom, real, old-world, candle-lit Doom, was meant to be. Not the down-tuned modern monoliths, not the bong-water drenched derivatives, but something more arcane, more folkloric. Pagan Altar built their world on the dirt of churchyards and the fog of English evenings, conjuring a mood that feels equal parts Heavy Metal sermon and windswept pagan rite.

Tracks like “Satan’s Henchmen” and “Sentinels of Hate” carry that unmistakable Pagan Altar duality: riffs that march with a warrior’s purpose, yet melodies that feel mournful, ancient, almost doomed from the start. And then there’s Saint Terry Jones, narrative, expressive, pulling the listener into alleyways and ritual chambers with a storyteller’s cadence that no one has ever quite replicated. His voice is a time machine, his lyrics a collection of forgotten hymns passed through generations of outcasts. Though I never met the man, it feels as if I’ve known him since I was a small boy. Every time I pull a Pagan Altar record from the shelf and drop the needle down, a quiet ache settles in, the weight of Terry’s passing, the reminder of a voice that once felt immortal. In my home, he’s more than a memory; he’s a Saint in the truest sense. Saint Terry Jones, guardian of the gloom, patron of the faithful, forever enshrined in the music that outlived him.

The album’s title track still hits like scripture. It’s prophetic in that way only Pagan Altar could pull off, calling out corruption, hypocrisy, and the rot beneath civilization’s polished veneer, all while draped in riffs that sound carved from weathered stone. Listening now, it’s eerie how current it still feels. Maybe that’s the sign of true Metal craftsmanship: the themes never age because they were never tied to any one era.

But it’s the nostalgia, the spirit, the feeling of this album that keeps it close to my heart. When you drop the needle or hit play on this reissue, it’s as if you’re transported back to those early underground days, when you traded tapes not just for music, but for connection, discovery, identity. Pagan Altar weren’t just a band; they were an initiation into the underworld.

Dying Victims Productions has truly done right by reissuing this record. They’ve opened another doorway for new listeners to step through and given long-time worshipers the chance to clutch a piece of their past with both hands again. If you don’t already own this on vinyl, don’t hesitate, seriously, don’t. Releases like this vanish fast, and the secondhand market turns downright brutal the moment it goes out of print.

And while we’re talking about grabbing this album, do yourself a favor and dive into the band’s entire catalog. Pagan Altar never released a weak record, not one. Every album is essential, every chapter worth studying, spinning, and outright venerating. This is a band whose discography isn’t merely collected, it’s cherished.

All hail the almighty Pagan Altar. Long may their music reign, echoing through new generations just as powerfully as it did when we first traded tapes when we were kids…

~Black Angel

Six Feet Under Bringer Of Blood Reissue Review

Sun, 11 Jan 2026 10:00:00 GMT

Six Feet Under

Bringer Of Blood: Remaster/Reissue

Brutal Planet Records

2026

Let me be clear: I’m not, and never have been, a big fan of Death Metal. The early years of my writing career found me getting absolutely pummeled with it, and at the time I couldn’t say no, I’d write about anything. This was back when labels still sent physical copies, so there was a sense of obligation. Unfortunately, all that did was make me like the genre even less. Let’s just say you really have to bust your ass and be on something to impress me with Death Metal, otherwise I’m going to treat it like my dog would: piss on it and walk away.

That said, there are a few bands that burned themselves into my brain back in my younger days, bands I’ve continued to follow, or at least did for a long while. Cannibal Corpse would be the obvious one. Which brings us to my all-time favorite Death Metal band: Six Feet Under.

When Chris Barnes decided to start a side project with Allen West of Obituary, my reaction was immediate: “oh shit, this is going to be awesome”. I grabbed their debut, “Haunted,” and it completely blew me away. What hooked me was the Rock ‘N’ Roll sensibility in their approach. It wasn’t all blast beats and mindless aggression; there was actual musicianship happening. I’ve always called it “Death N’ Roll.” It was approachable, groovy, and even the lyrical content felt a bit more grounded. SFU has been my favorite Death Metal band ever since, and for me, no one has rivaled them.

Now, I won’t pretend every release has been a home run, but from 1995 to 2008, the band could do no wrong in my book, even when they covered AC/DC’s “Back in Black” front to back. And I’ll also give credit where it’s due: the band found their way back to making genuinely strong records with 2024’s “Killing for Revenge.” You wouldn’t know if you spend any time online, though, the hate for this band is legendary, and Barnes doesn’t always help himself with some of his rambling. But hey, everyone’s got an opinion. I respect his, even when I don’t always agree with it.

But enough SFU soapboxing, we’re here for a reissue.

Six Feet Under’s “Bringer of Blood” has received the remaster/reissue treatment courtesy of Brutal Planet Records, and for the first time, I’ll finally be able to grab this one on vinyl… assuming I’m one of the lucky 500 souls who get their hands on it.

Originally released in 2003, this album saw Barnes trading much of the Horror and Gore for more politically charged themes, and I wasn’t mad about it at all. I vividly remember listening to the teaser clips repeatedly on Metal Blade’s website, counting down the days until release. When it finally dropped, I stood in line at Circuit City waiting for the doors to open. And no, no one else was there for SFU; they were all after something else entirely.

The second I got the CD, I jammed it into my car stereo, cranked it wide open, and got my ass handed to me by Steve Swanson’s classic riffing. Swanson has always been criminally underrated, as has the rhythm section of Terry Butler and Greg Gall. To me, these three were the unsung heroes of Six Feet Under for years. They built the musical foundation, the groove, the feel, the landscape, that allowed Barnes to growl, stalk, and slay audiences.

I’ve always felt SFU’s strength lay in that rhythm section. Butler and Gall were never about being a “typical” Death Metal engine, it was about feel over speed. I’ll probably get roasted for this, but anyone can play fast with enough practice. Blast beats, sweep picking, and rapid-fire fills don’t mean a damn thing if there’s no groove. That’s been my biggest issue with Death Metal as a whole. SFU in this era was about groove, soul, and destruction.

Barnes sounds exactly the way I’ve always preferred him here - brutal, guttural, and monstrous, much to my wife’s dismay.

Tracks like “Sick in the Head,” “Bringer of Blood,” “Amerika the Brutal,” and “Murdered in the Basement” are immediate standouts, but honestly, this is a no-skip album. I haven’t skipped a single track while spinning this remaster and I never skip when I’m cranking the original Metal Blade Release of this album.

And speaking of the remaster, it’s excellent. Did the album need one? Probably not. But if you’re going to do it, you might as well go all in. Rob Colwell of Colwell Mastering handled the job, and the man has been on fire lately. His work on the latest Helstar record “The Devil’s Masquerade” was phenomenal, and he was the perfect choice to twist the knobs here.

Is “Bringer of Blood” a strange pick for a reissue? Maybe. But I’m not complaining. I missed the original vinyl run back in 2003, I wasn’t much of a record buyer then. I was living fast and needed CDs for the car and constant movement. By that point, my wife had already banned SFU from her presence anyway - 2001’s “True Carnage” was the final straw. And yes, after all these years they’re still on the banned list. She’ll purchase anything related to the band for me, but listening with her around is out of the question!

This reissue drops early February and is up for pre-order now, limited to 500 copies on blood-red vinyl. If you’re a fan of the classic Six Feet Under sound and vibe, this one is not to be missed.

~Black Angel

Kreator Krushers Of The World Review

Sun, 11 Jan 2026 10:00:00 GMT

Kreator

Krushers Of The World

Nuclear Blast Records

2026

Thrash has seen many mutations, successes, hardships, resurgences, and legacy bands either reforming or still going strong in its nearly 50-year history. The genre is forever the underdog yet forever evolving. Chances are, though, you’d be hard pressed to find a more fanatical and fervent fanbase in metal. Without fail, every year, bands old and new alike are lighting up stages and inducing headbanging-related comas or injury on stages big, small, and everywhere in between. Thrash is worldwide and happens to be one of my favorite types of metal. One band that has never rested on their laurels and always tried new things is exactly who we are discussing today. They, along with Sodom and Destruction, make up the holy trinity of Teutonic thrash. That band is none other than Essen, Germany’s Kreator, with their new full-length, Krushers of the World.

Kreator are one of a handful of bands from the old guard that have been releasing quality material in their later years and not just rehashing the ’80s or ’90s. The album is bolstered by the excellent production of Jens Bogren at Fascination Street Studios, who previously worked with the group on Phantom Antichrist (2012) and Gods of Violence (2017). It’s modern in its presentation, but I have never heard Kreator sound this good, brutal, and vital. Every instrument is crystal clear and sharp enough to cut through bone, and Mille Petrozza’s acerbic vocals contain an extra bit of venom and anger here. Speaking of Mille, he and drummer Jürgen “Ventor” Reil are the only remaining original members, a further testament to their commitment and never-say-die approach.

Perhaps the most interesting thing about this album is that it comes off the heels of two lofty achievements for the band in 2025. One being Mille’s book, Your Heaven, My Hell, with co-writer Torsten Gross, and then hitting German cinemas with Hate & Hope, the first proper movie about a really loud - to this very day - “really extreme metal band not only melting your face with firestorms of pyrotechnics but also music equivalent to searing bursts of hellfire.”

That brings us to the SIXTEENTH (yes, you read that right) album we are currently bludgeoning our eardrums with. You’ll get all the Kreatorisms you’ve come to know and love (breakneck tempos, mammoth riffs, hook-oriented songs, and an aggressive vocal approach), as well as their latter-day penchant for NWOBHM-inspired melodic guitar lines, sound effects/keyboards, lower tunings on some songs, and a keen desire to make things memorable while maintaining their trademark heaviness and edge. Key moments are the absolutely shred-tastic leads of Sami Yli-Sirniö, who sprinkles these songs (10 in all) with impressive dexterity and melodious intent throughout from his fleet-fingered style (“Barbarian” specifically as a major standout). Kreator are not shy about including sing-along choruses behind their thunder either, as “Blood of Our Blood” and its damn-near power metal chorus will get stuck in your head for days. For ramming speed and phasers set to kill, the lead-off ferocity of “Seven Serpents” had me mean-mugging after 20 seconds, as did “Psychotic Imperator.” Kreator are still as fast as a pack of cheetahs and as hungry as starving wolves. It’s invigorating to hear a band this long in the tooth sound so fresh and so intense.

Mille’s love for horror movies makes an appearance here too, the mid-tempo wrecking ball that is “Tränenpalast.” The song is a nod to Dario Argento’s Suspiria, with a guest appearance from extreme vocal coach Britta Görtz (Hiraes), adding her own vicious throat to the proceedings. My absolute favorite moment, however, occurs in the down-tuned stomp and drag of the title track, with its four-on-the-floor bottom end and its undeniable chorus. This approach also closes out the album with “Loyal to the Grave,” which just grooves and crushes with syncopated guitars and that infectious chorus. Then it’s over, right at 42 minutes and some change.

After catching my breath, I can safely deduce the following: Kreator set out to not only prove they still had plenty of guts, stamina, and pissed-off energy to fuel a new album, they have also brought some exciting new elements to their sonic tapestry that makes it their most enjoyable album since Enemy of God to my ears. Here’s hoping that they keep churning out this kind of quality for many years to come, and that their pleasure to kill never wanes. This bad boy just made my top 20 list of 2026…

~TB

Sex Machineguns Heavy Metal Commander Review

Sun, 11 Jan 2026 09:45:00 GMT

Sex Machineguns

Heavy Metal Commander

Anchor Records

2025

Given that I’m an 80’s Metal kid at heart, there are a handful of Japanese Metal bands that have always caught my attention. Most people immediately jump to Loudness, but for me it was always EZO. Short-lived or not, the time they were around was enough to permanently burn themselves into my psyche. That obsession made it easy, almost inevitable, for me to dig deeper into the Japanese scene, searching for bands that carried the same fire and intensity. Earthshaker. Anthem. X Japan. Which brings us right to today’s review: Sex Machineguns – “Heavy Metal Commander”.

Sex Machineguns have been cranking out albums since 1998, and while they’ve never exactly been a household name, those who know, know. I had the privilege of covering their “Ignition” album back in the early 2000s, and it still stands out as a high point from that era for me. Over the years, I’ve made a point to keep tabs on the band, snagging albums whenever I’d spot them at a price that didn’t require a second mortgage. That said, it had been quite a while since I last spent time with a new Sex Machineguns release, until now.

Released in mid-to-late December 2025 via Anchor Records, “Heavy Metal Commander” is an absolute no-brainer if Speed Metal and true Heavy Metal still make your blood pump. Yes, some of the lyrics are in Japanese, but that’s never a distraction, the music is front and center, exactly where it belongs. This band is spitting venom and breathing fire from start to finish. The guitar work is downright otherworldly: speaker-melting leads, razor-sharp riffs, and a constant sense of controlled chaos that keeps everything barreling forward. It’s pure, fist-pumping insanity.

Vocally, expect soaring falsettos and upper-register wails that push things right to the edge, exactly how this kind of Metal should sound. If you’re looking for modern trends, polished production tricks, or anything remotely fashionable, turn back now. This music was forged in the fire of 80’s Speed, Shred, and Heavy Metal. But if that’s your lifeblood, like it is mine, then welcome home. Sex Machineguns have a deep, storied discography waiting to be explored, and “Heavy Metal Commander” serves as a killer entry point.

And let me be clear, I’m not talking about novelty or “cute” Metal here. This is legit Japanese Heavy Metal, made by lifers, for lifers. No false Metal to be found anywhere on this record.

Standouts: “Judgement Day,” “Unstoppable Oldtimers,” and “Highway Star.”

~Black Angel

Death Dealer Reign Of Steel Review

Sun, 04 Jan 2026 11:24:03 GMT

Death Dealer

Reign Of Steel

Massacre Records

2026

2025 was a great year for Heavy Metal, you just had to look for it. At least that’s how it felt to me. Maybe it’s the old man in me yelling at all these young bucks to stop screaming, tune their guitars properly, and get off my lawn. But it really comes down to who you are and what you’re chasing. As for me, I’ll forever be on the hunt for 100% pure, unadulterated Heavy Metal - no gimmicks, no pretense, just pure steel paired with vocals powerful enough to light up the night sky.

Enter Death Dealer.

And let me be clear, they do not fuck around.

Picking up exactly where they left off in 2020, Death Dealer return with their new long player, “Reign Of Steel”, and the title couldn’t be more appropriate. For a Metalhead like me, this is exactly what the doctor ordered.

Fronted by the unstoppable Sean Peck, who also shares vocal duties in the supergroup The Three Tremors, alongside the legendary Ross The Boss, who needs no introduction, Death Dealer wastes zero time setting the tone. This album is a full-scale blitzkrieg: explosive riffs, blistering leads, and absolutely unhinged vocal acrobatics. For an aging metalhead, it feels like coming home. Sure, none of this is reinventing the wheel, but bands like Death Dealer don’t need to, they raise the bar and reset it with every release. These guys are hell-bent on outdoing themselves, and “Reign Of Steel” proves it.

The press materials tagged this as Power Metal, which feels like a stretch from where I’m standing, though that’s always in the eye of the beholder. Yes, the vocals soar into blazing falsettos, and yes, there’s a dragon mentioned in a song, but that alone doesn’t make it Power Metal. This is Heavy Metal, pure and simple. Tracks like “Compelled,” “Blast The Highway,” “Raging Wild And Free,” and “Bloodbath” don’t just suggest Metal, they scream it. The latter even flirts with a Thrash-leaning vibe in the verses. This album feels less like fantasy escapism and more like something born from a deep love of Judas Priest, motorcycles, and hot rods, though I fully admit I might be projecting my own obsessions onto it.

The slower moments deserve special mention as well. The arrangements and songwriting remain top tier throughout, proving this band knows exactly when to push the throttle and when to let things breathe.

Given how overexposed I am to music these days, it takes a lot to truly impress me, but once again, Death Dealer delivers. These guys clearly know their way around the studio, and they damn sure know how to write a killer song. If you’re looking for a legit Metal album to kick your year off right, look no further. “Reign Of Steel” is the real deal, and the only thing that could rival it might be a brand-new Judas Priest release.

~Black Angel

Helix Scrap Metal Review

Sun, 04 Jan 2026 11:23:43 GMT

Helix

Scrap Metal

Perris Records

2026

The older I get, the more I lean on the music that helped shape the man I am today. Unsurprisingly, most of that music is Metal, and I wouldn’t have it any other way. Around the holidays, I lean even harder into those sounds of yesterday. I can’t go home, so I rebuild those memories the only way I know how - through music. That brings us to today’s release: Helix’s “Scrap Metal”. Yes, Helix is still here, and yes, they’re still releasing killer music, as if they’d ever half-ass anything.

Helix and I go way back, but this is the first time I’ve had the chance to write about them, so indulge me for a bit of rambling and a trip down memory lane. I first heard them in 1983 when the video for “Heavy Metal Love” started getting airtime in the early days of MTV. A few weeks later, I picked up “No Rest for the Wicked”, and for a while it was one of the few records I owned, which meant it got played daily after school, mercilessly.

From there, I grabbed “Walking the Razor’s Edge”, “Long Way to Heaven”, and “Wild in the Streets” as they were released. Back then, I would’ve counted Helix among my absolute favorites. There was something special about Brian Vollmer’s voice and songwriting - fun, dangerous, and instantly recognizable. Looking back, it all still holds up. These days, my go-to Helix record is “Long Way to Heaven”. That album hit every sweet spot and scratched every itch I had at the time.

I lost track of the band a bit after “Wild in the Streets” until they landed on Perris Records - a godsend of a label for a lot of classic Heavy Metal bands that deserve to still be recognized and celebrated. If you’ve never checked them out, prepare your credit card and your brain. Their catalog is a beautiful kind of dangerous, and Helix’s later releases are stacked and ready to be dug into.

Now, let’s get down to real business, the new album, which hits the streets in late January 2026. “Scrap Metal” is a collection of unreleased tracks alongside cuts that previously appeared on albums like “B-Sides”, “Old School”, and “Half-Alive”.

To me, this feels like a brand-new Helix record. The new songs carry the same grit and fire they had in the ’80s, and long-time fans won’t walk away disappointed. The lead single, “Stuck in the 80’s,” practically writes my autobiography and the bands at the same time. It’s a battle cry for lifers - the ones still in leather, still in vests, still refusing to go quietly into the night. If I didn’t know better, I’d swear it was a left over from 1987’s “Wild in the Streets”.

“Fast & Furious” does exactly what the title promises - full throttle, pedal to the floor, pure unfiltered Heavy Metal, Helix-style. “Pretty Poison” swings with that mid-tempo, sticky-sweet sleaze swagger that never goes out of style. “Hot Heavy and Wild” carries that big, bold Metal energy that “Rock You” brought back in the day and hearing that spirit still alive is a damn good feeling.

The additions of “Danger Zone” and “Jaws of the Tiger” from the long out-of-print “B-Sides” album are welcome punches to the gut, and I can’t skip over the band’s killer rendition of “The Pusher” from “Half-Alive”. It’s a perfect closer - gritty, dangerous, and loud.

When you consider that Helix has been around since 1974 and is still delivering the goods, it says everything about the band and their fearless frontman, Brian Vollmer. Do yourself a favor and make this the first album you buy in 2026. You’ll be supporting one of the best labels in the game and a band that’s still running the streets louder, wilder, and more dangerous than most bands half their age.

Helix isn’t living on nostalgia, they’re still breathing fire. And “Scrap Metal” is living, screaming proof.

~Black Angel

The Creepy Crawlers Bring The Blood Review

Sun, 28 Dec 2025 13:38:18 GMT

The Creepy Crawlers

Bring The Blood

Horrorshock Records

2026

Dayton, Ohio’s resident Horror rockers The Creepy Crawlers have only been stalking the underground since 2022, but for me it feels like they’ve been here forever. That’s largely because I’m so familiar with the work of main instigator Rev. Chad Wells - his musical fingerprints are burned into my brain, so The Creepy Crawlers already felt like an old friend from day one. Which made it more shocking when their first full-length landed in my inbox for review.

My immediate reaction? Wait… this is the full-length debut?!

Cue the sudden realization of how ignorant that made me feel. But some bands just have that rare quality where their music feels so natural, so lived-in, that it gives the illusion of longevity. The Creepy Crawlers are one of those bands.

They’ve only been active for a few short years, but they haven’t wasted a single second. In that time, they’ve unleashed two EPs, two live DVDs, a live album, and multiple singles. In other words, from the moment this band came to life, they’ve been relentless, right in your face, kicking your ass at every opportunity. If you’re an up-and-coming band sitting around asking “what if?”, here’s your answer: start now and don’t stop. The Creepy Crawlers are living proof that if you build it, they will come.

Now, enough of the BS let’s talk about the new full-length, “Bring The Blood”, due out January 2nd. I’ve already heard a solid chunk of releases slated for the coming year, and I can say this without hesitation: this is the best one so far. That’s not favoritism, that’s fact.

One of the most common pitfalls for bands is getting lost in their own identity. Not here. The Creepy Crawlers know exactly who they are: a Punk band that flirts with Horror while full-on French-kissing Sleaze Metal. Sounds weird? Not from where I’m standing. I hear The Misfits, New York Dolls, BulletBoys, and 45 Grave all bleeding together. Toss that mix into a rusty gas can, drop in a tab of acid, shake it violently, and congratulations, you’ve got The Creepy Crawlers.

On “Bring The Blood”, the band sounds tighter, sharper, and far more unified. Previous EPs occasionally felt like Rev. Wells fronting a fresh backing band, but here? This is a full-band statement. The biggest leap forward comes from the vocals, specifically Scarika, whose presence is dominant this time around. Her vocals sit higher in the mix, her harmonies add layers of texture and atmosphere, and her influence bleeds into every corner of the record. She’s always been part of the band, but here she doesn’t just participate, she haunts the album. While she isn’t a carbon copy of Dinah Cancer, the spirit is unmistakable, evoking 45 Grave and Dinah’s other project Penis Flytrap. Honestly, I could curl up and live inside Scarika’s voice, it feels like home.

Rev. Wells, of course, is no slouch either. His performance here is more dynamic than anything we’ve heard from TCC so far. He croons, snarls, screams, and stacks his own backing harmonies with deadly precision. The man simply understands songwriting, the rules, the exceptions, and when to break both.

Clocking in at a lean 25 minutes, “Bring The Blood” wastes nothing. Every track earns its place. As an unapologetic ’80s kid, I’m absolutely smitten with the band’s cover of Fastway’s “Trick or Treat.” I’ve heard plenty of versions over the years and nearly all of them miss the mark, not this one. The Creepy Crawlers’ take flat-out kills, with Scarika’s vocals stealing the show and injecting new life into those familiar riffs.

“The Teeth” feels like a darkwave séance, Sisters of Mercy meeting The Misfits in a fog-soaked graveyard before heading off to rob graves. “Black Goat’s Lament” lives in a similar space but ups the intensity with a chorus that hits hard. The title track, “Bring The Blood,” is pure Horror Punk bliss, candy-coated in cyanide, razor blades, and rot, and worth the price of admission alone.

But the real gut-punch comes at the end with “The Curse.” Full disclosure: I’m a sucker for ballads, and a lifelong Rockabilly degenerate. This isn’t some syrupy ’50s slow-dance number; think late-’70s, 4/4 balladry with teeth. Rev. Wells channels Conway Twitty by way of Glenn Danzig, and the result is surprisingly emotional. Every lyric lands. Every nuance hits.

I can already picture hearing this live feeling like the band is playing directly to me, like no one else exists in the room. We’ve all lived this song in one form or another. I wasn’t expecting to catch feelings on this record, but here we are. Fucking outstanding.

It doesn’t take much digging to see that The Creepy Crawlers are built on family, friendship, fun, and a genuine love of music. For a full-length debut, “Bring The Blood” is wildly confident, deeply personal, and dangerously addictive. Here’s hoping this is only the beginning.

The album will be available on CD/Vinyl and drops everywhere on January 2nd, 2026. Don’t sleep on it, this one demands to be played loud.

~ Black Angel

Vitamin X Ride The Apocalypse Review

Sun, 28 Dec 2025 10:11:16 GMT

Vitamin X

Ride the Apocalypse

Svart Records

2026

Maybe it's my advancing age (49), my heavier musical tastes, or just generally hearing nothing in the hardcore punk realm that has excited me in some years. I don't think this is due to any newer bands, because the scene is rife with them. No, it's because I'm not convinced any of them capture the feel or carry the torch of bands from a bygone era - bands that felt dangerous, aggressive, and catchy all at once. That was until I heard Vitamin X (themselves not exactly a new, young band) and their latest long player, Ride the Apocalypse.

Vitamin X fitting this bill is nothing new. These Amsterdam thugs have been destroying venues for over two decades and are now on their seventh full-length here. Ride the Apocalypse was mastered by Joel Grind (Toxic Holocaust, Municipal Waste) and features apocalyptic artwork by Andrei Bouzikov (Municipal Waste). According to their press, “this record delivers 16 tracks of pure mayhem: faster, harder, and heavier than anything the band has done before,” and that's a bold claim, but the well-seasoned players here, along with a crisp, clean production that sounds very live but still in line with today's standards, make a strong case for such proclamations.

The band are best described as crossover hardcore punk. They got their start around the same time as bands like Wolf Brigade, Municipal Waste, and the crossover thrash revival of the early 2000s. Vitamin X separate themselves from the pack with a decidedly pronounced three-chord edge. There's plenty of old-school late ’70s punk rocking to be had in songs like “Over the Line,” and even some Sabbath in the intro to “Fear,” and the blues-tinged guitar licks of “Break Away,” but that is just one paintbrush they color their sound with. The main component of their compositions seems to recall Cause for Alarm–era and Kill Your Idols full-speed-ahead metallic hardcore, with a healthy dose of early Suicidal Tendencies. These elements are on full display in songs like opener “Chop Chop Chop,” “Sociopath,” “Devolution/Devolution” (the proto-thrash breakdown here is especially headbang-worthy), and the 1:45 of “Symphony of Doom.”

Ride the Apocalypse is not a long album by any stretch, and given the stylistic choices here, it's genre-appropriate at a whopping 24:46 in its entirety. Having said all of this, I find it to be a tight, fast, sociopolitical, unhinged, and FUN thrill ride that takes me back to the days of hearing all the greats (DRI, Cro-Mags, Agnostic Front) for the very first time. If you are feeling nostalgic for the salad days of hardcore punk, when CBGB’s held Sunday matinees with just as many long-haired metal guys as there were mohawked punks and boots ’n’ braced skinhead types in the pit, throw this on. Bring on the end and long live the X!

RIYL: Cause For Alarm, Kill Your Idols, Judge, Shelter, The Humpers and Blood for BloodTop of Form

Bottom of Form

~TB

W.A.S.P. Live…In The Raw Review

Sun, 28 Dec 2025 10:09:42 GMT

W.A.S.P.

Live…In The Raw

Capitol Records

1987

There are bands I like. There are bands I respect. And then there’s W.A.S.P., my favorite band, period, end of fucking sentence. No qualifiers, no nostalgia goggles, no “it depends on the era” bullshit. From the first time I heard them, W.A.S.P. didn’t just soundtrack my life, they rewired my brain, scorched my moral compass, and dared me to live louder, nastier, and with zero apologies. The past few weeks I’ve been cranking on their infamous “Live…In The Raw” album, so I thought I’d spit a few words on it for my own sanity and for those who might need a reminder.

Coming off the Inside the Electric Circus era, which was probably like one long, coke-dusted, booze-soaked, neon-lit middle finger to decency, this record sounds like a band standing at a crossroads with a bottle of J.D. in one hand and a gas can in the other. This isn’t just a live album; its transition caught on tape, the sound of W.A.S.P. peeling off one blood-slicked skin before stepping into something darker, meaner, and more dangerous.

The live cuts are filthy as hell. Aggressive. Confrontational. Zero fucks given. This is W.A.S.P. the way they were meant to be experienced - loud enough to hurt, dangerous enough to scare parents, and larger than life. Blackie Lawless stalks the stage like a man possessed, barking commands and spitting venom with enough charisma to light the place on fire. The early catalog hits harder here, stripped of studio gloss and pumped full of adrenaline, played by a band that still sounded hungry, even after conquering half the damn world.

And yeah, I’ll say it, there are overdubs. Anyone who’s seen W.A.S.P. live enough knows the difference. But who gives a shit? This isn’t a court transcript, it’s a war document, and it still bleeds authenticity.

What really kicks Live… In the Raw up another notch, though, are the new tracks. “Harder Faster,” “The Manimal,” and “Scream Until You Like It” aren’t just bonus materials, they’re the last gasps of the party animal before it learned how to aim its rage. These songs are reckless, sleazy and loud as fuck. If I’m being totally honest, the band missed on releasing “The Manimal” as a single and the same can be said of “Harder Faster” – both should’ve been released as studio singles to coincide with this release. "The Manimal" is basically "Fuck Like A Beast part 2" and that in itself demands attention...

For me, this album has always been personal as hell. This was the end of the party era for W.A.S.P., at least for a long while, and it lined up perfectly with a turning point in my own life. I was just hitting puberty, rebellion kicking in hard, hormones raging, attitude dialed to eleven. In other words: the volume was up, the world pissed me off, and the excess of the ’80s felt like it was mine for the taking.

This record soundtracked all of it like a motherfucker - raw, loud, irresponsible, and unforgettable. I have fond memories of this era of W.A.S.P. I still have the VCR tape of “Live…In The Raw” home videos as well. I don’t have a way to play it of course, but that’s beside the point… The original vinyl press is still easy to get as is the double lp reissue that features a few bonus tracks, so there's no reason not to have it. If this record isn’t in your collection, then you aren’t living life authentically or loudly enough!

~Black Angel

Invictus Nocturnal Visions Review

Sun, 28 Dec 2025 10:00:00 GMT

Invictus

Nocturnal Visions

Memento Mori / Me Saco Un Ojo

2026

As the resident (read: only) death metal guy here, I get all the gore-soaked, fire-and-brimstone, graven grotesqueries belched forth from the filthiest reaches of the underground and below at BAP. I’m fine with this, as I tend to love all iterations of it—from the old school, the new school, the melodic to the technical, the slams, and the newer stuff that tends to utilize metal-forward hardcore. Death metal is consistently evolving as it enters its fourth decade in existence. Occasionally, though, a band like Japan’s Invictus comes along dripping in homage to the early ’90s while simultaneously adding their own spin to it. Let's examine their second album, Nocturnal Visions, whaddya say?

Invictus came to undead life in 2015 as a trio hailing from Nagano City. Their goal at the time was “to play death metal with hints of technicality and a strong thrash metal edge, combining the morbid grooves and abhorrent atmospherics of all archaic death metal gods (Death, Malevolent Creation, Monstrosity, Brutality, Mercyless, Morbid Angel, Gorguts, Obituary, early Decapitated, Sadistic Intent, early Cannibal Corpse).” Taking influence from so many classic bands within the field is not only lofty but runs the risk of sounding like the 12,000th version of any of them. However, with this being a modern album, the production is way tighter, cleaner, and evenly mixed compared to the time, money, and equipment constraints their favorites had to deal with. Every instrument has its place firmly in the overall mix, and I'm glad to hear that Invictus lets the bass be audible and have its own moments on a handful of songs, something that isn't typical of material of this nature, so it's a nice surprise.

The nine songs here begin with an atmospheric intro featuring mournful piano, effective eerie guitar noises, and underlying keyboards. It's over in a mere 40 seconds before a rolling distorted bass line gives way to busy palm-muted chromatic riffing, low and deep guttural vocals, and blinding speed on “Abyssal Earth Eradication.” “Altar of Devoted Slaughter” blasts throughout, only to bookend things with a stomping breakdown that will have early Suffocation fans grinning from ear to ear. This song is easily the catchiest, and double-basses its way into a whammy bar–abusing lead break where the tempo is accelerated once again before it's all over. Another standout is “Lucid Dream Trauma,” which bludgeons the listener with a mid-paced, slower Obituary-like crawl, yet it never ventures into doom or funeral doom territory. Toward this song’s conclusion, there are some very tasteful and serpentine guitar runs that flex their tech side, too. “Persecution Madness” steps on the gas once more and treats us to some very adept lead guitar soloing midway through. For my money, the crushing mid-tempo, breakdown-like verses of “Wandering Ashdream” hit all the right headbangable buttons before they close things out with the final and most involved track (also the album’s longest, clocking in at 8:01), the title track “Nocturnal Visions.” The pacing of these sonic slabs of putridity never gets stale, offers plenty of twists and turns, and my attention was captivated the entire time of just shy of 35 minutes. Old-school aficionados they may be, yet Invictus keeps things fresh, as I mentioned earlier, by varying the tempos, writing concise and utterly wrecking-ball-heavy riffs, adding just the right amount of dissonance, technically proficient musicianship, and never riding a part or multiple song parts to the point of boredom. Creepy cover art (rendered by Juanjo Castellano) that is era-appropriate caps this off perfectly as well.

To sum things up, I know there are tons of bands giving the early- to mid-1990s style of death metal a go in 2025 and into the incoming new year, but Invictus does it better than any I have heard recently. These morbid merchants from the land of the Rising Sun have just earned a “top albums of 2026” entry with this mean-mugging, knuckle-dragging, cave-dwelling mutated beast. Press play only if you aren't afraid of being hacked up and thrown into a torture basement somewhere in the woods… brutality of the utmost enjoyable kind.

RIYL : Barnes era Cannibal Corpse, Obituary, Morbid Angel, Incantation, Mortification, Gorguts

~TB

Harrowed The Eternal Hunger Review

Sun, 28 Dec 2025 10:00:00 GMT

Harrowed

The Eternal Hunger

Dying Victims Productions

2026

Stockholm, Sweden, is a veritable death metal Mecca and has been since the boys from Carnage, Entombed, and Dismember all decided to make ungodly racket (complete with the now legendary and OFTEN imitated “buzzsaw” guitar sound they cultivated by cranking every knob to ten on an old BOSS HM-2 pedal through solid-state amps) and form bands in the late ’80s. They gave birth to an entire subgenre known as the “Stockholm sound” that owed to their ferocious blending of crust-infused punk with thrash, mashing it all up in a blender with Death, Possessed, and Hellhammer. If you're a death metal historian, you already know all of this, though. Chances are you also know that ANYTHING awesome from this country at the time usually had “Produced by Tomas Skogsberg at Sunlight Studios” somewhere in the liner notes. In that same spirit, we have the debut album from Harrowed, The Eternal Hunger.

Harrowed came bubbling up from the sewers of Stockholm, featuring members of outliers Morbus Chron. The band was the brainchild of vocalist/drummer Adam Lindmark, who has teamed up with guitarist Tobias Alpadie (VAK, ghost department of Tribulation). A demo and subsequent split arrived in 2021 and ’22, respectively. These two releases solidified Harrowed’s sonic stew. Take equal parts of Autopsy, Entombed, Obituary, and Deathstrike, “funneled through a garbage disposal,” according to Adolf Vondkra of the Tones of Decay festival, and you pretty much have their sound nailed down. The eight songs here are fast, rifftastic, and filled with malicious intent. Unlike their elder countrymen, they don't set the HM-2 to kill levels, but it is present in the guitar tones. They teamed up with Robert Pehrsson (Death Breath, ex-Runemagick) in his Studio Humbucker during the summer of 2025, set to create an authentically physical sound. That sound is undeniably clear and concise but maintains a vintage raw edge.

So, what of the songs, then? Well, to start, not many of them break the three- to four-and-a-half-minute barrier, so Harrowed are clearly here for a bloody and disgusting good time, not a long time. The two that do (“The Haunter” and the closing title track “The Eternal Hunger”) surpass six minutes each, but they never veer into anything meandering or seem like they're wandering. No, these guys have strength in writing catchy riffs, keeping the tempos quick, and showcasing short bursts of eerie atmosphere, slower mid-paced sections, and doom-laden excursions. This approach keeps things fresh and the ever-flowing stream going seamlessly. Another aspect they incorporate so well is punk riffing colliding with the more vintage death metal structures, the best examples being the sharpness of opener “Bayonet,” “Blood Covenant,” and the near Discharge-like “The Reigns.” Wrap all this up with the acerbic LG Petrov–inspired vocals, and this is old school for those who like their death metal baring its teeth, keeping things loose, and with plenty of fuck-you attitude to spare. This is death ’n’ roll for the 2020s, most assuredly.

Harrowed are of a decidedly rotten vintage that tastes like toxic waste. Perhaps they are the sonic equivalent of riding a Mad Max–fashioned motorcycle through the most desolate and crumbling cemetery you can find. Turn this up loud, let yourself see nothing while the city baby is attacked by rats, careening down life’s left-hand path. Stockholm does it again, and Harrowed’s The Eternal Hunger ensures that legend will continue to grow, with one foot in the grave of the past.

RIYL : Entombed, Autopsy, Deathstrike, Discharge, Motorhead

~TB

Terrifier 3 Review (2024)

Thu, 25 Dec 2025 11:27:46 GMT

Ho-Ho-Holy Shit!

After the absolute barbarity and insanity of Terrifier 2, I had no idea where the next chapter of the franchise would go. Then, when it was revealed to be a Christmas movie, I thought it was bat shit crazy enough to work. And generally speaking, I feel it does. By the end, the story gets a bit too ridiculous, which says a lot based on the previous two films. That aside, the bloodshed, black humor and Art’s over the top personality still reign supreme and are showcased through some of the most memorable scenes yet.

The beginning of the movie can be a little confusing because it jumps between a couple of timelines. It starts in present time, goes back five years and then returns to present time. The continuity is there as part 3 picks up where part 2 ended, in the insane asylum where Vicky uses her demonic(?) abilities to resurrect Art. We also learn that Sienna was institutionalized at Sun Valley Treatment & Recovery after her valiant and heroic showdown with Art at the end of the previous film.

After her release, Sienna stays with family and is very apprehensive about starting life anew, as she’s still having visions and struggles with her mental health. She is desperate to reach out to Jonathan and reconnect with him; however, after seeing who she thinks is Art at the mall, starts to sound crazy which pushes Jonathan away, until she convinces him that Art is alive and causing as much havoc as ever. This is where one of the most controversial scenes happens as Art takes over as the mall Santa and gives presents to the kids. Unfortunately for them, the gifts are explosive devices and the mall ends up littered with body parts of children.

Sienna realizes that in order to stop Art, she must reclaim her sword which means returning to the Terrifier to get it. She retrieves it, wraps it up as a gift and puts it under the Christmas tree at the house. This comes into play in the final act where she faces off against Art and Vicky (with help from her niece). Even though Sienna battles against both of them, it feels less epic than part 2, but the outcome has much more dire consequences. After killing Vicky and dispatching of Art, she notices that Vicky’s blood has eaten through the floor and created an opening to another dimension. This is where, despite her best efforts, she cannot save her niece and is lost to the unknown. In the final moments, you feel Sienna’s exasperation and hollowness as shortly before she lost her niece, it was revealed that Art and Vicky killed Jonathan. She has lost her last two family members and Art has managed to escape.

So where does part 3 land? Well, the first is still my favorite because I’m not a huge fan of all the supernatural elements, even though we are introduced to that at the end of the first film. The second is incredibly memorable and I feel is most people’s favorite (understandably so). There’s no way you weren’t singing the Clown Café song after turning the movie off. And the third is good but not great. I feel it tried too hard to outdo the previous installment (which I feel it did when it came to the brutal death scenes) but just came across as “meh” for me in every other way. The liquid nitrogen fire extinguisher death, chainsaw shower sex deaths, blood angel and Vicky masturbating with a broken piece of glass will require copious amounts of bleach to bathe your eyes in to even begin restoring them back to their previous state before you viewed this.

~TJ

Sweet Platinim Rare 2 Review

Sun, 21 Dec 2025 14:55:33 GMT

Sweet

Platinum Rare 2

Metalville Records

2025

As promised a few months back, Metalville Records has delivered the goods with Platinum Rare 2, the long-awaited second volume in The Sweet’s deep-dive archival series. Originally pressed only on vinyl and tough to track down, this new release sees a wider reissue on both double CD and vinyl, opening the vaults once more for diehard fans and curious newcomers alike.

This collection is a raw, unfiltered look at the original lineup in various stages of creativity - rough mixes, demos, outtakes, and alternate versions that cast familiar songs in a whole new light. And right out of the gate, they hit me with a favorite: “Action.” Why this wasn’t on Platinum Rare 1, I’ll never understand, yeah, fanboy frustration talking, but it’s here now, and that’s what matters. This version is a rough mix, sure, but it moves. It’s not the polished cut from Give Us a Wink, but in many ways, I prefer this one, it’s got grit and adds a dangerous charm that’s hard to ignore. I'm obsessed, admittedly.

Another standout from Disc 1 is “Strange Girl,” originally from 1982’s Identity Crisis. This one appears in demo form, but don’t be fooled, the sound quality is insanely good for a demo. It’s rough around the edges, and that imperfection injects the track with a whole new kind of energy. There’s also an outtake of “Solid Gold Brass” from the Desolation Boulevard era, and it’s killer! The guitar work sizzles, the vocals soar, and Brian Connolly proves once again why he was one of rock’s most commanding frontmen.

Then there's “Are You Coming to See Me?”, a short demo with some rough sound, but man, the riffing and raw feel of it reveals a glimpse into the song’s evolution. You can hear the band working things out in real time, and that process only makes the track more endearing.

Disc 2 opens strong with a muscular, galloping version of “Fever of Love.” It’s labeled a rough mix, but once again, Connolly’s vocals and the band’s tight playing elevate it to something special. “Breakdown” and “Turn It Down” follow in similarly raw form, sounding at times like they were rescued from a boombox in a garage, but even those lo-fi textures carry a kind of charm, especially once your ears adjust to the vibe.

The rest of Disc 2 leans heavily on Andy Scott’s solo demos, and while they’re fun to explore, they lack that signature Sweet spark that only came when all the guys were firing on the same cylinder. Interesting? Essential, maybe not, but worth the listen for completists and curious fans alike.

Platinum Rare 2 hit shelves just a few days ago, and if you’re a fan of The Sweet or classic Glam in general, you need to get your hands on this. The Sweet were the embodiment of Glam Rock swagger, and without them, the Glam and Sleaze explosion of the ‘80s might never have happened. This release is more than just a collection of odds and ends, it’s a reminder of how influential, inventive, and just plain fun this band was.

On a personal note, there’s a bittersweetness to this one. I can’t help but think of my late pal Cam. He would've loved this collection too. We would’ve dissected every version, every production choice, every gritty guitar tone. Music becomes so much more powerful when you have someone to share it with. And this release, just like the band behind it, reminds me that those moments never really die.

I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: there’s no such thing as too much Sweet music. Huge props to Metalville and Andy Scott to make sure these gems aren’t lost in time. Get it. Crank it. And celebrate the legacy.

~Black Angel

Bygone Self-Titled Review

Sun, 21 Dec 2025 14:55:28 GMT

Bygone

Self-Titled

Svart Records

2025

I’ve never been a die-hard devotee of late ’60s and ’70s Classic Rock, especially the more cosmic corners of Psychedelic and Space Rock, but there have always been exceptions. Bands like Uriah Heep, Iron Butterfly, Hawkwind, and UFO earned their keep on my turntable through the years, proving that when this style hits right, it hits hard.

That’s exactly why Boston’s Bygone deserves attention. They may be new to the scene, but they’re anything but inexperienced. Their ranks include veterans from Magic Circle, Witch Trial, Blazon Rite, Missionary Work, and Concilium, and that pedigree shows in every note. This isn’t a band learning how to walk; this is a band taking flight at full speed.

Their self-titled debut, landing via Svart Records on December 12th, is absolutely drenched in vintage atmosphere. It’s stacked with towering keyboards and big, galloping riffs that feel ripped straight from the early Uriah Heep playbook. One spin through this record and you’d swear it was pressed in 1971. The album bleeds color, texture, and depth, with a lush, full sound that fills every crack and corner.

Production-wise, it carries the heavy, analog warmth of classic ’70s recordings - rich, saturated, and authentically aged without feeling forced or gimmicky. Some may try to slap the “Heavy Metal” tag on this, but that feels like a disservice. This is Hard Rock infused with Psychedelic Space Rock, pure and simple, and it proudly lives in that lane.

Vocally, the band leans into smooth, classic baritone territory, no shrieking falsettos, no modern growls, just confident, grounded delivery that perfectly complements the expansive instrumentation. They let the songs breathe, letting the music guide the journey rather than forcing excess. The only true indulgence comes from the keyboards, and if that’s your world, it never once feels like too much.

Bygone should land comfortably with Doom and Stoner Rock fans, as there’s plenty of weight and haze built into these tracks. If you live for Space-rocked Hard Rock with vintage bones, this is an album you shouldn’t let slip past you, and one you’ll want to pass along to anyone who lives for these cosmic sounds.

Standout Tracks – “Take Me Home”, “City Living” and “Fire In You Fire In Me”.

~Black Angel

Bell Witch & Aerial Ruin Stygian Bough Volume II Review

Sun, 21 Dec 2025 14:55:25 GMT

Bell Witch & Aerial Ruin

Stygian Bough Volume II

Profound Lore Records

2025

I don’t pretend to be some Doom scholar or gatekeeping guru, but after thirty years of soaking in everything from the murkiest Funeral Doom to the weirdest fringe experiments, I know when a great album lands on my desk. A few weeks back, I opened an email containing the latest collaboration between Bell Witch & Aerial Ruin. I hadn’t heard of either band, not surprising at this stage in my life; I’m old as shit and not exactly “hip,” as the kids used to say. But a little reading revealed this wasn’t some one-off experiment. This trio has crossed paths before and this new release, “Stygian Bough Volume II”, is another dive into their shared abyss.

And honestly? No amount of background reading prepared me for what I heard.

If your tastes run toward Funeral Doom, Drone, Avant-Folk, ambiance, or anything that drifts between restful and spiritually crushing, this album doesn’t just hit the mark, it bends your mind into a pretzel and somehow makes you grateful for the contortion. Is it something I’d spin on a sunny afternoon? Hell no. This record crawls. It demands a certain melancholy, or at least the ability to summon that headspace, or the connection just won’t land the way it should.

Luckily for me, as I write this, it’s raining sideways, freezing cold, and I’m huddled indoors with this album as I contemplate life, death, and every questionable choice that led me to this exact moment. Those aren’t emotions your average Metal record stirs up.

There are only four tracks here, but they stretch across 57 minutes of slow-burning, drifting, shape-shifting atmosphere. At times, it feels like you’ve wandered into multiple different songs, but it’s all the same piece unfolding at a glacial pace. If you’re not someone who can vibe with repetition, drone, or movements that evolve at the speed of continental drift, this may not become a regular spin. Even for fans, this isn’t “sunny day, windows down, hot rod screaming down the highway” material. But on days like today - days that already feel apocalyptic, this is the perfect soundtrack: dark, bleak, hopeless, and beautiful in its ruin.

“Stygian Bough Volume II” is available on double vinyl, CD, and cassette, and it absolutely deserves a place on your shelf if you’re into the collaborative realms of Sunn O))) & Boris, Pallbearer, or anything else that thrives in the dark.

~Black Angel

Alcatrazz Prior Convictions Review

Sun, 21 Dec 2025 14:55:17 GMT

Alcatrazz

Prior Convictions

BraveWords Records

2025

Alcatrazz has never been the kind of band to sit quietly with their past. Their history is messy, crowded with line-up shifts, different musical eras, and a long shadow cast by the players who passed through. “Prior Convictions” arrives as the kind of album only a veteran band could make, one that stops pretending the past is a fixed thing and instead treats it as something living, something worth re-examining.

These re-recordings don’t sound like a band chasing old glories. They sound like a band getting their arms around their own catalogue, deciding what still represents them, and presenting the material in a way that reflects who they are now. The performances aren’t about mimicking the original spark; they’re about giving the songs a voice that lines up with the current lineup’s identity. You can hear the intent behind it - not aggression, not defiance, but clarity.

The older tracks feel sturdier and more grounded in spots. The guitar work still stands tall and literally scorches everything in its path. Joe Stump does a killer job replacing Malmsteen. Giles Lavery is no Graham Bonnett, but he doesn’t try to recreate the exact tone of earlier eras; instead, he carves out his own space, and it works. There’s a sense of a band reconnecting with pieces of themselves that were scattered over the years.

The new songs are the real curveball. They don’t arrive with neon lights announcing, “this is the fresh material.” Instead, they slide into the flow like new bricks in an old wall, recognizable as modern Alcatrazz, but respectful of what came before. There’s an almost workmanlike confidence to them, the kind that says this band isn’t trying to rewrite history; they’re trying to keep adding to it.

What “Prior Convictions” accomplishes, more than anything else, is cohesion. Alcatrazz has been many things to many people, depending on which album or lineup someone first encountered. This record pulls those threads together. It’s not a victory lap, and it’s not a reboot. It’s a band taking stock of their catalogue and deciding what still matters.

If you’ve followed Alcatrazz across their winding path, this album feels like a settling of old scores - a calm, steady confirmation that the name still stands for something, and that the people holding it today know exactly why.

Standout Tracks “Island In The Sun”, “Star Carr Lane”, “Jet To Jet” “Too Young To Die, Too Drunk To Live” and “Stand And Wait Your Turn”.

~Black Angel

Speedclaw Stardust Review

Sun, 21 Dec 2025 14:55:13 GMT

Speedclaw

Stardust

Dying Victims Productions

2025

Croatian Heavy Metal band, Speedclaw comes roaring in with their debut album, “Stardust”, an album that feels like someone cracked open a time capsule filled with every jagged edge of early Speed/Heavy Metal and let it spill all over 2025. There’s no warm-up, no easing in, the band hits the ignition and suddenly you’re clinging to the hood of a jet-powered muscle car, eyes watering, hair on fire, grinning like a maniac.

This album is built on velocity. Not the polished, arena-gloss kind, this is speed born from rusted steel, downtown alley grit, and the kind of hunger only a band with something to prove can conjure. The riffs slice like rotor blades, all tight picking and razor-sharp melodies. The twin guitar solos scream like they’re trying to outrun themselves. And the rhythm section is locked in a dead sprint, refusing to give you a single moment of breath unless you claw it out yourself.

Every track on this album feels dangerous and like it could fly off the rails at any second, yet it never does. Instead, Speedclaw weaponizes the chaos, riding the edge so hard you start to forget where the line even was. The vocals bark with just the right amount of wild-eyed mania, giving the songs that classic “we’re lifers” magic.

What really pulls this record together is the band’s knack for melodic hooks buried under the speed. These aren’t “radio friendly” melodies, they’re the kind that sink their teeth in, and refuse to let go. You’ll find yourself humming parts long after your ears stop ringing.

“Stardust” sounds like a fistfight between the past and the future, and Speedclaw walks away from the wreckage holding both trophies. It’s fast. It’s filthy. It’s everything a Heavy Metal record should be, and a reminder that the genre is at its deadliest when it feels like it might come unhinged.

If you’ve been craving an album that punches the gas and never even thinks about touching the brake, “Stardust” is your new addiction.

Standout Tracks – “The Curse Never Dies”, “Queen Of The Night”, “Allnighter” and “White Town Rider”.

~Black Angel

Ultra Raptor Fossilized Review

Sun, 21 Dec 2025 14:55:04 GMT

Ültra Raptör

Fossilized
Fighter Records

2025

Somewhere between the molten breath of 1980’s Speed Metal and the bone-crunching swagger of modern Thrash, Ültra Raptör return with “Fossilized”, an album that rips through the fabric of time and space like a laser-eyed tyrant from a nuclear age. The Quebec quintet has always thrived on excess: the manic dual-guitar attacks, the screeching vocal assaults, the pedal-to-the-floor drumming, but here, everything sounds more sharpened, more feral, and more self-assured.

The title track “Fossilized” opens like a high-speed chase through a prehistoric wasteland, riffs churning like rusted gears brought back to life. Ültra Raptör aren’t content to merely rehash the past; they celebrate it with the kind of reckless abandon that reminds you why Heavy Metal survived the synth wars. Every solo spirals upward like a chrome-plated hawk, every chorus ignites like jet fuel. There is melody and chaos in equal measures, a rare balance that keeps things both fun and ferocious.

What really stands out this time is the songwriting discipline. Beneath the speed and bombast, there’s structure, choruses that stick, riffs that hook, and a sense of momentum that never dips into repetition. The vocals are an unholy crossbreed of Classic Metal shriek and late-night alleyway screams, giving the music its teeth. It’s heroic but not polished; brutal, but not soulless.

The production keeps things razor-sharp without scrubbing the grit off the bones. The drums punch through like a meteor storm, the bass rumbles low enough to shake your teeth loose, and those twin guitars feel like lightning trapped in steel.

By the time the final track fades out, you’re left scorched. “Fossilized” feels like a transmission from a parallel world where the golden age of Speed Metal never ended, it just mutated and evolved with radioactive precision.

Ültra Raptör aren’t trying to be part of any revival. They are the revival, born from fire, fed by riffs, and ready to stomp across the modern Metal landscape like an iron-scaled beast that refuses extinction.

This is a blistering, full-throttle Speed Metal assault that honors the past but bites like the future. It’s a monument to velocity, ferocity, and unrelenting fun, proof that the raptor still hunts.

Stand outs – “Hard N’ Fast”, “X-Celerator”, “Down The Drain”.

~Black Angel

Mad Max Heavy Metal + In Concert EP Review

Sun, 14 Dec 2025 10:00:00 GMT

Mad Max

Heavy Metal + In Concert EP

ROAR

2025

There’s something special about revisiting a record that never tried to be trendy in the first place. Mad Max’s “Heavy Metal” has always felt like a real snapshot of when the genre meant leather jackets, loud amps, and zero apologies. I was a little late to Mad Max back in the day, it didn’t quite make it to my area until around 85/86 and even then, all I had was dubbed tapes from the tape trading game. There still wasn’t a lot of info on the band, so it was one of those bands/albums that I just enjoyed and let it be.

This new remastered reissue from ROAR doesn’t polish away the original spirit, it merely sharpens it. Everything appears to hit harder, clearer, and meaner, but the heart of the original recording is left completely intact. The guitars feel thicker and more alive this time around, with riffs that bite instead of blur together. The low end and the drums still leave a little to be desired, but I’m spoiled nowadays. This remaster doesn’t sterilize the music, whatsoever. It just brings everything forward, like pulling dust off an old blade and realizing it’s still razor sharp.

Where this reissue really earns its place on the shelf is the inclusion of the legendary In Concert 7”. These live cuts are pure, unfiltered Heavy Metal in its natural habitat - loud, raw, and hungry. You can practically feel the cramped room, the sweat in the air, and the band pushing their amps to the breaking point. There’s no studio trickery here, just honest-to-God Metal played by a band that understood volume was a weapon and energy was everything. I’d be hard pressed to praise the remastering of these tracks here though, there’s still leftover hisses and limitations, but I’m sure that’s due to age and lack of better originals to work with, but the spirit is still alive and well.

If you don’t already own this record, there’s never been a better time to experience it the way it was meant to be heard - loud, proud, and unapologetically heavy. This new remaster features unreleased photos, a comic, new liner notes and it’s also being offered on CD/Vinyl again. This is the version to get if you don’t want to sell your soul for the originals.

~Black Angel

Sacred Leather Keep The Fire Burning Review

Sun, 14 Dec 2025 10:00:00 GMT

Sacred Leather

Keep The Fire Burning

King Volume Records / Wise Blood Records

2025

In my never-ending hunt for anything dripping with Metal and nostalgia, I stumbled onto a new-to-me Indiana outfit called Sacred Leather. They’ve been around a few years and already have at least one full-length under their bullet belts, one I haven’t spun yet, but that’s about to change quickly.

Their newest release, “Keep The Fire Burning,” wastes zero time letting you know exactly what fire they’re talking about, the eternal flame of METAL. With a twin-guitar attack that screams Maiden, Priest, and Thin Lizzy worship, the riffs are sharp, the harmonies soar, and the leads are full-on ear-melting. Vocally, we’re talking somewhere in that Priest-meets-Queensrÿche spectrum, which is always welcome in this house. That’s certified royalty territory.

The overall vibe here lands squarely in the realm of pure, OG Heavy Metal. Nothing overly modern, nothing genre-bending, just the band throwing their own leather-clad spin on the blueprint. And honestly, that’s part of the charm. If someone slid me a beat-up cassette of this album and told me it dropped in 1984, I’d believe them without blinking. It’s got that warm, vintage punch. Even the slower tracks, definitely not “power ballads,” but thoughtful dips in tempo, add texture and elevate the whole mood.

My lone gripe is production. The mix feels a little flat, like everything sits at the same level. At times it almost sounds like the vocals got swallowed up by the guitars, as if the whole thing was tracked on an 8-track in someone’s garage. The vocal performance is killer, so it deserves to slice through the mix, not get buried under it. Maybe I’m spoiled by decades of Rob Halford supremacy, but still, a bit more separation would’ve taken these songs over the top.

That said, Sacred Leather have delivered a damn strong record with “Keep The Fire Burning”, production quirks and all. I get the feeling these tracks absolutely destroy in a live setting, where the energy can tear loose without restraint. If you’re an oldhead from my generation, or just someone who craves that authentic Heavy Metal spirit, you owe it to yourself to give this album a spin. Vinyl, CD, cassette… pick your poison, they’re out there.

Standout Tracks: “Tear Out My Heart,” “Keep The Fire Burning,” “Phantom Highway,” “Mistress of the Sun.”

~Black Angel

MindFucks Tales Of Love And Murder Review

Sun, 14 Dec 2025 10:00:00 GMT

MindFucks

Tales Of Love And Murder

Bad Billy Records

2025

I’m constantly digging for new Psychobilly bands and records to sink my fangs into, and every so often one jumps out of the shadows and grabs me by the collar. My latest obsession is the Dutch maniacs in MindFucks, who are gearing up to unleash their debut album “Tales Of Love And Murder” via Bad Billy Records.

The band’s been stalking stages since 2019, honing their sound the old-fashioned way, by sweating it out in packed clubs, and that mileage is stamped all over the album. Their influences don’t just peek through; they blast the doors off. If you worship at the altar of The Meteors, MindFucks will twist that sacred knife with a grin. There’s a heavy dose of The Cramps creeping through the cracks too, but MF cranks the feral energy up a notch. They’re wilder, brasher, and at times flirt with a Punk-leaning chaos that gives the songs an unhinged edge. And of course, the Horror vibe is baked into their DNA.

Production-wise, the record leans rough, maybe rougher than I normally prefer, but this is Psychobilly, where reverb, grit, and a little sonic grime are part of the meal. The guitar twang pops right through the mix, slicing and dancing exactly where it should. My only gripe is the upright bass: it dips out of focus more often than I’d like. A warmer, more present low end would’ve let those slaps and thumps rattle your ribcage a bit more.

The album clocks in at a hefty 16 tracks, and it’s getting both vinyl and CD treatment, like it should. If Psychobilly or Horrorbilly runs in your veins, this record belongs on your playlist and, frankly, on your shelf. I don’t get excited about newer Psychobilly bands often, but MindFucks is a need in the scene – we need them to keep slaughtering the crowds and releasing albums for a few decades!

Standout Tracks – “Midnight Stalker”, “Zombie Killer”, “The Butcher”, “Voodoo Curse”, “Friends With Benefits” and a scorching take on “Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood”.

~Black Angel

Mausoleum Gate Space, Rituals and Magick Review

Sun, 14 Dec 2025 10:00:00 GMT

Mausoleum Gate

Space, Rituals and Magick

Cruz Del Sur Music

2025

Finnish outfit Mausoleum Gate have returned from whatever cosmic temple they’ve been hiding in with their new album “Space, Rituals and Magick”. I can’t speak on their earlier catalog, this is my first real encounter with them, but after spending a lifetime neck-deep in every corner of Rock and Metal, I knew exactly what terrain these guys were treading the moment the first notes hit.

Let’s get one thing straight: if classic Proto-Doom or that mystical, rafter-rattling Hard Rock vibe isn’t your thing, you might as well turn around now. This album isn’t courting the modern crowd. But if you thrive on thick, swirling keyboards, ritualistic riffing, soaring leads, and production that feels like it was pulled straight from a forgotten vault of ’70s wizardry… welcome home. As a diehard fan of Uriah Heep’s “Demons and Wizards”, I felt that familiar warmth immediately, the keyboard work here is absolutely spellbinding.

And the vocals are drifting somewhere between early Ozzy, Manilla Road’s shadowed storytelling, Pagan Altar’s occult croon, and the haunted whispers of Hour of 13. You can throw all the comparisons in the world at it, but the road leads back to Ozzy every single time. That smooth, almost soothing delivery hits like a beacon in the dark. The minute I heard it, I knew I was in safe hands.

With just six tracks stretching out to 37 minutes, the album gives you tons of instrumental depth to chew on, and that’s exactly the way a record like this should be served. Today’s younger Metal fans might shrug at its pacing or analog soul, but anyone who worships at the altar of classic Heavy Rock will find plenty of magic woven into every riff, every swirling organ passage, every carefully carved atmosphere.

Standout Tracks – “Lucifer Shrine”, “Sacred Be They Throne” and “Witches Circle”.

~Black Angel

Torture Hammer Self-Titled Review

Sun, 14 Dec 2025 10:00:00 GMT

Torture Hammer

S/T

Creator-Destructor Records

2025

Sunny, affluent, and gentrified NorCal city Santa Cruz is probably not the go-to place when one thinks, “I bet they have some disgustingly heavy death metal bands there.” However, given that said city was the backdrop for the fictional Santa Carla in The Lost Boys and does have its fair share of weirdos and fringe folks in real life, maybe it's a perfect place for some of that stuff. Whatever the case, Santa Cruz natives Torture Hammer are about to make their hometown synonymous with some truly terrifying music if they have their say with the latest self-titled EP here via Creator-Destructor Records.

Torture Hammer has an interesting history leading up to this release. Their press states such in the following: “After writing and releasing 2024’s Dormant Horror debut EP as a two-piece, TORTURE HAMMER vocalist Peter Pawlak and guitarist Sean Collins added drummer Max Mahmood (Iron Front, Manos De Fierro) and bassist Amir Sahabi (Caveman).” So now the beast here is fully fleshed out, which brings me to this eponymous skull-cracking ripper. Torture Hammer was recorded, mixed, and mastered by Charles Toshio at Panda Studios in Fremont, California (Spy, Sunami, and Scowl) and completed with cover art by Martyrdoom Illustrations (200 Stab Wounds, Kruelty, Morbid Visionz). The overall mix and production are what's to be expected of this variety of mostly mid-paced, mosh-part-heavy, near-“slam” type of death metal. It's low, bottom-heavy, chuggy, and has breakdowns and double-bass drumming capable of leveling entire cities. I can do without the pinch-harmonic sections, bass drops, and 808 hits here and there, but that's just me being nitpicky and admitting it isn't my preference. An important distinction to make here is that it in no way takes away from the songs; it's merely a production color I don't care to paint with. I ain't producing their records nor writing their songs, so let's move on!

We get six tunes, and man, for as short as they are, there is plenty of meat on the bones. There are tremolo-picked riffs, slam riffs, and deep guttural vocals sure to satiate any death metal fan’s appetite. Torture Hammer are content to plod along at an Obituary-type mid-pace and repeatedly kick your teeth in with lyrics about hellish and gory scenes perfect for their death-by-way-of-beatdown approach. Where I feel Torture Hammer excels is that the slam and breakdown parts aren't used as the basis of entire songs—just to bookend them or start them or throw one in around the middle to keep us guessing. If you're a technical death metal freak or speed-crazy, this one isn't for you. These songs are meant to make you bang your head and latch into their monolithic grooves. Personal standouts for me are opener “Bodily Harm,” “Catastrophic Collapse,” and “Coward’s Surrender,” which actually does contain some faster sections coupled with the 800-lb-gorilla stomp they do so well.

Torture Hammer are setting the West Coast ablaze and did extensive touring in that area this past October. Here's hoping I can catch them out East here sometime in the new year. Scrape your knuckles across the pavement, revel in their brand of caveman riffs, and try not to destroy your house when those breakdowns hit. Lethal stuff for sure.

RIYL : Cannibal Corpse, Skinless, Internal Bleeding, Kruelty, Pyrexia, Barbarous

Abbinormal Italia's Gore Talent Review

Sun, 14 Dec 2025 10:00:00 GMT

Abbinormal

Italia’s Gore Talent

Ad Noctem Records

2025

Milan, Italy’s Abbinormal clearly have their tongues firmly in their cheeks (their moniker as the first bit of evidence) and their third album Italia’s Gore Talent, which is obviously a humorous spin on the “Got Talent” reality show that now airs worldwide, and several countries have their own version of it. You would be hard-pressed to find such a scathing, anti-commercial band of brutality merchants anywhere on any of these shows though, and that suits me just fine. I'm sure the band in question doesn't hate the idea either. Well, with that, let's dissect this latest slab of extremity, shall we?

For some historical background, Abbinormal were formed in 1996. Then, they parted ways only to resurface in 2017. Perhaps somewhat ironically, they then unleashed their debut album 1996 the same year. Grind Hotel followed in 2023, and now we have the latest in our hands. Thirteen songs of blended (described by their press release) “grindcore, death, and thrash metal with a provocative and chaotic edge.” The description is pretty dead-on, and it's an intense, yet surprisingly catchy and dare I say, fun listen. The lyrical content seems to focus on (as the band puts it) “a grotesque and ferocious critique of the spectacle of violence and social distress.” Perhaps those lyrics, which are part critique, catharsis, and expounding on the ever-present social decay of the modern world, don't exactly evoke “fun” per se, but somehow Abbinormal manage to craft songs about such heavy topics and make them enjoyable. They may read very dark and bleak, but I think their overall vibe is party angrily while the world burns. I dig that.

The album was recorded, produced, and mixed at Toxic Basement Studios. It's a modern production, but the lethal speed and intensity of the arrangements sound organic across the board, and no instruments or vocals are left wondering where their place in the mix is. If I had to describe Abbinormal’s sonics, I would say throw in some grindcore with a smattering of late 80’s Germanic thrash and mid-90’s death metal with plenty of twists and turns (clean vocals here and there, keyboards, melancholic clean guitar sections) and you have them down in a nutshell. They effortlessly meld these different genres, but grindcore and death metal are the main inspirations here. There's no better case for this than lead-off track “Inverted Karma.” The song begins straight away with choked cymbal hits, guitar chugs, and acerbic vocals, then they blast-beat us to death with tremolo-picked riffs and dissonance and choral chants and an outstanding double-bass-riddled midsection, and back to making minced meat out of us within less than two and a half minutes.

“Boomer” stands out with its thrashy 4/4 midsection and near jazz-like guitar fills in the verse sections. “The Invisible Overpopulation” begins with near-symphonic black metal tendencies complete with inverted chord voicings and melancholic piano before grinding us into dust. “Hippopotamus” is next and it thrashes, it death chugs, and has enough gas to say what it needs to say in two minutes and 21 seconds. Seriously, the slow-churning pissed-off breakdown at the end is worth the price of admission alone. This is definitely my favorite track. The vocals of Eric are pretty standard death growls, but as I mentioned earlier on, he does diversify and bring out some mid-range high screams as well as the odd clean singing, a tactic he employs with great success on “God Save the Dirt.”

The biggest takeaway I have from Italia’s Gore Talent is that the songs are short, there is no filler, and they all aim to hit hard and hit fast. Grab this and experience it for yourself, because Abbinormal are seemingly creating some of the best death/grind anywhere, much less outside U.S. soil. Here's strongly hoping for album #4. Lethal chaos from start to finish, this one. Nice work, gentlemen…

RIYL: Blood Duster, Lock-Up, Cartilage, Exhumed, Aborted, Avulsed

~TB

Struck A Nerve Self-Titled Review

Sun, 14 Dec 2025 10:00:00 GMT

Struck A Nerve

S/T

Listenable Records

2025

I am a die-hard thrash fan. I've lived for thrash since hearing the Big 4 and beyond in my early teen years. Seriously, the US, the UK, Germany, Canada, Japan — I loved it all and wherever it came from. Then, it seemed a whole new crop of bands were intent on giving the entire genre a revival around 2007 and into the 2010s and beyond. My affinity for the genre remains. Well, it seems the revival will indeed continue with the UK’s Struck A Nerve and their self-titled debut, out from the ever-so-quality Listenable Records. Let's strap in and stage-dive from the PA stacks Billy Milano style and get to the nuts and bolts.

Struck A Nerve are a quartet consisting of Aaron Tucker on bass and vocals, Nathan Sadd on guitar, Christopher Williams on drums, and Lexell Altair Garrido on guitars as well. As a four-piece their sound is big, heavy, and powerful. The production and mix (handled by Sam Turbitt at Ritual Studios) is modern but contains those biting high-gain guitars and palm-muted chugs, and the drums, bass, and vocals are all evenly heard and never seem to fight the riff-forward processes here. To my ears, there even seem to be some HM-2 guitar tones blended in, which gives these songs more aggression and edge.

As for the songs, Struck A Nerve aren't reinventing any steel here. What they ARE doing is skillfully executing their brand of thrash, crossover hardcore, and even some death metal with conviction and piss and vinegar. Throughout nine songs, the tempos are breakneck, double-bass-ridden, breakdown-appropriate where needed, and they don't stick around past 4 minutes. Right up my alley. Opener “Nocturnal Terror” comes screaming out of the gate with unrelenting speed, barked/half-growled vocals, and one of the heaviest mid-sections I've heard this year behind some very tasty lead guitar soloing.

Next up is the four-on-the-floor toxic-waltzing vibe of namesake track “Struck A Nerve” with gang shouts and a churning two-step part before more carefully selected shredding into a “hey!”-shouted interlude with harmonized guitars, capping with another neck-snapping breakdown to wrap it up. From here I'm only listing favorites, like the mid-tempo menace of “Inside the Torture Fortress.” Need things sped up with some busy minor-key riffs and Slayer histrionics? No problem. The ferocious “Raining Death” (a title that I don't think was an accident) has got you covered.

My pick for top track here has to be the 4/4 head-nodding groove of “Last Eyes See All.” The breakdown at the end is an undeniable crusher. Throughout the proceedings of this album, Tucker employs vocals that can't help but remind me of Tony Foresta fist-fighting with Nuclear Assault’s John Connelly and Forced Entry’s Tony Benjamin — himself a bass player as well. Lyrically, the songs tackle the inherent violence and corruption that seem to be just another Sunday afternoon lately in 2025 and have, in essence, always been a prevalent feature throughout history. If that isn't perfect thrash content, I don't know what it is. “Leviathan Wings” closes it out with mid-tempo snarl, eerie clean guitar passages, and mind-bending, snaking guitar harmonies and technicality. Consequently, this is the longest and most involved track (clocking in at 5:11) with many tempo shifts, song parts, and weaving in and out of that monstrous verse pummeling.

There you have it. If you bow at the altar of flipped-bill hats, the tightest jeans imaginable with high-top basketball shoes, bullet belts, and denim battle vests, then you wanna run — not walk — to your nearest record store or online retailer and give Struck A Nerve a much-deserved listen. These UK brutes ain't dining on fish and chips, no sir. They're chewing nails and spitting fire and, behind Condition Critical, have given us not only the second-best thrash album of the year, but one hell of a promising debut. Get in this pit!

RIYL: Nuclear Assault, Forced Entry, Demolition Hammer, Municipal Waste, Sodom, Slayer

~TB

Dead Snow Review (2009)

Sun, 14 Dec 2025 10:00:00 GMT

Nazi zombies. There. That’s all you need to know.

However, if you’re wanting some context, I’m happy to oblige. Dead Snow is a Norwegian black humor zombie comedy that takes place in a cabin in the snowy woods of Norway. Some college friends trek to the cabin to enjoy their break from school (original, I know) and unbeknownst to them, find themselves on cursed land that saw German soldiers killed during WWII. Other than one of the girls (Sara) having not returned to the cabin, everything seems to be going pretty well until a stranger shows up at their door. He proceeds to tell them about the history of the land that they’re on and how the German soldiers who were killed on it were not properly laid to rest and their spirits are restless and that there is cursed Nazi gold around and they are guardians of it. The students ignore him and after leaving the cabin and setting up a tent by himself out in the snow, the stranger is attacked and killed by the very presence he was warning them of.

Unfortunately for them, after the stranger left, they find the gold in the cabin.

As Sara is still missing, her boyfriend (Vegard) goes out looking for her. While searching, he falls into a hidden cave where he encounters some of the zombies. This is the catalyst, the alarm that is set off for the zombies to rise. There is a valiant and seemingly positive outlook for the students as they fend them off well for a moment, but then Colonel Herzog shows up and all hell breaks loose, bringing his fiercest and most loyal soldiers with him. After killing some of the students in the cabin and retrieving their gold, the zombies chase down and kill every student until only one remains. After a long and treacherous journey back to the car, Martin thinks he has survived. When Martin reaches into this pocket to grab the car keys, he realizes that he has a piece of gold in his pocket. Before he knows it, Herzog is outside the window and breaks the glass to retrieve the coin. His fate is left ambiguous, but I have no doubt he met the same fate as the rest of his friends.

Generally speaking, this is a pretty solid zombie flick that’s worth your time, but only if you’ve run through the staples or you’re looking for something random and quirky. The effects are really good, there’s sex in an outhouse, a zombie bite to the dick and so much more. If you’re into Evil Dead II or The Descent, you’ll enjoy this one.

~TJ

Yacht Metal Review

Sun, 14 Dec 2025 10:00:00 GMT

Yacht Metal

Cleopatra Records

2025

Cleopatra Records always seem to have an ace up their sleeve and a wild notion ready to unleash. Their latest stroke of madness? A compilation called Yacht Metal. What the hell is that? Imagine your favorite Glam and Metal heroes tackling the Soft-Rock staples your parents used to hum along to, or the stuff you typically hear in elevators when they’re feeling fancy and skip the classical playlist.

On paper, the concept sounds like a full-blown dumpster fire. I honestly expected one when the announcement email hit my inbox earlier this year. But I clicked play anyway… and damned if it didn’t work. In fact, it was fantastic.

I’ll admit, there are several songs on here I’d never heard before, Yacht and Soft Rock were practically banned in the households I grew up around. But surprisingly, there isn’t a single dud. Maybe I’m getting soft in my old age, but I absolutely adore this album. It hits with that late-80s swagger yet feels fresh, thanks to crisp, modern production. It gives a whole new meaning to “cheese music”, this thing is pure cheddar, proudly and unapologetically so.

Highlights - there’s Plenty.

Babylon A.D. take on Rod Stewart’s “Sailing.” I’m a Stewart junkie, but this track was never one I revisited often. I’ve always been more of a “Hot Legs” guy. Yet B.A.D. absolutely slay it. Rod would be proud.
Ronnie Romero & Britt Lightning ignite Rupert Holmes’ “Escape (The Pina Colada Song).” This tune still gets ridiculous radio play, and I’ve always been amused by its bonkers storyline. This version gives it the punch and polish it always secretly needed.
Joe Lynn Turner & Marcus Rand revitalize Blues Image’s “Ride Captain Ride.” This one was born to be a big, swaggering classic-rock earworm, and they deliver exactly that.
Graham Bonnett & Bumblefoot Metal-up Bill Withers’ “Just the Two of Us.” I’ve heard the original more times than I can count; this version is a much smoother sip.
Marq Torien, Mick Box & Bob Daisley jump headfirst into the Doobie Brothers’ “Takin’ It to the Streets.” I’ve always disliked the song, vehemently, but Torien’s vocals are lethal. I should’ve known not to doubt him.
Even Yacht-Rock royalty Captain & Tennille get roughed up as George Lynch & Lorraine Lewis tear into “Love Will Keep Us Together.” It’s 1987 all over again in the best possible way.
“Fooled Around and Fell in Love” might not be pure Yacht Rock, but Doogie White & Ross the Boss give it a worthy treatment. Hard to beat Elvin Bishop’s version, but this holds its own.
The biggest shocker: Tim “Ripper” Owens & Vinnie Moore tackle Exile’s “Kiss You All Over.” I grew up hearing this thanks to my brother and his wife, and I absolutely hated it. Still do, honestly. But in true Ripper fashion, he steps up and crushes it. Blistering falsettos included. Good on him for diving in without hesitation.

My only complaint? Nobody covered Air Supply’s “Making Love Out of Nothing at All” or Christopher Cross’s “Arthur’s Theme (Best That You Can Do).” Add those tracks and I’d be over the edge, happily.

Yacht Metal drops the week before Christmas, making it the perfect gift for that Metalhead in your life who secretly sneaks off and listens to Yacht Rock when no one’s around. Vinyl and CD, naturally. I can already think of a few friends who’ll love this as much as I did. It’s not going to become my daily soundtrack, but my wife prefers Yacht Rock over most of what I blast, so this might just bring peace to the household.

~Black Angel

Top Ten Releases of 2025

Thu, 11 Dec 2025 22:08:54 GMT

It’s that time of year again… the season of lists, reckonings, and rear-view mirrors. Every year I swear I won’t write one of these. Every year I’m wrong. Because the bands who bleed in studios and bust their ass on the road deserve every scrap of light they can get. This playing music for a living ain’t for everybody.

Nine times out of ten, when you see a band sweating it out in some low-lit club, they’ve been living out of vans for weeks, sometimes months. No real beds. No real meals. Just coffee, gas station burritos, and the endlessness of highways. They miss birthdays. They miss weddings. They miss home. And still, they climb onto those stages and tear the roof off in the name of Rock N’ Roll, so fools like me can show up, press a record into my hands, grab a patch or a shirt, and shake the hands of the people who remind me that I’m still alive.

And that’s the tragedy: live music is becoming a dying art in the small scenes. Clubs are closing their doors. The dirty little rooms where your soul got rewired by feedback and fury are disappearing one by one.

This year, my list reflects all of that. Not by design, but by instinct. This isn’t politics. This isn’t favors. This is my truth. These albums grabbed me by the throat, slammed me against the wall, and made me jump, shout, sweat, and believe. Nobody asked for placement. Nobody got special treatment. This was built from whatever rattled my heart and shook my cage the hardest.

I’d be dead wrong if I didn’t give thanks to the people behind the curtains, the firms, the reps, and my small but savage team of brothers who went to war alongside me this year, and to my website manager, Josh, who kept it between the ditches when it got crazy. Lastly, to my darling wife, Renee’, who continuously gives me the space, and the grace needed to write and listen to so much music. I couldn’t do any of this without you, your love and support are the catalysts to everything I do, wrong or right. You are the reason…

So… without further ado, here’s our list of the Top Ten/Twenty Albums of the Year, and some well-deserved honorable mentions.

BLACK ANGEL'S TOP TEN

10. Atomic Witch – Death Etiquette (Redefining Darkness Records)
Thrash metal steeped in Horror, rot, filth, and decay. This is NSFW, NSFL, and definitely not for tourists. Lifers only. No apologies. No survivors.

9. L.A. Guns – Leopard Skin (Cleopatra Records)
The Hollywood vampires keep stalking the overcrowded streets of L.A., making all the old heads feel immortal and dangerous again. I wasn’t cool enough to land a review copy, but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t make my list. No grudges here, just respect where it’s due.

8. Savage Master – Dark & Dangerous (Shadow Kingdom Records)
This one didn’t click on the first swing, but after a few spins it caught fire and never let go. Now it lingers like a beautiful, haunting afterglow. Caught them live in ATL and they proved it the hard way, one of the best bands working today. Long live Stacey Savage and her henchmen!

7. Demented Are Go – Psychotic Mutilation (Sunny Bastards Records)
Whoever is responsible for keeping Sparky upright and breathing deserves a standing ovation and a blood offering. This record was worth every agonizing second of the wait. It feels damned good to have a fresh DAG slab in my filthy hands. Psychobilly has been dragged deep underground, but the kings have returned and they’re still swinging blades.

6. Rotgut – 24oz Cantrip (Self-Released)
A disgusting, glorious throwback to when Thrash and Horror ruled the gutters. You can smell the blood, rust, and rot leaking from this thing before you even press play. I swear I needed a tetanus shot after reviewing it. A violent wall of sound from this Pac-West three-piece. I’m begging for a follow-up and something physical that isn’t just a cassette - vinyl, CD, hell, carved in bone, the world needs this noise.

5. Sölicitör – Enemy in Mirrors (Gates of Hell Records)
This band wasn’t even on my radar until this record hit me like a brick wrapped in barbed wire. After one listen, I panic-bought their entire vinyl catalog, including this gem. Pure early ‘80s Speed Metal filth - grit, power, and blades-out shredding. And the vocalist doesn’t sing - she hunts, stalks, and kills. No mercy. No tears. Only steel.

4. Sanhedrin – Heat Lightning (Metal Blade Records)
Another female-fronted powerhouse trio that does not miss. Their sophomore effort for Metal Blade is built for lifers - denim, leather, and Metal pumping through your arteries. This one’s been in weekly rotation since it dropped, and it hasn’t lost a single tooth. This is American Metal history being written in real time.

3. NITE – Cult of the Serpent Sun (Season of Mist Records)
This one was an accident that turned into an obsession. I wasn’t even supposed to review it, the guy who had it passed because it “wasn’t his thing.” Good. It became mine. At first, the vocals live in that snarling, Satyricon-adjacent space, but the real hook is the music, and before you know it, you're snarling right along. This isn’t what they advertised. This is twin-guitar sorcery, razor-sharp songwriting, and disgusting-level musicianship. Imagine Thin Lizzy or Iron Maiden reborn with Black Metal venom in their veins. I beat this record to death all year. Caught them live on their first East Coast run and they were lethal and humble in equal measures. Snagged their first two records at the show, and those are mandatory listening too. Nothing but love for the dudes in NITE.

2. Helstar – The Devil’s Masquerade (Massacre Records)
This was one of the biggest surprises of the year for me. The album hit hard on the very first spin, and I had it pre-ordered before the dust even settled. After all these years, Helstar have delivered something that stands shoulder-to-shoulder with their classic era, and that isn’t nostalgia talking, that’s fact. I’m always on the hunt for releases that drag me back to my childhood, that resurrect that old feeling you can’t fake, and this record has it in spades. It’s been a daily spin since it landed in my hands, and I don’t see that changing anytime soon. Helstar are still carrying the banner for real American Thrash Metal, and I’ll be standing under that flag until the lights go out.

1. Mean Mistreater – Do Or Die (Dying Victims Productions)
This stamped itself as number one the second it hit my inbox. From the very first spin, nothing else even got close. These Texas maniacs are everything that’s right with Metal - lifelong road dogs grinding it out night after night, loading in, loading out, and murdering every crowd in their path. No gimmicks. No bullshit. No distractions. Just loud guitars, reckless riffs, and faces melting in real time. If you worship old-school Metal, your search ends here. Mean Mistreater aren’t chasing the crown — they’re coming to take it. And if the next release is anywhere near as savage as their last two, it’s over.

Honorable Mentions~

Bronco – Self-Titled (Magnetic Eye Records).

Pagan Altar – Never Quite Dead (Dying Victims Productions).

Bashful Billy – Late For An Early Grave (A Corpse With No Name).

Denial Of Life – Witness The Power (Creator-Destructor Records).

Pentagram – Lightning In A Bottle (Heavy Psych Recordings)

Hot Shot – We’ll Be Right Back EP (Self-Released)

Cradle Of Filth - The Screaming of the Valkyries (Napalm Records)

Stoned Jesus – Songs To Sun (Season Of Mist Records)

Testament – Para Bellum (Nuclear Blast Records)

The Unsatisfied - Real Gone Pale Face Reissue (Self-Released)

TB's Top 20!

20. Naevus - Back Home

19. Undead - This Side of the Grave

18. FIRMAMENT- For Centuries Alive

17. Degrave - Metalithic

16. Dinosaur Pile Up - I've Felt Better

15. Occulsed -Antegnosis

14. Eldfodd - Rise From the Flames

13. The Other - Alienated

12. Dispossessed - Daemocide

11. Helloween - Giants and Monsters

10. Internal Bleeding - Settle All Scores

9. Tribal Gaze - Inveighing Brilliance

8. Testament:- Parabellum

7. Burning Witches - Inquisition

6. Castle Rat - The Bestiary

5. Dead Heat - Process of Elimination

4. Darkness - The Death Squad Chronicles

3. Firstborne - Lucky

2. Anthrodynia- Unspeakable Horrors Eminating from Within

1. Condition Critical - Degeneration Chamber

Honorable mentions:

Vertebra - The Same

Vittra - Intense Indifference

King Parrot - A Young Person's Guide To

Sodom - The Arsonist

Dying Remains - Merciless Suffering

Paradise Slaves - With Hell In His Eyes

TJ's Top Ten~

10. Scour - Gold

9. Drugs of Faith - Asymmetrical

8. Grima - Nightside

7. HATE - Bellum Regiis

6. Arch Enemy - Blood Dynasty

5. Shed the Skin - The Carnage Cast Shadows

4. Los Morts - Devil Inside

3. LIK - Necro

2. Warbringer - Wrath and Ruin

1. Doomsday - Never Known Peace

Honorable mentions:

Lord Vampyr - The Greatest Bloodbath

Cradle of Filth - The Screaming of the Valkyries

Bashful Billy - Late For an Early Grave

Cartilage - Tales From the Entrails: A Necrology

Killswitch Engage - This Consequence

Top 10 of 2025 by Rev. Chad Wells. I never know what year it is and my musical tastes tend to favor older releases so I have a hard time even knowing if I listened to anything new this year. After digging through my Youtube and Spotify playlists, this is about as close as I can get to a best of 2025.

10. Wet Leg - Moisturizer
Everybody’s talking about them and you either love them or hate them. I personally can’t stop listening to them or looking at them. Probably a number 1 for a lot of people, this one sits at number 10 for me, not because I listened to it less than anything else, but because I feel like you don’t need my help in finding them.

9. Wednesday - Bleeds

Asheville genre destroyers. This album sounds like 90’s Liz Phair backed by Guided By Voices after a long weekend listening to old school country and post hardcore.

8. Ecca Vandal - Molly EP
Okay, it’s not an album, but this 4 song EP contains two of my most played songs of the year. Ecca Vandal is a breath of fresh air that mixes a hardcore sensibility with pop hooks and dance grooves for days. I can’t stop listening to her and I stare at the TV like a cat watching birds out the window whenever her videos play.

7. Casket Rats - Rat City Rockers
I’ve heard Motorhead and Clutch thrown around as similar sounds to these guys but this sounds like Steve Miller era Electric Frankenstein with even more grit and muscle. This just may be the rock record of the year.

6. Scowl - Are We All Angels
On their latest, Kat and Co delve further into indie alternative pop influences, ditching hardcore as their primary genre and using it instead as a coloration in a rainbow swirl of angst and frustration and post-modern battle cries.

5. Biohazard - Divided We Fall
To say that I’m surprised I’m including Biohazard on a best of 2025 list is an understatement. What’s not an understatement is that Biohazard are one of the best bands to ever do this kind of beefy muscular hardcore metal and they’ve just dropped a slab of it that sounds as fresh as anything. Honestly, I dig this new album more than their OG stuff.

4. Agnostic Front - Echoes In Eternity
AF has always rocked harder and worked harder than nearly anybody else in their scene and this album is no exception. This thing is a love letter to hardcore written nearly 50 years after the genre came to be and these old man-thems will destroy anything the kids are pushing these days. Sounds like New York, tattoos and punches.

3. AFI - Behind The Clock
The boys from AFI shapeshift again! This time, their goth is in full flagrance with Davey dropping his voice a solid octave to give us a modern gothcore sound that blends Death In June-esque martial folk intros with full Bauhaus cum Sisters of Mercy dancefloor destroyers. Davey’s desert sex cult leader aesthetic is strange to some, but knowing that this album carries a whole bunch of influence from David Lynch should tell you that strangeness is transcendent. Close your eyes and take the ride.

2. Ravagers - On The Loose
If The Dead Boys and The Ramones had a baby, they’d probably sound just like this. Leather jackets, fisticuffs, a singer songwriter who’s also responsible for the current look of punk rock and hardcore album covers and posters and spiked up haircuts. Gimme more.

1. Tyler Childers - Snipe Hunting
Rick Rubin steps in to help ferry Mr. Childer’s vision across a sonic river that’s just as much the muddy ol’ Ohio river as it is the mystical Ganges. There’s not another record out there that sounds this fresh and this vintage at the same time with lyrical content that flows from old hunting dogs to koalas with STD’s and into Hindu cosmology. This is true cosmic country.

Runner Up:
Zipperguts - Books of Blood. This one would’ve been a solid number 2 on this list if it weren’t for the fact that I produced it and play all over it. Brother Jared Lord (Zipperguts) has found a way to filter real world catharsis and angst through songs about extremely graphic violence and depravity. If you’re going to buy one CD from HorrorShock Records to sum up 2025, it’s Books of Blood.

~HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

Dangerous Toys Demolition Review

Sun, 07 Dec 2025 10:15:00 GMT

Dangerous Toys

Demolition

Cleopatra Records

2025

It’s been roughly three decades since we’ve had anything new-to-us from the Dangerous Toys camp - 30 damn years too long for someone who basically grew up baptized in the smoldering ashes of these Southern Sleaze legends. I finally got to see the band live for the first time a couple years back, and when they tore into the unreleased “Hold Your Horses,” it felt like a promise. A promise I’m still waiting to see stamped onto a new full-length. But in the meantime, the band has done the next best thing, they’ve dug into the vault, pulled out a mountain of demos tracked between “Hellacious Acres” and “Pissed”, and stitched together a brand-new release: “Demolition”.

First reaction? Thank Ozzy and every unholy power of Rock ’n’ Roll that they finally threw us DT diehards a bone. Rumor has it there were around 70 tracks to sort through to make this thing, and we only got ten. Ten! Which means they’re sitting on more. And if any members of DT happen to lay eyes on this: don’t you dare wait another 30 years. Drop the rest of that stash in 2026 and let’s call it even.

Digging into “Demolition”, it’s exactly what any self-respecting Toys fanatic would expect: Texas Sleaze with one fist clenched and the other one permanently throwing horns. But let’s keep it real, the sound isn’t as polished as the first two records. The production’s rougher, grittier, and not what the casual fan might be used to. But if you’re here reading this, you’re not a casual fan. You already know that if these songs had been discovered on a half-mangled cassette that spent six months crushed in a leather jacket, we’d still treat it like holy scripture. And honestly, these cuts sound far better than that, just don’t go in expecting a pristine studio gloss.

McMaster sounds feral and fantastic, hitting those signature vocal acrobatics like it’s still 1992, and the band comes out swinging. What does blow my mind is how “Rattle My Cage,” “Burning Bridges,” “Back Street Girl,” and “Shot To Hell” never saw daylight until now. Sure, the musical landscape shifted back then, but these tracks would’ve made one hell of an entry point for the era that eventually led to “The Rtist 4merly Known As Dangerous Toys”. I wasn’t living their reality, life’s a bastard even without being in a band, but hearing these tracks now makes that whole chapter hit a little different. I’ve grown to love that album, but these songs feel like the missing puzzle pieces from the era that shaped it.

The point is simple: these demos are finally out, finally blasting through speakers instead of rotting in limbo, and that alone is worth celebrating. And if there’s one thing you need to know about this fanbase, starting with me, it’s that we’ve been RABID for exactly this kind of release. Dangerous Toys has always held a special place in my personal timeline, a band I can revisit anytime I need to reconnect with the chaos, electricity, and reckless joy of my youth. In my world, they remain one of the greatest bands to ever crawl out of Texas, right up there with the almighty Junkyard.

If you haven’t pre-ordered “Demolition” yet, stop dragging your feet. Grab a bottle of whiskey, spark up whatever vice you’ve got left, throw this record on, and let yourself feel young and bulletproof again, fast. Don’t wait. Do it now.

~Black Angel

Christmas Bloody Christmas Review (2022)

Sun, 07 Dec 2025 10:00:00 GMT

If The Terminator meeting Silent Night, Deadly Night sounds like a good time, it’s not. Well, at least not by the way of Christmas Bloody Christmas. The primary issue, and it’s a big one, is that it’s literally painful to watch. The film uses primarily black and neon lights, and it burnt my retinas, so unless you’ve got a bottle of Visine handy, I’d advise against it. If that doesn’t sound appealing enough, the characters are abysmal. There is not one character who you want to survive or who you want to know more about. The two main characters, Tori and Robbie, are annoying wanna be know-it-all metalheads. I guess because they work in a record shop, they’re expected to have that arrogance about them. The dialogue is both annoying and frustrating as every other word is something profane and as someone who swears a lot, making that complaint says something. They’re also trying too hard to be edgy and cool and come off as unlikable.

The premise itself is nothing remarkable – a defective animatronic Santa goes on a killing spree. It kills Tori and Robbie’s friends first and then it follows them throughout town until it gets its hands on them. The game of cat and mouse wears pretty thin by the end as there are too many false endings in where Santa is dead but then somehow rises once again. There’s a showdown at the town police station where it is stabbed, crushed and set ablaze under an ambulance and after all that, just sits up like Michael Myers. You know the end is really at hand when he starts shooting green lasers out of his eyes. The ending kind of reminded me of Jack Frost where the way to “kill” it is obvious, but also kind of clever. There are a couple of good kills, but I’m not sure that justifies spending almost an hour and a half with it.

~TJ

The Old Dead Tree The London Sessions EP Review

Sun, 07 Dec 2025 10:00:00 GMT

The Old Dead Tree

The London Sessions EP

Season Of Mist

2025

The Old Dead Tree did the unthinkable: they stepped into the legendary Abbey Road Studios and recorded two brand-new tracks alongside reimagined versions of two of their older songs. The result is nothing short of breathtaking - raw, heartfelt, and emotionally overwhelming. I thought the band was solid before, but this EP proves they’re truly coming into their own. If this is any indication of what’s to come, their next full-length album could very well be their finest work yet.

There’s a quiet kind of gravity to “The London Sessions EP”, the way it unfolds like a city at twilight, rain-slick streets, echoes of voices, history pressing softly against every corner. The Old Tree have taken their sound, their experience, and their sense of place, and distilled it into something both intimate and expansive.

From the opening notes, it’s clear that this isn’t an EP built on chasing trends or filling airspace. Instead, it’s a collection of songs that breathe, that carry the weight of a lived experience. The instrumentation is subtle but deliberate: guitars hum and shimmer, keyboards drift like fog over cobblestones, and the rhythm section holds everything steady, like the pulse of the city itself.

The vocals are the kind that invite you in rather than demand attention. They carry warmth, regret, longing, and sometimes quiet defiance, threading the emotional throughline of the album. Even the more upbeat tracks feel reflective, each melody leaving space for the listener to wander alongside it.

Where “The London Sessions” truly shines is in its patience. The Old Tree are unafraid to linger on a chord, let a note decay, let a lyric sink in. There’s a sense of taking stock - of roots, of journeys, of the time between then and now. By the time the EP ends, it leaves you with the strange feeling of having walked familiar streets you didn’t know you’d missed.

This is an EP for slow afternoons, for quiet evenings, for the moments when music isn’t just heard but lived. “The London Sessions” doesn’t shout; it resonates. And in that resonance, it makes itself unforgettable.

~Black Angel

Human Fortress Stronghold Review

Sun, 07 Dec 2025 10:00:00 GMT

Human Fortress

Stronghold

Massacre Records

2025

Human Fortress are back, and “Stronghold” feels like the kind of album title that isn’t just thematic, it’s a mission statement. From the very first track, “Stronghold”, the band plants their flag in the soil with the confidence of veterans who know exactly what they’re fighting for: soaring, triumphant Power Metal built on equal parts medieval grit and widescreen fantasy.

What really hits right away is how alive this record feels. Human Fortress has always leaned into that cinematic, almost knight-on-a-clifftop grandeur, but “Stronghold” sharpens it. The riffs have more teeth, the rhythms feel heavier, and the whole thing crackles with urgency. There’s armor-clad bravado here, sure, but it’s backed by real emotional weight and some of the strongest songwriting they’ve put forward in years.

The vocals ride the line between heroic and haunting, soaring across choruses meant to be belted at top volume. Keyboards aren’t just window dressing, they’re full-on co-architects of the soundscape, adding castle-top atmosphere without ever smothering the guitars. Every track has that unmistakable Human Fortress gallop, but each one brings its own color: some punch hard and fast, others slow-burn with an almost balladic sense of melancholy and longing.

What makes the album work so well is the balance. It’s epic without being bloated, heavy without sacrificing melody, traditional without feeling stuck in the past. The band sounds refreshed, revitalized, like they rediscovered what made them special in the first place and then doubled down on it.

This album is a reminder that this band still has the heart, fire, and steel to stand tall among the genre’s greats.

If you want Power Metal that feels triumphant without being cheesy, dramatic without being over-the-top, and grounded in craftsmanship instead of flash, “Stronghold” deserves your full attention. Human Fortress have built something worthy of the name - solid, mighty, and unmistakably their own.

Standout Tracks – “Stronghold”, “Pain”, “The Abyss Of Our Souls”, “The Darkest Hour” and “Silent Scream”.

~Black Angel

Denial Of Life Witness The Power Review

Sun, 07 Dec 2025 10:00:00 GMT

Denial Of Life

Witness The Power

Creator-Destructor Records

2025

I don’t get too many “what the fuck just happened?” moments these days when I hit play on something new, but I damn sure had one when I fired up “Witness The Power”, the latest EP from Tacoma, Washington’s own Denial Of Life.

I’m somewhere between speechless and fired the hell up. Not in any weird way, more like I just stumbled across the missing evolutionary link in Heavy Metal. What Denial Of Life unleashes here is a molten fusion of Crossover Thrash, Hardcore, Heavy Metal, and pure, unfiltered hostility, all wrapped inside a razor-sharp production job.

Yeah, the band is female-fronted, not that it should matter, but in a male-dominated Metal world, it’s always refreshing when a woman steps up and delivers a vocal beating most dudes couldn’t dream of. And Brenna Gowin doesn’t just deliver… she detonates. Zero restraint. Zero mercy.

This isn’t music for the Polo-shirted crowd sipping craft seltzers and philosophizing about life. This is for the battle-vest lifers, the ones who’d rather get their faces split open in the pit than spend a second listening to someone’s TED Talk. And while you might assume this thing rips by at warp speed, it doesn’t. The band moves with mid-tempo, bulldozer confidence, grinding forward with a deliberate heaviness that makes it hit even harder. Brenna’s vocal cadence channels that old-school Death Angel/Slayer sense of rhythmic attack - sharp, venomous, and commanding.

Musically, “Witness The Power” is one of the best-recorded EPs I’ve heard from an up-and-coming band still clawing their way through the trenches. They may only have one album behind them, but you’d never know it, these tracks are crafted with the skill of veterans. Massive riffs and a rhythm section that sounds like it was forged in a steel mill form the backbone of a release that could easily go down as one of this year’s strongest.

And speaking of the year, as we barrel toward the finish line, plenty of labels are dumping forgettable leftovers just to clear their books. Denial Of Life is NOT one of those cases. This is the real deal. Easily one of the best bands I’ve heard all year, and honestly, I’ve been waiting for a band like this.

Standout Tracks – The ENTIRE EP! But if you’re looking for an earworm or 2 don’t miss out on “Love Sting” and “Sword Of Fire”.

~Black Angel

Bangalore Choir Rapid Succession: On Target II Review

Sun, 07 Dec 2025 10:00:00 GMT

Bangalore Choir

Rapid Fire Succession: On Target II

Bravewords Records

2025

Some albums unlock memories you thought you’d boxed up decades ago. Bangalore Choir’s “Rapid Fire Succession: On Target II” is exactly that kind of blast from the past, the kind that hits like you just cracked open an old CD binder and found the part of yourself that refused to quit Rock ’N’ Roll.

Bangalore Choir were always one of those bands you’d swear should’ve been bigger, too much bite for the Glam holdouts, too much melody for the knuckle-dragger crowd, and too good to get swallowed by the tidal wave that hit in the early ’90s. So, when they slap a “II” onto “On Target”, it isn’t some lazy sequel, it’s them staring the last three decades in the face and screaming "I heard you missed us, we're back"!

This thing rips out of the gate with that same sunbaked, leather-jacketed swagger the band had back in ’92, only now everything sounds more lived-in, more scarred, more dangerous. The riffs scream with youthfulness. The rhythm section hits like they’re pounding out years of frustration. And David Reece sings like he’s carrying the weight of every missed opportunity and every “what if” this band ever had, and he’s turning it into fuel. Sure, the band has continued to release albums, but none of them hardly come across like “II” does.

The choruses soar in that way only bands from this era know how to do – chock full of hooks and melodies that get stuck in your head for days and tough enough to make you want to roll the windows down and howl them into oncoming traffic. The mid-tempo tunes have that “aging gunslinger” energy – seasoned, weathered, dangerous and old enough to know better, but too young at heart to give a damn.

What makes “On Target II” hit so damned hard is the attitude. This isn’t nostalgia-by-numbers. This is a band taking their identity back, lighting the old torch, and swinging it like a battle axe. It feels like they’re reclaiming something, maybe for the fans, maybe for themselves, maybe for that version of Rock ’N’ Roll that refused to die even when the world moved on.

If you still proudly have the original “On Target” in your collection, grabbing “II” is a birthright and a must. Reese and company absolutely dominate and go all in on this album from the word go. This is a must for any fan of early 90’s Hard Rock.

Standout Tracks – “Swimming With The Shark”, “Bullet Train”, “The Light”, “Driver’s Seat”, “Rock Of Ages” and the heart wrenching ballad “Mending Fences”.

~Black Angel

Rotten Sound Mass Extinction Review

Sun, 07 Dec 2025 10:00:00 GMT

Rotten Sound

Mass Extinction

Season of Mist

2025

Finland is often cited for groundbreaking and genre-defining death metal. Hell, the term “Finnish death metal” has been a classification since the early 90s. But grindcore has its own dogs in the fight in the country too. We're taking a look at one of the longest-running grind outfits that call the very same place home, Rotten Sound, and their newest 8-song EP, Mass Extinction.

Rotten Sound has been around for three-plus decades. If you are unfamiliar with them, prepare yourselves for short blasts (and I do mean blast beats) of unfiltered grinding anger and aggression, d-beat inspired hardcore punk, Swedish death metal histrionics, and throat-tearing screams. Through it all, their statements are concise and to the point. This 11th EP is a perfect example of that as they belt out the eight songs contained here in just under 10 minutes! This is grindcore, after all, and one of the hallmarks of said genre is the shorter, spastic song lengths. This EP was produced in-house by the band themselves, with recording and sound engineering by Janne Saksa at Sound Supreme (Hämeenlinna, Finland) for drums and vocals, Nordic Audio Labs (Karperö, Finland) for guitar and bass, while mixing was handled by Jesse Gander at Rain City Studios, Manchester, UK, and mastering was handled by Brad Boatright at Audio Siege, Portland, Oregon, USA. The mix has a live feel, with the guitars (Mika Aalto) carrying an up-front, bottom-heavy HM-2 tone; the bass (Matti Raappana) is low, distorted, and present; and the drums (Sami Latva) are chaotic but audible. The vocals (Keijo Niinimaa), while not as up-front as I feel they could be, are also cleanly heard in all of their misanthropic glory.

Lyrically, Rotten Sound never shy away from state-of-the-world addresses, and they tackle many of those topics on Mass Extinction. Their press release states, “Mass Extinction chews through toxic consumerism, labor exploitation, and other plagues on society.” The outlook is not all bleak, though, as “Idealist” bursts forth urging us to wake up behind an absolutely monstrous groove. This is where Rotten Sound excel and are by now exemplary candidates for all things grind. Sure, they are intense, 1000 mph bursts, but they employ enough thrash and mid-tempo breakdowns to vary the approach instead of relying on pure light-speed arrangements. These moments are brief, but they make the songs carry even more weight and impact. My favorite moment for this is the outro to “Empty Shells.”

Mass Extinction (or grindcore as a whole, for that matter) certainly isn't for everyone, but if you like your grind with heavy doses of punk attitude, hardcore swagger, and wearing a denim vest covered in death metal patches with venom and vitriol to spare, then give it a spin and discover why Rotten Sound have had such a hefty shelf life. They are considered legends in their ugly, filthy field, and this EP proves that they have way more creative rounds in the chamber. After all, you're only gonna be out 10 minutes. Ten brutal, ball-peen-hammer-beating minutes, but just ten minutes, nonetheless. Wham bam, grindcore ma'am!

RIYL: NAILS, Wormrot, Napalm Death, Nasum, Misery Index

~TB

Auditory Anguish AFA Review

Sun, 07 Dec 2025 09:45:00 GMT

Auditory Anguish

AFA

Creator-Destructor Records

2025

Over the last two to three years, I've noticed an emerging trend in death metal. More bands are marrying elements of metallic hardcore into their arrangements. This isn’t necessarily new as Internal Bleeding basically patented it in the early 90’s, while bands like Trap Them and Creeping Death followed suit a bit later. There's a veritable laundry list of bands that are employing this approach, and Spinebreaker, 200 Stab Wounds and Sanguisugabogg all come to mind. Today we look at the latest progenitors in southern California’s Auditory Anguish and the 5 song AFA EP.

Auditory Anguish first made waves with the self-released Tragedies Of Western Existence three-song promo in 2023, followed by the Crime Rituals EP in 2024. Now they have aligned with Creator-Destructor Records for the bruiser we are discussing. AA are a quintet, so their sound is a veritable wall of chugging, churning guitars, low distorted bass, and drums that groove super hard and super formidably. The EP was recorded and mixed at The Pit Recording Studio in Van Nuys, California by Taylor Young (Disgrace, Twitching Tongues, God’s Hate) who also provides additional vocals to “Unrelenting Blade”. The overall mix is modern in nature, and every instrument and throat laceratesld death growl/shouts are all easily heard. The one thing I love about this mix is that the drums don't sound overly quantized or sampled or triggered, giving them a much more organic feel.

AFA doesn't stick around for very long. The entire ordeal hands us our asses in just over 10 minutes. This is where I personally think the melding of hardcore with death metal works, because I am partial to songs that hang around the two-to-four-and-a-half-minute range. This EP obliges with no song over three. Stylistically I can hear a few things going on in Auditory Anguish’s sound. There is the tremolo picked sections reminiscent of mid paced Cannibal Corpse stuff, along with breakdowns a plenty and hardcore two step sections. In these moments you can hear Xilbalba, Trash Talk and All Out War in their DNA. Their press release says they are also considered “metalcore”, but I don't hear it. I absolutely hear head bobbing groove laden NYHC colliding with slam, beat down and old school death. For a perfect marriage of all of this, look no further than the mosh worthy “Clementine”, “Terra Santa” and the Deftones adjacent intro into fire breathing speed of closer “Unrelenting Blade”.

All things said and done, AFA isn't breaking any new molds, but it is done with proficiency, anger, aggression and a keen sense of energy. Get destroyed by this stat. Auditory Anguish has given us an extremely intense and engaging (albeit a bit short) listen. Bloody noses are sure to follow. Here's hoping a tour with Frozen Soul, Full Blown Chaos and 200 Stab Wounds is on the imminent horizon.

RIYL: Xibalba, Cannibal Corpse, Internal Bleeding, Full Blown Chaos, All Out War

~TB

Killed By Deaf: A Punk Tribute To Motörhead Review

Sun, 30 Nov 2025 11:25:05 GMT

Killed By Deaf: A Punk Tribute To Motorhead

Various Artists

Murder One

2025

Due to our October madness here at BAP, I’m a little late getting to yet another killer release, but better late than never when it comes to something this gnarly. This time around, we’re diving headfirst into “Killed By Deaf: A Punk Tribute To Motörhead”. It’s been out a few weeks now, and anyone who eats, sleeps, and bleeds Motörhead has already caught wind of it.

Now, I’ve seen some mixed chatter about this record floating around, but let’s be real, most of that noise is coming from purists who don’t seem to grasp the bloodline between Motörhead and Punk Rock. When Lemmy built Motörhead, his goal was simple: be the loudest, fastest, nastiest band on the planet. Tell me that’s not Punk as hell. Add to that the fact this beast was released on Motörhead’s own sub-label, Murder One, and it’s safe to say the stamp of approval comes straight from the Ace himself.

I’m a certified Motörhead freak, I still own Victory Records’ 1999 tribute “Built For Speed”, which remains essential listening. Dropkick Murphys tearing through “Rock N’ Roll” and Blood For Blood detonating “Ace Of Spades”, that compilation set the bar high. So yeah, my brain was revved to hell for this new one.

The first track out the gate is, naturally, “Ace Of Spades.” This time Pennywise takes the reins, and to my surprise, they nail it. It’s even faster than the original, imagine that. I’ve never been the biggest Pennywise fan (aside from their album with Zoli on vocals), but this version rips hard. The riffing and lead work are clean, tight, and brimming with raw energy.

Then comes Rancid’s turn with “Sex & Death,” and man, they absolutely torch it. I was half-expecting some ragged Reggae-infused nonsense, but Lars leads this one straight into the inferno. It’s angrier, grimier, and somehow even nastier than Motörhead’s version. Major respect.

Next up, my favorite cut of the whole tribute. FEAR, fronted by the legendary Lee Ving, rip into “The Chase Is Better Than The Catch.” Now, if you’ve heard FEAR’s usual approach to covers, you might brace yourself, but don’t. They play it fairly straight while still dripping with that signature FEAR swagger. Ving’s vocals are perfect for this song, his snarl and phrasing are dead-on, his voice sliding right into Lemmy’s lane without imitation. This might honestly be one of the best Motörhead covers I’ve ever heard. Ving’s a national treasure, and this track proves it. “I like a little innocent bitch…” Indeed.

And the hits just keep coming. G.B.H. tackle “Bomber,” and while it slaps hard, I swear they sound like Nashville Pussy here. I had to check twice to make sure it wasn’t. It’s not a bad thing, just unexpected. Instead of my brain getting blown to bits, it got fried Southern-style, and I kinda dig it.

Slaughterhouse, a newer punk act fronted by a female vocalist, tear into “Love Me Like A Reptile.” I hadn’t heard of them before, but now I’m paying attention. Their tone has that early-’80s Post-Punk edge, sharp guitars, clean delivery, and a driving tempo. Even if you didn’t know this was a Motörhead track, you’d still be hooked.

Then there’s the almighty Anti-Nowhere League, who come storming in with “Born To Raise Hell.” Animal and crew light this one up like a Molotov. You can practically smell the cigarette ash and chaos rolling off it. It’s a perfect fit, ANWL and Motörhead have always shared the same filthy DNA, and this cut proves it again.

And of course, we’ve gotta talk about the version of “Neat, Neat, Neat” featuring Lemmy himself alongside The Damned. Some folks have been throwing shade at it, and honestly, I can’t wrap my head around that. If you don’t love this, you probably don’t get The Damned. It’s Lemmy and The Damned on one track, what the hell is there not to love?

This tribute wasn’t on my bingo card for 2025, but damn am I glad it exists. It’s a righteous celebration of Lemmy’s unholy union between Punk and Metal - a reminder that loud, fast, and nasty never goes out of style. Sure, I could nitpick a few lineup choices or wish for different tracks, but that’s the beauty of it: every Motörhead fan has their own sacred list of favorites. It would’ve been RAD as hell to have Cocksparrer do a rousing version of “Killed By Death”!

Bottom line, “Killed By Deaf” roars, rages, and pays proper respect to the loudest band to ever walk the earth. Lemmy would’ve raised his glass to this one, no doubt. Grab the LP edition while you can, crank it until your neighbors move out, and remember: Motörhead lives forever.

~Black Angel

Paul Lidel's Scream Therapy Are You Ready Review

Sun, 30 Nov 2025 11:24:36 GMT

Paul Lidel’s Scream Therapy

Are You Ready

Perris Records

2025

“Are You Ready” kicks open the damn door, walks in and puts its feet on your coffee table and dares you to do something about it. Paul Lidel has always had that swaggering, no-nonsense guitar personality, but Scream Therapy feels like he finally stopped pretending that he’s got something left to prove. The record hits like a band that’s lived through the dive bars, the late-night loadouts, the lineup changes, the burnout, and came out the other side with their teeth still sharp.

This album is built on movement, not the polished “radio rock” kind, but the kind where you can practically smell the gear cases and spilled beer. The guitars have this greasy, late-night shine to them, ripping and sliding without trying to reinvent the wheel. They don’t need to. Lidel plays like a guy who reinvented the wheel twenty years ago and he doesn’t feel obligated to tell you about it.

Vocally, the record leans into attitude rather than theatrics. There’s grit, bite, and a sense that every line is delivered with a smirk that says, “You’re damn right I mean it.” The rhythm section keeps everything glued down with a stomp-and-strut backbone - punchy, muscular, but leaving enough breathing room for the riffs to actually feel dangerous instead of compressed to death.

The standout quality here is energy. Not youthful energy, hungry energy. The kind you get from musicians who still love making noise loud enough to shake the rafters. The guys who’ve been to the top of the mountain then looked down. There’s no filler, no pretension, no half-hearted “we’re still relevant” gestures. Just songs that live and die by the riffs, the hooks, and the sweat. This is the kind of record that does an old Metalhead’s heart good to hear and feel.

“Are You Ready” isn’t trying to be a modern classic. It’s a straight-up Smashmouth Rock ’N’ Roll record made by lifers, and it sounds like it. If you miss that feeling of an album punching you in the gut and daring you to do something about it, then yeah… You’re Ready.

Standout Tracks – “Never Satisfied”, “Stop At Nothing”, “Are You Ready” and “We Got Rock N’ Roll”.

~Black Angel

Enemynside In The Shadow Of Unrest Review

Sun, 30 Nov 2025 11:23:47 GMT

Enemynside

In The Shadow of Unrest

Self-Released

2025

Enemynside come out swinging on “In The Shadow of Unrest”, dropping any pretense of subtlety and going straight for the throat. This is a teeth-gritted, boot-on-the-monitor Modern Thrash EP that feels like it was born in the middle of a sandstorm. It’s technically only 3 songs with an instrumental, but it brings it like it’s a full length.

The guitars are the first thing to hit. They don’t shimmer or shine, they charge straight at the listener. Riffs come ripping in like warning sirens, sharp and frantic, the kind that make you realize you’ve subconsciously started clenching your jaw. The rhythm section doesn’t just support the chaos; it acts as the accelerant. The drums feel like they’re trying to outrun themselves, and the bass rattles underneath everything like it’s barely contained. The vocals fall somewhere between Pantera and The Haunted and I’m here for that!

The real vibe is in the attitude. Enemy Inside sound pissed off in a way that’s almost cathartic, like the band just lit the room on fire. The vocals ride the line between raw and controlled, never tipping into polish. There's venom, but there’s also that Thrash-born clarity where every word feels like a blade thrown with ill intent.

“In The Shadow of Unrest” isn’t here to impress your audiophile friends or soothe your nerves. It’s here to tear shit up, peel back the status quo, and remind you that Thrash doesn’t have to be nostalgic to be lethal. Enemy Inside tap into that restless energy, the kind that makes your spine buzz and your hands twitch, and they run with it until the whole thing catches fire.

Not pretty. Not polite. Just loud, fast, and uncomfortably honest.

Exactly what Modern Thrash should be.

~Black Angel

Aeternia Into The Golden Halls Review

Sun, 30 Nov 2025 11:23:12 GMT

Aeternia

Into the Golden Halls

Cruz Del Sur Music

2025

Aeternia’s “Into the Golden Halls” doesn’t feel like some big grand statement, it feels like a band locking the doors, turning the lights down, and playing the way they’ve wanted to play for years. There’s no shine here, no high-gloss attempt to chase trends. This record lives in the tension between discipline and instinct, and Aeternia lets both arms swing freely.

The guitars come at you with a colder, more mechanical precision than their past work. Instead of the usual “heroic climb” style riffs, these feel more like gears grinding in a machine that’s been running too long. Everything has weight, the kind you don’t shake off. There are moments where the rhythms get almost suffocating, like the band’s daring you to tap out before they do.

Vocally, the album takes a different turn than expected. It’s not about reach or theatrics; it’s about tone, attitude, and letting the imperfections land where they may. There’s a lived-in quality to the delivery, the kind of voice you get after spending too many nights yelling over amps in cramped rooms. It’s not always pretty, but it’s convincing in all the right ways.

The songwriting sticks to a more controlled burn. Instead of constant peaks, the album leans into mood, restraint, tension, and repetition that builds pressure until something finally cracks. Aeternia plays with space more than they ever have before, using it like a weapon. When they do open up, it hits harder because they made you wait for it.

What makes “Into the Golden Halls” stand out is that it’s not trying to be anyone’s soundtrack to a fantasy world. It’s not dressed up. It’s not sanitized. It’s a band working through their own sound in real time, letting the rough edges stay rough and the heavy moments stay heavy without polishing them into oblivion.

It’s Aeternia more grounded, more self-assured, and more comfortable being uncomfortable. No theatrics. No big speeches. Just a damn solid record built with both hands and left beating on the table for whoever wants to pick it up. In the past the band has been called Power Metal, and I’ve read that some still see it that way, I don’t, I’m just hearing and seeing it as what it is – Heavy Metal with feeling and real flavor. Grab this up, you won’t regret it!

Standout Tracks – “Ascending”, “Five Rode Forth”, “Trial By Fire & Water” and “Forged In Fire”.

~Black Angel

The Creepy Crawlers Peter Criss Single Review

Thu, 27 Nov 2025 11:26:06 GMT

My pals in the Horror Rock/Punk band, The Creepy Crawlers are gearing up to drop their latest single, “Peter Criss,” on Black Friday, and if that title has you scratching your head, buckle up. Peter’s newest album was recently announced, and wouldn’t you know it? It’s called Creepy Crawlers. So, in true Punk fashion, the band fired right back with a track named “Peter Criss.”

Co-lead singer Rev. Chad Wells is a notorious KISS lifer, the kind of diehard who bleeds greasepaint. The man’s got Simmons inked on one hand and Ace Frehley on the other, probably more scattered across his body like sacred relics. Point is, the Rev doesn’t play at being a fan. He is KISS fandom personified. And with Ace recently passing, it feels only right that the band pays tribute to one of the Originals.

But enough fanboy talk, let’s dig into the track.

This thing is a bite-sized Punk rocket, clocking in at 1:47, and it’s gone almost as fast as it hits. What I love most is how clever it is. The lyrics drop little winks, nods, and references to KISS songs, making the whole thing feel like a chaotic scrapbook of fandom. It’s wild, it’s messy in all the right ways, and it’s more fun than a barrel of monkeys on speed.

The chorus is total sugar-rush pop energy. The bridge is a direct lift in spirit from “Christine Sixteen”.

“When I saw that solo album sitting on the store shelf that day. I knew I had to have it – I had to have it!”

Then they crash headlong into a playful spin on Cheap Trick’s “Surrender”

“Paul is alright, Gene is alright” and so on.

They manage to name-drop every KISS member. It’s fucking brilliant.

Honestly, I’m floored. I don’t get this amped over sub-two-minute songs, but my lifelong KISS obsession had me grinning like an idiot. Listening to it feels like I was right there in the room with the band while they hammered this thing out

And I’m calling it now:
We need a Gene Simmons, Paul Stanley, and Ace Frehley track to turn this whole thing into a four-song EP. That would rock my face clean off and send my inner child sprinting out of my ribcage.

“Peter Criss” drops Black Friday on all streaming platforms, with a physical release coming in December on the Shockwaves 3D compilation from Horror Shock Media. I can’t wait to hold this one in my hands.

This isn’t just for the Punk Rockers; it’s for every KISS maniac on the planet. A true love letter to one of Rock’s greatest drummers and most soulful voices.

And while no one asked… my favorite KISS members have always been Peter Criss and Ace fucking Frehley.

~ Black Angel

The B-Shakers Kissed By The Devil Review

Sun, 23 Nov 2025 13:21:39 GMT

The B-Shakers

Kissed By The Devil

Self-Released

2025

I first heard of The B-Shakers on their 2021 release “Shaker Attack” and I’ve been following them since. Thankfully, earlier this year the band unleashed a new album entitled “Kissed by the Devil” and it’s a high-octane Rockabilly sermon straight out of the dancehall of hell.

The band hails from Switzerland and features a female vocalist/guitarist, and they carry that old-school swagger of the 50’s but there’s enough grit and talent here to fit in with today’s modern-day Rockabilly bands.

From the opening track, “Son Of A Gun” the band’s sound revs like a hopped-up V8 engine, slapping upright bass, sharp guitar twang, and a drumbeat that sounds like it’s pounding through the floorboards of a dilapidated roadhouse somewhere in Memphis Tennessee. The production has that warm, tube-driven tone that gives the record live-wire energy, the kind of sound that makes you want to stomp, shout, and light something on fire just to feel the heat.

Thematically, “Kissed by the Devil” is classic Rockabilly fare, but handled with swagger and confidence. The track “Til The Lights Blow Out” is pure fire: seductive, dangerous, and full of swaggering rhythms. It’s got that midnight-lust vibe that feels like it was written during a full moon with a switchblade in one hand and a microphone in the other. “Big Hearted Mama” is a swingin’ little banger that’s packed with some brilliant slide guitar riffs and a backbeat to die for!

Tracks like “B-Shakers Boogie” and “Bullet In Your Chest” keep the album’s pulse pounding, full of hellish hooks and old-school charm. But what really makes The B-Shakers stand apart is their tight musicianship. The guitars whip and shimmer, the bass slaps like it owes money, and the vocals, while melodic and raw, bring that perfect mix of danger and cool.

When the album is over you feel like you’ve ridden shotgun through a Rockabilly inferno and lived to tell the tale. “Kissed by the Devil” is a bottle of sin cracked open and poured out on the dancehall floor. This is a band that would be a fan favorite at a Viva Las Vegas Rockabilly Weekender, no doubt!

~Black Angel

Revenge Night Danger Review

Sun, 23 Nov 2025 13:21:35 GMT

Revenge

Night Danger

Dying Victims Productions

2025

As we crawl toward the end of the year, I find myself once again homesick for all the things that made my younger self tick - the warmth of family, the rituals, the nostalgia… And yeah, the never-ending hunger for METAL. Why? Because back then, when the holidays rolled around, I lived for that moment when someone asked what albums I wanted. I’d make a list, scribble it down like it was sacred scripture - top wants first, then a few wildcards I’d only seen in the pages of Hit Parader or in the import bin at the Record Bar. It was all Metal. All killer. All mine.

I wouldn’t get them all, but whatever I did score became the soundtrack to my existence for months on end. Why am I rambling about the good ol’ days? Because the band we’re talking about today – Revenge, soundtracks that exact feeling. They’re a total throwback to the age of true Speed Metal, the kind that lived and breathed through amps and denim, not algorithms and compression plugins. I’m talking about the smell of cheap beer, stale smoke, and the heat of a sweaty crowd with fists in the air.

Revenge hails from Colombia but make no mistake, their heart beats in the same rhythm as Priest, Riot, and Helloween. This is the real deal: no gimmicks, no trends, no modern Metal fluff. Just head-splitting riffs and galloping drums riding shotgun with raw, soaring vocals. The band’s latest album, “Night Danger,” marks their tenth release, and somehow, this is my first time hearing them. I’m not sure if I should hang my head in shame or start celebrating, because now I’ve got nine more slabs of fire and fury to dig into.

On “Night Danger”, Revenge pays homage to the old gods without ever sounding like a tribute act. They get it. They don’t overthink it. They don’t try to “modernize” something that was already perfect. The production is sharp enough to bite but still filthy enough to feel like it was recorded in a basement lined with posters and bad decisions.

If you crave face-melting riffs, leads that could light up the night sky, and clean-but-commanding vocals that soar without losing angst, then “Night Danger” is a must-own. The album walks that fine line between Speed and Thrash, leaning hard into the former while keeping the energy of the latter, and that balance is what makes it rip. The arrangements are surprisingly dynamic, too; the band knows when to go full-throttle and when to let the groove breathe. That’s the mark of lifers, guys who don’t just play this music, they live it.

If these maniacs ever make their way stateside and hit the South, you can bet your leather and studs, I’ll be front and center, getting baptized once again, just like the first time I stood in front of a stage and felt the earth shake under the power of pure Metal.

Standout Tracks: “Misty Night,” “Night Danger,” “The Devil Race,” and “Soldier’s Heart.”

~Black Angel

Sponge Electric Cattle Gods Review

Sun, 23 Nov 2025 13:21:31 GMT

Sponge

Electric Cattle Gods

Cleopatra Records

2025

90’s Alt. Rockers Sponge are back with a follow up to last year’s cover album - “1994”. This time around though, the band is bringing out their dead… Yes, this new feast entitled “Electric Cattle Gods” is a collection of songs from the band’s earliest days, I’m sure a few of the songs rightfully should’ve and could’ve made it on the band’s debut “Rotting Pinata”.

I can’t speak on why they didn’t but anyone who’s been in a band, around a band or in studio, understands that not every song gets recorded/released. That’s fine by me because a lot of albums like this really hide some of the best tracks. It also helps that it goes back to a certain moment in time. Also, something cool to know is that the title of this new album was the band’s original name, but The Ritz didn’t have enough letters to spell it out on the Marquee. Rumor has it that the band just said do you have enough letters to spell the word “Sponge” out and that was it, the band was known as Sponge from then on. I must hand it to the members of the band, they’re a lot cooler than me, I wouldn’t have gone with that logic, I would’ve said just leave our name off. But let’s be honest here, there was already a band called Electric Love Hogs floating around, so it’s similar enough that it would’ve confused people. Big differences in sound there…

Getting into the Electric Cattle Gods, as soon you press play, you’ll instantly be taken back to 1994. This is the Sponge album I’ve been waiting for ever since the band hit the airwaves! You can hear the similarities and the moments that were captured on “Rotting Pinata”. This is long overdue if we’re being fair. I do find myself a bit more than curious that these songs weren’t held over and released on the band’s second album, “Wax Ecstatic” or even the band’s third release, “New Pop Sunday”. I’m not in the band’s inner circle but it doesn’t take much to know that those albums weren’t anywhere near as popular as “Rotting Pinata”. If I would’ve been within an earshot of the band, I would’ve been screaming for the moody “My Desert Low” to have been added on one of those albums. The tune “Welcome Home” would’ve been a great debut single for “Wax Ecstatic”. Another great add here is “Cowboy Eyes” which was a B-side to the band’s single “Molly”. Naturally, it wasn’t easily heard in the USA, but thankfully, there’s a special Record Shop in Atlanta, Ga. That carries singles and random oddities, so I’ve been able to enjoy that tune all these years.

Speaking of “Molly” the demo version has been added here as well as the working version of the tune “Drownin” which was one of my favorite tracks off the “Rotting Pinata” album. The “Molly” track is exactly what you’d expect, however “Drownin” isn’t at all what you’d expect… There are strings, there’s no drums and the mood is even more desperate and moving than it originally was. That’s hard for me to say, I really identified and clung to that song particularly as I was losing myself in drugs around this era, so the lyrics really spoke to me. I still get chills when I listen to the tune, this version hurts me in the most wonderful way.

The single off the album though is a new track called “Wet Brain”, not sure why there’s a new tune on the album and that’s the lead single, but hey it is what it is. And it’s Sponge, so it’s not at all bad. I would’ve gone with one of the deeper cuts based off the success of the original strength of “Pinata”.

The original fans should be clamoring for this album, it’s a return to those earlier days of youth, naivete and big dreams or in my case – some of the darkest times of my life. I’m still here for it and I love this album just as much as I do “Rotting Pinata”, I can’t not, you can hear the energy, the hunger and the hope of a band who was on the verge of stardom, and they didn’t know it. Kudos to Cleopatra for having the guts to get this album out to the masses!

~Black Angel

Kill Ritual In My Head Review

Sun, 23 Nov 2025 13:21:23 GMT

Kill Ritual

In My Head

Massacre Records

2025

Kill Ritual’s “In My Head” lands like a late-night confession you weren’t prepared for but damn sure needed. It’s a record built on tension, the kind that creeps under your skin, settles in, and dares you to shake it loose. From the moment the title track kicks in, you can hear the band scraping the rust off old scars, unleashing riffs that grind and Thrash with purpose while the vocals carry that weathered “I’ve seen some shit, and you’re gonna hear about every one of them” weight.

There’s an almost unhinged energy running through the whole album, but it’s controlled chaos, tight, deliberate, always coiled for the next strike. The guitars stalk and chug with feral intensity, the rhythm section swings like a wrecking ball, and the melodies slice through the mix like a machete. Vocally, there’s a clear echo of early-to-mid-era Metal Church, an unmistakable Mike Howe vibe in the timbre that works beautifully, especially for us old heads. Tracks like “Fall to Fly” and “I Paint in Death” nail that vibe dead-on.

What really sets “In My Head” apart is its attitude. It’s not here to charm you with polish or pretty packaging. It’s here to spit gravel, drag its boots across your floor, and remind you that Metal can still feel dangerous when a band means it. There’s a raw nastiness cooked into every corner of this album, like these songs were carved out with bare hands and bad intentions.

It’s not perfect and that’s the point. The rough edges are the character. This is a throwback to the glory years of early Thrash and Speed Metal, delivered without apology or compromise.

Kill Ritual aren’t trying to reinvent the wheel; they’re just making damn sure it still spins fast enough to leave scorch marks behind. “In My Head” is heavy, hungry, and proudly mean-spirited in all the right ways. If you want a record that bites, something that sounds like it crawled out of a late-night bad mood and refused to leave, Kill Ritual has got you covered.

~Black Angel

Wretched Decay Review

Sun, 16 Nov 2025 10:00:00 GMT

Wretched

Decay

Metal Blade Records

2025

There’s nothing clean about “Decay”. It’s a festering wound of an album, equal parts Death, Thrash, and existential rot. Wretched sound like they’ve crawled out of the grave just to prove they never died in the first place. It’s violent, yes, but it’s the kind of violence that comes from the darkest corners of the mind and heart.

Wretched have always had a knack for balancing precision with punishment, but Decay feels meaner, less polished, and more human than the band’s previous releases. The guitars hit with jagged intent, riffs coil and strike like serpents, while the drums carry the weight of a building collapsing. You can hear the sweat, the grind, the desperation in the songs on this album. Vocally, this album ranges between tortured screams to guttural growls.

Thematically, it fits the title perfectly. The songs feel suffocated by time and regret, suffocating, decaying, but somehow defiant. There’s this overwhelming sense of futility in the air, like the band’s dragging the world’s carcass behind them just to show how far gone it all is. And yet, buried inside that rot is a twisted kind of hope. Maybe not redemption, but the will to keep clawing forward even as everything falls apart.

After this album is over, you feel drained, hollowed, and strangely satisfied. Wretched didn’t just make another technical death record, they made something that hurts. Honestly, it feels less like Tech Death and more like Sludge in several spots. Maybe that was the thought process, whatever the reasoning, it works quite well. It’s a very worthy adversary in the land of current heavy albums.

Standout Tracks – “Decay”, “The Royal Body”, “Blackout” and the 16 minute tune “Behind The Glass”.

~Black Angel

Species Changelings Review

Sun, 16 Nov 2025 10:00:00 GMT

Species

Changelings

20 Buck Spin

2025

If mutation had a sound, it would probably scream like this record. “Changelings” is the kind of album that doesn’t just bend genres, it snaps their bones. Species sound like they crawled out of the wreckage of a Progressive/Tech - Thrash fueled wet dream and decided to make a soundtrack for the end of humanity.

This isn’t your typical heavy record. There’s Thrash in its DNA, but it’s been corrupted by Progressive grime, Death leanings, and a strange melodic sense that feels alien, like something that shouldn’t work but absolutely does. The guitar riffs mutate mid-song, shifting tone and tempo like the ground is moving under your feet. The drumming sounds mechanical one second and primal the next, a perfect push-and-pull.

Vocally, it’s pure menace. The delivery isn’t about perfection, it’s about transformation, emotion, and unpredictability. Every line feels like it’s teetering on the edge of collapse, which only makes it more gripping.

Thematically, “Changelings” feels obsessed with decay and rebirth. The songs blur together like a fever, each one bleeding into the next until you’re not sure where one ends and another begins. It’s a beautiful mess, chaotic and deliberate, the sound of a band that’s unafraid to burn their own skin off to find what’s underneath.

It’s not an easy album, but it’s not supposed to be. “Changelings” demands attention, discomfort, and surrender. It’s the kind of record that will divide listeners, and that’s exactly its power.

Standouts – “Waves Of Time”, “The Essence” and “Born Of Stitch And Flesh”.

~Black Angel

Flesh Storm The Path Of The War Review

Sun, 16 Nov 2025 10:00:00 GMT

Flesh Storm

The Path Of The War

Witches Brew

2025

If you thought the modern Thrash scene had gotten soft, oversaturated with clean production and cookie-cutter riffs, then Flesh Storm just slammed a bloodied steel-toed boot into your complacency. “The Path Of The War” is a snarling, teeth-bared assault that reminds you exactly why this genre was never meant to be polite. This is a trench crawl through every filthy, chaotic emotion that Metal can dig up.

Flesh Storm approach their sound like a demolition crew with a vendetta. The guitars carve through the mix with that perfect balance of razor-sharp precision and grimy distortion, think chainsaws. The drumming is pure artillery fire: tight, relentless, and fueled by rage. The bass doesn’t just fill space, it grinds, it punishes, it gives the record that war machine rumble you can feel in your ribcage.

Vocally, this album is Venom Incarnate. There’s clarity in the chaos, that sense that he’s not just raging against the void, he’s leading a charge straight into it. You can practically hear the dirt and sweat in every word, like battlefield sermons blasted through a megaphone covered in blood and guts.

But what really sets “The Path Of The War” apart from so many Thrash revival acts is the songwriting. Flesh Storm knows how to balance destruction with structure. Every track hits like a bomb, but there’s method to the madness, riffs that twist just enough to surprise you, tempo changes that drag you through the muck before hurling you into another whirlwind. The title track feels like a manifesto: a march of doom that builds into a full-blown riot.

There’s an undercurrent of darkness too, a sense of disillusionment that borders on apocalyptic. You can tell this band isn’t chasing nostalgia or trying to impress the old guard; they’re burning their own path through the wasteland, salting the earth behind them.

“The Path Of The War” isn’t just another Thrash album, it’s a declaration that Flesh Storm have zero interest in compromise. It’s heavy, it’s hostile, and it’s alive in the way only truly dangerous music can be. By the time the final track collapses in on itself, you’re left feeling scorched, gutted, and grinning like you’ve just survived a firefight.

If there’s any justice left in the underground, this record will be the one that cement Flesh Storm as a force to be feared.

Standouts - "Pain Cultist", "Rise Of Babel", "Atomic Hades" and "Massive Annihilation"

~Black Angel

Mental Devastation The Delusional Mystery of the Self II Review

Sun, 16 Nov 2025 10:00:00 GMT

Mental Devastation

The Delusional Mystery of the Self II

Witches Brew

2025

Mental Devastation are a new to me band - a Chilean Thrash unit with absolutely no interest in subtlety, comfort, or anything resembling restraint. “The Delusional Mystery of the Self II” is an album that detonates as you press play. From there you’re sent staggering through a sonic warzone of riffs, rage, and ill intent.

This isn’t the kind of “Retro Thrash” that plays dress-up with old Exodus riffs and denim nostalgia. Mental Devastation hits differently - faster, meaner, and far more surgical in how they attack, it’s Progressive Thrash Metal that was raised on a diet of Forbidden and Watchtower. The riffs slash, the bass playing is otherworldly, the drums sound like artillery fire, and the vocals come off like a man losing his mind in real time. There’s no fake anger here; it’s pure, bloodshot, caffeine-fueled chaos funneled through musicians who understand the discipline behind the destruction.

The production keeps that balance between clarity and carnage, tight enough that you can feel every down-stroke, but raw enough that it never feels sterile. The bass snarls under the guitars, giving each track a nasty underbelly, while the solos sound like they’re trying to melt their way through the mix and escape. It’s a perfect storm of precision and violence.

Mental Devastation proves that Thrash, when done right, is still one of the most dangerous forms of heavy music on the planet. This record doesn’t just honor the genre’s history; it pushes it forward with modern intent while paying homage to Progressive titans like Watchtower and Fates Warning in certain moments. “The Delusional Mystery of the Self II” is a ruthless, brain-splitting exercise in controlled chaos. Thrash Metal for those who crave both punishment and precision.

Standout Tracks – “Mankind”, “Judge And Jury”, “Pulsions” and “Primitive Paths”

~Black Angel

Warrant The Speed Of Metal Review

Sun, 16 Nov 2025 10:00:00 GMT

Warrant

The Speed of Metal

Massacre Records

2025

It’s been a long time since I’ve heard from Germany’s Warrant, but they’re finally back to remind the world that Speed Metal still means something. Their new album, “The Speed of Metal”, just dropped and it sees the band return with a battle-hardened edge.

As a kid, I really enjoyed their debut “The Enforcer”, it was pure, unfiltered German steel: rough, fast, and dangerous. The follow-up, “First Strike”, was short but lethal, a perfect continuation of what made the first one so damn good. Admittedly, I didn’t like the 2014 release – “Metal Bridge”. So, going into “The Speed of Metal”, my expectations weren’t set too high. Of course I was excited, it’s Warrant and it’s Speed Metal! Thankfully, I wasn’t disappointed.

The production is clean enough to give everything a punch but still gritty where it counts. The guitars have that biting, jagged tone that slices right through the mix, while the rhythm section feels like it’s locked in a constant dogfight with the tempo. The vocals don’t quite have the bite that they used to, but age will do that to you. It doesn’t hinder the album in the least; it’s still classic Speed Metal.

The band wastes zero time easing you in; the opening tracks hit like a Speed Metal sledgehammer. You can hear shades of “The Enforcer” all over this thing, especially in the breakneck riffing and relentless drumming. There’s even a re-recorded cut from their past (“It’s Up To You” and a killer cover tossed in, (The Sweet’s “Windy City”) but neither feel like filler, they’re more like reminders that these guys have nothing to prove. They’ve been there, done that, and are still doing it better than most.

What I love most about “The Speed of Metal” is how unapologetic it is. There’s no studio trickery, just pure, sweat-soaked Metal made by veterans who still have fire in their veins. If you were ever a fan of that early German Speed/Thrash movement, and especially if you hold “The Enforcer” and “First Strike” in high regard like I do, this new record is going to feel like coming home to a blazing inferno with a modern flair.

Is it perfect? Not quite, there aren’t many tracks here that’ll dethrone the absolute classics from their early catalog, but that’s a tall order anyway. What matters is that Warrant sound alive again, pissed off, and ready to shred. After several years, that’s more than enough reason to crank this one up and salute the return of a true underground legend.

“The Speed of Metal” is fast, fierce, and loyal to the roots that made Warrant such a cult favorite in the first place.

Standout Tracks – “Scream For Metal”, “Regain The Fire”, “Cut Into Pieces” and “Demons”.

~Black Angel

No Life Til Leather: A Tribute To Metallica’s Kill’em All Review

Sun, 16 Nov 2025 10:00:00 GMT

No Life Til Leather: A Tribute To Metallica’s Kill’em All

Various Artists

Silver Lining Music

2025

Here’s another tribute I didn’t realize I needed in my life, a full-blown homage to Metallica’s debut, “Kill’em All!” I’m not gonna lie, it’s been a while since I spun the original. Back in the day, I played the absolute dogshit out of that record, so it’s not something I reach for often anymore. Still, it’s one of those albums that gives me a nostalgic gut punch every time I think about it. I’ve got the OG pressing thanks to a good friend, and it’s one of my prized possessions. I’m still waiting for someone to properly remaster that beast, though - every attempt I’ve heard so far falls short. Just my two cents.

Now, diving into this tribute, there’s a lot to unpack - a mix of newer faces and bona fide legends. Depending on your taste, some tracks will move the meter harder than others, but let me tell you, there’s plenty here to bang your head to.

Right off the bat, Motorhead’s version of “Whiplash” is a Goddamn highlight. You can’t mess with Motorhead - period. Without them, there’s no Metallica, so having them on this album feels right. Lemmy’s bass tone and vocals are lethal - pure sonic adrenaline. He was firing on all cylinders when this was recorded, and it shows.

NWOBHM titans Raven storm in with a blazing rendition of “Metal Militia,” and holy hell, they might’ve played it faster than Metallica did. Or maybe I’m just getting my ass kicked harder these days. Either way, it rips.

Diamond Head make their presence known with “No Remorse,” giving it a slightly slower, more vintage vibe, like it was recorded in 1982. The grit and tone fit perfectly, and it’s a cool nod to their own influence on early Metallica.

Then there’s Testament, who annihilate “Seek & Destroy.” They dial the tempo down just enough to make it heavier, and Chuck Billy’s vocals tower over the mix. Testament has always belonged in the same conversation as Metallica; Big 4 politics be damned. Their version here is a masterclass - no prisoners taken, no mercy given.

Saxon tackle “Phantom Lord,” and here’s where I might ruffle some feathers, I prefer their version over Metallica’s. Yeah, I said it. It just hits different. If Saxon attacked all their songs with this kind of fire, I’d probably worship every album they’ve ever made.

Another gem is The Almighty doing “The Four Horsemen.” It’s a riff-heavy feast that captures everything great about old-school metal. The chorus is massive, the energy’s contagious, and it’s damn good to hear a new recording from them after all this time.

Tailgunner kick the album off with “Hit the Lights,” and holy shit, what an opener. I’d heard their name floating around but never dove in. After this performance, I’ve been digging through their catalog, and these young guns are the real deal. Mark my words, they’re destined for bigger things.

Tygers of Pan Tang take on “Jump in the Fire,” and while it’s played straight, the high-register vocals don’t quite hook me. Maybe it’s just a stylistic mismatch, but it’s still solid enough.

Finally, there’s David Ellefson covering “(Anesthesia) – Pulling Teeth.” Let’s be real, this is sacred ground, one of the most iconic bass pieces in all of Metal. And if anyone was going to pull it off with respect and skill, it’s Ellefson. His take is classy, reverent, and technically on point. You can tell he approached it with nothing but love for Cliff Burton. Somewhere up there, Cliff’s grinning.

We’ve had plenty of Metallica tributes over the years, but none have felt this right. This isn’t just a cash-grab or nostalgia trip; it’s a legitimate celebration of one of the most influential Metal albums ever. Every band here earned their place. Vinyl and CD versions are on the way, so if you’re a Metallica diehard, this one’s a no-brainer. Crank it, worship it, and raise a beer to the Metal gods “Kill’em All” lives again.

~Black Angel

Skull & Crossbones Time Review

Sun, 16 Nov 2025 10:00:00 GMT

Skull & Crossbones

Time

Massacre Records

2025

There’s something about good Power Metal that just hits differently: that classic bite, the melodic swagger, the sense that the band has been doing this long enough to know exactly how to tighten the screws without ever losing sight of the prize. Skull & Crossbones return with their new album “Time” and let me tell you right now: this thing ticks all the boxes.

I went into this record fully aware I’d be stepping into Power Metal territory, which usually isn’t my go-to lane. However, this album is a winner right out of the gate. It’s a straight-up Power Metal/Heavy Metal hybrid from a band that believes in what they’re doing and approaches their craft with purpose. Nothing feels phoned-in, it’s convincing, committed, and remarkably well executed.

From the opening track, “Echoes of Eternity,” you can feel the band digging in. The riffs come storming out with that traditional German punch-you-in-the-face precision, and the rhythm section is locked in like they’re trying to keep the earth rotating on tempo. The vocals sit in the higher registers, but they keep things melodic without going full cartoonish, which is a blessing. If every vocalist in this genre took this approach, I’d probably be a much bigger Power Metal fan.

There’s a ton of melody across the record, but the band never lets the songs soften up for too long. “Labyrinth of Time” is a prime example. Every chorus feels tailor-made for a packed club of sweaty diehards belting it back, and every solo plays like it’s got something to prove. The energy is steady, the hooks are tight, and the riffs and leads are phenomenal across the board. The whole album feels like a throwback to the early ’90s Power Metal scene, just with far better production and a cleaner mix.

If you’ve followed my reviews for any amount of time, you already know I’m a sucker for bands who still believe in the fundamentals. On “Time”, Skull & Crossbones deliver a record that sounds hungry, sharp, and proudly rooted in what made this style great in the first place.

Other standouts: “Thunderstorm,” “Nocturnal Dream,” and “The Ocean’s Call.”

~Black Angel

Burned In Effigy Tyrannus Aeternum Review

Sun, 09 Nov 2025 10:00:00 GMT

Burned In Effigy

Tyrannus Aeternum

Self-Released

2025

The Chicago Melodic Death Metal band, known as Burned In Effigy has returned, and they didn’t just come back swinging, they’ve unleashed an album that sounds like a warlord tearing open the gates of Hell. Their latest full-length, “Tyrannus Aeternum”, is a blistering mix of technical precision, orchestral flourishes, and full-throttle aggression that refuses to let your neck rest for even a second.

From the first strike, it’s obvious the band isn’t content to simply rehash the tried-and-true tropes of Melodic Death Metal. No, this album is dressed in sharpened armor and wields neoclassical swords that coincidentally look like guitars. One moment you’re pummeled with razor-edged riffs that could slice steel, and next you’re whisked away by sweeping, almost cinematic arrangements that give the whole record an apocalyptic, larger-than-life feel.

The vocals are utterly venomous. They come roaring out like a tyrant’s decree, unrelenting and commanding, yet dynamic enough to cut through the whirlwind of instrumentation with clarity. And the percussion is a relentless barrage, keeping the whole album surging forward like a legion of war machines rolling through scorched earth.

But here’s the kicker: despite the technicality and sheer density of sound, “Tyrannus Aeternum” never loses sight of the hooks. This isn’t just an exercise in flexing chops, it’s great songwriting. Every track feels like another chapter in a bloodstained saga, yet the flow is seamless, pulling you deeper into its blackened vortex.

If you’re looking for safe background music, turn back now. But if you crave a record that drips with fire, fury, and sheer unbridled ambition, Burned In Effigy’s “Tyrannus Aeternum” is an absolute smoke show. These guys on a package tour with The Absence and Black Dahlia Murder would surely rule!

Standout Tracks – “Wage of Exile”, “The Racking”, “Befouled Benefaction” and “Monstrosity Reborn”.

~Black Angel

Hooded Menace Lachrymose Monuments Of Obscuration Review

Sun, 09 Nov 2025 10:00:00 GMT

Hooded Menace

Lachrymose Monuments Of Obscuration

Season Of Mist

2025

Hooded Menace has always been the Doom/Death juggernaut lurking in the shadows, and with “Lachrymose: Monuments of Obscuration”, they remind the world why they’re untouchable in their niche. From the first crushing riffs, you know you’re in for a full-on submersion into the band’s murkiest depths.

This time out the band taps into the 80’s Metal style for guitar harmonies and riffs – it feels familiar, but it’s new except for the band’s cover of Duran Duran’s “Save A Prayer”. Tackling that tune took some serious guts, but the payoff is legitimate ear candy for fans of the original tune. Overall, the vocals on this album are cavernous, guttural, and utterly merciless, like a priest chanting over a grave that’s still open. Every growl, every roar, drives the songs home.

The pacing of the album is excellent. It doesn’t rush, and it doesn’t need to, it just bulldozes the listener with one melodic riff after another. Each song is allowed to breathe insuring to leave a mark on you.

“Lachrymose: Monuments of Obscuration” isn’t an album you throw on lightly. It’s the kind of record that lingers in your psyche long after it’s over. It respects the slow burn, the suffocating atmosphere, and the raw, emotional weight of Metal.

Standout Tracks – “Save A Prayer”, “Into Haunted Oblivion” and “Portrait Without a Face”.

~Black Angel

Darker Half Book Of Fate Review

Sun, 09 Nov 2025 10:00:00 GMT

Darker Half

Book Of Fate

Massacre Records

2025

When Australia’s Darker Half dropped their new album “Book of Fate” into my inbox, there was no way I wasn’t hitting play. Massacre Records has been on an absolute tear this year, and I’d be a fool to ignore anything they’re releasing. I’ll admit, I wasn’t familiar with Darker Half before this, but it didn’t take long to realize I’d been missing out.

Anyone who’s followed my writing journey knows I was born a Metalhead and grew into a full-blown Rock ’N’ Roll monster. In my 50 years on this planet, there’s very little that carries the “Metal” tag that hasn’t crossed my ears. These days, I’m always chasing that throwback spark, something that makes me feel like the old days again. And on that note, Darker Half delivers in spades.

Now, before anyone starts throwing around the term Power Metal, let me stop you. I’ve never really been a fan of the genre, and while Darker Half might flirt with that label, I’d be cautious about calling them that outright. They don’t dwell in the dragons and magic territory. This is Heavy Metal in its purest, most unpretentious form. They’re not your typical “Satanic Panic” kind of band, nobody’s gonna drop to their knees and start praising the dark lord here, but you’ll instantly recognize the melody, musicianship, and mastery in every track.

The band is absolutely killing it in the songwriting and arrangement department. Vocally, we’re soaring up in the stratosphere, tons of falsetto runs that’ll have you reaching sky high to belt along (and trust me, that never gets old). I can’t sing worth a damn, but when songs hits like these, I’m right there screaming at the top of my lungs. There’s a real Queen-like majesty in the vocal harmonies and arrangements that adds a whole extra layer of class to their sound.

Guitar-wise, “Book of Fate” is a full-on clinic - riffs, leads, and fills woven together with precision and flair. It’s the kind of record you can spin on repeat and still find new details every time.

I don’t want to say this album was made just for older Metalheads, but let’s be real, those of us who grew up on the golden era of Metal are going to connect with it instantly. Younger fans might crave chaos and sensory overload; I just want to be wowed by craft, arrangement, and skill. Darker Half nails that balance perfectly.

Simply put, “Book of Fate” is everything I love about Heavy Metal -melodic, technical, passionate, and timeless.

Standout Tracks – “Something Sinister”, “Night Fall”, “Book Of Fate”

~Black Angel

Dirkschneider & The Old Gang Babylon Review

Sun, 09 Nov 2025 10:00:00 GMT

Dirkschneider & The Old Gang

Babylon

Reigning Phoenix Music

2025

What began as a humble charity project for musicians affected by the coronavirus has evolved into a full-fledged Metal machine. Dirkschneider & The Old Gang is exactly what the name implies, Udo Dirkschneider surrounded by some of his dearest friends, bandmates, and family. The lineup reads like a German Metal Hall of fame: Peter Baltes (bass, vocals; Accept), Stefan Kaufmann (guitar; Accept, U.D.O.), and Mathias Dieth (guitar; Sinner, U.D.O.), joined by Udo’s son Sven Dirkschneider behind the kit, a role he’s owned for over a decade. Rounding out this powerhouse is Manuela Bibert, whose voice has graced several U.D.O. releases in recent years. Strip away the new faces and, aside from Mathias, Sven, and Manuela, this is essentially Accept, and it sounds every bit like it.

The band’s debut album, “Babylon”, dropped recently after a steady build-up of singles that kept fans eager and hungry. For longtime followers like me, this record feels like a gift, because let’s be honest, there’s no such thing as too much U.D.O. unless we’re counting that “Balls to the Wall” re-recording. (Yeah, I’m still trying to forgive that one.)

Thankfully, “Babylon” brings us right back into the metallic heartland we’ve come to love. Udo himself remains untouchable, his voice still sounds like torn steel and shattered glass, the true voice of German Metal. The album leans slightly more melodic than the usual U.D.O. fare, with Manuela’s harmonies and keyboard flourishes adding a new texture, but it never softens the blow. Udo’s presence is massive - commanding, unmistakable, and gloriously abrasive.

There are even a few moments where Manuela steps up to take lead vocals, and surprisingly, it works. Her parts don’t dilute the heaviness, they complement it. This isn’t just another side project; it’s a genuine collaboration among friends, and that chemistry bleeds through every riff and chorus. The record feels alive, spirited, and joyful - qualities often lost in a genre that prides itself on aggression. Across twelve tracks, there isn’t a single one worth skipping.

Accept may have moved on, and U.D.O. continues marching forward on his own path, but when these familiar faces join forces again, the spirit of the original Accept is undeniably resurrected. Call it nostalgia, call it magic - either way, “Babylon” radiates the kind of camaraderie and joy that can only come from seasoned musicians doing what they love. Its Metal forged in friendship, tempered by history, and fired by pure passion.

Standout tracks: “Metal Sons,” “Hellbreaker,” “Deadman’s Hand,” and “Beyond The End Of Time.”

~Black Angel

Battle Beast Steelbound Review

Sun, 09 Nov 2025 10:00:00 GMT

Battle Beast

Steelbound

Nuclear Blast Records

2025

Battle Beast has always been unapologetically over the top. The kind of band that takes every shred of 80’s bravado and welds it to modern Power Metal fury. With “Steelbound”, they’ve doubled down on everything that made them great in the first place, towering choruses, neon-lit riffing, and that fearless “we were born in leather jackets” swagger.

The album blasts off with “Here We Are”, a thunderous anthem that sounds like the mechanical heart of a chrome war machine kicking into life. Noora Louhimo’s vocals are untouchable, part banshee, all warrior queen, delivering each line like a battle cry carved into steel. The band leans hard into that melodic-meets-heavy balance they’ve perfected: polished enough to fill stadiums, but still gritty enough to make you want to throw your fist in the air until your knuckles bleed.

There’s a distinct shift in tone here too, less of a “party metal vibe” more “fight for your life.” The songwriting is sharper, darker in places. Tracks like “Last Goodbye” and “Blood Of Heroes” showcase their knack for cinematic hooks while adding a weightier sense of danger. The synths shimmer blending with the guitars instead of fighting them.

Production-wise, “Steelbound” hits hard. The drums are massive, the bass hums like an engine, and the leads cut through like buzzsaw. It’s polished but not sterile, still full of attitude and adrenaline. There’s even a touch of melancholy under all the firepower, giving the record an emotional backbone that makes the grandiosity feel earned. Battle Beast has proved once again that melody and muscle can coexist without compromise.

Standout Tracks - "Steelbound", "The Burning Within", "Last Goodbye"

~Black Angel

Paradise Lost Ascension Review

Sun, 09 Nov 2025 10:00:00 GMT

Paradise Lost

Ascension

Nuclear Blast Records

2025

There’s something poetic about Paradise Lost continuing to evolve this late in their career while still sounding like the same miserable bastards that helped to define an entire genre. “Ascension” sounds gloomy, elegant, and heavier than a confession.

From the opening moments, the record radiates that grand, Gothic melancholy the band practically invented. But it isn’t just nostalgia. There’s a darker pulse here, a kind of spiritual exhaustion wrapped in shimmering melody and crushing despair. The guitars carry that familiar down tuned weight, but there’s more nuance in the production, textures that bleed between Doom, Death, and Modern Gothic Metal. Nick Holmes sounds possessed, his voice alternating between ancient thunder and weary clergyman.

The songwriting takes a more cinematic shape this time around. Tracks like “Serpent On The Cross” and “Lay A Wreath Upon The World” unfold like a funeral procession trudging along in a heavy fog, it’s deliberate and pointed. Greg Mackintosh’s lead work is pure atmosphere; his guitar lines drip sorrow like wax from a candle, while the rhythm section stays grounded.

What’s striking is how Ascension manages to feel spiritual without being uplifting. It’s an album about reaching upward knowing damn well there’s no salvation waiting. The title itself feels almost ironic, “ascension” here means dragging the weight of one’s sins into the light, not escaping them. Paradise Lost has mastered that duality: sacred and damned, human and hollow.

“Ascension is not the heaviest album Paradise Lost has made, nor is it the most immediate, but it is one of their most cohesive efforts in years. This album stands as a reminder that Paradise Lost are still the High Priests of Doom & Gloom, and the sermon isn’t over just yet.

Standout Tracks – “Serpent On The Cross”, “Lay Your Wreath Upon the World”, “The Precipice” and “Tyrants Serenade”.

~Black Angel

Batmobile Back From Tremor Review

Sun, 09 Nov 2025 10:00:00 GMT

Batmobile

Back From Tremor

Artone

2025

There’s a reason Batmobile sits near the top of the Psychobilly food chain, and “Back From Tremor” proves the old dogs still have some bite left in them. The Dutch trio have been steering this twisted Rock ’N’ Roll hearse since the early ‘80s, and on this one they sound like they never pulled over for gas.

From the first slap of the upright bass, it’s chaos in stereo. The guitar’s greasy twang rides shotgun with a Punk force that doesn’t quit, and the rhythm section feels like it’s been eating boner pills for breakfast. It’s loud, fast, and rude in all the right ways. There’s no attempt at modernization, no fake nostalgia either, just Batmobile doing what Batmobile does best: blowing the dust off the casket lid and punching their way out.

Tracks crash into each other like bar fights. The production’s got teeth, clear enough to catch the details, dirty enough to keep the sweat intact. The vocals still carry that manic grin, that “don’t take this too seriously but we still mean every damn note” energy. Whether they’re revving up a straight-ahead Rockabilly stomp or diving into full Psychobilly madness, the band sounds sharp, hungry, and completely in control of the chaos.

The beauty of “Back From Tremor” is that it never feels like a reunion record. It’s a continuation, the tremor they’re “back from” might just be the rest of the world catching its breath while Batmobile kept roaring underground. Every song drips with the confidence of a band that knows exactly who they are and what they came to do. No gimmicks, no filler, no slowing down.

This album is proof that the kings never left their throne. “Back From Tremor” is classic Batmobile - all gas, no brakes, and still tearing up the road like the apocalypse never ended. If you can’t feel this one shaking the floorboards, you might want to check your pulse!

Standout Tracks – “Mask Murderer”, “Detonate The Night” and “Rock And Roll Is Never Too Loud”.

~Black Angel

Doro Warriors Of The Sea Review

Sun, 09 Nov 2025 10:00:00 GMT

Doro

Warriors Of The Sea

Rare Diamonds Productions

2025

The Metal Queen herself, Doro, is back at it again with a new-ish release, “Warriors Of The Sea”. This one’s a bit of a treasure chest - part compilation, part celebration, featuring a mix of new tracks, B-sides, and live recordings. From what I gather, it’s a salute to Doro’s recent success with her Metal Cruises, and the title track is a direct tribute to the loyal headbangers who’ve sailed alongside her.

One of the coolest details about this release is it’s available on liquid-filled vinyl, using Blue Curaçao, yes, the actual alcoholic beverage, swirling inside the wax. How that’ll age over time is anyone’s guess, but it’s a bold move, and honestly, that feels perfectly fitting for Doro. There’s also a CD version for those who prefer their Metal a little less... fluid.

Digging into the record, you get five studio cuts and five live tracks from her recent tours. The title track, “Warriors of the Sea,” is a mid-tempo anthem that’s tailor-made for the cruise crowd, you can practically feel the ocean breeze while chanting along to it. “Tattooed Angels” follows a similar path, a stripped-down hard rocker with a thick atmosphere that sometimes threatens to overtake the melody but still hits the right notes for fans of Doro.

The standout moment for me, without question, is her cover of AC/DC’s “Touch Too Much.” You can’t go wrong with a Bon Scott-era classic, and Doro tears into it with absolute conviction. She doesn’t overdo it, just pure, no-nonsense Hard Rock swagger. It’s easily my favorite track here and hearing her channel that raw Bon Scott energy is worth the price of admission alone. The other two studio tracks are previously released favorites from her cruise sets, rounding out the first half nicely.

Flip it over and you’ve got five live tracks recorded. No word on the exact dates or venues, but that hardly matters, if you’ve ever seen Doro live, you already know she gives 110% every single time. These performances capture that same unstoppable energy. “Fire in the Sky” burns with intensity, the kind of performance that makes you want to raise your fist and scream along. “Above The Ashes” also shines here, an older gem that deserves its moment back in the spotlight. If I could change anything, I’d swap one of these for a live cut of her “Breaking the Law” cover, it’s always a highlight when she performs it, and I never tire of hearing her take on that classic.

In the end, Warriors Of The Sea isn’t a “must-own” release for everyone, but for die-hards, especially those who’ve rocked out on the cruises, it’s a genuine keepsake. It’s celebratory, it’s fun, and it’s full of that Doro fire we all know and love. Let’s be honest, the Metal Queen doesn’t really do wrong.

~Black Angel

Night Terror Return Of The Witches Review

Sun, 09 Nov 2025 10:00:00 GMT

Night Terror

Return Of The Witches

Deko Entertainment

2025

It’s been a minute since we’ve heard from the Jack Frost & Seven Witches camp, but the frost has thawed and Jack’s back swinging a flaming axe. Out of the charred ruins of Seven Witches, he’s forged something wicked: Night Terror, a new beast, sharp-teethed and dripping with pure steel. The lineup is a headbanger’s wet dream: Karl Wilcox on drums, Dennis Hayes on bass, Jack on the six-string, and the one and only Jason McMaster - the pastor of disaster himself, screaming from the pulpit.

If you don’t know McMaster, crawl out from under whatever rubble you’ve been living beneath. The man is Heavy Metal personified - Dangerous Toys, Broken Teeth, Ignitor, Watchtower, he’s the Iron Man of Metal, and he never runs out of juice. When I saw his name attached to this band, I immediately raised the horns in celebration.

The band’s debut EP, “Return Of The Witches,” lands later this month on Deko Entertainment, and brother, this ain’t just another reunion project, this is a firestarter. If you ever followed Seven Witches, you know the formula: molten riffs, galloping rhythms, and that midnight mysticism that made you want to punch a hole through a stained-glass window. But with McMaster at the mic, it’s like someone strapped a rocket to the old spellbook and launched it straight into the stratosphere.

McMaster drags that NWOBHM torch back into the spotlight, his vocals hit like a chain-whip to the jaw. You can taste the Judas Priest, the Saxon swagger and the Thin Lizzy class, all dripping in sweat and beer foam. “Return Of The Witches” doesn’t just pay homage to that golden age of Metal; it resurrects it and dances around the flaming pyre.

“Dyin’ Day” kicks the door off the hinges and throws you headfirst into the mosh pit. Frost’s riffs sound like they’ve been sharpened on tombstones, while McMaster belts from his soul’s basement. Next up, “Night Terror”, the band’s namesake. The riffs are dark, thick, and haunting, this could’ve lived on an early Dio record without raising an eyebrow.

“Natural Destruction” goes full-throttle - thrash edges, teeth bared, and zero intention of slowing down. It’s the kind of track that makes you drive 90 in a 40mph speed zone, grinning like a maniac. And then there’s the single, “Remedy Is In The Poison.” It starts slow, lulls you into a false sense of safety, then it detonates like a ritual gone nuclear. If you needed one track to summarize the band’s venomous intent, this is it.

The EP’s up for preorder through Deko on CD, vinyl, and an autographed bundle that practically screams buy me or die unworthy. I’ve already ordered the vinyl, but I’m eyeballing that signed set like a starving wolf. This is the kind of release that reminds you why you fell in love with Heavy Metal in the first place.

No gimmicks. No bullshit. No false Metal. Just molten riffs, fire-breathing vocals, thunderous rhythms, and the undeniable spirit of old-school Heavy Metal clawing its way back from the depths.

The kid in me who grew up on bullet belts, denim vests, leather and magazine clippings of Priest and Maiden is howling in pure joy. Night Terror is a welcome resurgence. A reminder that the old Metal gods still live.

~Black Angel

Boogeyman Drowning Boy Single Review

Wed, 05 Nov 2025 10:00:00 GMT

Boogeyman

Drowning Boy Single

We Are Horror Records

2025

My newly found pals in the AZ. Horror Punk band, the Boogeyman have released a single entitled “Drowning Boy”. Normally, this wouldn’t be such a big deal, but since receiving their album “Rotten Leaves” the band has been in constant rotation here at my lair. I’ve been obsessed with the band specifically since I got such a big X-Ward/Misfits vibe off their album. I know I talk a gang of smack about Misfits vibes being over done but when it’s done correctly, you can’t just walk away and ignore it. I certainly can’t.

On the new single “Drowning Boy” swings for the fences from the word go. Everything is amped up and the band comes in with the classic woah chant and jumps right into the song. It carries a sincere sense of desperation, but it also gives the lyrics a feel of importance – like what we’re singing really matters and we want you to understand we’re not fooling around.

Musically, it’s heartfelt and emotional in the delivery. It also doesn’t hurt that the band is well rehearsed, and nothing is out of place whatsoever, they were clearly ready to record when they hit the studio. While the track carries big Punk vibes, underneath it all resides a big Rock feel and the lead break really exposes it. The Rock guy in me will always be here for that! Vocally, I think we’re looking at the best effort yet from the band and that’s a big feat - this band is off the charts vocally. If this track is a prelude of what we can expect from the band on their next full-length album, we’re going to be in for a treat – this is a great tune!

Currently, the band has the track loaded up on their bandcamp page for a buck or you can purchase a shirt with the cover art and get the track along with it too. Not a bad deal and not a bad way to celebrate and support the band.

https://boogeyman6.bandcamp.com/track/drowning-boy?fbclid=IwY2xjawN41O9leHRuA2FlbQIxMABicmlkETFySndSVEl0V2Y3NmI1dFJVc3J0YwZhcHBfaWQQMjIyMDM5MTc4ODIwMDg5MgABHsLB7IJxFlCuUBdEIYMioO1oo4O30bsoxFgblxVcp2h2t_MmqXGUs6bmF_1v_aem_rSdFWJTRFx0a89dN_0A2Tw

https://boogeyman6.bandcamp.com/merch/drowning-boy-shirt-and-song-bundle?fbclid=IwY2xjawN41R5leHRuA2FlbQIxMABicmlkETFySndSVEl0V2Y3NmI1dFJVc3J0YwZhcHBfaWQQMjIyMDM5MTc4ODIwMDg5MgABHlgsANJNPtDpiLeRYfXfsMi_AWRbv8vCzVMmR-Ou3950Jb4Z8HYaFsuM3L3__aem_zCpYydEJlMg3DuKPMeGB_g

~Black Angel

Monster Squad Review (1987)

Fri, 31 Oct 2025 12:01:56 GMT

The Monster Squad is a cult classic that blends Horror, comedy, and childhood adventure into a fast-paced, creature-filled romp. Released in 1987, this film carries the DNA of the '80s, quirky characters, punchy one-liners, and a deep love for classic monster lore, all wrapped up in 90 minutes. I vividly recall watching it for the first time and declaring it the best movie I’d ever seen! As a matter of fact, I watched the VHS 3 times before I returned it to the Video Store.

The story follows a group of monster-obsessed kids who find themselves in the middle of a supernatural shit storm when Dracula assembles a team of legendary creatures, including Frankenstein’s monster, the Wolfman, the Mummy, and the Gill-man to take over the world. Only the kids, armed with their knowledge of monster mythology and a healthy dose of courage and balls, stand in their way.

What makes The Monster Squad stand out is its unapologetic embrace of classic Universal-style monsters while injecting a youthful, irreverent energy that keeps the tone light even when the stakes are high. The practical effects hold up surprisingly well, with each monster given a distinct look and personality, thanks in large part to the craftsmanship of the makeup and effects teams. There's a real affection for the source material, and that respect shines through in every scene.

The young cast delivers performances that are surprisingly grounded for a film that features ancient amulets and creatures of the night. The chemistry between the kids sells their friendship and makes you root for them, even when the dialogue occasionally leans into the era’s cheesier tendencies.

The film straddles the line between a kid-friendly and something darker, and that balance is key to its enduring appeal. While it might not have landed huge box office success on release, it’s easy to see why The Monster Squad has gained a loyal following over the years. It captures a specific kind of youthful imagination, the belief that, if monsters were real, only the most dedicated fans could stop them.

The movie isn’t perfect, the plot moves fast, sometimes too fast for its own good, and some characters feel underdeveloped, but the charm, energy, and fun more than make up for it.

The movie also plays into stuff that we were going through ourselves as kids – being bullied, being overweight, nerdy, un-popular and just all-around uncool. A lot of us were misunderstood, we didn’t have the best home life and growing up just wasn’t the best. It spoke deeply to me as a young kid who had experienced it all at such a young age. I wanted to be a part of “The Goddamn Club” – I know they would’ve let me join up, stake some Vampires and raise hell along with them. With every watch this movie gave me hope that I’d find a place where I would fit in and be wanted eventually. Sadly, that never came to fruition in “real life”. However, I carved my own path through playing music, writing and other random sorts of internet madness. Now I don’t give a damned whether I fit in or I’m wanted or not, and I’m a firm believer that ALL kids should be raised this way… In the words of the immortal Dee Snider, "I Am, (I'm Me)".

For bone-US points the documentary “Wolfman’s Got Nards” is wonderfully written and shot documentary on the movie that goes in deep on every nook and cranny of the movie. If you’re a fan, it’s something you absolutely can’t miss!

The Monster Squad is a love letter to monster movies and all of us kids who adore them. It’s funny, spooky, and full of heart, exactly the kind of film that has earned its place as a Halloween staple for generations.

~Black Angel

Testament Para Bellum Review

Fri, 31 Oct 2025 09:00:17 GMT

Testament

Para Bellum

Nuclear Blast

2025

If you're new here, or to top-notch thrash in general, you should know that Testament have been ripping it up from the Bay Area of California since 1983. Their fourteenth album finds them still grinding away, evolving and carrying their trademark sound better than most bands their age. Let's take a deep dive into Para Bellum.

The core of sole original member and guitarist Eric Peterson, vocalist Chuck Billy (holder of the mic stand air guitar championship), and Alex Skolnick (guitars) remains, with Steve DiGiorgio (Sadus/Death) once again on bass and new blood in drummer Chris Dovas (Seven Spires/DOVAS) completing the lineup. For this effort, the band enlisted Juan Ortega as producer, along with Billy and Peterson overseeing the proceedings. The result is a tight, modern production that sounds especially crisp given Testament’s propensity for syncopated rhythms, busy drums, and DiGiorgio’s prog-minded bass lines.

But let's backtrack and talk about the drumming of Chris Dovas. This guy is a PLAYER and can weave in and out of styles effortlessly. Notably, “For the Love of Pain,” which is ferocious thrash with a big ol’ dollop of black metal influences, complete with blast beats. This isn't new for them, as they've explored the genre before, but this feels as close to Peterson's Dragonlord project as they've ever gotten. Dare I say it, but I can even discern some “djent” sections that go further in spicing the sonic soup. The thrashing with blasting shows up again in “Infanticide A.I.,” and Chuck Billy sounds like an unhinged lunatic here. There are even places where this one borders on grindcore! These two songs prove Testament can still go as hard as the young bucks, respectively. The album is just over 50 minutes long, and from here, it seems they settle into their curated sound, if not wandering from it a bit. Let me explain further…

One marked difference is that this is the first Testament record in quite some time to include a ballad in “Meant to Be.” There's also the British heavy metal/hard rock (Saxon to my ears) arc of “Nature of the Beast.” Where I find the album to shine is in its later tracks. “Room 117” is a downright nasty blend of classic Testament and classic heavy metal, with a winning chorus and memorable, hook-laden guitar moments. “Havana Syndrome” follows suit, and the closing title track is good but seems to be bloating with ideas. It's not bad, just a bit incoherent at times. There are way more hits than misses in its eleven songs, and the genre melding doesn't seem forced or being done to remain relevant. So, I can solidly say that Para Bellum is more firepower in the Testament catalog of quality albums, and these thrash titans still have plenty of gas in their tank.

In an uncertain world where it's taking Anthrax now close to a decade to get a new record going, Metallica releasing whatever they want and it being hailed as the second coming, Slayer not knowing whether they are retired or not, and Megadeth calling it quits after their new album and tours wrap up, Testament has us thrash fans eating good here…

~TB

The Atomic Bats Bat Attack Review

Fri, 31 Oct 2025 09:00:17 GMT

The Atomic Bats

Bat Attack

Self-Released

2025

Every now and then, an album sneaks out of the underground and slaps you right across the face, not with brute force, but with style, swagger, and that unholy bite that only Psychobilly music delivers. Bat Attack, the debut from New Jersey’s Atomic Bats, dropped in July 2025 and it’s a wickedly fun, twisted ride straight through the heart of a carnival freakshow from Hell.

The first thing that hits you is how clean it sounds for an indy release in spots, not sterile, but sharp. The vocalist doesn’t exactly growl with the typical Psychobilly flavor the entire way through, I don’t want to say the vocalist is a crooner, but there are moments and when he’s on, he’s on.

Musically, the Atomic Bats have their claws sunk deep into the roots: greasy upright bass runs, reverb-dripping guitar twang, and that slap-happy drum sound that keeps the engine sputtering and alive. But instead of playing it safe, they twist the formula into something that feels like a carnival gone off the rails, spinning lights, cracked mirrors, and the faint echo of laughter that doesn’t sound entirely human. Tracks shift from high-octane boppers to eerie mid-tempo groovers that could soundtrack your next haunted back-alley drag race. The only low point is a cover of the Animals classic “House Of The Rising Sun”. I’m not sure what happened here, but it doesn’t match the rest of the record much at all, it feels more like an intermission and probably should’ve been left as a hidden track or left off all together. Of course that’s just my opinion, it doesn’t ruin the album.

What does set Bat Attack apart is its atmosphere. There’s Horror here, sure, but it’s more funhouse than graveyard. Think horror comic panels come to life, bright colors masking something rotten underneath. The songwriting has that sense of mischief and showmanship that’s missing from a lot of modern Psychobilly. You can tell these guys aren’t trying to copy anyone, they’re just throwing everything they love about the genre into the pot and lighting a fuse under it.

The result is a record that’s both catchy and sinister, playful but still has teeth. It’s Psychobilly for the midnight carnival crowd, the ones still awake after the rides stop, drinking warm beer and grinning at the left-over chaos.

If you’ve been craving something with the swagger of the old school but has the guts to carve its own path, Bat Attack is your invitation to step right up. Just don’t be surprised if you come out the other side a little more twisted than when you went in.

I’m mad excited that there’s a band like this in the USA, we need it over here badly! I can’t wait to see how much the band grows on their next effort, which I hope is soon!

Standouts – “Red Fang Girls”, “Awoke In My Grave”, “Les Revenants” and “Fires Below”.

~Black Angel

The Unsatisfied Real Gone Pale Face 2 Review

Fri, 31 Oct 2025 09:00:17 GMT

The Unsatisfied

Real Gone Pale Face (Remaster/Reissue)

LyRic Unlimited Co

1999/2025

I didn’t stop moving (except to flip the record) during the entire album. This is definitely an album you need for your collection if you like old school punk rock.

The clarity in Wendy Torrance made me think Eric was standing in front of me when he sang my favorite Unsatisfied song.

The only way to beat this sound is to be at a live event and in front of really good speakers. I didn’t grow up with The Unsatisfied as many of my friends did but this album feels like part of my DNA. Maybe that was just the vibration of the beat in my bones.

~Teresea

Midnight Haunt True Crime and Twisted Love Review

Fri, 31 Oct 2025 09:00:17 GMT

Midnight Haunt

True Crime and Twisted Love

Self-Released

2024

Germany just keeps spitting out Horror Punk and Horror Rock bands, and the coolest part is most of them aren’t carbon copies of the Misfits. They’re carving their own scars into the genre, bringing new sounds, new moods, and a whole lot of personality to the graveyard.

The latest bunch of creeps to crawl out of Deutschland are Midnight Haunt. They fired up in 2020 and haven’t hit the brakes since. These maniacs have been grinding it out, playing anywhere that’ll have them, sharing stages with anyone brave enough to follow, and stacking up some killer releases while they’re at it. And yeah, that matters. There’s nothing worse than finding a band you dig and realizing they’ve got nothing to back it up. Midnight Haunt came prepared.

Their most recent release, “True Crime and Twisted Love”, dropped back in December 2024, but it still sounds fresh as hell. It’s short, about 19 minutes, but it punches harder than most full-lengths out there right now. This is lean, mean Horror Rock that doesn’t waste a second. The songs come in fast, hit you square in the jaw, and disappear into the fog before you’ve even caught your breath.

What sets these guys apart is that they lean more toward Rock ‘N’ Roll than straight-up Punk. The melodies are slick, the hooks are sharp, and there’s real thought behind the songwriting, especially in the vocals. The riffs are as hot as a crematorium furnace. There’s way more riffage than you’d expect from a Horror band, and that’s what makes this EP shine. Musically, it’s got that Pop backbone wrapped in razor wire - catchy, but still dangerous.

I’m honestly burned out on the parade of “we’re spooky too” bands that hide behind fake blood and bad production. Midnight Haunt skips the gimmicks and brings the goods. “True Crime and Twisted Love” is pure candy-coated Horror Rock - sweet on the surface but laced with cyanide and glass shards underneath.

For such a short ride, this record delivers the full crash - energy, melody, menace. Midnight Haunt sounds hungry, and they’re coming for your blood. If I had to stack them next to anyone, I’d say they land in the same graveyard as Zombiecock and Beneath the Cellar - raw, catchy, and built for the stage.

Hit their Bandcamp, there’s plenty of music and merch that’ll make any Horror Punk junkie happy. Midnight Haunt are the real deal, and if somebody’s smart enough to throw them on the right tour, they’re gonna blow up.

Standouts: “Die For Me,” “Monday Morning,” “Trick or Treat,” “Moor Murders.”

~Black Angel

Hellgreaser Hymns Of The Dead Review

Fri, 31 Oct 2025 09:00:17 GMT

Hellgreaser

Hymns of the Dead

Sunny Bastards Records

2024

Hellgreaser have always walked that thin, filthy line between psychotic Rock N’ Roll and a full-blown Horror Punk meltdown, and “Hymns of the Dead” is where that tension finally explodes. It’s raw, rotten, and glorious, the kind of record that sounds like it was recorded in a graveyard lit only by the fire from a crashed hot rod.

From the first track, “Dead Like You” you’re thrown into a pit of crooning vocals, razor-precision guitars, and drums that slam like a bomb going off. The album is packed with Pop Punk sleaze, and blood-soaked swagger. The band leans hard into the moody side of the macabre, but not in that cheap costume-party way; their Horror feels lived-in, like the reek of smoke and formaldehyde clinging to your clothes after a night in hell’s basement.

Each song drips with the kind of attitude you can’t fake or rehearse. It’s that unhinged, dirty, corner-bar energy where every chord feels like a punch and every lyric sounds like it’s been crooned through a cracked skull. The bass lines jump, the guitars slice through the mix like switchblades, and the drums keep everything moving with a manic pulse.

What’s wild is how “Hymns of the Dead” feels both chaotic and deliberate, and wholesome like these ghouls know exactly how to ride the edge without tumbling off it. It’s the perfect soundtrack for late-night drives down backroads or for drowning out the world when you just want to feel alive.

The title track “Hymn Of The Dead” is worth the price of admission alone. It’s got that sing-along vibe down pat, that one has seen some serious repeat action since I got this album in for review. Hans from Left Hand Black also guest on the tune. It’s a call to arms for all the Monster kids of the universe. Speaking of guests Nim Vind makes his presence felt on the tune “Her Other Side”. I don’t care what anyone says, if Vind is guesting on your album, you’re obviously onto something special.

“Hymns Of The Dead” is a special album and while it’s not brand new, it’s still very worthy of your time. I’m quite surprised this album hasn’t gotten the band on bigger stages. Nevertheless, it’s something you want in your collection, and you’ll definitely want the title track in your playlist!

~Black Angel

Demented Are Go Psychotic Mutilation Review

Fri, 31 Oct 2025 09:00:17 GMT

Demented Are Go

Psychotic Mutilation

Sunny Bastards Records

2025

If you know me, and if you don’t, you should - you’re aware that beneath my Metal-plated heart throbs the undead, twitching pulse of a Rockabilly/Psychobilly fiend. I’m stitched together from roadkill DNA and the ectoplasmic sweat of Lux Interior, the Stray Cats, Johnny Cash, and whatever is left of the mad bastards who once wandered the halls of Sun Records covered in pomade and gasoline.

I’m equal parts Rock Warrior and roadside Honky Tonk exorcist. But here’s the dirty little secret: while Metal labels chuck promos at me like candy at a deranged parade, the Psychobilly world is crickets. Tumbleweeds. A genre still alive and howling, but the labels act like no one wants to hear it unless there’s a pin-up girl humping a Rat Rod in the background and a dude in a leather jacket explaining to no one how he used to "tour with The Cramps." Newsflash: Psychobilly ain't dead, it's undead, it's thriving, and it smells like blood, beer, and burned rubber.

Demented Are Fucking Go have risen from the grave with "Psychotic Mutilation", their first slab of sonic mayhem in 13 damn years, courtesy of Sunny Bastards Records. I didn’t expect this to happen, hell, I half-suspected Sparky had exploded in a cloud of whiskey, pills, and bat wings years ago. But nope, the maniac lives, and he’s dragging his band of miscreants with him, cackling into the void, and folks… THEY HAVE NEVER SOUNDED THIS GOOD.

This isn’t just another album. This is a razorblade valentine to the unhinged, a blues-soaked, gasoline-gargling inferno of everything that makes DAG the deranged royalty of Psychobilly. It’s slicker than the old days, sure, no tape hiss, no puke-on-the-microphone production, but that’s not a complaint, it’s a weapon.

And Sparky - the man’s a shaman. A menace. A walking Horror show fronting a dive-bar sermon for the beautifully damned. His voice has aged like a black leather glove pulled off a corpse, worn in, full of stories, and ready to slap you in the soul. Anyone crying "sellout" can shut their yap and go choke on a bottle of Brylcreem, DAG ain’t chasing trends, because there’s no mainstream left for them to sell out to. These guys built the house, then set it on fire and pissed on the ashes.

Track by track, Psychotic Mutilation is a murder spree of bangers. Opener “Black Valium” struts in like a junkie preacher before detonating into a galloping, brain-splitting freakout that’ll rip your heart out and feed it to the jukebox. From there, “Out of Reach” picks up the bat and breaks your knees, pure Hellbilly Storm era power with enough snot and swagger to raise the dead. Then comes “Chasing Rainbows”, which proves the band isn’t just chaos merchants, they’ve got chops. Tight, mean, and full of enough electricity to bring Frankenstein’s monster back for an encore.

But then we hit “Cast A Lonesome Shadow” and holy hell, it’s like the moon cracked in half and a duet fell out. Sparky and Emanuela Hutter (The Hillbilly Moon Explosion) are back together, and it's nothing short of necromantic bliss. Their chemistry is nuclear. If there’s any justice in this cruel, neon-lit hellscape, they’ll record a duet every time a comet passes overhead. This one’s got a touch of New Wave shimmer to it, I blame the guitar tone, but it works, goddamn does it work.

And if you’re frothing for classic DAG gore-splatter nonsense, “Dismembered Hand” is here to rip your spine out and make you dance like its prom night in the ninth circle of Hell. It’s mean, it’s fast and everything you hoped and feared it would be.

Let’s not mince words. Psychotic Mutilation is the sound of a band clawing its way out of the grave, middle fingers up, bared teeth, and ready to drag you down into the smoke and fury. It’s one of the best Psychobilly albums not just of the year, but of the past decade. Period. Full stop. Put it on my Top 10 of 2025 now and carve its name into the wall.

You don’t question Sparky. You don’t second-guess DAG. And you sure as hell don’t look this gift horse in the mouth unless you’re ready to get trampled and bitten.

God bless Demented Are Go. God damn them too. Whatever cosmic force keeps Sparky on this earth, keep doing your evil work, we need him, and we need this kind of music now more than ever.

~Black Angel

Alice Cooper The Revenge Of The Alice Cooper Review

Fri, 31 Oct 2025 09:00:17 GMT

Alice Cooper

The Revenge Of Alice Cooper

ear Music

2025

Writing about Alice Cooper is like trying to bottle lightning from a haunted carnival, every time you think you’ve got it contained, it slips through your fingers, laughing. It’s not that he’s unloved, but Cooper’s story is a kaleidoscope of faces, fangs, and flashbulbs. Blink and you’ll miss an era. And then there’s the endless debate: the solo artist versus the original band. To me, they’re the same creature, stitched together in eyeliner and attitude. Others may split hairs; I don’t have the headspace for that.

Now, after half a century of silence, the original Alice Cooper band has clawed its way back from the dead, intact save for Glen Buxton, who left this world in ’97 but still haunts the record in spectral form. The album’s title, “The Revenge of Alice Cooper”, feels less like a marketing move and more like a prophecy fulfilled.

The shock is they haven’t aged a day musically. It’s as if the coffin lid was never closed. The riffs, the Horror, the sly grin, it’s all here, carrying the same dangerous weight as “Billion Dollar Babies” and “Killer”. Yes, the decades have changed our tools, our ears, our bones, but the pulse is the same. They still wrap Horror and glamour together like barbed wire around a champagne glass. And let’s not kid ourselves, early -’70s Cooper was Glam as hell. If you disagree, you’re rewriting history. Just ask the glittering icons of the ’80s who wore his influence like a badge.

There’s too much here to pick apart clinically, so I won’t. I’ll just tell you this, if “Dead Babies,” “Under My Wheels,” or “I’m Eighteen” ever made your pulse race, this belongs in your collection. Listening isn’t optional; it’s a Rock ’N’ Roll rite of passage.

Standouts, too many to count. “Black Mamba” slinks and strikes, “One Night Stand” swaggers in like rhinestones, “Kill the Flies” festers with glee, “What Happened to You” stings like nostalgia’s hangover, and “See You on the Other Side” closes the curtain with a wink from the grave. There isn’t a single dud here, not a one. Cooper’s voice is Razor-sharp. The band is as deadly as they were in their prime.

So don’t let this pass you by. Grab the vinyl, pour yourself a whiskey, drop the needle, and let the old magic, the kind that smells like stage fog, sweat, and eyeliner, seep back into your veins.

~Black Angel

5¢ Freakshow Horror Punk Splatter Massacre Review

Fri, 31 Oct 2025 09:00:17 GMT

5¢ Freakshow

Horror Punk Splatter Massacre

Blood Freak Records

2019

If there’s a razorblade in your candy apple, rat poison in your cotton candy or wolfsbane in your funnel cake, there’s a high probability that you’re under the big top of Canada’s psychobilly outfit, 5¢ Freakshow. Clearly, this isn’t any ordinary attraction and the screams from underneath the tent only intensify your morbid curiosity. It’s only a matter of time before the cornucopia of sights and smells lure you in and once you’re in, you’re not seeing the light of day again.

Part of a 7” split with Los Lügers, ‘Horror Punk Splatter Massacre’ features the tracks “Bury You Alive” and “My Sweet Elena”. Both of those songs alone are worth the price of admission, but through their Bandcamp page, you can purchase it with the bonus acoustic version of “My Sweet Elena”, which only sweetens the deal. And if you know me, I’m a sucker for acoustic performances, especially when it comes to anything horror punk/rock related.

“Bury You Alive” starts off as a slow anthemic crawl that sees you throwing your fists into the air, but just as quickly erupts into a rousing track that plays as the soundtrack to holding your girl close in your arms as you dance before throwing her in your trunk and taking her to an unmarked grave somewhere off of Lover’s Lane. “My Sweet Elena” is so god damn good. The Nekromantix-esque bass intro grabs and hypnotizes me. The choruses live rent free in my head and I cannot stop myself from letting it take over my motor functions. The acoustic version is truly a treat and Nikky’s vocals really stand out. The emphasis on harmonizing vocals in conjunction with the slower pace make this version completely different and not just in the electric vs. acoustic mindset, but in that a slower, more methodical take makes it feel darker and more emotional.

~ TJ

Clown In A Cornfield Review (2025)

Thu, 30 Oct 2025 11:28:28 GMT

I didn’t walk into Clown in a Cornfield expecting to feel like I’d been dropkicked straight into the rotting guts of small-town America, but here we are. This thing hits like a 3-day bender on Red Bull and fertilizer fumes. It’s a slasher, yeah, but not the shiny Hollywood kind. It’s the kind that smells like gasoline, dried blood, and the desperate sweat of a town that gave up on itself twenty years ago.

Kettle Springs, that’s the sad little speck of a town where this mess unfolds. They used to have pride back when factory jobs paid the bills and everyone smiled through their teeth at Sunday service. Now it’s just dust, broken dreams, and a clown mascot named Frendo that nobody gives a shit about anymore. But ol’ Frendo, he’s not taking retirement quietly. No sir, this bastard comes back to slice, dice, and cleanse the corn-fed sinners one screaming teen at a time.

It’s got that classic slasher DNA, kids getting picked off for being loud, horny, or alive, but there’s something nastier festering under the surface. Every kill feels like a punchline to a joke about how far gone we are as a species. The blood isn’t there to shock, it’s there to remind you that this place has been bleeding for years.

The teens are exactly what they should be - smartasses who think they’ve outgrown the rusted-out ghost town that they live in. And maybe they have. But when the killing starts, they’re not running from some random psycho, they’re running from the entire ideology that built the town. The clown’s just the blade attached to it.

The violence is unrelenting, beautiful and glorious. It doesn’t dance around with slow buildups or ironic detachment. When Frendo gets going, it’s chaotic, loud, messy, and cathartic. You can almost taste the blood and corn dust in the air. The kills are mean, the pacing’s relentless, and it all feels like a middle finger to nostalgia, a scream in the face of “make small towns great again” delusion.

In the end, I wasn’t rooting for survival. I was rooting for obliteration. Clown in a Cornfield isn’t just Horror; it’s a grimy reflection of a country choking on its own traditions. It’s blood-soaked, fast, and mean as hell. Exactly the way I like it.

I didn’t waste any time purchasing the Blu-ray edition of this movie, I couldn’t get in the door at Wal-Mart fast enough to collect my prize – I’m going to get a shit ton of life out of this movie! For those who stream, the movie is on Shudder, but trust me, this one is going to be something you want on your movie shelf.

But yeah, the next time you’re driving through a dying town and see a faded billboard with a smiling clown, don’t look too long - he might still be waiting out there, in the dark, laughing his ass off with a machete…

~Black Angel

House On Haunted Hill Review (1959)

Wed, 29 Oct 2025 13:02:03 GMT

Lock the doors, light the candelabras, and sharpen your fangs, because The House on Haunted Hill is a séance at midnight where Vincent Price himself presides as the master of ceremonies! This 1959 creeper from William Castle doesn’t tiptoe into Horror, it kicks the crypt doors open and drags you screaming down into its shadow-choked mansion.

The premise is simple: a pack of strangers are lured into a haunted meat grinder of a mansion, where surviving until sunrise means cash in hand and possibly your sanity intact. Easy enough, if you ignore the blood-curdling screams echoing through the hallways, the bone-chilling basement that looks built for dismemberment, and a skeleton that’s got more stage presence than half of Hollywood.

And then there’s Vincent Price. Sweet, sinister Vincent. He doesn’t act in this movie, possesses it. With every venom-dripping line and devilish chuckle, he’s both a charming host and grinning executioner. Price has this supernatural ability to make you love him even as he tightens the noose; a phantom trickster playing his guests like marionettes dangling over an open grave. He is the lifeblood of this flick - if blood came in martini glasses and was served with a razor blade on the rim.

Imagine a theater in 1959, filled with wide-eyed Horror fiends, when suddenly a rattling, bony ghoul swoops overhead. Pandemonium! People shrieking, laughing, ducking, pure grindhouse magic. William Castle, the grand ghoul of gimmicks, went full freak-show with “Emergo,” a stunt where a skeleton would fly out over the audience during screenings.

Yeah, the effects are corny. The skeleton looks like it got lost on the way to a fifth-grade Halloween pageant. The jump scares are more funhouse than frightmare. But that’s the wicked joy of it all! The House on Haunted Hill doesn’t care about realism, it’s Horror as theater, atmosphere dripping like candle wax, shadows stretching like claws, and every doorway looks like a portal to the grave.

By the end, you’re not just watching, you’ve been hexed, rattled, and baptized in old-school Horror glory. This is the kind of flick you spin on a stormy night, glass in hand, cackling with the ghosts that rattle in your own walls.

The House on Haunted Hill is a coffin-shaped thrill ride. A reminder that Horror doesn’t need gore to make your bones shiver, it just needs Vincent Price, a haunted mansion, and a director crazy enough to throw a flying skeleton at your head.

~Black Angel

The Unsatisfied Real Gone Pale Face Review

Tue, 28 Oct 2025 10:25:38 GMT

The Unsatisfied

Real Gone Pale Face (Remaster/Reissue)

LyRic Unlimited Co

1999/2025

When I was tasked with reviewing this album, I experienced a myriad of emotions. One was nostalgia because I was examining a now stone-cold classic underground rock ’n’ roll/punk record. Not many know of it, but those who do - KNOW. The second was a combination of sadness and anger. Why, you ask? Because The Unsatisfied should be mentioned in the same breath as bands like Gluecifer, Backyard Babies, The New Bomb Turks, Turbonegro, etc. And… they’re just not. It’s one of music’s greatest tragedies that these Chattanooga, TN natives have been toiling away in obscurity for over two decades. Their story isn’t unique, but we have been graced with the newly remastered and reissued Real Gone Pale Face via LyRic Unlimited Co. Rockers the world over, rejoice, and let’s get to the nuts and bolts of this whiskey-soaked slab of badass.

The Unsatisfied First Bestowed this fine record upon the unsuspecting masses in 1999, and it remains their most popular release. The track “.44 Caliber” is their biggest single/hit. The lineup at the time was as follows: vocals – Eric Scealf, guitars – Johnny Stockman, bass – Damien Lawless, and drums – Dave Schenk. Johnny and Eric are the only OGs left. Throughout lineup changes, trials, tribulations, and maybe a few arrests, they have remained a beacon of hope for those who worship sleazy, punk-fueled, three-chord, catchy, down-and-dirty rock ’n’ roll. Real Gone Pale Face showcases this in spades. The thirteen songs here also benefit from the remix and remaster treatment — the guitars scream a little louder with more clarity, the drums are more discernible, the bass is thumping harder, and the acerbic vocals are a slap-back and reverb-soaked knife cutting through the center nicely. We are still left with a raw, live, and chaotic-feeling album, but it has just enough sheen to match the looseness.

If you’ve never heard The Unsatisfied, the only way I can describe them is if Iggy and The Stooges married The Cramps, with The Humpers and Electric Frankenstein officiating the ceremony. Throw in some “kick out the jams”-isms of the MC5 with some country and gospel-like moments, and you’re on the right track. They keep things moving - high energy and fun. From the beginning of “Pretty Weird Huh” through to the last chord of “Heaven,” Scealf (who might be the love child of Iggy and Lux Interior) laments women who are bitches, boney fingers of truth, alcoholic hazes, and even an ode to Wendy Torrence. The tempos are quick, and the guitars have enough grimy, blues-based licks to make Robert Johnson jealous. The Unsatisfied occupy a very specific niche of punk-infused rock ’n’ roll, and they do it with such vigor, venom, and tongue-in-cheek humor here that I’m still at a loss as to why they aren’t bigger. However, now this reissue exists, and here’s hoping a whole new audience discovers them and they finally get their due. If not, I imagine that they can’t be bothered and will just continue doing it for the love and the spite of it. After all, it’s been said it’s a long way to the top… you know the rest. Pick this up and blow your speakers with it, wearing your old Lip Service skull pants and tattered Damned T-shirt, with a fifth of whiskey in one hand and the other fist firmly in the gutter.

RIYL: The Stooges, New Bomb Turks, Turbonegro, The Supersuckers, The American Plague

~TB

Return Of The Living Dead Review (1985)

Tue, 28 Oct 2025 09:23:34 GMT

Tonight’s feature isn’t just a movie, oh no, tonight we’re cracking open the mausoleum doors and letting out the radioactive stink bomb from Hell itself: RETURN OF THE LIVING DEAD! Buckle your seatbelts, kiddies, because this ain’t no slow shuffle of the dead. This is a full-blown PUNK ROCK HOLOCAUST on celluloid!

Picture it: a bunch of dimwitted stiffs at a medical supply warehouse crack open the U.S. government’s biggest screw-up, and BOOM! Toxic gas shoots into the sky, rain pours down on the graveyard, and suddenly every rotting meat sack six feet under is crawling out to party. And by party, I mean eat your BRAAAINS like popcorn at the drive-in!

These ghouls don’t stumble, they don’t groan, they RUN, they SCREAM, they speak… And ohhh, the cast of freaks caught in this mess! Punk rockers writhing on tombstones, leather-clad delinquents cackling into the night, and one infamous cemetery striptease that burned itself into midnight movie history like a pentagram carved in flesh.

The effects? GORE-SOAKED GLORY. Tar Man, that slick, slimy cadaver with moves smoother than a drunk uncle at a wedding, oozing across the floor, chomping skulls like popcorn shrimp. Melting bodies, twitching corpses, and Zombies that TALK BACK – “Come in dispatch, SEND MORE PARAMEDICS”! This film doesn’t just spit in the face of good taste; it slaps it across the jaw and dances on its grave!

And let’s talk about that soundtrack, it’s a flaming chainsaw shoved into your ears. Punk rock anthems blast like the soundtrack to your last night on Earth, driving this freak show into the red zone. Featuring 45 Grave’s “Party Time” and of course my personal favorite “Surfin’ Dead” by The Cramps. This isn’t background music; it’s an open casket rave. If you don’t have the soundtrack, stop right now and seek it out, the vinyl reissues are readily available.

But wait, if you really want the full necrotic scoop, crawl your maggot-covered carcass over to the documentary MORE BRAINS! It’s the behind-the-scenes tell-all that proves the making of this film was just as deranged as what ended up on screen. Fights! Egos! Meltdowns! It’s like the production itself was cursed, and we’re lucky the film didn’t just crawl out of the projector and eat the audience whole.

So, here’s the deal, you decomposing degenerates: Return of the Living Dead is not a movie. It’s a toxic waste barrel cracked wide open. It’s a love letter scrawled in blood to every Horror fan who likes their terror with a side of sleaze, slime, and a killer backbeat. This film doesn’t just rot, it RAGES.

Now dim the lights, tune into this movie, the documentary, the soundtrack and let’s do the DEAD, yeah TURN BLUE!

~Black Angel

Re-Animator Review (1985)

Mon, 27 Oct 2025 11:24:37 GMT

Strap in, gorehounds, because Re-Animator is a splatter-soaked circus of insanity that kicks down the morgue doors, pumps glowing green serum straight into your veins, and dares your brain not to explode. Stuart Gordon’s 1985 Lovecraft-inspired Re-Animator is the kind of movie you stumble into at 3 AM, and by sunrise, you’re re-animated!

The mad doctor of this bloodbath is Herbert West, played with wide-eyed, twitching brilliance by Jeffrey Combs. West is the kind of character that makes Frankenstein look like a cautious hobbyist. He’s obsessed, reckless, and unholy in his pursuit to bring the dead back to life, and when his experiments succeed, it’s less “miracle of science” and more “fountain of carnage.”

This movie doesn’t just splash blood on the walls; it paints murals in arterial spray. Corpses twitch, thrash, and scream in grotesque afterlife spasms. Heads roll (literally), limbs fly, and the morgue becomes a slaughterhouse where no organ is safe. It’s wet, it’s wild, and it’s un-apologetically over the top.

But here’s the thing, underneath the geysers of crimson and the black comedy, the film has a manic energy that makes it unforgettable. The pacing never lets up. The tone dances on the razor’s edge between hilariously absurd and disturbing. One moment you laugh at the sheer audacity of it, and the next you’re squirming as the film crosses boundaries you didn’t think 80’s horror would dare touch.

And then there’s THAT scene, you know the one. The “head giving head” moment that seared itself into the annals of Horror history like a brand on raw flesh. Disturbing, absolutely. It’s kind of a test of how far you’re willing to go for your Horror thrills. Some consider it a Rape scene and while I’m not a fan of those kinds of scenes, I never really felt it was that deep – twisted, sure, but not rape.

Jeffrey Combs is the heartbeat of the movie, delivering one of Horror’s greatest mad scientist performances. His Herbert West is cold, clinical, and brilliant, a man possessed not by demons, but by pure obsession. Pair that with Gordon’s frantic direction and Richard Band’s shrieking, Psycho-inspired score, and you’ve got a cinematic monster that won’t ever die.

At the end of the bloodstained ride, Re-Animator is chaos bottled, shaken, and uncorked all over the morgue floor. It’s funny, it’s revolting, it’s brilliant, and it’s downright deranged. This isn’t a movie for the squeamish, it’s a baptism in blood, a delirious celebration of Horror excess, and one of the crown jewels of 80’s splatter.

So, grab your serum, fiends, and inject yourself with this madness. If you can make it past this one, The Bride of The Re-animator awaits you on the other side, as well as Beyond Re-animator!

~Black Angel

Hellbound Billy Lucky Thirteen Nightmares Part II Review

Sun, 26 Oct 2025 12:14:30 GMT

Hellbound Billy

Lucky Thirteen Nightmares Part II

Self-Released

2025

Earlier this year, I tripped face-first into the sticky cobwebs of Denver’s own Hellbound Billy. And holy hell, what a goddamn find. These creeps ooze creativity, dripped in grease and grave dust, and hits like a Rockabilly/Psychobilly freight train straight outta the underworld. It’s loud, it’s fast, it’s mean, and best of all, it’s one big spookshow that doesn’t let up.

Most bands are lucky if they put out a decent EP every few years. Hellbound Billy is different breed entirely. These fiends are down in the lab 24/7, sewing together riffs and howls into monstrous tales of heartbreak and Horror. They ain’t resting, they resurrecting.

Their latest slab, “Lucky Thirteen Nightmares Part II”, dropped a few weeks back. Yeah, I’m late to the funeral, but screw it, at least I made it before the coffin lid slammed shut. This round’s got more octane, more bite, and a heavier Psychobilly vibe than the first part. But lurking underneath all that throttle, there’s a slick throwback to those early Sun Records ghosts. I swear I even hear a trace of The Hillbilly Hellcats haunting the mix, could just be me chasing phantoms, but it’s there.

“Werewolf Wedding Bells” kicks things off with pure vintage bite, those guitar licks are razor-clean but soaked in reverb and attitude. There’s a sneaky sax riff slithering around in there too, and it’s killer. “Monster’s Heart” stays in that same spooky pocket, but darker, like it’s bleeding from the shadows. “Vampire Blues” drags that mood through the fog, slow and thick. Then “Under This Orchard Moon” hits, a moody number that feels like a late-night confession under cemetery lights. You can feel it breathing, moving, twisting on the strength of its words and arrangement alone.

Then the gas pedal hits the floor. “Haunted Hot Rod” is where the band lets the Psychobilly beast out of the cage. It’s wild, reckless, and damn near out of control, like Reverend Horton Heat on a three-day bender. This is the kind of song that makes you want to floor it till you see headlights in the rearview and hope they ain’t the devils. One wrong turn and you’re bones and chrome. “Thirteen Screams” keeps that fire roaring, those riffs are absolutely filthy, just how they should be. “Dead Man Walking” closes it all out in a blaze of tire smoke and coffin nails, it’s the fastest, nastiest track on the EP, and the perfect way to end it.

Hellbound Billy is the real deal, gritty, greasy, and unholy in all the right ways. They’ve got the chops and the twisted charm to wreck house in both the Rockabilly and Psychobilly scenes. “Lucky Thirteen Nightmares Part II” hits just as hard as the first, maybe harder. The only negative thought I have is there’s a touch of auto-tune on a few vocal spots, it’s not constant, but when it shows up, I can’t not hear it, Still, minor gripe and nothing is ever perfect. The whole record’s a blast from the crypt that demands volume, whiskey, weed, and a half-tanked crowd of ghouls screaming along.

So yeah, don’t wait for this one to come knocking. Go find Hellbound Billy. Buy the record. Play it loud enough to wake the dead.

https://www.qobuz.com/us-en/album/lucky-thirteen-nightmares-part-ii-halloween-special-hellbound-billy/sk96igxuemita

~Black Angel

Rise From Your Grave Tales Of Terror Review

Sun, 26 Oct 2025 12:14:26 GMT

Rise From Your Grave

Tales Of Terror

We Are Horror Records

2024

Some albums slither into your speakers. Others kick down the door and spill a river of blood all over your floor. Rise From Your Grave’s “Tales Of Terror” belongs to the latter, it’s an unholy sermon of Horror, Thrash and riff-saturated Punk insanity that rips your attention right out of your skull and holds it up like a dripping trophy.

From the opening track, “Ghost in The Graveyard” you’re swallowed into a carnival of rot. The guitars buzz like a swarm of corpse-flies, thick and relentless, while the drums pound like a shovel cracking open fresh grave dirt. The vocals ooze through the mix with a rasp that sounds like it was recorded in a slaughterhouse after midnight. The whole album is absurdly fun, like watching a midnight Horror flick where the gore effects make you feel uncomfortable but turn you on at the same time.

What I love most is the album’s sense of chaos wrapped in hooks. For every moment where you feel like the music might collapse into a pit of pus and broken bones, there’s a chorus or a riff that claws into your brain like a reanimated hand bursting out of the dirt. See the track “King in Yellow” for example. It’s Horror Punk with its tongue ripped out and nailed to a Thrash backbone, then drenched in buckets of slime.

Tracks like “Run There’s Robots!” and “Twilight Zone” are pure bangers, high-speed dirges that make you want to howl at the moon with a knife in one hand and a severed heard in the other. Meanwhile, “In Love with Evil” slows things down just enough to let the decay seep into your pores, reminding you that even monsters have feelings too…

There’s no filler here, every song drips with menace, humor, and the kind of unhinged creativity that makes you wonder if they recorded this while possessed. By the time the final track fades, you feel like you’re stumbling out of a wreck half-alive, covered in blood, and ready to do it all again.

Rise From Your Grave’s “Tales Of Terror” is a party that teeters at the edge of the abyss.

~Black Angel

The Murderbirds Songs The Reaper Taught Us Review

Sun, 26 Oct 2025 12:14:20 GMT

The Murderbirds

Songs The Reaper Taught Us

Self-Released

2025

Once again, I’ve been lucky enough to dig up another gem from the land down under! The Murderbirds are a Horror/Psychobilly outfit clawing their way out of Perth, Australia, and while there’s not a ton of info floating around about these ghouls, their Bandcamp and socials are crawling with killer tunes - a full-length, some singles and more grisly goodies than you can shake a femur at. Trust me, this is one crypt you want to open.

Their latest effort, “Songs the Reaper Taught Us”, hit the gravewaves back in late March. It’s a short, sharp shock, just four songs, but it’s more than enough to get your bones rattling and your corpse grooving. Unlike many of their Psychobilly peers, The Murderbirds’ vocalist leans into a higher-register croon, conjuring the ghosts of early Sun Records rockers with a hint of a young Lux Interior. That combo alone is enough to raise the dead and make them dance.

Musically, the EP oozes with classic Rockabilly spirit - upright bass slaps that echo like coffin lids being slammed, and the grooves run deep. Lurking beneath it all is a Punk sneer that gives the whole thing that extra “Psycho” edge.

“Tombstone Blues” kicks things off like an instant jukebox classic, I could spin it for hours in a haunted roadside dive. “Wolfman Blues” howls through the night with a mid-tempo swagger and a killer guitar riff that digs its claws right into the melody. It’s as catchy as a fresh brain in a zombie pit. “Zombie Queen” stomps forward with attitude and venom, barreling down the road like a hearse on fire. “Light My Soul” closes the EP with a western-tinged mood, all smoky twang and guitar tones to die for.

Now, while I don’t usually push streaming, it looks like Spotify is the only tomb this EP currently haunts, so give it a spin there, then shuffle over to their Bandcamp and support these creeps properly. The Murderbirds are the real deal, blood-soaked, bone-shaking, and bound to rise higher in the Horror scene. Now let’s show’em some love and get ‘em stateside so they can spill some blood on American soil!

~Black Angel

The Klingonz Unmakeupable Review

Sun, 26 Oct 2025 12:14:17 GMT

The Klingonz

Unmakeupable

Wreckin Bones Records

2024

If you thought The Klingonz were gonna mellow out or fade into nostalgia, you clearly haven’t been paying attention. 2024’s release entitled, “Unmakeupable” is a flaming wreck of Psychobilly chaos, a record that spits, grins, and bleeds all over your speakers like a band that still has something nasty to prove. After decades of twisting the genre inside out, The Klingonz are still swinging from the rafters with switchblades in their teeth.

From the opening track, it’s all neon sleaze and atomic energy. The guitars sound like they’re being fed through a haunted radio tower, the bass rumbles like a dragster about to explode, and the drums, man, they don’t play with the beat, they beat it senseless. The production is raw and alive, none of that sterilized compression you hear from younger acts trying to fake it. This is the real thing - sweat, scuzz, and spirit.

Vocally, it’s exactly what you want from The Klingonz: half growl, half sneer and all attitude. There’s a sense of theatrical madness under every line, a cartoon Punk aggression that feels like it could either make you laugh or tear your head off depending on the volume. Lyrically, they’re still dancing between Horror humor, trash culture, and defiant weirdness, their sweet spot since day one.

Tracks like title track “Klownarchy” and “False Fuckers” sound like they were recorded during a bar fight, while slower moments if we can call them that - “Fugly Corpse” and “Stone Killer” pulse with a grimy kind of swagger that’s all their own. The energy never dips, and by the end, you’re either exhausted or reaching for the play button again.

“Unmakeupable” isn’t about reinvention, it’s more about reaffirmation. It’s proof that Psychobilly bands like Klingonz don’t have to age gracefully; they just have to stay dangerous. And The Klingonz are still unhinged, filthy, and completely out of their fucking minds!

~Black Angel

Christine Review (1983)

Sun, 26 Oct 2025 12:14:08 GMT

John Carpenter’s Christine isn’t just a Horror movie, it’s a grease-stained flick about obsession, possession, and a car that wants your soul as much as it wants your blood. Forget cheap shocks or rivers of gore. This one seeps into your bones slowly, like exhaust fumes filling a garage, choking you out before you even realize what’s happening. Next to the Dukes of Hazzard, this is the movie that helped to create my lifelong obsession with Hot Rods

Arnie Cunningham, a hopelessly awkward kid, finds a rusted-out ’58 Plymouth Fury and claims her as his own. But this isn’t just a project car, it’s a parasite. As Christine gets rebuilt, so does Arnie, but not in a healthy way. The more the chrome gleams, the darker he becomes, shedding his nerdy skin and hardening into something cold, predatory, and MEAN. By the time Christine’s finished, Arnie is too. The kid’s gone, what’s left is something twisted and fused with the car.

This movie doesn’t feature frantic jump scares, or splatter just for the hell of it. Instead, it builds a suffocating tension, letting you watch obsession rot a kid from the inside out. Christine herself is less a car than a living predator, her headlights glow with hellfire eyes, her engine growls with the hunger of a beast. When she hunts, it’s not a chase. It’s a ritual that ends in death.

The atmosphere of the movie is pure Carpenter gloom. The shadows are thick enough to chew, the score throbs like a cursed heartbeat, and every scene drips with menace. The kills are brutal and surreal, headlights cutting through the night as Christine runs people down like a chrome-plated reaper. It’s absurd on paper, but onscreen, it’s rad and everything about it works.

Keith Gordon nails Arnie’s breakdown, turning from fragile nerd into a dead-eyed psycho in a way that’s almost too believable. His friends, John Stockwell and Alexandra Paul, feel like the last shred of humanity standing in the way of Christine, powerless to stop the crash that’s coming.

Christine isn’t Carpenter’s best film, but it’s one of his most venomous. It digs under your skin with its sick mix of supernatural terror and human frailty. A boy, a car, and a love story that leaves a trail of bodies in the dust. This movie goes deep in how easy it is to give yourself over to the wrong kind of love. It doesn’t scare you with screams. It runs you down, backs over you, and leaves the smell of burnt rubber and gasoline in your lungs. I’ve never been able to look at cars the same way since watching this film.

~Black Angel

Night Of The Creeps Review (1986)

Sat, 25 Oct 2025 09:10:25 GMT

"The good news is your dates are here. The bad news is they're dead."

There are Horror movies that feel like midnight movie staples, and then there are Horror movies that are midnight staples carved right into your heart and soul. Night of the Creeps belongs to the latter. This one doesn’t just wink at you from the corner of the theater, it throws an arm around your shoulder, hands you a beer, and drags you into the chaos headfirst. It is brain slugs in your date’s head and a shotgun in your hand. Simply put it’s glorious!

First, you're hit with little alien potatoes in diapers chasing each other through a spaceship like its space kindergarten gone wrong. Then BAM, we’re in the 1950s, black-and-white style, and then we flash to a 1980s college campus, where two lovable loser protagonists decide the best way to get girls is by robbing a cryogenics lab. That’s right. The ultimate pickup line: “Hey baby, wanna see the corpse I accidentally defrosted and released an alien parasite from?”

From there, it’s an unholy fusion of Re-Animator energy and Return of the Living Dead aesthetics, and the desperate loneliness of a college freshman who just wanted a date to the dance but instead ends up in a full-blown zombie apocalypse. There are slugs. There are exploding heads. There’s a detective who makes Dirty Harry look like a mall cop who delivers every line like he’s trying to seduce Death itself.

Tom Atkins walks through the film like a trench coat-wearing fiend. He’s got PTSD, a bottle of whiskey, and absolutely zero time for nonsense. Every time he says something, it sounds like a rejected tagline from a 1970s revenge movie. And every time he shows up, you know someone is going to die, get burned alive, or have a worm come out of their face.

The practical effects are wet, the acting is Deliciously off-kilter, and the vibes are immaculate. There are sorority girls with flame throwers, zombie dogs and brain slugs that slither across the ground rampantly.

The best part is that somehow, beneath the blood, slime, and psychosis, this movie has HEART. Like, actual heart. You find yourself caring. How dare a film with alien slugs turning frat boys into meat puppets make me feel something?

Night of the Creeps is what happens when you hand a VHS tape to the devil, and he mails it back after watching The Thing, Evil Dead 2, and a teen rom-com all at once. It’s sweaty, sleazy, sweet, and stupid in the best possible way.

If you haven’t seen it yet fix your life.

Thrill me!

~Black Angel

From Beyond The Grave Review (1974)

Fri, 24 Oct 2025 09:00:29 GMT

The shop door creaks open, and we stumble headfirst into a maze of shadows, dust, and destiny. From Beyond the Grave is no ordinary Horror Anthology, it’s a cursed series of wicked fables stitched together with cobwebs and candle wax, and its guardian is none other than Peter Cushing. Cushing manifests like a phantom given flesh, a figure draped in tweed and quiet menace. He doesn’t sell antiques; he deals in judgment.

Every tale unfurls from his shop like smoke from a dying fire. Greedy hands snatch, liars connive, and the self-righteous barter with their very souls, all under the pale, watchful eyes of Cushing’s. He isn’t loud, he isn’t cruel in any obvious way, no, his brand of terror is the kind that slides into your marrow. A raised brow, a soft tilt of the head, the slightest curl of his lips, and you feel it, the sense that these people are already marked for death. He is less a man than a tether between worlds, a skeletal tollkeeper waiting for the inevitable crash of fate.

The imagery claws at your brain: a mirror that swallows men whole, a medal tied to the restless dead, suburban wallpaper blistering under unseen corruption. These are not just stories; they’re punishments, each one unfolding ever so slowly. And when the smoke clears, we are returned to that same shop, where Cushing lingers behind the counter like a spider tending the web.

What makes the film intoxicating is that Cushing never needs to lift a finger in malice. The sinners damn themselves; he is simply their proprietor of doom. The way his fingers brush over an object, the hush of his voice, the deliberate stillness in his movements, it all builds to a realization that he is less shopkeeper and more of an executioner. His shop isn’t a business, it’s a velvet-draped mausoleum where every trinket has teeth.

From Beyond the Grave is a nightmare masquerading as a morality play, where every object is bait and every soul is prey. But it’s Cushing’s elegance that transforms it from a handful of eerie stories into a full-blown descent into the grave. He’s not just in the film; he is the film. Every gesture is a hex, every smile a coffin lid closing slowly.

~Black Angel

Heart Eyes Review (2024)

Thu, 23 Oct 2025 09:00:29 GMT

Valentine’s Day can suck it! Flowers wilt, chocolates melt, and people lie, but the movie Heart Eyes bleeds truth. It’s messy, mean, and drenched in so much pink and red it looks like Cupid went on a killing spree after a bad Tinder date. Finally, a Slasher that understands what we all know deep down: love is just foreplay for violence for some couples.

So, here’s the setup: Ally McCabe is a sharp-tongued designer for a jewelry company pushing some “tragic lovers” campaign, think Romeo and Juliet, but with hashtags. Meanwhile, a real psycho, the Heart Eyes Killer, is busy carving couples into confetti all across Seattle. This freak wears a glowing heart-mask that looks like something you’d find in a cursed Etsy store, and every time he shows up, somebody’s getting their relationship status changed to deceased.

Ally gets stuck working with Jay Simmons, this smooth ad-guru who believes in love. YIKES! They hate each other, they bicker, they flirt, they fake kiss and suddenly everyone thinks they’re dating. Which means guess who’s next on the killer’s hit list? It’s our fake couple of the year.

From there, it’s blood and hilarious banter in equal doses. The film swings between rom-com charm and full-tilt Horror carnage without ever losing its footing. The kills are mean - knives, hammers and flag poles it's creative as hell. You can practically smell the latex and fake blood. When the Heart Eyes Killer shows up, the whole movie ramps up. He’s got that classic Slasher vibe, part performance art and unadulterated carnage.

But here’s where it really rules halfway through, the story flips. It’s not just one killer; it’s a damn duet. A pair of psychos who’ve turned murder into a love language. It’s Bonnie and Clyde with butcher knives. Their chemistry’s sickening and perfect, and it drags everything straight into madness.

By the final act, Ally’s done playing victim. She’s all adrenaline and rage, fighting back through fire, blood, and heartbreak. No love songs here, just screams of survival and the crunch of bones. The ending is both brutal and beautiful.

Heart Eyes is Horror with a sugar rush; a Slasher dipped in cake frosting and broken glass. It’s glossy, grimy, and totally self-aware without feeling cheap.

My wife and I almost never see eye to eye on movies, she’s all about rom-coms and happy endings, and I’m here for Horror and carnage. But Heart Eyes hit this weird, sweet spot where both worlds collided in glorious, blood-splattered harmony. It’s got just enough charm for her and just enough body count for me. And while she’ll never admit it, I’m pretty sure she enjoyed Heart Eyes a hell of a lot more than she’s willing to confess.

~Black Angel

Hell Night Review (1981)

Wed, 22 Oct 2025 09:00:54 GMT

Man, Hell Night is one of those early 80’s slashers that just oozes atmosphere. It’s the kind of flick you throw on late at night when you want to feel that cold draft from the graveyard creep under the door. It’s a slasher, sure, but it’s got this old-school haunted house soul that sets it apart from the rest of these kinds of movies.

The setup’s classic fraternity/sorority nonsense: a bunch of pledges must spend the night locked inside Garth Manor, a sprawling gothic dump with a reputation for murder, madness, and inbreeding. The story goes that years ago, the Garth family went completely off the rails, dad killed his wife and kids, or so the legend says - and now, decades later, something still lurks behind those iron gates.

Right away, you can feel the difference between Hell Night and a lot of its contemporaries. It’s not just horny college kids getting chopped up in a cabin, this one feels like a ghost story that wandered into a slasher flick. The fog, the candlelight, the shadows crawling over the mansion walls… it’s got that gothic Hammer Horror vibe filtered through the grindhouse lens of the early 80’s.

Linda Blair steps up big time as Marti. She’s the grounded one, not your typical “scream and trip” final girl. There’s a toughness to her, a survival instinct. You can tell she’s seen some things and isn’t just going to be another corpse in the morgue. The rest of her crew? Well, let’s just say they’re fucked. HA!

The killer (or killers - no spoilers here) are brutal in that feral, human way. No supernatural tricks, no fancy gimmicks, just pure raw murderers lurking in the dark. And that’s what makes the movie hit harder than you’d expect. When people die in Hell Night, it feels like it hurts. The kills aren’t over-stylized or gory for the sake of it, they’re grimy and mean.

The atmosphere of the movie is thick enough to choke on. Every corridor in Garth Manor looks like it hasn’t seen sunlight in a hundred years. The set design does the heavy lifting; you can practically smell mildew, dust and rot through the screen.

Sure, it moves at a slower pace than most slashers of the era, but that’s what gives it staying power. It’s more mood than massacre. When the action does kick in, it hits much harder because of the slow burn leading up to it.

Hell Night doesn’t get talked about nearly enough when people bring up early 80’s Horror classics. It’s creepy, it’s grim, and it’s got that perfect late-night horror vibe, the kind of movie that makes you want to pour another drink and keep the lights down low.

For fans of The Funhouse, Tourist Trap, or even The House on Sorority Row, this one’s a must. It’s got teeth, style, and the kind of haunted feels that you just don’t see much anymore.

~Black Angel

The Legend Of Hell House Review (1973)

Tue, 21 Oct 2025 09:00:34 GMT

I’ve never really gotten off on haunted house movies or the whole haunted house conversation in general. It’s just not something I care for or put much faith in. Sure, I went to a few of those so-called haunted attractions back in the day, but getting touched, chased, or screamed at by strangers in the dark isn’t my idea of fun. As for the real deal, most of the “haunted” spots I’ve been to were more about old rituals, animal sacrifices, and leftover occult vibes than any kind of ghost story — and that’s not the kind of energy I want to hang around.

But then there’s The Legend of Hell House - a film that doesn’t just play haunted house, it bleeds haunted house. This one gets under your skin. It’s not about cheap scares or creaky floors; it’s about madness, decay, and spiritual rot. It drags you inside and seals the door shut behind you. And with Roddy McDowall leading the charge, you know you’re in for something a little more twisted than the usual séance séance-and-scream routine. This thing is a gothic nightmare soaked in madness. The walls are alive, the air is diseased, and by the time it’s over, you feel like the house has stripped you of your sanity.

The plot’s simple on paper: a team of investigators is sent into the notorious Belasco House to determine if life after death exists. But calling it a “house” doesn’t cut it, this is a tomb that forgot to die. Built by a perverse millionaire named Emeric Belasco, a sadistic freak who threw orgies, tortured his guests, and supposedly vanished into his own nightmare, it’s earned its nickname fair and square: Hell House.

From the moment the team steps inside, you can tell the place hates them. It’s all cold stone, stale air, and something slithering behind the walls. Every inch of the place feels wrong, like the whole house is possessed by the collective filth of everyone who ever sinned inside of it.

And right at the center of this descent is Roddy McDowall, my guy, one of my absolute favorite actors. Nobody plays haunted like McDowall. Nobody. He’s a psychic who’s been inside Hell House before and barely made it out. You can see the trauma dripping off him, those darting eyes, the shaking hands, that brittle voice trying to sound brave when you know he’s just holding himself together with willpower, caffeine and booze. He gives the movie its pulse. Every time he’s on screen, you can feel his fear, but also that spark of defiance that says, “I’ve been through Hell once, let’s see if I can stare it down again.”

Pamela Franklin’s character, the spiritual medium, gets eaten alive by the energy of the place, literally and emotionally. She’s sensitive in the worst way, tuned right into the heart of all that corruption, and it starts tearing her apart. The whole cast sells the hell out of it, but McDowall’s slow burn unraveling is acting from another dimension.

The visuals in this film are pure decay. You can smell the mildew through the screen. Every shot feels damp, cold, and dangerous. It’s not flashy, it’s oppressive. The lighting’s sickly, the fog never stops, and even the quiet scenes hum with tension like the house is breathing right behind you.

And when the supernatural stuff hits, it hits. Furniture moves, invisible forces slap people around, the house moans like it’s alive. But what really gets under your skin is the psychological rot, how the house feeds off the human weakness inside its walls. Pride, lust, guilt, fear… all of it gets chewed up and spat back out.

By the time the ending rolls around, you’re not sure who’s winning anymore, the people, the ghosts, or the house itself. It’s got that early-’70s British grit - grim, cerebral, and cold as hell. There’s nothing comforting here, no warm light at the end of the tunnel. Just darkness and the lingering echo of a place that should’ve been burned to the ground centuries ago.

The Legend of Hell House is one of the crown jewels of haunted Horror. It’s mean, it’s brilliant, and it doesn’t pull any punches. Forget polite hauntings, this one screams in your face and leaves claw marks on your soul.

McDowall is the glue holding it all together, the terrified survivor who’s too broken to quit. One of the finest performances in Horror history, period. The man could read the phone book and make it sound haunted, but here, he’s transcendent and that’s what makes it worth it for me. If you haven’t watched this one, have a quick look, you might recognize McDowall as he went on to portray Peter Vincent, The FEARLESS VAMPIRE KILLER in the classic 80’s Vampire films – Fright Night 1 & 2.

~Black Angel

Ghoulies Review (1984)

Mon, 20 Oct 2025 09:00:14 GMT

This flick is pure midnight-movie slime, the kind of thing you put on when you’ve had a few beers, the lights are low, and you want something that makes you question your life choices halfway through, but you keep watching it anyway. It’s got that greasy, VHS grime that could only come from the golden age of rubber monsters and bad decisions. I’m still trying to put together how my mom was ok with me watching it with her back in the day.

The story’s simple: a guy inherits a creepy old house and decides to throw some occult parties instead of calling an exterminator, because, you know, priorities. Before long, he’s neck-deep in demonic nonsense, and here comes the Ghoulies, those little toilet-dwelling gremlins that look like they were sculpted by a deranged Muppet artist on a cocaine bender.

The creatures themselves are the real stars here. They don’t make a lot of sense, but they don’t need to. They’re gross, hilarious, and somehow adorable. Every time they pop up, it’s like a reminder that the 80’s really didn’t give a shit about logic, just latex, fog machines, and the occasional sacrificial chant.

The human cast is serviceable at best, which is exactly what a movie like this needs. Everyone’s either wearing way too much eyeliner, reciting Latin like they learned from the back of a cereal box, or screaming their lungs out at something that’s clearly being pulled by fishing wire. Honestly, that’s part of the charm. It’s not about believable acting, it’s about the camp, and the weird feeling that this whole movie might’ve been shot in someone’s basement over a long weekend.

What I love about Ghoulies is that it’s not trying to be Evil Dead or Gremlins, even though it gets compared to them sometimes. It’s got its own scrappy, low-budget personality, a kind of “we know this is dumb, but we’re going for it anyway” feeling. You can almost feel the crew behind the camera saying, “Yeah, this might end up in the bargain bin… but it’ll rule there.”

When the credits roll, you’re left with that sweet aftertaste of nostalgia, cheap practical effects, and occult absurdity. Ghoulies is the cinematic equivalent of a gas station hot dog at 2 AM, questionable, messy, but somehow it hits the spot every time. And if you really want to live on the wild side, watch Ghoulies II, the absurdity is really cut loose.

~Black Angel

Tribal Gaze Inveighing Brilliance Review

Sun, 19 Oct 2025 09:00:07 GMT

Tribal Gaze
Inveighing Brilliance
Nuclear Blast Records
2025

When one discusses Texas and metal, it's almost commonplace nowadays to be able to list a few hundred killer bands from that region. More specifically, there are so many great death metal bands from the Lone Star State that the genre term “Texas death metal” has been a thing since the ’90s. Longview, TX bruisers Tribal Gaze have been adding to the legend that is that scene since 2020. Said legend is set to grow them to new heights with their newest long player, the ten-song Inveighing Brilliance.

Admittedly, the album title was puzzling to me. A quick search revealed that it loosely means “to write about or speak of brilliance with great hostility.” Inveighing is also a synonym for condemning or attacking something, as per the Oxford Dictionary. With that in mind, you should get the picture that this is gonna be a vehement and angry listen. I’ve been a fan of Tribal Gaze since 2022’s The Nine Choirs (released on Maggot Stomp Records), so I was excited to see them signed to Nuclear Blast. This will undoubtedly present more opportunity for them by way of shows, tours, and better worldwide distribution. The order of the day—the meat and potatoes of their sound, if you will—is methodical, devastating grooves; short bursts of speed that sometimes blast; d-beats and thrashes; downtuned, breakdown-heavy, hardcore-leaning death metal. Perhaps the best way to describe it is old school at its heart but with modern intent flowing through its veins as well. The production is crisp, with plenty of attention paid to the low- and high-end spectrum. From there, thick walls of articulate but distorted guitars sit perfectly with big, roomy, non-sampled drums, unearthly distorted bass, and midrange-to-low David Vincent-esque gutturals vocally.

One thing is for certain when listening to Inveighing Brilliance, and that is Tribal Gaze are not afraid to vary it up from track to track. However, the raison d’être is they always make room for an absolutely BRUTAL breakdown that will surely open up plenty of pits. The album seems to fly by, clocking a sparse 29:10 in its entirety. Standout cuts are “Smiling From Their Chariots,” “Beyond Recognition,” “Emptying the Nest,” “Ruling in a Land With No God,” and the closer “Lord of Blasphemy.” Discerning what I can from the lyrics, it seems Tribal Gaze also set themselves apart with lyrics that discuss “the illusion of beauty in nature and existence, and how it pertains to both Mother Nature and our wretched, human society,” so you aren't getting the typical blood, gore, and Satan stuff here. In fact, Tribal Gaze even took their very band name from the idea of unseen forces watching from deep forests. This is thinking man’s death metal, even if the music sometimes paints a simpler picture. The dichotomy works, especially with the adept and well-informed guitar leads peppered throughout the songs.

Inveighing Brilliance isn't breaking a ton of new ground, but the sheer power and economy of the songwriting on display make for one bone-crunching listen and are sure to please those who love their death old school with the ferocity of slam and hardcore. Tribal Gaze have crafted a satisfying, catchy, heavy-ass album here. If you can't find a part to bang your head into oblivion over, then steer clear. These angry, rough, and rowdy Texans are out for blood…

RIYL: Early Morbid Angel, Creeping Death, 200 Stab Wounds, Frozen Soul, Undeath

~TB

Castle Rat The Bestiary Review

Sun, 19 Oct 2025 09:00:07 GMT

Castle Rat
The Bestiary
King Volume Records (US) / Blues Funeral Recordings (UK/Europe)

2025

I have to admit here, first and foremost, I am late to the party and have been ill-informed on the meteoric rise NY’s Castle Rat have been on the last couple of years. I am also late in reviewing their latest album, which we will be discussing here. First and foremost, I have to preface that if you are writing them off as all gimmicks, theatrics, and schtick, bite that tongue. Castle Rat is the real deal, as the thirteen song The Bestiary displays loud and clear.

If you count yourself as someone (as I was) unfamiliar with Castle Rat, then you need to understand that they do operate with an elaborate mythos surrounding the band. Their press explains it thusly: “Castle Rat is a Medieval Fantasy Doom Metal band hailing from NYC, led by ‘The Rat Queen,’ Riley Pinkerton, on rhythm guitar and lead vocals. On her mission to expand and defend ‘The Realm’ from those who seek to destroy it, The Rat Queen is joined by ‘The Count’ (Franco Vittore) on lead guitar and backing vocals; The Plague Doctor’ (Charley Ruddell) on bass; and ‘The All-Seeing Druid’ (Joshua Strmic) on drums. Together they face the relentless wrath of their archnemesis: Death, Herself — ‘The Rat Reaperess.’” How can you not love that? Upon cultivating a fanatically loyal following, Castle Rat shows are interactive between fans and the band. There are choreographed battle scenes, a bit of swords and sorcery, battle-babes, beasts, and stoner doom. Again, their press puts it perfectly in describing it as “Frazetta and Sabbath.” So now that we (me and you, the reader) are hip to where they're coming from, let's dive in.

The 13 songs on this newest offering are sludgy, fuzzed out, and heavy. Riley's vocals interweave in and out of the music perfectly and carry with them an almost Middle Eastern tonality in her phrasing and melodies. Her choices are very ethereal and droney, and she occupies an upper midrange which suits the proceedings beautifully. “The Count” proves an adept and fantastic lead guitarist, as his leads showcase plenty of shred capabilities, yet are nothing but tasteful, melodic, and in service of the song. The rhythm section of “Plague Doctor” and “The All-Seeing Druid” anchor things with in-the-pocket grooves, appropriate moments of flash, and lockstep tightness. The production (handled here by Randall Dunn — Sunn O))), Wolves in the Throne Room, Björk) is worthy of note too, as most bands of this ilk tend to set the fuzz pedals to 11, and everything is lost in a cavernous, muddy, woofing mess. Thankfully, Castle Rat marries those genre trappings with some polished high-end frequencies and keep a perfect balance between vintage and modern. Make no mistake, this is stoner doom, but it's much cleaner sounding and less mucky than many of their contemporaries.

As far as the songs? They are all equally rocking, mournful, beautiful, and captivating in the same breath. The Bestiary is a tad on the longer side of the listening spectrum these days, but again, it's stoner doom, so we aren't exactly expecting three-minute radio-ready songs, are we? No. the nearly 47-minute playtime here is nowhere near as long as some of their counterparts for 13 tracks. “Trance-like” is a phrase I would absolutely use for the entire album. You don't skip anything — you sit, transfixed and fully engaged. Personal highlights for this here scribe are the galloping riffery and thunderous drums of “Wolf I” and the depressive, mournful, double-bass-fueled aura of “Wizard.” “Serpent” grooves and plods with harmonized guitars, minor key–inclined vocals, a chorded arpeggiated chorus, and that familiar Sabbath chug. This is by far my favorite cut. The lead guitar work is nothing short of incendiary and brilliant. “Dragon” has that patented doom swagger/boogie that just makes it infectious. Throughout the album, we are also treated to some acoustic-led shorter tracks such as “Crystal Cave” and “Wolf II” that sound nearly baroque in nature, proving that Castle Rat can also completely get medieval on us — authentically.

When I went into this record, I had no idea what to expect. For full transparency, I figured they were amongst the latest crop of underground bands that had all kinds of hype, hipster cred, and art-geek love but ran short on substance and quality material. How wrong I was. As I said at the beginning of this writing, they absolutely are the real deal, and with The Bestiary, I am now a fully-fledged Castle Rat fan. They are a unique and freshly exciting entry into the genre they claim, and here is hoping that they continue to wage war on “The Rat Reaperess” for aeons to come. Simply otherworldly and outstanding…

RIYL: Black Sabbath, The White Swan, Frayle, Green Lung, Trouble

~TB

Prison Of Blues Born To Be Killers Review

Sun, 19 Oct 2025 09:00:07 GMT

Prison Of Blues

Born To Be Killers

Self-Released

2025

Indonesian Psychobilly band, Prison of Blues has unleashed their latest album, “Born To Be Killers” and it storms in wearing a blood-smeared grin. The band sounds like a gang of undead lifers who tunneled out of a pit with chains for guitars and bones for drumsticks. Every track drips with danger, and every note feels like it was hammered out under a flickering light in some haunted lockup six feet under.

The riffs bite with vengeance, but they also carry that greasy, vibe along with a Motorhead attitude. There’s a raw, rusted-out edge that could peel paint right off the walls, specifically on the instrumental tracks. The drums come across like pounding fists on the door, begging to be let in, while the bass jumps and slaps like a crazed lunatic all methed up. In standard Psychobilly fashion, the vocals carry that classic growl like an undead version of Sparky with a voice that’s been soaked in gasoline and grave dust.

This isn’t a clean-cut Punk record; this is Horror Street Psychobilly. It’s stitched together from nightmares, tattoos, and bad memories that refuse to fade. Every track is a Horror show with the amps turned up to ten, tales of blood, vengeance, and the kind of madness that never really leaves you once it gets in.

“Born To Be Killers” lives in the space between the graveyard and the back alley, where Rockabilly swagger meets Death Punk. It’s an album where the monsters wear leather jackets instead of capes – it’s filthy and alive in all the right places.

It’s a damned shame I’m just now hearing the band as this is their 13 ^th release! Don’t waste another second reading this review, go and cue this album up, pour a stiff drink and try to control yourself as best you can!

The album is packed with stand outs; the band doesn’t waste a second of energy nor do they let off the gas. The tracks that have the most meat on the bone for me are as follows – “Ghoul Rumble”, “Bloodsuckers”, “Graveyard Shadows”, “Pain Killer” and “Hell’s Rider”.

~Black Angel

The Fuzztones Buried Treasure Review

Sun, 19 Oct 2025 09:00:07 GMT

The Fuzztones

Buried Treasure

Cleopatra Records

2025

Dig deep enough into the dirt of Garage Rock history, and eventually you’re gonna hit something radioactive. That’s what The Fuzztones “Buried Treasure” feels like, not just an album, but a grave robbery of fuzz-drenched gold. It’s the Fuzztones doing what they’ve always done best: exhuming the bones of 60’s garage and injecting it with a jolt of sleazy psych energy until it twitches back to life.

The record plays like a creepy old Horror movie with an organ howling like an old church gone to ruin, guitars crackling with the kind of distortion that smells of witchery and regret. There’s a sense of celebration in the decay.

What makes “Buried Treasure” so damn fun is that it’s both familiar and filthy. The songs breathe that classic Rudi Protrudi swagger, sharp, dangerous, tongue firmly in cheek, but there’s a looseness to it, like the band isn’t just revisiting their past but reveling in it. You can practically see the dust cloud rising from the tape reels, the ghosts of fuzz pedals past echoing in every riff.

The organ leads slither like a psychedelic snake, and the guitar tones sound like they were dragged through a swamp of reverb and voodoo. Vocally, Rudi is still the ringleader of this carnival of sleaze half preacher, half graveyard ghoul, totally in command of the chaos.

This isn’t some slick modern remastering job or an attempt to recapture long-lost glory; it’s more like a secret story that’s finally seeing daylight. “Buried Treasure” feels like the soundtrack to a midnight dive-bar ritual, where the spirits of The Sonics, The Seeds, and The Cramps come together and make plans to take over the world while downing cheap beer and working on broken amps.

At its core, this is pure, uncut Fuzztones, gritty, greasy, and gloriously undead. They’ve unearthed something raw and primal here, proof that even after decades in the graveyard of Rock ‘N’ Roll, the band’s bite is still venomous and mean! While I don’t consider the band to be traditionally Horror related, this album has quickly become a staple for Halloween season, there’s an oldschool spooky feeling attached to it.

Stand outs – “69 (Strychnine)”, “Barking up the wrong Tree”, “She’s Wicked” and “One Night Stand”.

~Black Angel

Zombiecock Elegy Review

Sun, 19 Oct 2025 09:00:07 GMT

Zombiecock

Elegy

Self-Released

2025

It’s been way too long since I’ve been able to celebrate a band from Utah, but that drought finally ends with Zombiecock. Now, they’re not a new band by any stretch, but they’re new to me. I’d heard the name floating around, especially since one of the members toured with Argyle Goolsby and The Roving Midnight, but I hadn’t taken the time to dig into their music.

Recently, the band dropped a new EP titled “Elegy”, and since October is our sacred month of Horror, it felt only right to bring these ghouls into the fold. I reached out, and within a day or two, the EP landed in my inbox.

Now, out of all the releases I’ve received for this Horror celebration, “Elegy” stands out as a shapeshifter. This isn’t your standard Horror Punk bloodbath, it’s got more depth, more texture, and a lot less reliance on clichés. Zombiecock might flirt with the macabre, but musically, they’re far more Punk than “Horror.” Blink and you’d swear you were listening to something straight off an Epitaph or Hellcat roster. Forget Misfits worship, these guys channel Bad Religion & AFI energy with strong hooks, sharp melodies, and airtight songwriting.

Clocking in at just over 21 minutes, the EP doesn’t waste a single second. There are no drawn-out intros, no filler tracks, just pure momentum and conviction. Every song hits hard, with melodies that cling like cobwebs and choruses that demand a second spin. This is a melodic Punk record with just enough Horror flavor to keep things sinister, not gimmicky.

What really floored me is the craftsmanship. Zombiecock sound seasoned - confident, deliberate, and disciplined in their writing. You don’t often get that level of polish and purpose from unsigned bands, but these dudes have it dialed in. Honestly, if Tim Armstrong stumbled across this EP, I have no doubt he’d be reaching for a pen.

But don’t just take my word for it, hit up Zombiecock’s Spotify and give “Elegy” a spin. Start with the track, “Patient Zero,” then dive into “Blackmoore,” “Witching Hour,” and their killer take on Blitzkid’s “The Howling”, which they absolutely own.

~Black Angel

Helstar The Devil's Masquerade Review

Sun, 19 Oct 2025 09:00:07 GMT

Helstar

The Devil's Masquerade

Massacre Records

2025

I might be late to the party, but I’ve finally made it to what I’d call the comeback album of the year. The legendary Texas Thrashers Helstar have returned, and “The Devil’s Masquerade” (via Massacre Records) is everything I hoped for, a fiery, riff-slinging reminder that the old Gods of Metal still walk among us.

Most diehard metalheads have at least one Helstar record tucked away in their collection, maybe “Burning Star”, “Remnants of War”, or the immortal “Nosferatu”, but there’s still a surprising number of people who have no clue who they are. To those folks: Helstar helped pave the way for the more technical, progressive end of Thrash Metal. Without them, there’s a good chance bands like Sanctuary (and later Nevermore) wouldn’t have hit quite the same way. Sure, Helstar’s lineup has shifted over the decades, and they’ve split and reformed a few times, but that core spirit still burns wildly.

“The Devil’s Masquerade” feels like a spiritual successor to “Nosferatu”, it's loaded with Horror-soaked atmosphere/lyrical content, scorching lead breaks, and enough riffs to make your neck hurt for weeks on end. James Rivera remains an absolute beast behind the mic. The man must be a vampire; there’s no other explanation. Decades later, his voice hasn’t lost a shred of its power, those glass-shattering falsettos still send chills down the spine.

I’ve always had a soft spot for Helstar, but this album turned that fondness into full-blown obsession. I’ve spun this thing repeatedly, and every time it ends, I’m ready to start it again. I even preordered the vinyl, because hell, this band and I go way back. It feels damn good to be an aging Rock Warrior and still have a band like Helstar putting out music that hits just as hard now as it did when I was a kid. If you haven’t picked this one up yet, don’t wait until it’s too late. Grab it right fucking now and join “The Devil’s Masquerade”, we’re waiting for you…

Standouts: “The Devil’s Masquerade”, “The Haunting Mirror”, “Carcass for a King” and “I am The Way”.

~Black Angel

Terror Train Review (1980)

Sun, 19 Oct 2025 09:00:07 GMT

Today, let’s talk about an old favorite of mine from childhood! Terror Train from 1980. This is another one of those old Horror movies that I watched with my mom and for me it was love at first fright. It also helped that I grew up with a train track right in front of our house, so that had built in Horror vibes even if most of the time it was just empty rail cars every hour on the hour. Sadly, I’ve found that this movie isn’t well liked in most circles, and I can’t comprehend why, then again, I was 6-7 years old when I first watched it, so its impact on me runs deep.

There’s something about trains that already feels a little haunted. Long corridors, locked compartments, the endless clack of wheels rolling into the dark, you’re trapped, whether you like it or not. Terror Train plays into my crippling claustrophobia and laces it with masks, blood, and just enough trickery to keep me guessing until the bitter end.

On paper, the movie sounds simple and run-of-the-mill: a bunch of college kids rent out a train to party their way into the new year, complete with booze, pranks, and even a magician on board - David Copperfield. But then the past comes calling, and suddenly the joyride turns into a rolling coffin. The setup feels goofy, but underneath the disco lights and confetti lurks something mean and nasty.

The killer’s gimmick is what really sells it - changing masks, slipping into costumes, blending with the crowd while bodies keep piling up. It’s an old-school magic trick of its own: you think you’re looking right at the answer, but the film keeps misdirecting until it’s too late. There’s a weirdness to it all, almost dreamlike, as if the party itself becomes a nightmare that you can’t quite wake up from.

Jamie Lee Curtis anchors the movie, of course, carrying her final girl energy that we all know so well. But what makes Terror Train stick isn’t just her, it’s the way the movie leans into its setting. The train itself is a character: the cramped cars, the constant motion, the way there’s literally no escape except to jump into the frozen night outside.

By the time the last mask drops, the party’s long over, and the only thing left is cold steel and the echo of screams rattling down the tracks. Terror Train isn’t flashy, but it doesn’t need to be. It’s a slow, rolling descent into paranoia, reminding us that sometimes the scariest thing isn’t the monster outside, it’s the one sitting across from you, waiting for the right moment to gut you!

~Black Angel

Twins Of Evil Review (1971)

Sat, 18 Oct 2025 09:00:00 GMT

Hammer Films has always been the cathedral where Horror fanatics like me come to worship, and Twins of Evil is one of its most wicked sermons. Released in 1971, this one drips with all the decadent, blood-slicked Gothic energy you’d ever crave, vampires, witch-hunters, castles cloaked in fog, and enough crimson to paint the countryside. And at the heart of it? The immortal, magnetic force of Hammer itself: Peter Cushing, swinging his righteous fury like a crucifix dipped in fire. I know it shouldn’t be, but this is one of my favorite Hammer movies and it’s mostly due to Peter Cushing.

The storyline stalks through familiar Hammer territory: a puritanical brotherhood obsessed with burning witches, a cursed nobleman dabbling in vampiric resurrection, and the gorgeous Collinson twins caught between innocence and corruption. Hammer never played coy about its obsessions - sex and blood - and Twins of Evil delivers both in abundance.

From the opening scene, where innocent flesh is branded and fire licks the night sky, you know you’re in for something unholy. The violence here isn’t subtle, it’s Hammer Gothic at its wildest. Jugulars gush, stakes plunge deep into undead hearts, and the flames of “righteous” fury consume more than just the guilty. Every drop of red splashed across pale skin feels like an act of defiance against the stiff collars of morality.

And then there’s Peter Cushing. Even gaunt and grief-worn after personal tragedy, he is a force. His Gustav Weil is no simple hero, he’s a puritan executioner, wild-eyed, trembling with fanaticism, swinging between justice and tyranny. Watching him hunt vampires while questioning his own brutal crusade adds a venomous weight to the film. Cushing bleeds conviction across the screen.

Of course, it wouldn’t be Hammer without that lush Gothic flavor. Castles loom like tombstones, candlelight flickers against velvet drapes, and every shadow seems to hide a fang waiting to sink into bare flesh. The atmosphere is thick enough to choke on, dripping with a heady mix of religious dread and vampiric lust.

And make no mistake, this film is as much about temptation as it is about terror. The Collinson twins embody that eternal Hammer duality: innocence corrupted, purity stalked by bloodlust. When fangs pierce throats and crimson wells up, it feels like the ultimate collision of sex and death - the very essence of Hammer Horror.

By the final act, Twins of Evil throws subtlety on the pyre and erupts in a glorious storm of stakes, fire, and shrieking damnation. It’s a symphony of Gothic excess, every note soaked in blood, every chord echoing with the clash between repression and desire.

Twins of Evil isn’t just another Hammer entry - it’s one of their crown jewels of debauchery. Equal parts lurid, brutal, and beautiful - it stands as a perfect example of why Hammer reigned supreme: atmosphere thicker than graveyard fog, Horror dripping from every velvet curtain, and enough blood to satisfy even the most ravenous fiend.

Don’t take my word for it, have a quick watch of this movie, I’m sure you’ll feel the same. This is one of Peter Cushing’s greatest performances on film…

“The Devil has sent me, TWINS OF EVIL”!

~Black Angel

Popcorn Review (1991)

Fri, 17 Oct 2025 09:00:33 GMT

I’ve just watched my Popcorn Blu-ray again and I think my brain is now wearing 3D glasses that I can’t take off. This film is a schlock-carnival midnight B-movie massacre in a cursed theater where logic dies screaming. I watched for the Horror. I finished with a headache, a hard-on and an overwhelming desire to throw a B-Horror party every night for the rest of my life.

Let me tell you what this movie is: it’s Scream if it was raised by William Castle and electrocuted at birth. It’s Phantom of the Opera after drinking expired booze and watching TV static for 12 hours. It’s cinema loving itself so hard that it can’t just not release anything that stumbles in the door. And I love it, I always have!

The plot is hilariously secondary. A film student named Maggie (who may or may not be possessed, reincarnated, or just over-caffeinated) is having weird dreams about a missing cult director who looks like if Salvador Dalí mated with a toaster. Naturally, she and her pals decide to host a Horror marathon in a movie palace so dilapidated it probably smells like mildew and unspeakable sins.

Then people start dying, and not gently. They get death by giant mosquito, death by smell-o-vision and death by volcanic stage props. It’s like watching Looney Tunes if Elmer Fudd had homicidal schizophrenia. The kills are spectacularly wonderful though, no denying it.

But the real star here is The Theater, a moldy mausoleum of flickering reels and rotting dreams. Every corner of that place oozes the kind of sticky nostalgia that feels like a nicotine-stained hallucination. I could smell the popcorn through the screen, and it reeked of trauma and dirty deeds. I fucking hate Popcorn as is, but this movie KILLS.

The killer here is a facially-melting, mask-wearing chaos gremlin who changes identities like he's playing dress-up in Satan’s wardrobe. Who cares, he kills someone with a giant mosquito.

Popcorn ties you to a theater seat with reels of cursed celluloid and force-feeds you every half-baked Horror gimmick from 1955 to 1989. It’s like eating rabies infested candy but it was the best candy you ever tasted.

Popcorn is a hot mess. A beautiful, chaotic, inexplicable hot mess that continues to make me fall in love with B-Horror movies every time I watch it. The Synapse Blu-Ray edition is a wonderful reissue that cuts to the bone, specifically on a big screen. Don’t miss the chance the chance to get possessed!

~Black Angel

R.I.P. Ace Frehley

Thu, 16 Oct 2025 23:18:45 GMT

Can 2025 just fucking stop already? Ozzy and David Roach of Junkyard were more than enough heartbreak, and now, Ace fuckin’ Frehley has left us. What a hole he leaves behind. This one hits on a different level.

KISS wasn’t just another band to me as kid, it was life. My childhood was painted in greasepaint and guitar solos. I can still see the flashes of those album covers, “Love Gun” and “Rock and Roll Over”, my original vinyl copies, worn and weathered, but still spinning strong. My Ace solo record, though, that poor thing is wrecked due to overuse. I played the absolute dog shit out of it. It was always my favorite.

Ace and Peter were always my guys, sorry, Cam McHargue . I know My mom made sure I had every KISS record and tape she could get her hands on. That was more than enough to light a lifelong fire. “Shock Me” and “Talk To Me” still send chills down my spine. And then came Frehley’s Comet. That debut hit like a meteor, loud, defiant, and full of space dust and swagger. When “Rock Soldiers” kicked in, I felt like I was part of something, a brotherhood of misfits who didn’t just listen to Rock; we lived it. I still call myself one of them, though I’ve prefer the title “Rock Warrior.” Meeting Cam McHargue way back when, lit a fire of KISS love for a few years too – they his favorite band, next to W.A.S.P. of course. That dude talked about them like they were long lost friends. We had HOURS of conversations that would never fucking end about which albums were the best and which ACE solos were better.

I’m not going to talk about how Ace should’ve had more songs in KISS, that ship sailed long ago. The reasons were their own, and the circus carried on. But let’s be honest, KISS has mocked themselves to death. And I’m sure Gene and Paul will find a way to disrespect Ace even in death. This though, this is the real end of an era. There will never be another time when we see the true band, the real spirit, take the stage again.

And I don’t care who’s reading this, Tommy Thayer wearing Ace’s makeup has always been a disgrace. You can’t imitate soul. You can copy the look, the licks, even the smoke from the guitar, but you can’t fake that cosmic magic. Ace was danger. He was mystery. He was the heart of KISS’s wild side.

He made being an outsider feel like belonging. That was his real power, beyond the solos, beyond the image. Ace gave the weird kids, the dreamers, the Rockers who never quite fit anywhere, a home amongst the stars. He told us it was okay to be loud, to be strange, to be ourselves.

So yeah, this one hurts. Another legend is gone. Another light in the galaxy has gone dim. But every time that Les Paul screams through the speakers, every time “Shock Me” rips through the night, he’s still there, floating somewhere above us, six strings closer to heaven.

Long live the Space Man. The one. The only.

ACE FUCKIN’ FREHLEY

~ Andy

Tourist Trap Review (1979)

Thu, 16 Oct 2025 09:00:07 GMT

Every so often I stumble back into a film that reminds me why I fell in love with Horror in the first place. Tourist Trap is one of those slices of strangeness that has no business being as unsettling as it is. On the surface, it looks like your run-of-the-mill late ‘70s slasher setup: a group of friends, a roadside attraction, a creepy old caretaker, and the promise of doom around every dusty corner. But once you settle in, the movie peels back its own waxy face and shows you something far stranger. This was one of those movies I watched with Mom when I probably should’ve been watching cartoons. But it’s also a part of the reason I’m the Horror fiend that I am today…

What really gets under my skin about this film isn’t just the mannequins, which are nightmare fuel on their own, it’s the atmosphere. The whole place feels like it’s been left to rot under the hot sun, a forgotten monument in random Americana, with only the whispers of laughter and plastic faces left behind. There’s this uncanny dread cooked into every creaking floorboard and hollow stare. It’s not loud Horror, it’s the quiet, oppressive kind that crawls into your bones.

And then there’s Mr. Slausen. He’s not your typical Horror villain, and that makes him even more effective. There’s a strange sadness about him, almost a broken quality, which makes his unraveling even more terrifying. He’s part showman, part recluse, part monster, you never quite know where one ends, and the other begins. Watching him play host in his lonely wax museum feels like being entertained and threatened at the same time.

By the time the movie really bares its teeth, you’re caught in this nightmare logic where mannequins move on their own, faces twist, and true reality bends. It’s the kind of Horror that isn’t bound by rules.

Tourist Trap is cheap, strange, and unhinged, but it’s also genuinely haunting. It’s a reminder that Horror doesn’t need gore splattering across the walls to disturb you; sometimes it just needs the echo of laughter in an empty room, a frozen smile staring back at you, and the creeping suspicion that maybe you shouldn’t have stopped at that roadside attraction in the first place.

~Black Angel

Torture Garden Review (1967)

Wed, 15 Oct 2025 09:01:09 GMT

Digging deeper into the crypt we're going to pull out one of Amicus’s nastier little anthologies: Torture Garden. If Dr. Terror’s House of Horrors was the first trip on the cursed carousel, then Torture Garden is like the next spin when the gears are greased with blood, and the barks have grown a bit meaner. And at the center of it all, we’ve got another all-timer in the Horror pantheon, Burgess Meredith, smirking, sneering, and slinking his way through the role of Dr. Diablo.

The setup is pure Amicus magic: a group of strangers lured into a sinister carnival sideshow, each promised a glimpse into their destiny if they’re brave or foolish enough to face it. Instead of Peter Cushing’s calm, skeletal hand flipping tarot cards, this time it’s Meredith’s Diablo coaxing his victims toward the secrets of the Goddess Atropos and her shears of fate. Where Cushing played inevitability with icy grace, Meredith goes for theatrical devilry, and man, does it work. He’s sly and playful, yet you know every grin hides a trapdoor to Hell.

The stories themselves are a grab bag of macabre delights: a greedy nephew tangling with a cat that’s far more than it seems, a Hollywood starlet who’ll sell her soul for eternal fame, and even a Poe-obsessed tale that dips into the mad, rotting brilliance of Edgar Allan himself. They don’t all hit with the same force, but that’s the joy of Amicus anthologies, you never know what kind of twisted parable you’re going to get next.

What Torture Garden really nails is its atmosphere. The carnival framework is dripping with menace, and Meredith’s presence turns every line into a promise of doom dressed up like a joke. It feels darker, more cynical than Dr. Terror, with its moral lessons sharp enough to slice skin. And while Peter Cushing will always be my north star in these British Horror anthologies, I can’t deny that Meredith steals the show here in his own sly, devilish way.

By the time the curtain falls, Torture Garden leaves you with that deliciously nasty aftertaste Amicus did so well: fate is inescapable, greed is punishable, and every laugh the Devil gives you comes with a price. It might not reach the elegant heights of Cushing’s train ride into damnation, but as a follow-up carnival of Horror, its wicked fun, and Burgess Meredith makes sure you never forget whose garden you’ve wandered into.

~Black Angel

Army Of Darkness Review (1992)

Tue, 14 Oct 2025 09:00:34 GMT

Hail to the king, baby. Army of Darkness is like getting drop-kicked through a medieval portal made of chainsaws, slapstick, and pure Bruce Campbell charisma. This flick was the first time little Gory Cory’s eyes melted into B-movie bliss — thanks to my mom, who said, “You’ll love this one, kid.” And she was right.

It’s got everything: skeleton armies that look like they raided a Spirit Halloween, one-liners sharp enough to slice a Deadite in half, and that perfect Evil Dead rot ‘n’ roll spirit. Just rewatched it with my wife — her first time — and now she gets it. She gets the gospel of Groovy.

It’s horror, its comedy, it’s Ash getting medieval on some undead ass. Army of Darkness doesn’t just raise the dead — it raises your standards for how ridiculously awesome a movie can be.

Now if you’ll excuse me, I’ve got a boomstick solo to write.

~“Gory” Cory Ryherd, Guitarist of The Creepy Crawlers

My Bloody Valentine (2009)

Mon, 13 Oct 2025 09:00:22 GMT

Let’s rewind to 2009 and talk about a Horror remake that I think got way more hate than it deserved, My Bloody Valentine. When it dropped in theaters, it came in 3-D with a mountain of hype… Well, hype about the gimmick, and hype about Supernatural’s Jensen Ackles. Truth be told, neither excited me. I’ve never cared for 3-D, and Supernatural just didn’t click for me.

So, I skipped the theatrical run and waited for the video store release (back when those still existed). Day one, I snatched it up, eager for carnage. The original Canadian My Bloody Valentine has always been a cult favorite of mine, and with Hollywood remaking everything under the sun, I thought, “Why not bring back something that was never huge to begin with?” Sadly, my first watch was a bust. It leaned too far into glossy teen horror territory, and Ackles felt more like a pretty face being paraded around than a serious actor. I gave it two spins before returning it, disappointed.

Fast forward to this year. Strolling through Wal-Mart, I spotted the Blu-ray on sale for Valentine’s Day, and thought, “What the hell, I need some bloodshed.” It sat sealed on my shelf for months until one Saturday (my house rule: if we’re not out playing music, or watching Football, we should be watching Horror), I convinced my wife to give it a go with me.

And you know what? We both really enjoyed it. Time, and maybe Ackles’ growth as an actor, changed my perspective. His take on Tom, the haunted son who survived the original mine massacre, is actually compelling, and I found myself rooting for him.

The movie wastes no time: teenagers partying in a mine, a psychopath in full Miner gear shows up, and suddenly pickaxes are swinging, skulls are splitting, and I’m grinning. Say what you will, but not enough movies showcase the brutal artistry of pickaxe kills. The body count piles up fast, drills, pickaxes, ripped-out hearts, and one sleazy motel scene that’s equal parts absurd and glorious.

The story kicks into whodunnit mode once Tom returns to town a decade later. He’s hated by locals who think he’s selling the mine, and when the Miner strikes again, suspicion falls squarely on him. It’s a fun setup, and though I couldn’t remember the twist ending, it kept me hooked.

Now, let’s be clear, outside of Tom, the characters are paper-thin. Most are written so flat and annoying you want to see them gutted, and honestly, I was fine with that. This isn’t a film about heart and romance; it’s about blood, gore, and creative pickaxe carnage. On that front, it absolutely delivers.

Compared to the 1981 original, this version lacks the twisted romanticism and the Valentine Bluffs charm. Renaming the town “Harmony” was bland, and the Valentine’s Day theme is more backdrop than driving force. Still, the acting is stronger, and the kills are more outrageous, so it’s a trade-off.

If this one left you cold back in the day, I recommend revisiting it. The years have been kind, and it plays way better now. The Blu-ray release I grabbed is bare bones, packaged like some weird “romantic horror” with a cheesy slipcover, but who cares? The movie’s good enough to stay on my shelf.

Because at the end of the day, nothing says Valentine’s Day like a pickaxe to the face.

~Black Angel

Queen Of The Damned Review (2002)

Sun, 12 Oct 2025 09:00:17 GMT

From the time I was just a kid, vampires have held a special spot in my little dark heart. I went dressed as a blood sucker many times for Halloween, reusing the costumes for dress-up any chance I got. My first Monster High doll was Draculaura, and I still check the toy aisle to visit those ghouls sometimes. I even discovered a spell on YouTube that was supposed to turn you into a vampire when I was about eight years old — and you bet your patootie I repeated that thing every single night for months. I grew up in a very monster-friendly household — my dad being the frontman of a little horror punk band called The Jackalopes and my mom being an avid reader of many books, but namely Anne Rice. So maybe it was inevitable that one of my favorite and most formative childhood movies would be Queen of the Damned.

Say what you will about the film, but you can’t deny the visuals — and you certainly can’t deny the soundtrack. Whenever I hear “System” or “Forsaken,” I’m instantly transported back to sitting on the front porch of my childhood home, playing Barbies with the girl who lived across the street, my mom’s Queen of the Damned CD spinning in my boombox somewhere behind us. I probably had no business watching that movie so young, but to this day it remains a favorite.

I’m not going to spoil the whole movie if you’ve not seen it, but trust me — if you like gorgeous vampires, music, blood, and/or Jonathan Davis (he wrote five of the songs on the soundtrack, and in my opinion they’re the best ones on there), you’ll love this movie. I mean, come on — it basically has everything! It even has a death scandal: Aaliyah, the young singer and actress who played Akasha, the queen of the vampires, was killed in a plane crash caused by a drunk pilot just after she finished filming the movie. She was only twenty-two years old. There are many rumors and theories about the “true” story behind the crash, but I’ll let you go down that rabbit hole yourself.

I could sit and summarize the whole movie for you, but I suggest you just go watch it — or at least listen to the soundtrack and pretend you’re a sparkly vampire rockstar in leather pants for a minute or two to cleanse the soul. That’s what I’ll be doing later, at least.

~Presley Wells: Bassist of The Creepy Crawlers/Tattooist

Eric Scealf of The Unsatisfied Interview

Sun, 12 Oct 2025 09:00:17 GMT

Talk to us about this era of the band – the members, the recording of the album etc. Paint a picture for the OG fans of what it felt like to be in the studio laying down tracks like “44 Caliber”?

It was amazing. Most of the time I was a walking drunk then, but I drank wine, you know? “Alcoholic Haze” on that record. I sang that in the studio half drunk. Michael Johnson from the band Catera produced the album. They were sort of like Mother's Finest. We had Smooth, their backing vocalist, sang amazing on “Damn Saint,” and their keyboardist, Chavez, did some work on “Boney Fingers Of Truth,” “Loose Screw,” and “Damn Saint.” But yeah, being in there during that time, man, and being in the studio, being in there recording “.44 Caliber,” it was a vision of just, you know, being a gunslinger or something. Sort of like a Stephen King book, you know, it felt like I was a gunslinger of other dimensions. And then I’d have visions of the Son of Sam murders, you know, and I'd go deep in imagination and a lot of it was dark, you know, a lot of dark and haunted imagery, and I loved every haunted minute of it. We recorded it in Ringgold, GA at Michael Johnson’s place, Ultrasound Studio. But doing that during that time was wonderful and it felt good. I was on top of my game during that time. We started recording that record in ’98 with Tony Byers but ended up re-recording the whole thing with Dave Schenk.

Do you have a favorite track off the album and why?

My favorite track from the album, “Alcoholic Haze.” I love the whole record, but “Alcoholic Haze.” I did my crying solo like Lux Interior on it, and I loved doing the crying solo, but that was where I was at, you know, and I mean it was getting me ready to quit alcohol, quit drinking. We were having a ball. I'd get drunk on the weekends, you know, like I’d be working all week and then come Friday I'd be drunk. I’d get to Johnny’s, they’d throw me in the back of the hearse with the equipment, like I was a piece of equipment, and then we’d go to a show. I'd be drunk at the show, and we had a ball, it wasn’t a big deal. But then everything started becoming a problem because I couldn't even go to Best Buy without being drunk. I couldn't hang out with my friends without being drunk. I wanted to enhance it in some way, and it seemed like that my whole damn life was becoming, you know, a freaking drunk joke. I couldn't just enjoy myself without trying to get drunk. “Alcoholic Haze” told the truth. And there's a lot of songs like that. The first song on the record is a part of that, Pretty Weird, Huh? It's part of that whole trip, you know, the whole thing was about being too messed up to even have people come over. I mean, it’d become a problem, and recording the album itself I was drunk, you know, so Real Gone Pale Face was probably as close to self-destruction as I could get, and it was the truth, you know? I was a “real gone pale face and that’s no illusion…I’m never, ever, ever gonna drink again…”

Also, can you share with us what formats the album will be released in – CD, Vinyl, Cassette? Please share/plug everything about the reissue so our readers know where they can get it if they can’t make the show.

I'm gonna let Lysa roll it down for you.

LS – RGPF will be available on CD and eerie green 12” vinyl in limited numbers and you can get one at the Halloween Resurrection Show on Oct 31 ^st at Songbird’s. The CD's we may reissue one more time, but the 12” will be in the limited number of 100 on the green vinyl. If you come out to the release show to get one, they will be available at a discounted rate, and you can get them signed for free. We will even have collector sleeves available at the live show, so you don’t have to feel bad about taking your record out of the plastic for signing. If you can't make it to the Halloween Resurrection Show at Songbird’s to pick one up on the release date, we will make any remaining copies available through our website at: theunsatisfied.com on the merch and discography pages Nov 1 ^st .

I know it’s been years since the album was originally released, but were there any cuts that didn’t make the album? If so, have they been released on anything else or are they still lingering in limbo waiting to be unleashed?

They're probably a few songs that we were doing during that time period that that didn't make it. I can't remember off the top of my head, but Johnny would remember that stuff. For most part, that whole album was the set list that we were running by at the time. You know, that was probably pretty accurate on that. As far as any extra songs there might have been a couple. There might have been some songs that made it to Seven Inch Rock Scar that we were doing during the Real Gone Pale Face era that waited until we got to the next album.

While we’re talking about Unsatisfied albums, please share where your physical albums can be purchased. Tell us what you have available physically, I’m sure there are a few good people out there that would like to have an Unsatisfied Record or CD!

That’s a Lysa question, she’s the go-to on what we’ve got and where to get it.

LS – We currently have Street Shaman on CD and 12” black vinyl. We also have Songs the Belt Taught Us on CD and on limited edition autographed CD. These are available at live shows and on our website at: theunsatisfied.com , just check the merch and discography pages. Or feel free to email me at: theunsatisfied2020@gmail and just ask, and I will put together an invoice for you through there �� This last option works best if you are buying multiple copies or combinations. Real Gone Pale Face will also be available this way after Nov 1 ^st . If you would like to hear samples of the songs, check out the discography and EPK pages of the website at: theunsatisfied.com

Let’s shift gears and talk about the movie, Ambition Withdraw. It’s a documentary of the band, it was originally released several years ago, and it made the rounds at some of the biggest movie festivals. It also got released via Amazon digitally. How did you feel recording the doc, did you find it challenging? How long did it take to get enough footage to put it together? Were you pleased with the result?

It took three years of my life. It was, uh, it was, it was hard. It wasn't easy. I love Jason, Dragon, with all my heart. When he was 17, he told me he was going to make a movie about my band. He came back almost 10 years later, showed up at a show and said he was ready to do a documentary. He went to film school for that and that was the last thing he did film-wise. It took a lot out of him too. It was trying, I think we're both really wore each other's nerves down. Um, I think it was subconscious. It took a toll subconsciously on me and him both. It's almost like you become the director, become the focus and the focus become the director, you know, and I think me and him both were draining each other's energies. And I think a lot of it's got to do with the fact that maybe Jason has some issues that he never addressed, and I know did too, so for a lot of things we weren’t medicated. It wasn't easy. It wasn't an easy shoot at all. It was like literally he got 72 or 80 hours of film and a lot of it didn't make the final cut. A lot of it was some great stuff that hit the floor. There was footage of us touring with The Impotent Sea Snakes that didn't make it floating somewhere out there. Some of the biggest concerts I did at the time, you know, where we were touring, didn't make it. That upset me and we've recut the thing how many times? Three times, we've cut it three times. There was the original and then there was one minor revision and then Chris Braly, Braly Image Group, did the newest version, Ambition Withdraw: Redux that's available now.

Yeah, Chris did this one, but I mean, we did it where we had to shorten it from the original one. A lot of people thought the original was the best one, they loved the original and want to see it. But Chris is like, it's too long, you know, about two hours, almost 3 hour movie. It still won Audience Choice Awards and people sat through it. That was how we originally got with Mark Berry. Me and Jason, Dragon, went to the University of Kentucky and met with MTI. At the time MTI was doing digital theaters and we were the first digital movie in the festival circuit that was getting the right kind of attention, and they were going to show it at their theaters. We were at the table ready to sign deals with them when Jason had come across Mark Berry. Mark Berry worked with Bowie, Paul McCartney, he got his start with Sir George Martin. He was Attack Records & Filmworks at the time and Morrissey was on Attack Records and Filmworks. I mean, it was a no-brainer to go with Mark Berry. And once it got there, I sold my lawn business and Jason panicked and was like, “Oh God, why did you do that?” I don't know how it got messed up with Mark, but somewhere, the ball got dropped. Because when you make a movie, you've got to invest. You can't just go, OK, I'm signed to a deal with these people and they’re going to pay me like a record company will do. Where you're borrowing the money from these people and, you're gonna have to pay that money back. It’s not like that. This is where you must invest a certain sum of your money in it. Jason got us in the door, but then he backed off when the door was open so, you know, that door stays open for a little while and then it shuts. But I stayed in touch with Mark Berry and now it’s back in his hands. So, I mean, making the movie was hard, but at the same time, man, you know, you got a documentary made about your band, you know, give me that. Give it to me.

Is there a street date when Ambition Withdraw will hit the streets again in physical format – Blu-ray, DVD, Digital? Is there anywhere where the movie can be viewed, currently?

You can see it now; you watch it now on Roku’s Fawesome channel. You can directly access it through theunsatisfied.com HOME page. When you go to theunsatisfied.com HOME page, you’ll see the movie poster for Ambition Withdraw, click where the arrow is. It’ll drop down to a picture of the band, where it says “Click Here To Watch” click it and you can start watching the movie immediately. You will also see links to the LA Punk Film Festival where it's being featured this year, and you can rent it there and vote for it. We really need to push that more. That's so stupid that we're not doing that. It’s the 9 ^th Annual International LA Punk Film Festival and it runs from Oct 9 ^th – 18 ^th , please go check it out and vote for Ambition Withdraw: Redux. That information is all on the HOME page at: theunsatisfied.com

As for a date on physical copies, we haven't really discussed that with AMG at this point, but we are getting ready to decide on a street date for the digital release to make it official this fall. The territory is the world; Mark can even get it shown on planes. So, we're still working through all of that. There are phases of that contract that have to be dealt with one at a time and then we have the Universal Music Group licensing deal behind that, you know, he's [Mark Berry] literally introducing us to the world.

Your last release, Street Shaman was released a few years back on Vinyl/CD. On it, you re-recorded “Angelic Wall” and “White”. Can you share with us the reason you chose those two songs as opposed to some of your other songs?

It that was, that was Duane Denison's choice. Duane plays guitar for the Jesus Lizard, for Mr. Bungle, for The Legendary Shack Shakers…Duane’s a big deal, and getting Duane on there was a big deal, and those are the songs that he liked most. It was Duane’s idea to call it Street Shaman, in fact, the whole thing was pretty much a Duane Denison production. He liked The Unsatisfied and that's what he wanted, and you know, I didn't argue with him. In the studio, you know, we recorded that and the Buzz Cason’s studio, Creative Workshop. Buzz Cason was Elvis's guitar player and that studio recorded everybody. Dolly Parton recorded there. The Faces - Rod Stewart and Ron Wood recorded there. T.G. Sheppard recorded there. Kenny Rogers recorded there. Mastodon recorded there. Duane did Mastodon’s album there as well with Joe Funderburk, the engineer from Mastodon who engineered Street Shaman as well. So, I mean, a lot of the people from the South, from down here, a lot of the major bands that have been playing for a long time worked through Duane and them, so it was a great opportunity for us to work with Duane. My feelings on that though are that yeah, I thought there was going to be a lot more hands on in the marketing and helping us push it, but it stopped there and I wish it didn't. I wish we could have had more help pushing it. I thought that was our introduction to the world, but it wasn't, you know?

One of my favorite releases from the band is Seven Inch Rock Scar. Is there any current thought or urge to remaster/reissue and release it too? It’s a need in my opinion.

Oh yeah, yeah, we'll end up doing that too. I mean, we're gonna end up reissuing all of them in the end, really. You know, it’ll end up happening. We'll probably make just as big of a deal out of that as we're doing on Real Gone Pale Face. And by the time we get there, we'll have the muscle of Universal Music Group behind us. So, you know, get ready for the future, man, it’s bright.

Do you have a favorite track off the album? Tell our readers a little bit about this album, as it’s been out of print for some time.

God bless. What was on that record? I do believe, uh, I think “Prayer of a Broken Man,” “You Don't Know Me.” There's a bunch of really great songs, “Fed-Up,” is on that album. Yeah, “Prayer of a Broken Man” is probably my favorite track. Yeah, and that's another record that's freaking awesome. That's another thing where we went into Gene Norman’s up on Highway 58. It was just a demo, you know, it wasn't supposed to be a full record. We ended up going in and making a full-length record out of it. But that was like, it was totally raw, you know, that's sober record. I just got sober, dropped a ton of weight. I became the new Iggy Pop because I’d gotten so skinny at the time, and uh, everything was great during Seven Inch Rock Scar. The movie was being filmed, we had everybody looking, we had been playing. Johnny Colt from The Black Crows had that uh, Avatar Studios going on and Johnny Colt was going to produce it, and then we talked to Sylvain Sylvain (Sylvain Mizrahi - The New York Dolls); I was going to get him to do some production on it, but it ended up just being, you know, just being produced by an old dude named Gene Norman. But off that album, “Prayer of a Broken Man” really, that was me working and me praying for something to give in my life after I've given so much to music. It was my, “Please God, let this be the one,” you know, and knowing that the kind of God that made me kind of laughs at me, you know? But that track really resonates, really, that was pure begging God and then being like Conan, you know, talking to the God Crom. Conan's getting ready to battle and he goes, “I've never prayed to you before, but I'm praying to you now. Grant me this. And if you do not listen, the hell with you!” That's my feelings about God in “Prayer of a Broken Man.”

You’ve played on stages all over the East Coast, is there a favorite place that you’ve played?

CBGB’s, beats ‘em all. CBGB’s, that's the best, and second best is The Masquerade, third best Star Bar. Every other place is a pain in the ass. Knoxville, pain in the ass. Songbirds has been really good to us, that’s a new one, and locally, you’ve got a lot of really good clubs. But I'm gonna stick to my guns and say the greatest club that ever existed was CBGB's and they treated me better than any place else. And that was New York City, and we got the OK from Hilly Kristal that we mattered, that we were something. Every place else they got some snooty-ass doorman, or some friggin’ sound guy wanting $500.00 for production, and they don't give a damn about what you're doing, you know. So, I don't have any feelings for any of them.

Do you have a favorite show/tour or band that you’ve played with?

El Caminos, Sea Snakes, the Six-6-60s. Yeah, I love those cats. Russ Harper of Neo-Wizard and Teenage Love. Uh, there's many and if I'm forgetting people forgive me. Syrup was a great band, I loved playing with them, loved touring with them. Who else did we love, who else…we played with a lot of people. I can't even keep up with ‘em all at this point. Those are ones that mattered the most, those are the ones seared in my mind. Getting to play with Marky Ramone, The Misfits, The Misfits were great, and they treated us great. Nash Kato (Urge Overkill). And Dave Brockie, The Dave Brockie Experience and GWAR. Loved him, loved him, loved him. Ghoultown, love, love, love the Ghoultown! The Casket Creatures, I think they're great, I like them a lot. Catfight!, we're going to try to get more gigs with those girls. Yeah, there's a lot of people, man. There's a lot of people. I wanna play with Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds though, I really wanna play with Nick Cave. And I’d like to play with the new Misfits, but they're too big now. But getting to play with Danzig would be great. That would be really cool.

Any crazy stories from shows/tours that you’d like to share that won’t get you in trouble with the wife?

She’s heard it all at this point �� Getting attacked by the audience in Baton Rouge, LA, getting my clothes ripped off me, that was wonderful. Wayno posed, legs spread over me, playing and being grabbed and groped by a hoard of people, the cops having to pull them off on me. That was like what happens when the dream becomes real. That was with the Sea Snakes. We played three times in Baton Rouge and by the third time we were drawing 3400 people coming in, you know, for The Unsatisfied, so that was a great show. Those early shows when I when I first started, we had a lot of violence, a lot of skinheads would show up, a lot of black gangs would show up. And I had an incident where my buddy John Johnson, God rest him, from the band Feast of Pigs dove into a crowd of skinheads while they were playing. So, John jumped in the crowd and then then I saw John disappear and then I noticed some skateboarding kids out there and the skinheads were punching them. So, I dove off the stage and got into a big fight with about five of them, and they grabbed me by my hair and I grabbed nuts and punches flew and all that. The night ended up being great. And then, when we opened for The Misfits here, in Chattanooga, I snapped my Achille’s Tendon. It’s on the movie. There were a lot of people who didn't have my well-being in mind, a lot of haters, and all that hate built up in that room being laid on me and my foot touching my shin, that wasn't great. Then the next night playing with The Misfits again at The Masquerade and being on one leg and a cane with my leg in a boot cast. I had on a leopard print dress I had zipped up the front and this skinhead’s being a dick front of stage. You know, I'm trying to be cool about it and a bird finger gets laid in my face. So, I’m beating him with my cane and end up just diving into the crowd being rolled over skinheads. Andy, you were there for that one, you can answer all that, cause that's probably one of the best ones ever.

Andy - I was standing behind this massive skinhead with suspenders — the kind of guy who’d been heckling every opening band like it was his full-time job. Then The Unsatisfied hit the stage. Eric limped out in a leopard-print dress, hair teased sky-high, leaning on a cane like some glam ghoul risen from the grave — and absolutely owning it. The crowd didn’t know what to make of him, but I was hooked.

That same meathead in front of me started spitting and shouting slurs, throwing every bit of hate he could muster. Eric didn’t flinch. He strutted right up to the edge of the stage, aimed that cane like a weapon, and cracked it down on the guy’s skull — split him wide open, then dove right on top of him. Chaos erupted. Security dragged the skinhead out, bloodied and stunned, and Eric climbed back onstage like a demon who’d just won his due.

The band tore straight into “White Trash” and I swear to you — from that moment on, I’ve never been the same.

When you’re up on stage playing with The Unsatisfied, what’s going on in your mind? Are you 100% focused on annihilating the crowd or are there moments where responsibilities at home are on your mind?

Totally focused on the song. Totally focused on the moment. Nothing is there, not even an audience. The story, the graphic novel, the comic book, the movie, it’s all that. It's that one moment when life is not there. That character and that world, that I sit down with a pen and paper and draw, that I sit down and visualize. It goes all the way back to when I was a little kid and painted up like KISS and got in front of a mirror, and it's that mirror. It becomes the mirror, it becomes the paper, it becomes the pencil, it becomes the graphic novel world, you know? It becomes God and the devil and me in the middle.

The band hasn’t been playing out live quite as much the last few years; can you share with us the reason behind that? Also, can we expect to see the band back on the streets tearing up the clubs again here soon?

Oh, you’ll see more of us now, you’ll see more of us now. Not so much the past few years because Johnny had a lot of work going on and we’d been dealing with a drummer issue, then COVID, my relapse into alcoholism and going to jail. Um, you know, bad life shit stepped in the way. I'd started doing the Bowie tribute thing to fill in the gaps when we weren’t playing and now, we’ve started writing originals. The time down gave me a chance to work on my vocals and work on my delivery and get away from the chaos of The Unsatisfied World while battling my demons. Because it’s a totally different world being in The Unsatisfied, being in that graphic novel or art world like that, as opposed to just being a musician, concentrating on being a good vocalist, a good steward of the songs. I got to play in a lot of empty rooms, a lot of people not paying attention to what you're doing because you're in a cover band. But doing that helped me. I've become a better musician during that time and I'm able to come back to The Unsatisfied now with a really good voice and a really good approach to it. And now the business is much better with The Unsatisfied too. You know, sometimes you're too close to it, you must step away from it and give it a chance to breathe and come back to it after you've learned. I didn't get away from music; I just got away from from me.

What would Eric Scealf be doing if he weren’t a Bonafide Rock Star/Frontman extraordinaire?

Dead. Lysa said evangelism �� I think that The Unsatisfied is the evangelist church.

What’s next for The Unsatisfied outside of this Real Gone Pale Face Reissue show?

This deal with Universal. Marketing all our songs, you know, for licensing and synching. There is a lot to do with the licensing deals and AMG. That's the next step, and pushing the movie, getting that demand for The Unsatisfied. Growing theunsatisfied.com, stretch our reach. We're talking about maybe doing a podcast or two, really building our YouTube channel, doing even more for our following, going those routes. And choose our shows wisely, you know, don't play everything. Here lately we've played some really amazing shows with some really amazing people. I wanna reach out to all the bands and tighten all my connections with Atlanta. I think the next phase would be to really, really, really, really sew up my Atlanta connections and tell everyone how much I love them. I love you! Getting to do more stuff with Andy Burke would be wonderful. Let's take it all on and see what happens, you know, life’s too freaking short. I'm going to try to live as much as I can and get this thing out there as much as possible. And get ready for The Last of the Dudes, my original thing I'll be doing with the Bowie guys, it’s a whole new ball of wax. I even play some guitar on that. I’m also working on a little Goth project with my friend, David Black from Dogs of Verona. We’re calling it Jesus Legosi. It’s going to be a big deal, it’s going to be huge, gonna bust the goth world open with this. For the past three years we’ve been doing some shows together. He's such a great fucking guy. He reminds me of a gothic Robin Zander, he's freaking amazing. So, this project will be a lot of fun for everyone.

As we wind down this interview, please take a moment to share your thoughts with the young cats on what it takes to stay reverent in the scene.

Be involved, get out there, get to the shows even if you ain't playing. Get to them shows and support each other. Support the other guy, give the other guy some Luv ‘N Blood. Give the other guy a little dose of you and then make that motherfucka accountable for coming to see you. That's how you do it. Reciprocity - you scratch their back, and if they don't scratch your back, make them scratch your back. It takes us all together. Forget doing it on your own. Grab up your friends, make a scene, put it together, link together. It's a link in a chain, man, you gotta make an unbreakable chain that they can't break. Support each other. Have your feelings, keep them to yourself when it concerns politics. Release it creatively, inspire change and thought through your art. Do not let politics get in the way of your feelings towards music. You have to hold on to each other, you have to make a link in a chain and then hey, go for the world. I tell all these young people stick together, support each other, that's what makes a scene.

Any last words of love and thought to your fans and anyone who might be reading this interview?

I love you; I want you to be happy. And if you're not happy, write that shit down and make a song out of it. There ain't no better therapy than art, man. If you're pisssed off, if you're mad, draw a bloody fucking face and bones and whatever, get it out. Love each other and, and don't pay no attention to all this other crazy shit. And if you disagree, hold it to yourself. Let somebody else run their mouth. If you're not doing something positive and doing something for your art, don't say anything, write it. Write all your feelings down. Make music with it. Go work out, lift weights, do something constructive. Don't argue with each other. Don't swing punches at each other. Let the other guy be. Support each other and love each other. Even if you disagree, love each other anyway. Luv ‘N Blood, that's all I'm talking about, Luv ‘N Blood.

Well there you have it folks, spoken from the White Trash Glam King of Chattanowhere - tales of love, woe and the want to just play music for his kind of people. If you haven't listened to or seen The Unsatisified live, you're sincerely missing out. Hit their site up, grab one of everything they're offering, you won't be sorry. And if you get the chance to take in a show, don't fucking blink, it's a RITUAL and your cup of Rock Salvation with be overfilled!

Internal Bleeding Settle All Scores Review

Sun, 12 Oct 2025 09:00:17 GMT

Internal Bleeding
Settle All Scores
Maggot Stomp

2025

Switching gears from Texas to another state that has made an indelible mark on death metal, we travel to New York to murder our eardrums with the absolutely legendary Internal Bleeding and their long-awaited new album Settle All Scores.

If you are a death metal fan and don't know about Internal Bleeding, then settle in for a brief history lesson. The phrase “often imitated, never duplicated” should be their mantra because they not only originated the “slam” style of death metal, they do it better than anyone else. The Long Island natives have been doing so since 1991, first with their infamous “$1 Demo,” then the two now-classic Wild Rags! Records demos, 1993’s Invocation of Evil (which this here writer gleefully wore out upon receiving it in the mail) and 1994’s Perpetual Degradation, both featuring original vocalist Wallace Milton. From there, 1995 saw them sign to Pavement Records, gain a new frontman named Frank Rini on the mic, and release their debut full-length Voracious Contempt, which contained some re-recordings of their demo material as well as some new tracks. Several critically acclaimed albums (Extinction of Benevolence, Driven to Conquer, Onward to Mecca, Imperium) followed until the band faced their biggest adversity yet in 2017. That year, founding member, drummer, and NYC firefighter Bill Tolley tragically died in an on-the-job accident. Local legend Kyle Eddy replaced him, and the band kept going with the ferocious Corrupting Influence in 2018.

After some lineup and label changes, that brings us to the present and the take-no-prisoners monolith that is the eight-song Settle All Scores. The album features founder/guitarist/chief songwriter Chris Pervelis, vocalist Steve Worley, vocalist/guitarist Chris McCarthy, the aforementioned Kyle Eddy on drums, and bassist Ryan Giordano. SAS was mixed by Taylor Young at The Pit Studio in Sunland, California (Nails, Xibalba, God’s Hate) and mastered by Brad Boatright at Audiosiege (Obituary, Creeping Death, Vastum). Additionally, guest vocals are provided by Sherwood Webber of Skinless, Mikey Petroski of Never Ending Game, and former Internal Bleeding vocalists Joe Marchese, Jay Lowe, and Frank Rini. Young’s production gives Internal Bleeding a tight, biting modern sound—heavy on the low-end clarity and with enough space for every instrument and vitriolic vocal. Having been familiar with them since their demo days, I can confidently say they have never had a better-sounding recording.

For the songs and the crafting of them, it seems as though IB have taken all the setbacks, copycat bands, pent-up anger, frustration, and betrayals of three decades past to “crystallize and synthesize” them into this album. If you've heard Internal Bleeding, you know what you're in for: brutal death metal mixed with tech parts, slamming breakdowns, and forbidding atmosphere among some NYHC pummeling. I don't say that to minimize their creativity here. They have “their sound” down to a ball-peen-hammer-beaten science, but they still find new twists and turns to throw at us. Look no further than the dissonant guitar work and blast beats of opener “Intangible Pact” and the acoustic guitars, keyboards, and doom-laden Sabbathy stomp at the beginning of closer “Deliberate Desecration” Said track also has some of the longest, overlapping death growls you'll ever hear at its conclusion. Worley and McCarthy both deal in low gutturals, some nice midrange high screams, and even some gravelly hardcore shouts throughout as well, making things all the more diverse. Couple that with Pervelis’ ability to write some of the heaviest, grooving riffs known to the genre and the clinic that Eddy puts on behind the kit, and you've got a band that sounds invigorated and out to prove their doubters dead wrong. There seems to be plenty of life left in Internal Bleeding, and with this seventh album, it would seem they have no plans to apply the tourniquets anytime soon. Bleed on, gentlemen, we’re happy you're still here and sounding as vital and pissed as ever. To quote the great Jim Ross, they have “stomped a mud hole in us and walked it dry.” Absolutely crushing from beginning to end.

FFO: Pyrexia, Suffocation, Dehumanized, Dying Fetus, Malignancy

~TB

Dead Heat Process Of Elimination Review

Sun, 12 Oct 2025 09:00:17 GMT

Dead Heat
Process of Elimination
Metal Blade Records
2025

Crossover thrash. For the newcomers, the genre is defined as “a fusion genre of thrash metal and hardcore punk. The genre emerged in the mid-1980s, when hardcore punk bands such as Suicidal Tendencies, Cryptic Slaughter, Corrosion of Conformity, and Dirty Rotten Imbeciles began to incorporate the influence of thrash metal.” (Wikipedia) That, my friends, is exactly what we are dealing with in West Coasters Dead Heat’s latest full-length, The Process of Elimination. Hot off the heels of 2023’s Endless Torment EP, the band returns with a new label home (frickin’ Metal Blade!) and 11 ferocious new songs.

Dead Heat are a six-piece band, and their lineup is comprised of Justin Ton – rhythm guitar, Ricky Garcia – lead guitar, Chris Ramos – vocals, Yogie Rodriguez – drums, Vincent Amador – bass/rhythm guitar, and Lorence Chanch Meraz – bass. Their newest platter was produced by the band with Paul Fig (Deftones, Trivium, Jerry Cantrell). The first thing that jumps out at me is that instead of the sterile, quantized, and compressed template that some newer bands employ, Dead Heat's mix is a bit more raw and less polished. The whole album has a more old-school analog feel, and every instrument benefits from the “live from the floor” vibe. It's loose, organic, and energetic. Musically speaking, you can hear heavy influences from old Sepultura, Slayer, and in some instances, Leeway, Cro-Mags, and prime Dark Angel. The record is speedy and guitar-forward, peppered with electronic/keyboard soundscapes between a handful of songs to give us all a break here and there. Monstrous mosh riffs and very skilled lead work abound.

The songs are all properly acerbic and socio-political in nature, so this ain't your typical party thrash or extolling the virtues of “the hardcore scene,” as some tend to do. Dead Heat has something to say with more substance lyrically here, and that is a welcome addition. With a runtime of 32:21, the proceedings wrap up quickly and leave nothing to chance. From the beautiful acoustic intro crashing into the raging opener “Perpetual Punishment,” to the skanking “Annihilation Nation” speeding headlong into “Hidebound,” these are the perfect three songs to introduce the unsuspecting world to Dead Heat. After that, I'm honestly just going to be listing my personal favorites. Those are easy. “The Order” caught my ear with its jumping, grooving, Coroner-like snaking riffs and bouncy tempo. “Solace Denied” was another standout with its chunky, building intro, tremolo-picked guitar sections, and absolutely devastating breakdown ending. The title track flirts with death metal at its onset to morph into a chugging marcher with Slayer histrionics. The closer “Hatred Bestowed” is the winner here for me, as it shifts from mid-tempo plod to another ethereal acoustic piece halfway through before bringing things to a melodic outro. It's also worth mentioning the vocals of Chris Ramos, as he employs a reverb-drenched approach between a more intense Tom Araya-like yell and John Tardy (Obituary)-near growl, which just adds to the feelings of anger captured throughout.

Dead Heat are an extremely capable band, and they write enjoyable, catchy modern crossover thrash songs without biting any styles directly. While they aren't breaking any new ground, they add enough twists and turns and trim all the fat from their arrangements to make them a worthy and fresh addition to the genre. Get these guys on a four-way tour with Species, Condition Critical, and Germany’s Darkness STAT. I don't think the U.S. or overseas audiences are ready for THAT bangover. Process of Elimination is a bona fide ripper, and I'm stoked to see what these cats concoct next.

RIYL: Power Trip, Slayer, Anthrax, Havok, Sacred Reich

~TB

Siblings Of Samhain Self-Titled Review

Sun, 12 Oct 2025 09:00:17 GMT

Siblings Of Samhain

Self-Titled

Self-Released

2021

I think the “trick or treat” expression fits well here. I’m not quite sure what to make of Siblings of Samhain’s eponymous effort. There are some solid tracks here that are worthy of your Halloween playlist, but a lot of the songs feel uninspired and at times boring. There is an additional factor here that rubs me slightly the wrong way…the vocals. They come across as a bit nasally and remind me of those found on Karloff’s releases. So, is this album a trick or a treat? I think horror rock fans will find some songs to latch onto, but overall, it falls flat. For me, it’s the raisins or toothbrush in the pillowcase.

Everything featured here was originally recorded between 2018 and 2020 and was remixed and remastered for this album. An issue I have is everything sounds too samey. There are two different versions of “Winsome Witch” and “Lonesome Halloween Night”, with the second version on “Lonesome Halloween” only three tracks after the original. The original version of “Winsome Witch” with the female vocals is far superior and provides some much-needed reprieve from the aforementioned vocals. There is also two Friday the 13th-themed songs back-to-back, “The Legend of Crystal Lake” and “Stay Away from Camp Blood”. The mixing on this album leaves a lot to be desired. And with 26 tracks, it wears on you fast.

I don’t want to slam the album in its entirety because there are some pretty good tracks like: “Hyde”, “Epidemic”, “Gravedigger Man”, “Love At First Bite”, and “Vampires Everywhere”, the latter giving off some modern-era Bad Religion vibes. There are a couple of covers here like the Misfits’ “Night of the Living Dead” and Blitzkid’s “Pumpkin Patch Murders”. Unfortunately, neither cover does much of anything for me and they fall in line with the majority of the album. I think what’s most frustrating is that there is a lot of potential here, but everything doesn’t come together as it should to stand out. As of 2024, the band has called it a day, so these criticisms don’t mean much of anything. Maybe one day they’ll release some more music, which I would absolutely be interested in checking out. This near miss could have easily been dead on.

~ TJ

Screamin Sins Living Nightmares Review

Sun, 12 Oct 2025 09:00:17 GMT

Screamin Sins

Living Nightmares

Self-Released

2025

Canada has always been fertile ground for grave-digging, coffin-rattling Psychobilly that festers in the shadows of Horror. From The Creepshow to The Brains, to the Gutter Demons and even The Matadors when the moon is blood red. The north has spawned some of the finest purveyors of fiendish rock ’n roll. Call it Gothabilly, call it Horrorbilly, labels rot in the ground anyway. What matters is the addiction. Those of us who crave it are junkies for the macabre, ghouls slavering for the next blood-soaked riff.

The latest pack of undead to crawl from the crypt hails from Kingston, Ontario. They call themselves Screamin Sins, a three-headed beast stomping out rhythms that sound like they’ve been exhumed straight from a midnight graveyard. In 2024, the band unleashed their first properly recorded EP “Haven for the Damned”, a haunted barn dance that lived up to its name with every howl. Previously the band had recorded a long-gone EP titled, “Deadly Seven” but the recording is raw/lo-fi and hard to track down. I have friends in dark places, so I was able to track it down for a spin or two.

Earlier this year, the fiends returned with their third curse, “Living Nightmares”, and let me tell you, this one drags you through the swamp, chains you to the altar, and makes you beg for more.

It’s six tracks of Horrorbilly mayhem, each dripping with sinister swagger and ghoulish hooks that burrow into your skull like parasites. The opener, “Hills Have Eyes”, is an older song that got a much-needed face lift, and it wastes no time wrecking! No doubt, an ode to Craven’s desert cannibals delivered as a roadside dirge caked in fuzz, swamp rot, with a chorus that will stalk you long after the track ends. The gang vocals, led with wicked charm by bassist Vanessa Von Voodoo, hit like a chant from the damned - equal parts infectious and terrifying.

From there, the band charges into “Living Dead”, a Punk-fueled, coffin-kicking monster that growls with fuzzed-out guitars and a rhythm section that sounds like it was stitched together with razor wire. Call it Punk, call it Billy, it doesn’t matter. What matters is that it rips the flesh clean off your face with a grin.

And then comes the crown jewel: “Love You to Death.” A twisted love letter carved on a tombstone, it swings with upright bass thumps, drum shuffles, and a guitar that howls like a wolf under the full moon. This is the kind of track that makes you fall in love with the genre all over again: crooned vocals, blood-soaked lyrics, and guitar licks sharp enough to cut glass. There’s also a re-recorded version with Jen “Hellcat” Blackwood (of Creepshow fame) up on Bandcamp, and it’s pure necromantic bliss, a match made in the grave. That version isn’t the one here, but it’s a necessary listen and should be mentioned here – you’ll want that version too!

The back half of the EP refuses to let you crawl away. “Nightmare” shrieks with unhinged Horrorbilly energy, soaked in moonlight and madness. “Haunted Dreams” staggers into Spaghetti Western territory, conjuring dust, desert ghosts, and a slow gallows swing that feels like the soundtrack to your last ride. Finally, the closer “Curse on You” drags you into the abyss with blues-drenched menace, squealing tires, spitting blood, and a final cackle that leaves you grinning through cracked and broken teeth.

What makes “Living Nightmares” so compelling isn’t just the gory tales or the crypt-worn aesthetic, it’s the sheer musicianship. Screamin Sins don’t need a major label to sound massive. The production is sharp, and the performances are tighter than a coffin lid, and the vibe is utterly possessed. This is an EP that slashes, seduces, and screams in your ear until you’re begging for the next round.

Screamin Sins are resurrecting Psychobilly, electrifying it, and feeding it raw meat. This is an EP that you must experience, it should be the soundtrack for your next tip-toe through the graveyard!

~Black Angel

Mr. Fang And The Dark Tones Fast Track To Hell Review

Sun, 12 Oct 2025 09:00:17 GMT

Mr. Fang and The Dark Tones

Fast Track To Hell!

Self-Released

2025

I’m always prowling the night, sniffing out fresh Horror and Psychobilly to feed my hungry little monster brain, and occasionally, I stumble upon a beast that doesn’t just scratch the itch, it claws the flesh clean off the bone. Mr. Fang and The Dark Tones slither right into that sweet spot where Psychobilly screams, Horror slashes, and shades of The Cramps, D.A.G., and Surf Rock crash together like a hearse skidding off a pier.

Hailing from Virginia Beach, Virginia, this gang of creeps has been lurking for a few years now, cutting their teeth on live shows, opening for bigger beasts, and dragging their coffins across state lines for tours. Their latest monster, “Fast Track To Hell”, came creeping out this May, and though I was late to the party, I’m damn glad I showed up. The band slipped me a copy, and since then I’ve been possessed - cranking it in the car, in the crypt, and in the delirious midnight hours when the shadows won’t stop whispering to me.

From the opening instrumental “Squid Attack”, which feels like you’re being dragged into the abyss by some Lovecraftian surf-demon, all the way through the last gasp of “Back Tunnel Train,” this record is pure Horror-fueled adrenaline. No tired Misfits knockoff here, this is rotten Surf Rock reverence soaked in a Psychobilly nightmare. It smells of pomade, sea rot, and grave dirt. It’s greasy hair, blood dripping fangs and it’s alive and writhing.

Highlights are in abundance. “I Wanna Die” feels like a sunburned death march across the desert in a hearse bound straight for the inferno. “She’s a Black Cat” purrs and claws with a slick Rockabilly strut that would make Stray Cats blush, then scratch their eyes out. The title track, “Fast Track to Hell,” is a Spaghetti-Western hallucination, as if Undead Johnny Cash were narrating your one-way ticket into hell. And then there’s “Graveyard Serenade”, a late-50’s death ballad that’s equal parts swoon and doom. Lines like “Your skin fits on me like a glove” don’t just flirt with the macabre, they marry it and drag it into the grave. It’s gorgeous, ghastly, and worth the price of admission all by itself.

“Fast Track To Hell” is the sound of Psychobilly done right. This isn’t music for the faint of heart; it’s for the freaks, the psychos, the punks, and all the monsterbabies who howl at the moon. The recording is crisp, the vibe is rotten in the best way, and every track feels like it could crawl off the wax and come hunting for you in your sleep.

Mr. Fang and The Dark Tones didn’t just win me over, they resurrected my love for this whole damn scene. This is the kind of album that makes you fall in love with the dark all over again. Vinyl, CD, cassette, however you can get your claws on it, do it. The Fast Track is waiting, and it’s going to send you straight to Hell.

~Black Angel

Boogeyman Rotten Leaves Review

Sun, 12 Oct 2025 09:00:17 GMT

Boogeyman

Rotten Leaves

We Are Horror Records

2024

The haunted deserts of Arizona have once again coughed up a band of Horror Punk ghouls! This latest pack of fiends call themselves Boogeyman, and they’ve been lurking in the shadows for a few years now. In 2024, just as the veil between worlds began to thin, the band dropped their sophomore album, “Rotten Leaves”, via We Are Horror Records, a UK label that’s been rattling coffins and raising hell in the scene for a few years now.

From what I’ve gathered, “Rotten Leaves” carries on a macabre storyline first stitched together on their debut. Sadly, I haven’t cracked open that first album just yet, so I can’t speak to the continuity, but let’s be clear: even without the backstory, this record is a graveyard smash. It feels like something Graves or Dr. Chud would’ve conjured up, with a heavy dose of that X-Ward vibe both musically and vocally (and believe me, that’s high praise, I adored that band). Add ghostly whispers of The Rosedales and the eternal shadow of The Damned, and you’ve got yourself a coffin lined with crush velvet and menace.

Though “Rotten Leaves” has been haunting the earth for over a year now, it still sounds fresh, like the kind of record that never lets the corpse rot. The atmosphere is thick, moody, and dripping with the perfect studio sheen to keep the chills sharp. Melodic hooks and sing-along choruses creep in like unholy earworms, balanced with an undeniable 50’s Rock ‘n’ Roll spirit that rattles chains and hips in equal measures. And while the lyrics avoid buckets of blood and obvious splatter, don’t be fooled, this album stalks you through the shadows. These songs crawl into your subconscious like a phantom dropping subtle hints of Horror.

At a hefty 47 minutes, “Rotten Leaves” doesn’t crash through your speakers all at once, it unravels its sinister spell slowly, rewarding repeated listens with hidden details and textures. Every spin reveals something new crawling out from beneath the autumn soil. I regret that it took me this long to unearth Boogeyman, but you can bet I’ll be digging deeper into their catalog before the next witching hour strikes.

The band’s CDs are up on their Bandcamp and trust me, you’ll want to drop a twenty on this one. Consider it your ticket to a midnight séance that you won’t regret attending.

Standout tracks: “Old Ghost,” “The Leaves Are Falling,” “Wings of a Dream,” “Superstition,” and their killer cover of TSOL’s “Dance with Me.”

~Black Angel

House Of Wax Review (1953)

Fri, 10 Oct 2025 09:00:16 GMT

Step right into the inferno, fiends and film freaks, because tonight’s feature is none other than Vincent Price’s House of Wax, a film that still oozes atmosphere like hot wax dripping off a candle in a crypt. If Peter Cushing is the cool, skeletal master of quiet dread, then Vincent Price is his flamboyant American cousin, the velvet-voiced aristocrat of terror who could make even the act of stirring tea sound sinister. And here, in House of Wax, he’s in peak form.

Price plays Professor Henry Jarrod, a gifted sculptor with a love for beauty, a flair for the dramatic, and, after a little accident involving fire and betrayal, a vengeful streak that makes him downright terrifying. The sequence where his once-pristine wax museum goes up in flames is pure Horror spectacle, a fiery baptism that transforms Jarrod into something more monster than man. By the time he re-emerges, scarred and hidden behind a waxen mask, he’s practically the Phantom of the Waxworks, stalking, creating, and killing with a twisted sense of artistry.

The movie itself is drenched in gothic flavor. The sets loom, the wax figures leer, and everything has that sinister carnival energy, like stepping into a museum where the exhibits might actually be breathing. And of course, it was a 3D showcase back in the day, so you get the paddle-ball man swatting at the screen, the flames licking toward the audience, and all those little gimmicks that feel kitschy now but must’ve been mind-blowing in the early ‘50s. But beyond the spectacle, it’s Vincent Price who sells the whole thing. His performance is tragic and terrifying, you almost sympathize with him, right up until he dips someone into hot wax.

What I love about Price here is the way he relishes every word. He doesn’t just speak lines, he coats them in honey and venom, letting them roll off his tongue until you’re caught in the spell. While Cushing chills you with precision, Price seduces you into terror. He is the House of Wax: beautiful, grotesque, impossible to look away from.

House of Wax isn’t just a Horror classic, it’s a showcase for one of cinema’s most iconic villains, brought to life by one of the greatest Horror actors who ever lived. To watch Price stride through this film is to watch gothic Horror itself personified: elegant, menacing, unforgettable.

~Black Angel

Scooby-doo and the Witch's Ghost Review (1999)

Thu, 09 Oct 2025 09:00:15 GMT

Scooby Doo and the Witch's Ghost

Directed By Jim Stenstrum
Warner Home Video

Scooby Doo and the Witch's Ghost is one of my all-time favorite Halloween movies. I've loved it since I was a kid and now, I get to share it with my kids!

The film follows Scooby and the gang as they head to the fictional New England town of Oakhaven, home to the Stephen King-based character of Ben Ravencroft (Tim Curry) for Autumn Fest. Upon arrival they learn of the ghost of Sarah Ravencroft, Ben Ravencroft's ancestors from the 1600s, that is terrorizing the small town. Unlike the typical villains Mystery Inc. has faced, the real villain isn't one that is expected.

Scooby Doo and the Witch's Ghost was released in October of 1999 and stars Scott Innes as Scooby and Shaggy, B.J. Ward as Velma, Mary Kay Bergman as Daphne and the original voice of Fred, Frank Welker. Featuring guests such as Tim Curry as Ben Ravencroft and Jennifer Hale, Jane Wiedlin, and Kimberly Brooks as Thorn, Dusk, and Luna respectively, also forming the all-girl, witch themed rock band The Hex Girls. Tim Curry plays his character very well with an unexpected character arc and The Hex Girls ad a really fun Halloween/rock and roll element that makes the movie fun for all ages.

This is one of my all-time favorites to watch with the kids and I recommend you do too!

~Nick “X” Colchin (The Creepy Crawlers, HorrorShock Records)

Dr. Terror's House Of Horrors Review (1965)

Wed, 08 Oct 2025 09:01:07 GMT

Tonight we’re cracking open a real classic, Dr. Terror’s House of Horrors. If you’ve been lurking around my ramblings for long enough, you know there are a few cinematic presences that never fail to pull me in like a moth to a flame, and right at the top of that heap is the one and only Peter Cushing. The man was elegance draped over a skeleton, all quiet menace and razor intellect, my favorite kind of actor to haunt the screen. And in this one, he gets to stretch his eerie wings as the mysterious, tarot-wielding Dr. Schreck.

The setup is pure Horror gold: a group of unsuspecting travelers trapped in a train car with a fortune teller who has more than just card tricks up his sleeve. Each passenger gets a glimpse of their fate, and as the cards turn, we’re whisked off into a collection of macabre vignettes, werewolves prowling, creeping plants strangling, vampires lurking, voodoo beats pulsing, and disembodied hands doing what disembodied hands do best. It’s anthology Horror in all its gory glory, and it doesn’t waste a second reminding us why these kinds of stories work so damn well.

But let’s not kid ourselves: the whole thing is anchored by Cushing’s performance. His Dr. Schreck isn’t some sideshow huckster with cheap parlor tricks, he’s measured, calm, almost gentle in the way he reveals doom. That’s what makes him so chilling. You can’t out-shout him, can’t out-muscle him, can’t even hate him. He’s a force of inevitability, the reaper with immaculate manners. That’s why I adore Cushing. He never needed bombast; he could level you with a look, a cadence, a skeletal smile. Watching him here is like watching a master conductor waving his bony fingers over a symphony of terror.

And as a package, Dr. Terror’s House of Horrors is everything I want out of classic British horror, it’s stylish, slightly campy, atmospheric as hell, and it leaves you with that strange mixture of dread and delight that only the best old-school Horror flicks can conjure. The stories range from creepy to outright deranged, and the wraparound ties it all together in a way that still gives me goosebumps even after repeat viewings.

In short: this is a cinematic feast with one of the greatest Horror actors to ever grace the silver screen. Watching Cushing deal the cards cements, yet again, why he’s one of my eternal favorites.

~Black Angel

Rocktober Blood Review (1984)

Tue, 07 Oct 2025 09:00:16 GMT

Rocktober Blood
Vestron Home Video

There’s a special corner of my black little heart for movies that mix Horror and Rock N’ Roll and “Rocktober Blood” is practically a scratch-n-sniff sticker for that world. It’s the kind of VHS fever dream you rented once in 1988 from a video store with a beaded curtain and a cat, then spent the next forty odd years trying to describe to friends: “No seriously, there’s a glam rocker guy who maybe dies, maybe doesn’t, and then everyone gets menaced while the band rehearses power chords and feelings and I’m pretty sure, the band The Lurking Corpses stole the costumes from the set!”

Is it good? Not in any traditional sense. Is it fun? Oh yeah, loudly, stupidly, gloriously.

Beverly and Ferd Sebastian shoot this like a tour diary that wandered into a slasher movie set, and it lives on the fumes of its own soundtrack. When the band “Sorcery” kicks in and the leather starts squeaking, the movie suddenly knows exactly what it is: a stitched-together excuse for fog machines, mirror shades, and a demonically catchy hook. “I’m Back” and “Rainbow Eyes” could carry a lesser cult film; here they pretty much ARE the movie, and I’m not mad about it. The music on the Soundtrack has ties to the “real” music scene of the time, with three tracks featuring legendary vocalist Nigel Benjamin from Mott (yes, the band that was reformed from the ashes of “The Hoople”) and the infamous Hollywood staple London (which then featured a pre-Motley Crue Nikki Sixx), as well as Susie Rose Major who fronted (Cousin Oliver from The Brady Bunch) Robbie Rist’s band Quint, who notoriously provided songs for the built to sting “Sharknado” movie. The soundtrack also features a song from (Quiet Riot, Rough Cutt, House of Lords bassist) Chuck Wright’s band Eyes.

The kills? Front-loaded and sporadic, like a setlist that blows all the hits in the first fifteen minutes and then expects you to vibe on deep cuts. The gore’s surprisingly tame for an ’80s slasher, think more stage spectacle than back-alley splatter, but the film keeps tossing in deliciously boneheaded moments: a killer breath-holding ambush in a hot tub, and a scene where someone sustains a note while being electrocuted like they’re auditioning for “America’s Got Talented Corpses”. That’s either your poison or your potion; for me, it’s the exact flavor of camp I pour over popcorn.

Acting ranges from “we paid you in drink tickets, right?” to “this person has definitely fired a pyrotechnic indoors.” The dialog is a spray-painted alley of one-liners and shouted exposition. But if you grew up on rock band mythology, the diva drama, the bad decisions, the way music can feel like armor and a weapon, there’s an honesty to the cheese. It’s rock-’n-roll cosplay that sometimes stumbles into rock-’n-roll truth.

Grade? For civilians: a wobbly D- minus. For horror-rock lifers like us: a midnight-movie B+ in Vibes, B- in Riffs, D+ in Arterial Spray, and an S-rank for the final show’s trash-glam catharsis. Put it on loud, dim the lights, and let the eyeliner do the acting.

If “Trick or Treat” and a crate of Sunset Strip flyers had a gremlin baby, it’d be “Rocktober Blood. Not essential cinema, but absolutely essential ambiance and one of the coolest video tape cover photos in the history of Rock N’ Roll Horror.

Rev. Chad Wells

Killer Klowns From Outer Space Review (1988)

Mon, 06 Oct 2025 09:00:30 GMT

As a lifelong Horror junkie, I’ve seen it all - gut-wrenching slashers, the brooding psychological slow-burns, the art-house creepfests that make you question your existence. But sometimes, you just want to dive headfirst into pure, unfiltered genre insanity. That’s where Killer Klowns from Outer Space delivers like a blood-soaked pie to the face.

Let’s get one thing straight: this isn’t a movie you watch for tension, nuance, or scares that keep you up at night. This is for the fans who worship at the altar of practical effects, who live for rubber-suited monsters, and those who understand that Horror can be equal parts ridiculous and FUN. It’s B-movie gold, polished with just enough self-awareness to be entertaining without tipping into parody.

The Chiodo Brothers came in swinging with this one. It’s their only feature as directors, but they flex every practical FX muscle they have. The Klowns themselves are grotesque masterpieces - oversized heads, dead eyes, twisted grins that fall somewhere between a carnival nightmare and a Garbage Pail Kid circle jerk. And they don’t just look cool, they’re deadly. Acid pies, balloon-animal bloodhounds, shadow puppets that devour you alive. This is Horror for people who miss the days when creature features were fun and gross equally.

And don’t even get me started on the tone. The whole film is dripping with ‘80s camp, but it never insults the intelligence of the Horror crowd. It knows it’s stupid, but it also knows that “stupid” can still be crafted with love and imagination. It’s in the DNA - from the synth-heavy score to the absurd set design to the completely deadpan delivery of the human cast, who treat these alien clowns with the right amount of “WTF is happening?” that you want from a movie like this.

What I respect most, though, is that this movie commits. It doesn’t wink at the audience every five minutes or try to explain the mythology of the clowns. No, they’re just intergalactic freaks who look like clowns and murder people for fun. That’s it. It understands that Horror doesn't need to make sense, it just needs to entertain, to disturb, to surprise. And on those fronts, Killer Klowns goes full throttle.

This isn’t a film for everyone. If your idea of Horror is slow atmospheric dread or elevated metaphor-heavy trauma-core, you’re going to hate this. But if you’ve got a soft spot for the wild stuff, if you grew up on Critters, Ghoulies, Toxic Avenger, or Basket Case, then Killer Klowns is essential viewing. It's Horror comfort food for the demented soul.

~Black Angel

Alien/Blade Runner/Predator Cinematic Universe Review

Sun, 05 Oct 2025 09:00:01 GMT

A (Hopefully) Complete Timeline of the Aliens / Blade Runner / Predator Shared Cinematic Universe

Most sci-fi film fans know the Alien sci-fi horror franchise is directly connected to the Predator sci-fi action movie franchise, I mean, hell, there are two films with Alien vs. Predator right there in the title. But some may not realize the sci-fi thriller Blade Runner franchise also appears to be part of the shared universe. Even if you are among the enlightened, you may not know the complete chronological viewing order of said shared universe, or all the pieces that are part of the complete canon, or in some cases in this list, non-canon.

Fear not, I’ve gathered together what I believe may be the most comprehensive viewing order to date. Each other list I found online either has errors, typos concerning the year the films are set, others completely omitting some of the short films or series’ that have been officially produced , among other omissions. And all but one I found left off the digital animated series Blade Runner: Black Lotus as well as the short film The Predator Holiday Special. Yes, there is a Predator Holiday Special.

Hell, I went through numerous iterations of this list before settling upon the one I believe closest represents the in-universe chronology of the films and shorts.

While the film that kicked it all off, Alien, came to us in 1979, the claustrophobic sci-fi horror is among the latter films to be viewed in chronological order. The starting point honor goes to:

Predator: Killer of Killers – Episode One, The Shield. The first episode of the animated series from Dan Trachtenberg, the director of Prey, takes place in Scandinavia in 841 AD and features Vikings versus a Predator.

Predator: Killer of Killers – Episode Two, The Sword. Set in 1609 Japan at the start of the episode, before jumping ahead 20 years, samurai warriors square off with a Yautja (the name the predators have chosen in their native tongue) in the Land of the Rising Sun.

Prey – set in 1719, following the tale of a female Comanche warrior, Naru, and her bloody encounter with a Predator, or a Yautja. Pays off an Easter Egg from Predator 2 when the French trapper Raphael Adolini (Bennett Taylor) gives Naru (Amber Midthunder) an arquebus with his name and the year 1715 engraved on the gun plate.

Prey 2 – an upcoming release from Dan Trachtenberg that should link Prey with Predator: Killer of Killers.

Predator: Killer of Killers – Episode Three, The Bullet. This chapter is initially set in 1941 Florida, which is when a young Hispanic American is drafted to fight in World War II. The story of Torres then leaps forward to the North Atlantic in 1942 and we are treated to the first man vs. Predator aerial dogfight.

Predator: Killer of Killers – Episode Four, The Battle. In this installment, the three previous characters who defeated a Yautja are taken to , possibly, the Yautja home world where they will battle in an arena. It is unclear if the Predators have the ability to time travel or simply cryogenically freeze humans until they are selected for battle. In this arena the humans must first face one another in a fight to the death; and the survivor is to face the Yautja chieftain. The Easter Egg at the end links to Prey. Another Easter Egg in this installment is presented in the form of the weapon selected for Torres, which I found odd, as the Viking received a weapon of her “tribe,” the samurai one from his “tribe,” yet the American soldier receives a French gun from his past, not of his “tribe.”

Predator – the flick that introduced us to the Predator hunter/warrior species stars Arnold Schwarzenegger as Dutch and is set in the jungles of Guatemala in 1987. A crack special ops team is harassed by a Yautja after completing a mission. Also stars Carl Weathers as Dillon, Jesse Ventura as Blain, and is the first role in the franchise with Kevin Peter Hall portraying the Predator, a role he reprised a number of times in the history of the franchise.

Alien vs. Predator – AVP, as this film is often called , stars Sanaa Lathan as Alexa Woods and also features Charles Bishop Weyland, as portrayed by Lance Henrikson, who starred as the synthetic Bishop in Aliens. Set in 1990, the final scene sets up the sequel, when a Xenomorph/Yautja hybrid bursts from the chest of the Yautja warrior killed near the end of AVP. Weyland’s company will play a significant role in many subsequent releases.

Aliens vs. Predator: Requiem – also set in 1990, the AVP sequel features lesser-known actors in small town America battling Xenomorphs and Yautjas after a Predator ship crashes in the forest nearby with the hybrid on board. Not one of the better entries in the franchise. Particularly dark. I don’t mean the tone; I mean the actual footage has been shot in low light and just doesn’t translate to the screen.

Predator 2 – this movie takes place in a drug war zone of Los Angeles in 1997, ten years after the original film, and stars Danny Glover as the film’s protagonist, Detective Harrigan. There are several Easter Eggs in this release that tie things together. In the decisive battle scene between Harrigan and the lone Predator aboard the alien hunter’s ship, there is on display a polished skull of an Alien, or Xenomorph, alongside the skull of the film’s drug lord voodoo priest King Willie. Additionally in that scene, after Harrigan has battled the Yautja called City Hunter, more Predator’s reveal themselves and the leader presents an arquebus with the name Raphael Adolini and the year 1715 on its plate to Harrigan. That same weapon, chronologically, was first presented to Naru in Prey by a French trapper in 1719. Finally, Ana (Elpidia Carrillo) from Predator is shown on a video screen when Special Agent Peter Keyes (Gary Busey) reveals to Harrigan the nature of his opponent. The film is also noted for the appearance of actor Bill Paxton as Detective Jerry Lambert; he also stars in the Alien franchise as Pvt. Hudson in Aliens. Distant relative perhaps?

The Chosen – this five-minute short introduces the nine killers who have been selected to be hunted on the Yautja game preserve planet. It’s the first appearance of Laurence Fishburne, Danny Trejo , and Adrien Brody, among others in the shared universe. The short film served as a promotion previewing the release of Predators.

Moments of Extraction – this nine-minute animated short provides backgrounds and context for some of the nine killers abducted to serve as prey in Predators. Nolan (Laurence Fishburne), Hanzo (Louis Ozawa Changchien), Cuchillo, (Danny Trejo), Isabelle (Alice Braga), and Mombasa (Mahershalalhashbaz Ali) are each featured .

Crucified – a two-minute animated short that details the Yautjas’ preparations on the game preserve planet as the hunt draws near.

Predators – the next entry stars Adrien Brody (mercenary Royce), Laurence Fishburne (US Air Cav soldier Nolan), Alice Braga (IDF sniper Isabelle), Danny Trejo (Los Zetas enforcer Cuchillo ), Topher Grace (a physician named Edwin), Walter Goggins (San Quentin death row inmate Stans), Oleg Taktarov (Spetsnaz Alpha Group soldier Nikolai), Mahershalalhashbaz Ali (Revolutionary United Front, Sierra Leone officer Mombasa), Louis Ozawa Changchien (Yakuza member Hanzo), and some poor schmuck who’s chute didn’t open, as the killers selected to serve as game for the three Yautja (named Tracker, Falconer and Berserker) on a planet reserved for the hunt. They awake in free fall on an alien world under a different sun. They must work together or die alone. Set around 2010.

The Predator – set on Halloween Night, 2018, this sometimes-overlooked film, in my opinion, is one of the best in the Predator franchise, if nothing else for Easter Eggs, like the tin foil unicorn Nettles (Augusto Aguilera) makes for Casey (Olivia Munn) that likens back to the origami unicorn Gaff (Edward James Olmos) made for Deckard in Blade Runner, or Casey’s reference to the original title of Predator, which was The Hunter. She argues the Yautja are hunting for sport, not actually preying on anyone. Additionally, actor Jake Busey plays Keyes, a scientist that seems to be the child of Special Agent Peter Keyes from Predator 2, portrayed by Jake Busey’s father Gary. This “soldier story” really hit home with me. In this film of man vs. Predator the soldiers are fighting for something more than simple survival, they’re fighting for the life of a young autistic child the Yautja wish to abduct. The group of soldiers are escapees from the army’s psychiatric ward. They were en route to their new facility on a prison bus when a predator escaped, providing them with an opportunity to do the same. The team, led by Quinn McKenna (Boyd Holbrook), an Army Ranger sniper, are fighting multiple battles, one against the Predator, one against the Hybrid Predator, and one against the government itself.

The Predator Holiday Special – this short film is created in the style of the 1964 Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer holiday classic, done with stop-motion animation. A departure from the remainder of the franchise, this humorous hot take on the Yautja facing off with Santa Claus and his reindeer at the North Pole is certainly intended as comedy and looks like it came right out of the Adult Swim series Robot Chicken. It’s difficult to determine precisely where this short falls in the canon chronologically, but it was released following the film The Predator, and features a mini-gun and an M16, so definitely there are modern weapons. The Predator is set in 2018, so this seems a logical fit for The Predator Holiday Special. The short film ends with other Yautja de-cloaking to present a victorious Santa with a trophy, the Easter Bunny’s basket of eggs. The final scene shows an egg from the basket hatching in the manner of a Xenomorph egg containing a face hugger.

Blade Runner – Here’s my biggest gripe about the shared universe. The Predator takes place in large part on Halloween night 2018. Blade Runner is set November 1, 2019, a year and a day later… and there are fucking flying cars! Flying Cars and a hella polluted L.A. I’m not saying those things cannot come to fruition in that short a span of time, but it seems a little far-fetched. That, and replicants are not a thing in The Predator, nor had humanity discovered the secrets of deep space travel; so, how in the fuck did Roy Batty see “attack ships on fire off the shoulder of Orion”? Perhaps mankind used one of the jump gates the Yautja utilizes to travel to earth for their little safaris; otherwise, Blade Runner is a freaking classic sci-fi film. Rutger Hauer – what is there to say that his character didn’t ? Harrison Ford as Deckard is vulnerable, fragile, and brilliant, and damn, Sean Young’s portrayal of Rachel is stunningly sexy. The metaphysical implications of the film are deeply affecting - the tale of the prodigal son, the quest for more life, the best lived life, artificial life rights, racism, preserving life even if it’s not your own, meeting one’s maker… and it’s “all lost like tears in the rain…”

Finally, there’s the soft, touching score from Vangelis, also famous for the “Chariots of Fire Theme,” that really drives home the tone of the film. An interesting note, the chess set used by Sebastian against Tyrell would later appear in Stranger Things season 4 in a game between 011 and 001.

Skinjob – This is an award-winning animated short film connected to the Blade Runner film, that is simply a damn well-done fan-project, and it has some interesting beats. It appears to be a visual representation of the last few memories in the mind of Roy Batty as he dies.

Tears in the Rain – another fan film, featuring a different Blade Runner and a replicant named Andy, a Nexus 3 that doesn’t know he’s a replicant . The short film references J.F. Sebastian. A little pretentious, tries a little too hard, but fits in with the canon. Take it or leave it.

Blade Runner: Blackout 2022 – a 15-minute-long anime short film entry into the shared universe canon, Blade Runner: Blackout 2022 tells how the Nexus 8 Replicant models became the targets of a human supremacy movement and rose up. “Life doesn’t mean living,” is a phrase one of the Nexus 8’s says that really drove home the whole theme of the Blade Runner films with me. The short film details the fall of the Tyrell Corp and the takeover of the synthetic human market and Tyrell’s assets by the Wallace Corporation.

The Peter Weyland Files: TED Conference, 2023 – Peter Weyland tells the tale of Prometheus to a stadium full of onlookers; he works in a story about T.E. Lawrence as well. Weyland (Guy Pearce) tells the crowd that humankind is God now, because it has the power to create, destroy and create again. He even claims ethical guidelines are restraining humankind from further advancement. Fucked up, I think this is where we’re at today.

Blade Runner: Black Lotus – this 13-episode animated series takes place 10 years after the events of Blade Runner: Blackout 2022 and is presented by Cruchyroll in conjunction with Williams Street and Adult Swim. It is entirely in Japanese. However, episode one “City of Angels,” can be located on YouTube with English subtitles. Watch it first to get a sense of the story, then read the Wikipedia entry of the episodes before viewing each subsequent installment. The story revolves around a Nexus 8, called “a doll” by the human supremacy movement. She’s named Elle, and in episode four we learn part of her backstory. She and several other dolls were hunted for sport, a piss poor sport if you ask me, since the dolls are harmless, with a safeguard built in preventing them from harming humans. Elle, somehow, breaks from that genetic coding and goes on a rampage to avenge herself upon the hunters. The catch? Elle has amnesia and cannot recall her past. This series explains why Niander Wallace, Jr., is blind in Blade Runner 2049. Well worth the ride and time investment. The only curiosity I really wondered about is why characters in a series largely set in L.A.’s Chinese quarter speak exclusively Japanese?

2036 Nexus Dawn – “Humanity has only survived this long by crushing the earth to suit its needs,” that from Wallace, Jr., portrayed by Jared Leto in this short prequel to Blade Runner 2049. Leto, of course, is the madman determined to replace humans with replicants in order to create a better world in Blade Runner 2049.

Soldier – a universally panned film starring Kurt Russell set in 2036 that does, however, have a cult following. It is only tangentially related to Blade Runner by a couple Easter Eggs, including the appearance of a spinner car first seen in the original Blade Runner and references to the battles Russell’s character, Sgt. Todd 3465, has taken part in, including the battle off the Shoulder of Orion and at Tannhäuser Gate, both mentioned by Roy Batty in the original Blade Runner. Todd 3465 speaks just 104 words the entire film. The movie begins in a nursery where a man is assigning newborns 1-A status; in other words, they’re being drafted . Damn disturbing. Gary Busey, having previous ly starred in Predator 2, makes a second appearance in the shared universe, playing Todd 3465’s CO. It’s actually a better film than critics gave it credit for.

2048 Nowhere to Run – an official short prequel to Blade Runner 2049 that explains how the whereabouts of Sapper Morton (Dave Bautista) are discovered .

Blade Runner 2049 – stars Ryan Gosling, Jared Leto, Ana de Armas, Robin Wright, and Harrison Ford reprising the role of Rick Deckard 30 years older and wiser. Edward James Olmos also reprises the role of Gaff. K/Joe (Gosling) has been tasked with retiring an old Nexus 8 that served as a medic in the Colonial Marines (take that Noah Hawley) and has an open-ended lifespan, Sapper Morton (Dave Bautista). In the offing he discovers a couple of small fresh flowers placed under the trunk of a long-dead tree and x-rays the ground, discovering a grave. That grave launches an investigation into what Morton only referred to as “a miracle.” This film, much like the original, deals with a great deal of existential angst, and is an absolute masterwork of cinema. And goddamnit, Ana de Armas (Joi) is devastatingly beautiful. I had doubts about a sequel to one of my all-time favorite films so far removed from the release of the original, but Denis Villeneuve hit a fucking grand slam home run. Hampton Fancher and Michael Green produced an original script that is just political dynamite. Hans Zimmer and Benjamin Wallfisch created a score to rival that of Vangelis’ original.

“I’ve never retired anything that’s been born before,” the implications of that statement from K really made me think about humanity’s practices of slavery, racism, segregation, murder - war. I find it damned disturbing that thoughts of interbreeding could destabilize society, but I suppose the writers are holding a mirror up to our society, or at least a portion of it clinging to past mores that were less than moral. Freaking hell man, difficult subject matter, particularly considering current political climates. Not one to be missed .

The Peter Weyland Files: Happy Birthday, David – this short introduces Michael Fassbender as the new Weyland Corp synthetic person, David, who appears in Prometheus.

The Peter Weyland Files: Quiet Eye, Elizabeth Shaw – a short that introduces Elizabeth Shaw (Noomi Rapace), one of the human scientists aboard the Prometheus.

Project Prometheus: Mission – essentially a brief recruiting film for Weyland Industry’s Prometheus mission.

Weyland Industries Testimonial – a mock advertisement claiming that Weyland Industries can “build better worlds.”

The Peter Weyland Files: ‘Prometheus’ Transmission – this short introduces Idris Elba as Captain Janek, as well as Logan Marshall-Green as Charlie Holloway and reintroduces much of the crew of Prometheus previously met in other short films. It serves as a transmission to intelligent life in the universe. Additional to the crew vignettes, there are images of art artifacts, fashions of Earth, videos of dancing, and still shots from across our planet, serving as a message much as the golden record attached to Voyager 1.

Prometheus – “There are those who believe that life here, began out there,” lol. That’s what I take from the opening sequence of this Alien prequel, set largely in December 2093. The Engineer alien race closely resembles the hybrid Xenomorph that later appears in Alien: Romulus. While this film absolutely lies in the official canon, it explores its own mythology. The mission is to a point in space too far removed from Earth for early civilizations to have knowledge of it, yet a map of the star system is discovered in an ancient cave painting on Earth. An aged Weyland has been cryofrozen and secreted aboard Prometheus, seeking to postpone his inevitable death. Predictably, the mission goes off the rails and few survive. An interesting Easter Egg appears in the earlier entry, Blade Runner 2049. In Wallace’s lab there is a creature strongly resembling the race of alien “Engineers” from Prometheus.

Blade Runner 2099 – an upcoming series from Ridley Scott that will star Michelle Yeoh.

Alien: Covenant – Prologue: The Crossing – this short details the further mission of Elizabeth Shaw and David aboard the liberated “Engineer” ship.

Alien: Covenant: Meet Walter – this short shows the creative process that went into making the synthetic person Walter (Michael Fassbender).

Alien: Covenant: Phobos –this short is a collection of potential participants for the Covenant Mission undergoing tests and interviews.

Alien: Covenant – Prologue: Crew Messages – this small collection of approximately one minute each short films simply are messages to home from the participants of the Covenant Mission before they enter cryostasis.

Alien: Covenant – Prologue: Last Supper – after the captain of the mission enters cryostasis, the rest of the crew throw a party aboard the Covenant before they do the same. It is reminiscent of the first chest buster scene aboard the Nostromo in the original Alien (1979).

Alien: Covenant – Prologue: She Won’t Go Quietly – select scenes with Daniels aboard the Covenant serving as a promotion for the film itself.

Alien: Covenant – Prologue: The Audi Lunar Quattro – essentially an Audi commercial crossover with Alien: Covenant.

Alien: Covenant – this entry into the Alien universe features the story of a colony ship sent to settle an uncharted world in 2104. They encounter David (Michel Fassbender) on an alien world, stranded after the events of Prometheus. There are indeed some great horror elements in this sequel/prequel. And a great deal is learned about the Xenomorph’s genealogy with a careful examination of David’s Lab. Fassbender is outstanding, playing opposite himself as there is an updated version of his model aboard the ship, Walter. Katherine Watterson, Billy Crudup, and Danny McBride star alongside Fassbender’s double role.

Alien: Covenant: Advent – this short shares the most detailed explanation of the Xenomorph species to date and brings the tale of David to a close.

Alien: Covenant: The Secrets of David’s Lab – a short that hints at Elizabeth Shaw’s final fate and shares some overlap with Advent.

Alien: Covenant – Epilogue: David’s Lab, Last Signs of Life – a 12-minute short that goes in depth into the face-hugger’s morphology, as some dumbass is wandering around David’s Lab examining it. It ends just as you might expect.

Alien: Earth – would fall into this timeline here in the year 2120 but does it’s damndest to differentiate itself from the Blade Runner films, naming the five corporations that run things, and Wallace is not among them. What fun is that?

Fuck Alien: Earth!

But I still gave it a look, and I wasn’t overly impressed, even if it has a 95 percent Fresh Rating on Rotten Tomatoes. The whole Wendy and the Lost Boys bit, with a corporation killing children in secret to transfer consciousness into synthetic bodies with no emotions, really creeped me right the fuck out. I mean, if you have no emotions, what the fuck is the point of living?

Yes, I get that the Boy Genius is supposed to be Peter Pan, we have the obvious Lost Boys, Morrow (Babou Ceesay) with his built-in blade, is Captain Hook. The Xenomorphs are the crocodiles, Dame Sylvia (Essie Davis) Mrs. Darling, Arthur Sylvia (David Rhysdahl) Mr. Darling, and the island is Neverland. Yes, yes, yes, it’s a a clever retelling of Peter Pan for grownups. Whoop-de-fucking-do. It’s a series about children in need of parental guidance, not getting it, and having to fend for themselves.

One thing I will hand to Alien: Earth, its end credits music is banging for each episode.

Alien – the 1979 sci-fi horror that kicked off this whole industry. A deep space mining ship with its crew in stasis is diverted when an alien transmission is detected in 2122. They investigate after being awoken by the ship’s computer, Mother Kain (John Hurt) is incapacitated by a strange being that attaches itself to its victim’s face during an exploration on LV-426. The alien has unique defense mechanisms and physical traits. One, it has external lungs that it utilizes to breathe for its victim while it is attached . Two, it has a tail that wraps around the victim’s throat that will shut off the oxygen supply if the alien is assaulted in anyway. Three, acid for blood. Of course, the infamous chest buster scene at supper was one of the all-time most horrifying experiences I’ve ever watched the first time I saw it, with me being just a child of eight. I may have even wet my pants, LOL. I don’t recall. My sphincter STILL tightens to this day when I view the original Alien film. An earlier version of the script called for Ripley to be male. By chance, the role was altered , and the character became “Ellen” Ripley, played commendably by Sigourney Weaver. That was the beginning of the female action movie badass lead in cinema that would become a trope – Tomb Raider, Underworld, Resident Evil, Black Widow, to name a few. And what an outstanding cast - Weaver, Tom Skerritt, Harry Dean Stanton, Yaphet Koto, John Hurt, Veronica Cartwright, and Ian Holm. Practical effects rather than digital, really turn up the horror aspect. Just that look… it’s amazingly detailed.

Alien: Alone – this short film created for the 30 ^th Anniversary of Alien, depicts a synthetic left alone aboard the Otranto, a deep-space ship that has undergone the requisite systems malfunction. She befriends the lone creature still onboard, a face-hugger.

Alien: Containment – this 30 ^th Anniversary short begins with the breakup of the Borrowdale with more than 23,000 souls aboard. There are four survivors trying to escape in a shuttle, which one is infected? The post credits scene is a stroke of pure genius.

Alien: Harvest – the third installment in the Alien 30 ^th Anniversary hexology of short films takes place aboard the comet plasma harvester vessel the November with, again, four survivors. They are so fucked .

Alien: Ore – set in a mine on Bowen’s Landing. Once again, the synthetic fucks the other crew members when a hostile species is encountered . Hanks (Tara Pratt) shows facial expressions during the attack, that of elation, surprise and terror all rolled into one, and that is an outstanding bit of acting, with no lines spoken.

Alien: Specimen – takes place on LV-492, at Greenhouse 211. This 30 ^th Anniversary short film takes a quite different approach, with an upbeat modern pop tune blasting before the action, likening to the helicopter scene in Predator, and a different take on the synthetic much like we’ve seen in Blade Runner before, I really enjoyed this one a lot. It has elements of horror I haven’t noticed in the Alien series since the very first film.

Alien: Romulus – this is Fede Álvrarez’ (partially) successful attempt to return the Alien franchise to its sci-fi horror roots. The film opens with a Weyland-Yutani probe encountering the wreckage of the Nostromo, and it brings back a cocoon with the Xenomorph inside. A crew looking to escape the hopeless planet and their Weyland -Yutani employment, leaves from Jackson’s Star and encounters the wreckage of what was originally thought to be a ship but is in reality a space station with the Xenomorph aboard, now in a decaying orbit. Onboard the station (Renaissance) is the surviving half of an artificial person with the same design as the one from the original Alien film, Ash, named Rook (portrayed by the late Ian Holm via archival and digitally manipulated footage). A derelict Weyland property, potentially with coveted cryopods and fuel that would get the crew to Yvaga III. What could possibly go wrong? This film does return to the claustrophobic, haunted house feel of the original film but lacks the character development and character interactions we saw in Alien. Nothing in particular makes me relate to the characters and get inside their heads the way earlier Alien films have. Still, it has a few great horror beats. I don’t particularly care for the design of the Xenomorph in Alien: Romulus. Álvrarez’ (Evil Dead, 2013; Don’t Breathe, and The Girl in the Spider’s Web) fourth outing as a horror film writer/director. IMHO, he should stick to directing and stop writing, however.

Aliens: Lost Transmission – this is a well-done bit of fan fic, with just three characters shot mostly in a maintenance room with the survivors of a Xenomorph attack. All viewers have to go on to determine exactly when it is set are the interior ship’s design, and a mention of a salvage team around Jackson’s Star where there is a destroyed space station, which of course is the Renaissance, the station that with two halves – Romulus and Remus. This fan film actually has a plot. I love the line, “Just because you think nobody survived doesn’t mean nothing did.” Nice bit of foreshadowing. More of a drama than an action film.

Alien: Night Shift – this short, created for the Alien 30 ^th Anniversary, takes place partially in February of 2179, the same year the original Alien sequel Aliens is set. It also takes place on LV-426, where the first and second Alien films transpire . A night shift survivor of a Xenomorph attack on a supply depot is giving a report of his experience to corporation interrogators. The said reported events take place after 426 has been settled , but before Aliens. After the survivor signs an NDA, the interrogators liken the story to that of the Nostromo.

Aliens – the original sequel to 1979’s Alien, is less a work of horror, and more of a war film cum political treatise set in 2179. This James Cameron movie would set the blueprint for all subsequent sci-fi action films and video games. Still utilizing practical effects, as digital simply was not there yet, it does have true horror beats, particularly the scene with Newt (Carrie Henn) and Ripley (Sigourney Weaver) sleeping in a room Burke (Paul Reiser) has let a face-hugger loose in. The premise, Ripley, and the cat Jonesey, have been in cryostasis for 57 years. After Officer Ripley tells her story to the company, it is summarily rejected … until the colonists on LV-426 go radio silent. Then, Ripley is asked to return to the planet in an advisory capacity to a unit of Colonial Marines. Well, the USCSS Sulaco doesn’t experience a dramatic malfunction, until the next film anyway. However, things do go wrong near the film’s midpoint when the marines go looking for the colonists’ PDTs (Personal Data Transmitters). Only three of them will come out alive, Cpl. Hicks (Michael Biehn), Pvt. Hudson (Bill Paxton), and Pvt. Vasquez (Jeanette Goldstein). The survivors, which include Lt. Gorman, knocked unconscious and suffering a concussion during the escape scene in the APC, as well as Bishop, Ripley, Burke, and Newt, take up the decision how to handle their predicament, and Burke argues the company line, adding exclusive rights will come with a significant finder’s fee. “I don’t know which species is worse. You don’t see them fucking each other over for a goddamn percentage,” Ripley replies. Spot on, I’m looking at you Elon Musk, Mark Zuckerberg, Jeff Bezos, Donald Trump, etc? Probably the second-best entry in the entire shared universe, right behind the original Alien.

Alien ³ – if I had not billed this list as “complete,” I would have skipped this turd in the Xenomorph punch bowl. With three (and a half) survivors from the Sulaco in Aliens, I honestly expected much more from this film, but interesting characters Cpl. Hicks (Michael Biehn), Newt (Carrie Henn) and Bishop (Lance Henrikson) are killed off screen. Henrikson does reprise his role of the artificial person Bishop very briefly, for a bit of exposition explaining what happened aboard the Sulaco; but like Bishop’s body after the Xenomorph Queen ripped him in half, it’s a bit part. This movie, set in 2179, takes place on a penitentiary planet, Fiorina, or “Fury,” 161, inside a Weyland prison facility. The first Xenomorph hybrid is featured in this film (not chronologically, but in order of release date), as a face hugger attaches to an ox (a dog in the theatrical release) and it comes out… odd compared to what we were accustomed to after the release of Alien and Aliens. This film lost my attention pretty quickly , and I abhor the penultimate scene. One item of note, Paul McGann, the Eighth Doctor Who, plays the psychopath killer Golic in this installment of the alien series. There were rumors Sigourney Weaver had cancer at the time of the filming after photos of her with a shaved head leaked. The 2003 Special Edition received better reviews than the original 1992 release.

Predator vs. Colonial Marines – this short is actually a fan film from Loot Crate, but a curiosity, nonetheless. It takes place in 2189, ten years after Aliens. It’s pretty bad , with a single stationary camera shot. The action takes place off-camera. It’s basically a bunch a fan boys that flunked out of film school shooting their masturbatory cosplay with a phone. I’m not certain why I even bring it up. There are much better fan films out there.

Alien: Resurrection – and finally there is the bizzaro film Alien: Resurrection. United Systems Military is the big evil government now that the big evil company Weyland-Yutani is long out of business. The year is 2379, Ellen Ripley now dead 200 years, has been cloned from a blood sample taken on “Fury” 161 in 2179 before her death. She was impregnated with an Xenomorph embryo at the time of the sample collection. She was cloned , as it seems, eight times to recreate the Xenomorph. Ripley 8 (Sigourney Weaver) is considered a byproduct. The scientist branch of the USM wants to keep her, the military wants to destroy her now that they have their Alien. A group of mercenaries deliver a cargo of humans in cryostasis to the space station Auriga. The scientists use them as hosts for the eggs of the queen they harvested from Ripley 8. Of course, the Xenomorphs get loose and wreck the station. Also star Winona Ryder as the merc synthetic Call, Ron Perlman as Johner, and Michael Wincott as the merc leader Elgyn. The station is crashing to Earth; how many survive this time? How will the synthetic storyline play out? At present, this is the final installment in the shared universe. “No human being is that humane.” ~ Ripley 8 speaking about Call.

Predator: Badlands – coming in November of 2025, not a great deal has been announced about this film, except that it takes place in the future and on the Yautja home-world. The plot features a Predator, Dek, as the protagonist and Elle Fanning as Tania a synthetic who sympathizes with him. Where will it ultimately fall chronologically in the canon?

As I’ve mentioned a couple of times, the creator of Alien: Earth, Noah Hawley, has dismissed the idea that Blade Runner is a part of the shared Alien/Predator universe. One of the best pieces of evidence the films ARE related comes from “The Peter Weyland Files.” In one of the dossiers on the BluRay release Weyland writes of his “mentor and long-departed competitor,” who ran his company, that designed replicants, “like a God on top of a pyramid overlooking a city of angels.” Weyland admits he attempted to “replicate” the work of his predecessor. Hmm, wonder who that could be? In the original Blade Runner Tyrell’s facility was a massive pyramid overlooking the City of Angels. Later, Niander Wallace, Jr. in Blade Runner 2049 says, “we make angels – in the service of civilization.” The words of Weyland, Wallace, and the allusions to the original Blade Runner are pretty damn clear. So, I’m STILL of the mindset Blade Runner is indeed part of the shared universe canon, despite no official confirmation from Ridley Scott, and Hawley’s denial.

So that’s it, the whole shared cinematic universe, and in closing I’m going to borrow a line from City Hunter, the Yautja from Predator 2: “You want some candy?”

Happy Halloween!

~Mike

In The Company Of Serpents A Crack In Everything Review

Sun, 05 Oct 2025 09:00:01 GMT

In The Company Of Serpents

A Crack In Everything

Self-Released

2025

There’s something about Denver’s In The Company of Serpents that feels like they’re dragging sound straight up from the dirt out of some ancient wound. Their new record “A Crack In Everything” is heavy in a way that goes beyond volume, it’s weighty, oppressive, spiritual even. It’s the kind of Doom/Sludge that doesn’t just pummel you; it seeps into your bones and lingers there long after the last note rings out.

From the first moments, you’re sucked into chaos. Guitar’s groan and quake like volcanoes erupting and the riffs feel less like “riffs” and more like immovable objects. The band’s duality shines here: on one hand, a suffocating heaviness that sounds like the earth opening up to swallow us whole, and on the other, passages of stark beauty and quiet reflection that feel fragile. That contrast is what makes “A Crack In Everything” so devastating, it’s not just bludgeoning Sludge, it’s dynamic storytelling through sound.

Vocally, there’s a raw, guttural edge that complements the music’s smothering atmosphere. It isn’t polished, and it doesn’t need to be, this is music meant to summon something, not to seek approval. The themes are oppressive and deal in mental and physical anxiety – it’s a shit ton to unpack specifically if you’ve dealt with substance abuse.

Clocking in at a tight runtime of 44 minutes, this album doesn’t waste a second. Every moment is deliberate, and the pacing makes the record hit that much harder. When the band leans into quiet introspection, it feels like a breath you desperately needed. When the walls of sound come crashing back down, you feel every ounce of that impact.

Admittedly, I’m late with a review of this album, but as I mentioned earlier, there’s a ton to unpack here and given that I’m still recovering from ear surgery and I’m a recovering alcoholic/drug addict, the lyrical content and music was almost uncomfortable at times. There are some albums you can just write 500 words on and be done, then there are albums like this one that you must listen to several times, find the comfort zones, adjust and lean into the spots that don’t bring up too many uncomfortable moments in your past.

Standouts – “Endless Well” (Featuring Jeff Owens of Goya), “Ghost On The Periphery”, “Don’t Look In The Mirror” and “Until Death Darkens Our Door”.

~Black Angel

Los Morts Devil Inside Review

Sun, 05 Oct 2025 09:00:01 GMT

Los Morts

Devil Inside

We Are Horror Records

2025

It’s not often that I get confused from listening to an album. Through my initial and subsequent spinnings of Los Morts’ ‘Devil Inside’, I have a number of questions, most specifically - what the hell am I listening to? There are copious amounts of influences here, everything from Alestorm and Lordi to Children of Bodom and Grave Digger. This album seems to have a serious identity crisis, one might even argue it’s a bit on the schizophrenic side…and I mean that in the best possible way.

Part of what I find so fascinating is that while the Peruvian horror punk band proudly and unapologetically wears their heart on their sleeve for the love of all things macabre, the power metal influence cannot be ignored and is oftentimes so relevant that it cuts you across the face with its menacing blade. I cannot recall a time where I’ve encountered horror punk meeting power metal, but here it is. More impressively, the band packs a bunch with some seriously thrashy riffs (I’m looking at you “Necronomicon” and “Monster in the Night”). Opening the puzzle box is “Hellraiser”, one of the most interesting tracks here as it goes full Grim Reaper with some surprising Middle Eastern elements (sitar?) peppered throughout. “I Am a Werewolf” screams Alestorm with its keyboard and vocals that sound eerily reminiscent to those of Christopher Bowes and “John Kramer” gives off some serious ‘Follow the Reaper’-era Children of Bodom.

That’s what makes ‘Devil Inside’ so interesting. While you have a general idea of what to expect from track-to-track, Los Morts keeps things interesting and you’re never sure what you’ll end up with. Will it bloody your face with riffs? Will the keyboards strangle you to the point of unconsciousness? Are there killer guitar solos that would rival those of any of today’s top metal acts? Yes, yes and yes. And if the latter interests you, check out “Every Day is Halloween”. I promise you won’t be disappointed.

~ TJ

The Hammer Horrors Creepy Cocktail Review

Sun, 05 Oct 2025 09:00:01 GMT

The Hammer Horrors

Creepy Cocktail

Self-Released

2024

Those who know me best know I’m an unapologetic Horror fiend, though not just any old ghoul. No, my coffin is lined with velvet from the classic era of Horror cinema: Vincent Price’s wicked smirk, Hammer Horror’s blood-red fog, and those gothic masterpieces that crawled from Britain’s darkest crypts. I’ve sacrificed countless nights watching and rewatching Hammer films, and I’ve spent just as many nights prowling the net for their Blu-ray resurrections like a grave-robber with a shopping cart. So, you can imagine the shriek of unholy delight I let out when I stumbled across a band literally called The Hammer Horrors. Instantly, I knew I’d sold my soul to them, it didn’t even matter what they sounded like. The name alone had me sharpening my fangs with anticipation.

And let me tell you, they didn’t disappoint me. The Hammer Horrors are a blood-soaked cocktail of Psychobilly, Horrorpunk, and Surf straight out of the land down under. Yes, Australia, where AC/DC and Rose Tattoo reign supreme in my book. It’s not a country that often coughs up the kind of music that sinks its claws into me, but once in a while, under a blood moon, the crypt doors creak open and something unspeakably good crawls out. That’s exactly what happened here: I tripped over them like a freshly dug grave while hunting for new Psychobilly victims online, and lo and behold, here they were, fangs bared and ready to feast.

They unleashed their debut full-length album, “Creepy Cocktail,” on Halloween night in 2024, as if summoned by some diabolical ritual. Forty-four minutes of graveyard stomping, chainsaw riffs, and cobweb-draped hooks that gnaw at your brain like a horde of undead rats. And unlike so many pretenders, The Hammer Horrors don’t just sprinkle a little fake blood on their act and call it Horror, they yank you by the ankles into the crypt, bash your skull with a spade, and then wink at the camera while they do it.

The first track to slither out of the casket is “Tombstone Shuffle”, a ghastly, groovy two-step through the cemetery that proves these creeps know how to balance catchy riffs with raw graveyard valor. No muddy production, no overdone fuzz, just superb guitar work and organ stabs that sound like they were piped straight from Dracula’s tomb.

The title track, “Creepy Cocktail,” serves up male vocals that growl with menace but keep their clarity, like Sparky from Demented Are Go after gargling with a bit of formaldehyde. No need to decipher grunts from beyond the grave; here, the lyrics slice right through, making the whole thing even more fiendishly fun.

And then there’s “Hot Bitch from Hell.” (Yes, you read that right.) Featuring their female vocalist, this track thrashes with punk-fueled venom, tighter than the mummy’s bandages and twice as deadly. The riffs here sear themselves into your skull like a branding iron from the underworld.

“Friday Night Frightmares” is pure Horrorbilly candy, mid-tempo, earwormy, and impossible to shake. If you don’t find yourself chanting that chorus like a cultist under a full moon, you may already be six feet under.

For a dose of sleaze, there’s the wonderfully inappropriate “Every Dead Thing Needs a Hole.” Drenched in reverb and dripping with the blackest humor, it’s equal parts reanimated blues shuffle and graveyard joke. If you find yourself offended, you probably wandered into the wrong mausoleum.

Another personal highlight is the instrumental “Nightmare Beach,” which opens with Vincent Price himself, sampled from “Bloodbath at the House of Death”. The clip, fittingly titled “The Price of Intermission”, is a chef’s kiss to Horror nerds like me. Some might scoff and call it filler, but to me, it’s the haunted cherry on top of this “Creepy Cocktail”.

Other grave-robbing delights include “Just Buried,” “Beast,” and “Sundown in Blood Town.” Each one rips, shreds, and slithers its way into your ears with the precision of a knife-wielding maniac.

In a world overrun with Horrorpunk wannabes and Psychobilly posers, The Hammer Horrors have sewn together something genuinely monstrous. “Creepy Cocktail” isn’t just another album, it’s an unholy séance of Surf twang, Punk venom, and vintage Horror worship. If you like your music soaked in blood, tongue-in-cheek, and as campy as a midnight killer creature double-feature, then raise your goblet: this Creepy Cocktail goes down smooth… but you might not live to regret it.

Recommended for fans of Hellcat Records, Wolverine Records, Fiendforce Records, and anyone who prefers their Rot ‘N’ Roll with a stake through the heart.

~Black Angel

Rise From Your Grave New Flesh Reborn Review

Sun, 05 Oct 2025 09:00:01 GMT

Rise From Your Grave

The New Flesh Reborn

We Are Horror Records

2025

Rise From Your Grave is a Pennsylvanian Horrorpunk/Thrash beast that has clawed its way straight into my blood-soaked playlist. Their latest monstrosity, “The New Flesh Reborn”, was unleashed back in June through the ever-reliable grave robbers over at We Are Horror Records. Before this slab of terror landed on my dissecting table, my only taste of RFYG came via Horrorshock Media’s “Shockwaves 2” compilation, one drop of venom that had me salivating for more.

So, let’s crack this corpse open and pry into the guts of this record! What immediately bursts from the wound is the band’s razorwire Thrash assault, blazing fast, jagged, and hungry. Tom’s vocals, particularly in his higher register, summon shades of John Connelly of Nuclear Assault. Honestly, I couldn’t be more hooked if this album came packaged with a cadaver and a bone saw for after-hours entertainment.

What really sets RFYG apart is their knack for injecting Pop sensibility into the chaos and stitching hook-laden choruses into blistering speed. Every track feels like an anthem carved into your skull, catchy enough to haunt you for days, yet wild enough to gnaw through your ribcage. They aren’t Misfits clones, but the way they fuse infectious melody with straight-up brutality scratches that same undead itch. Imagine being steamrolled by a horde of zombies but grinning the whole time because the soundtrack rules.

The musicianship is pure carnage. Riffs pile up like corpses in a crypt, and the chops are sharp enough to sever bone. Plenty of Horrorpunk bands skip the lead breaks and axe-worship theatrics, but RFYG digs up the skeleton of 80’s shred and reanimates it with necrotic vigor. Every solo feels like sparks flying off a chainsaw as it bites into flesh, I can’t get enough of it.

Lyrically, the record wallows in the kind of nightmares that stain your teeth black. I’ll admit, half the time I can’t make out what Horrors Tom’s howling about, but it doesn’t matter, this is music to stalk your prey to. Between the pounding rhythm section and the hellbound melodies, I found myself foaming at the mouth, brain-starved and desperate to HACK into the nearest victim.

There aren’t many bands out there like RFYG right now. Hell, I’d argue there aren’t any. They go full throttle, no hesitation, no filler, no mercy. At just under an hour, “New Flesh Reborn” leaves no grave unturned and no listener unscathed. Every track is a standout, every cut a new scar, but for the fiends who want the juiciest chunks, start with the tunes - “Hellhouse,” “Bloody Hands,” “The Deep,” “Pieces of You,” and “The Creature.”

~Black Angel

Left Hand Black Death Can't Keep Us Apart Review

Sun, 05 Oct 2025 09:00:01 GMT

Left Hand Black

Death Can't Keep Us Apart

The Circle Music

2025

Some bands throw on corpse paint and hope for the best. Others, like the Swiss band, Left Hand Black, live and breathe the grave dirt, coughing it up in every riff, croon and howl. The band’s latest full-length, “Death Can’t Keep Us Apart”, is their 3 ^rd release and its proof that when you play Horrorpunk with this much conviction, the cemetery gates aren’t a barrier, they’re an opening into the netherworld.

From the opening track, “Murder On My Mind Again”, it’s clear this record isn’t content to just shuffle along like some garden-variety ghoul. No, this one comes sprinting out of the mausoleum with hooks sharpened to a razor’s edge and a rhythm section that pound like a thousand wooden stakes. The guitars slash and burn, drenched in melody but never sacrifices the grit, while the vocals balance angst and sing-a-long charm - the kind that makes you want to raise a glass of blood and shout along until your throat is raw.

What stands out most about “Death Can’t Keep Us Apart” is how it captures both sides of the Horrorpunk coin: it’s grim, but it’s also strangely life-affirming and fun in its energy. Every chorus feels like a seance turned into a block party, like the dead rising to dance instead of just moaning. The melodies are infectious in a way that would make even the most hardened ghoul tap a boot against the killing floor.

Tracks like “Damned Love” and title track “Death Can’t Keep Us Apart” channel the Misfits-esque knack for unforgettable choruses, but Left Hand Black inject their own venom into the formula, making the songs hit harder and faster. It should also be noted that our old pal, Nim Vind also plays lead guitar and sings back up on the “Death Can’t Keep Us Apart”! Meanwhile, slower burners like “A Doomed Romance on a Summer Night” proves the band can do atmosphere just as well, wrapping the listener in cobwebs and candlelight.

What ties the whole thing together is the band’s musicianship. These aren’t just Horror fanatics banging out riffs in a basement, they’re tight, dialed in, and capable of throwing curveballs when you least expect it.

By the time the album closes, you’re left grinning like a corpse with its jaw wired shut. Death may separate flesh from bone, but it can’t stop this band from writing songs that sound like they were meant to echo forever in the graveyard at midnight.

This entire album is a Standout!

~Black Angel

31 Review (2016)

Sat, 04 Oct 2025 09:00:00 GMT

Directed by Rob Zombie

Distributed by Saban Films

When I think of Halloween, my mind glosses over the usual tropes: ghosts, goblins, ghouls...

Instead, I look to humanity to scare me. “31” is a film that showcases depravity and filth and is absolutely relentless and unashamed to do so.

We start with a marvelous black and white intro, with a bleak but aptly delivered monologue from the one and only Doom Head, played by the iconic Richard Brake. We soon realize this is not a monologue but rather Doom Head addressing his next victim. Bloody death awaits. But unfortunately, it is not a swift death.

The film then shifts to our group of protagonists: a motley crew of carnival workers. These are societal outcasts, misfits, but they are a tight knit "family". We're given glimpses into each character's personality without a boring and mundane back story. These are not bad people; they are just people that are trying to survive.

Soon after we are introduced to our characters, we enter a fever dream of death, destruction, chaos, filth, and gore. And that, my fellow fiends, is why we are here.

Our protagonists must survive a game called "31" or die trying. The rich trio running the game are betting on who will survive, expecting that none of them will. They have a menagerie of maniacs just itching to kill our victims. And oh, do they try. Ultimately the carnies prove more resourceful than anticipated and the cavalry is called in.

Enter: Doom Head. We see him as himself first: a filthy, foul degenerate but with a level of intelligence and sophistication hidden below the crust. The real horror begins when he paints his face and begins his hunt. This is a man driven not merely by money but an absolute LOVE for the kill.

Guts, gore, profanity, and sex play huge roles in “31”. Rob Zombie has crafted a loving homage to 70s Grind House films while making a unique and entertaining story guaranteed to shock and horrify any who dare watch it. While not as popular as his trilogy involving the Firefly Family, “31” is still a monument to his legacy of horror and a welcome addition to the pantheon of "this makes me uncomfortable" horror.

~Jared Lord (Zipperguts, HorrorShock Records)

The Woman In The Yard Review (2025)

Thu, 02 Oct 2025 09:00:03 GMT

After losing her husband in a car accident, Ramona and her children (Taylor and Annie) are startled to find a woman dressed in black sitting motionless in their yard. Upon her attempt to discover who the woman is and what she wants, the woman says cryptic and unsettling things to Ramona, before displaying her bloody hands. Growing tired of his mother’s inaction to eradicate the woman in the yard, Ramona’s eldest child, Taylor, grabs a fire poker and runs out to the car to try and get help. Unfortunately, the car doesn’t start which results in more animosity and tension between the family, leading to Taylor’s decision to grab his deceased father’s rifle in an attempt to coerce the woman to leave their property. Upon raising the rifle to the woman’s head, she explains to Taylor that his mother had lied to him about how his father had died and that she was to blame.

After explaining herself, Ramona and the children find themselves being attacked by the malevolent spirit of the woman in the yard. Trapped in the attic, the woman manifests herself and takes Annie with her to the ‘other side’. This results in some flashbacks with Ramona and her husband and then a sequence where Ramona is the woman in the yard. In the final act, the woman in the yard reveals that she’s Ramona’s prayer. Every morning since the fatal accident, she has been praying for the strength to carry on. The woman in the yard tries to convince Ramona to kill herself and shows her how her children will be better off without her. The movie ends in a very anti-climactic fashion, but there is one scene at the very end that is left deliberately ambiguous which could make the movie a little more interesting if you let your mind wander down the dark path.

~TJ

The Bride Of Frankenstein Review (1935)

Wed, 01 Oct 2025 09:00:58 GMT

The Bride of Frankenstein is one of my top favorites in cinema. The story line, the acting and the overall mystique are something that I cherish and feel deeply. Frankenstein and the Bride are all over my house – paintings, figurines, pictures of movie stills and posters. I told my now wife from day one that she was marrying a Monster, so for almost 30 years, she’s been the BRIDE and that’s how we’ve celebrated our love and relationship since 1996. I collect anything Frank/Bride related like a junkie looking for his next hit. The one thing my darling Bride won’t let me have made to put on the wall is the infamous line - “We Belong Dead” …

Let’s dig into the shadow-drenched, lightning-struck world of The Bride of Frankenstein, the 1935 masterpiece where beauty, brains, and bolts of electricity collide in the most unholy, spectacular fashion! Grab your lab coats, crank up the thunder, and prepare for a Horror cocktail that’s equal parts Gothic romance, mad science, and sheer, unhinged spectacle.

From the first flicker of lightning across the moor to the last haunting chord of the organ, this film drips atmosphere. James Whale directs and conducts an orchestra of screams, gasps, and tragic moans. And Boris Karloff as the Monster: he isn’t merely terrifying; he’s a wounded colossus of tragedy, lumbering through the shadows, each step a reminder that the world fears what it cannot understand.

And then, oh sweet, lucifer, we get to the bride. Elsa Lanchester’s hair defies gravity, her expression is a cocktail of Horror, confusion, and eerie allure, and she rises like the ultimate Gothic punchline to Dr. Frankenstein’s pride. She doesn’t just enter the scene, she electrifies it, literally and figuratively, with one of cinema’s most iconic entrances. And the Monster is smitten, confused, and simultaneously tragic and terrifying all at the same time.

The supporting cast, from the scheming doctors to the bewildered villagers, adds chaos, fear, and occasional dark humor. This isn’t camp in the modern sense, but there’s a deliciously theatrical edge to it: lightning flashing, shadows dancing across Gothic arches, and dialogue so sharp it slices through the thick fog like a scalpel. Every moment of suspense, every flicker of candlelight, every clash of morality and madness is heightened, making the entire film feel like a living, breathing nightmare you can’t look away from.

And the style! Whale’s use of shadows, swirling fog, and the iconic laboratory is a pure mad scientist dream. It’s the blueprint for decades of Gothic Horror, from Hammer films to modern scream queens, and it still hits you in the chest like a jolt from Dr. Frankenstein’s lightning machine.

The Bride of Frankenstein is a love letter to terror itself. Tragic, unhinged, breathtakingly theatrical, and dripping in style, it proves that Horror can be both elegant and monstrous, romantic and grotesque. By the time the final thunderclap echoes across the moor, you’re left trembling, breathless, and hopelessly in love with it all.

~Black Angel

The Other Alienated Review

Sun, 28 Sep 2025 09:30:00 GMT

The Other

Alienated

Massacre Records

2025

Horror punk (horror rock, ghoul rock, death punk, whatever you wanna call it) is perhaps the nichest of all the niche genres. There are notable exceptions that have escaped the “let's sound like the Misfits and the Ramones all the time” trappings, such as Calabrese, The Rosedales, early AFI, and, some would even say, my own band. That’s not for me to decide, but it’s humbling to hear, nonetheless. Of course, these bands I’ve mentioned (save for AFI), along with other criminally underrated artists like Green Goblyn Project, Darkest of the Hillside Thickets, The Spook, and the very band we’re about to discuss, are part of the “second wave” and all fly painfully under the radar. There’s also a healthy third wave of bands that cropped up at the dawn of the 2010s and beyond, but THIS review is about to get down to the brass tacks of the new thirteen-song spookfest from Cologne, Germany’s favorite sickos: The Other.

For the sake of some background: The Other began in 2002 as a Misfits tribute band called The Ghouls. Soon after, they started writing originals and unleashed They’re Alive! in 2004, a debut packed with some of their most beloved material, which they still perform to this day. Lineup changes, musical growth, and seven albums followed, which brings us to their eighth: Alienated. This album was produced by Tim Schulte (Massendefekt, Rogers, Callejon, Stefanie Heinzmann), mixed by Arne Neurand (Guano Apes, Subway to Sally, ZSK) at Horus Studios, and mastered by Olman V. Wiebe (Kreator, Caliban, Sondaschule). From a production standpoint, the album delivers a modern sheen with their patented punk/metal rawness and intensity, without sounding too compressed or sterile. Having been a fan of the band since their inception, I can say without bias that this is the best mix they’ve ever had. Now let’s get to the songs, yeah?

The Other have increasingly woven metal into their songwriting, alongside melodic punk and, in recent years, a healthy dose of goth rock. If you can imagine a dinner party where Bad Religion, Pennywise, and The Damned break bread with H.I.M., Type O Negative, and the 69 Eyes, you’re on the right track. It’s worth noting, too, that lead vocalist Rod “The Lightning Rod” Usher (sorry buddy, I couldn’t resist) has greatly expanded his approach, using his low register, raspy midrange, and higher tenor voicings throughout. Joining him is returning founding member/bassist Andy Only (high five!), Jag Boone on drums, and Van Tom and J. Ends on guitars and backing vocals.

Thematically, the album revolves around loneliness, detachment, and estrangement. Lead single “Alienated” encapsulates those ideas perfectly with a three-and-a-half-minute goth-tinged dirge that still packs a punch with its catchy chorus and sing-along whoah-ohs. You also get the full-throttle proto-thrash of “I Need Blood”, the punk urgency of “I Give You the Creeps”, which slides into a keyboard-laden bridge before exploding into its earworm-worthy chorus, and my personal favorite, “A Ghost From the 80s”, which leans toward 80’s rock and new wave, just with way more teeth. As is par for the course with The Other, you’ll also find the campy horror-movie-inspired tracks “Horror Movie Monster” and “The Witch From Outer Space” included for the die-hards. “Heir Sein” continues their tradition of including one German-language track, and it’s a melancholic stomper with a strong minor-key chorus and tasteful harmonized guitars. The old-school, back-to-the-roots vibes of “I Know Your Name” and “Die Human Die” cap things off, and I can’t help but smile hearing these.

Seriously, if I were to list the great songs here, I’d just end up listing all of them, and I basically have, save for a couple. Alienated is just that solid of a record. No skips required. With their latest long player, The Other not only prove they have plenty of creativity and gas left in the tank of their hearse, but they’re also gonna drive it straight onto bigger stages, defy genre tropes, and sound resilient and vital while doing it. After all, EVERY day is Halloween, right? But Alienated isn’t just spooky season required listening. This is a record you should crank all year long.

~TB

Revocation New Gods New Masters Review

Sun, 28 Sep 2025 09:15:00 GMT

Revocation

New Gods New Masters

Metal Blade Records

2025

Still Gods, Still Masters

Everybody's favorite technical death-thrash band is back for their ninth(!) studio album and they aren't fucking around. Revocation brings the heat once again with their blistering mix of brutality, virtuosity, masterful harmonic sensibility, and groove, groove, groove. Lovecraftian and otherwise sci-fi/horror lyrical themes abound alongside some of the tastiest guitar soloing and lead work you're bound to come across.

New Gods New Masters brings back some of the vibe of albums two and three while still bringing the heavier and increasingly death metal leaning tone of their more recent work. The combo really works, giving the compositions room to breathe and allows you to bask in their gnarly glory. These dudes have never been the kind to shy away from dipping to their bag of tricks via cool arrangements, dissonance in all the right spots, and relentless bulldozing heaviness, but the tool they sharpened this go 'round was groove and boy howdy does it pay off.

Did I mention groove? But for real, Dave Davidson and company are an absolute force, as always, but this time they brought friends. A powerhouse guest lineup graces the album including vocals from Cattle Decapitation's Travis Ryan on the lurching grind of Confines of Infinity, Job For A Cowboy's Jonny Davy on the lead single Cronenberged, the mighty Luc Lemay of Gorguts on album closer Buried Epoch, and soloing from jazz guitarist Gilad Hekselman on the instrumental The All Seeing. And what's best is that none of it comes across as forced or stilted. It all settles naturally into the... well, you know.

If you like it heavy and you've never checked these dudes out you're doing yourself a real disservice. Now's the time to correct that. Granted, nothing is for absolutely everybody, but I haven't heard a record all year I'd recommend as universally to those that partake of the death metal or the super heavy side of thrash and the like. Those that dig primarily on musicianship and virtuosity and can tolerate being closer to the deep end of heavy will definitely find something here to grab onto, real guitar hero stuff. Above all this album makes my head bang and really, what else can you ask for?

~Confoundry

Megahera Back To The '80s Review

Sun, 28 Sep 2025 09:00:00 GMT

Megahera

Back To The '80s

Witches Brew

2025

There are certain records that don’t just land in your lap, they come crashing through your speakers like a neon-drenched time machine. Megahera’s “Back to the 80’s” is one of those albums. The title says it all, but the music goes beyond mere nostalgia. It’s not cosplay Rock, it’s a loving tribute soaked in fire and armed with the kind of hooks, riffs, and attitude that would have absolutely held its own on the Sunset Strip back in the day.

From the first track onward, Megahera makes it crystal clear they aren’t dabbling in the 80’s, they’re living it. The guitars are razor-sharp and melodic, drenched in that familiar tone that sits perfectly between Glam and Heavy Metal. The choruses are massive, arena-ready chants that practically demand fists in the air. And let’s not forget the solos, they rip through the mix with the kind of precision that lets you know this band isn’t just playing dress-up.

What really makes this album work is the balance. It’s not just glitter and flash. There’s thunder in the rhythm section, and a sense of fun in the lyrical content, while the guitar gymnastics are insane. The only thing that’s off-putting is the consistent use of auto-tune on the vocals – its way overcooked vocally. I’d prefer to hear the true vocals no matter how poor. The auto-tune vocals might turn some people off, then again it might not, it’s up to you.

“Back to the 80’s” isn’t about reinventing the wheel. It’s about burning rubber off said wheel and bringing back familiar formulas and moments that we lived for when we were kids. For anyone who grew up in the golden age of Metal and Hard Rock, this record is a reminder of who we are and where we come from. For newcomers, it’s a crash course in how big, bold, and unapologetically fun Rock n’ Roll can be.

Stand outs – “Back to the 80’s”, “Tommyknockers” and “Rock Heroes”.

~Black Angel

Cosmic Reaper Bleed The Crown Drown The Damned Review

Sun, 28 Sep 2025 09:00:00 GMT

Cosmic Reaper

Bleed The Crown, Drown The Damned

Heavy Psych Sounds Records

2025

Southern Doom/Sludge outfit Cosmic Reaper return with “Bleed the Crown, Drown the Damned”, another crushing effort of fuzz-drenched riff worship. Dropping this September via Heavy Psych Records, the record feels less like a release date and more like an oncoming storm.

While much of this style gets the Stoner tag and inevitably trudges down the Sabbath-forged highway, Cosmic Reaper keep steering off-road. True to their name, their sound expands outward, lush, spacious, and more psychedelic in its weight than simply Stoner-bound. Hints of ‘90s Grunge creep in too, especially in the band’s approach: there’s an undercurrent of anger threading through the songs, even if the vocals don’t always scream outright. The aggression simmers instead of erupting, smoldering beneath the haze.

Also refreshing is their restraint with guitar solos. Instead of cramming in endless lead breaks, the band leans into atmosphere, layering fuzz and lead fills to build tension. Depending on your taste, you’ll either miss the flash or get lost in the weight of the tone and depth.

For modern comparisons, Cosmic Reaper fit comfortably alongside Monolord and Spelljammer. In fact, Monolord drummer Esben Willems handled the mastering here, a fitting choice given the sonic kinship. While his hand didn’t reshape their sound, it’s hard to imagine a more appropriate set of ears fine-tuning these riffs.

If your vice is atmospheric, fuzz-soaked Psychedelia delivered at a slow, crushing crawl, Cosmic Reaper’s “Bleed The Crown Drown The Damned will serve every need you have.

Standout tracks: “Waiting by the Gallows”, “Hammer”, “Pot of Gold”, and “Dwelling.”

~Black Angel

Void Forbidden Morals Review

Sun, 28 Sep 2025 09:00:00 GMT

Void

Forbidden Morals

Shadow Kingdom Records

2025

As promised, Louisiana’s Thrash titans, Void, are back from the crypt to swing the axe once more, and this time they’re bringing a bigger, sharper blade. Their sophomore abomination “Forbidden Morals” is set to crawl out of the shadows via Shadow Kingdom Records in just a few short weeks, and it feels less like an album release and more like a summoning. I already tangled with their earlier nightmares, “Horrors of Reality” and the “Return of the Phantom” 7”, and at this point, Void feels less like a band and more like an infestation I’ve willingly let inside my skull. Once they’re in, you don’t shut the door, you open it wider and let the plague spread.

If you’ve ever bled for their past releases, you’ll find the same venom flowing here, only darker, thicker and more poisonous. Horror doesn’t just lace the riffs, it stalks them. This album reeks of grave dirt and phantom breath, and while the band still brandishes their old-school Thrash pedigree, there’s more atmosphere here, haunted string sections that creep like cold fingers across your skin. On “Apparition,” Void slows the tempo down, not for mercy, but to let the shadows stretch longer; to let you hear the silence between the screams. It’s no ballad, it’s a death march in slow motion.

Then comes “By the Silver Light,” which dares to flirt with the dreaded word ballad, but not in the candle-waving way. No, this is the kind of ballad you play as the coffin lid slams shut. Think Testament’s “The Ballad,” but dragged through a swamp of wraiths. The rise, the collapse, the suffocating in-between, all carried by riffs that breathe like a beast and vocals that sound like they’re being torn from a throat mid-exorcism. It might be the album’s crown jewel, a rare moment where horror and beauty entwine into something grotesquely radiant.

The specter of “Return of the Phantom” reappears, reanimated, stitched back together, stronger and uglier than before. It’s not just a reprise, it’s a resurrection, dripping with new life (or un-life). And then there’s the towering monolith, “Beneath…Lives the Impaler”, ten and a half minutes of ferocious Thrash, riffs flying like chainsaws, leads scorching flesh from bone. It’s ambitious, bloated with menace, and while some might say it overstays its welcome, I say it overstays like a demon you can’t banish, it just keeps grinning in the dark until you break.

With “Forbidden Morals”, Void have carved out their space as one of Thrash’s nastiest underground entities this year. They channel the wild-eyed precision of Toxik and the razor-wire frenzy of Annihilator but never sound like cheap imitations of their idols, they sound like the monsters lurking behind those idols, whispering in their ears.

If there’s any justice in this rotten scene, Metal Blade should sign Void, strap them to a tour like a rabid beast, and let them spill this chaos on stages worldwide. This isn’t just Thrash, it’s Thrash with a corpse grin, Thrash with black candles burning, Thrash that claws its way out of the grave and brings you with it.

~Black Angel

Dying Remains Merciless Suffering Review

Sun, 28 Sep 2025 09:00:00 GMT

Dying Remains

Merciless Suffering

Maggot Stomp

2025

Canadian heshers Dying Remains are set to pulverize with their debut full-length, Merciless Suffering. Once the ink was dry on the contract with Maggot Stomp Records (one of the best independent extreme labels going these days), they got right to work, and the results are neck-pain-inducing.

These ten songs were recorded at Colossus Audio Productions, with mixing and mastering handled by Scott Oliphant. The production is deep - guitar, vocal, and drum-forward, with a tight mix and some sheen atop the raw, aggressive feel of everything. Dying Remains are a quartet, and for this release the overarching story from song to song takes the listener on a journey into a gargantuan, sprawling torture chamber. Every song references a method of torture or an implement of it in some way, so these compositions are not meant to invoke shiny, happy feelings. There is an angry, malicious feel to everything here, and it works well when you consider the lyrical themes and their songwriting.

For said songwriting, Dying Remains employ somewhat bouncy, mid-tempo arrangements heavy on the chugs and barking growled vocals. I’m immediately reminded of “slam death metal,” but there’s way more going on here, and it’s not the typical gross-out contest of much of that genre. They keep it fresh and forward-thinking with elements of speed, hardcore-inspired riffs, and very tasteful lead guitar playing, and, thankfully, no ridiculous pig-squealy vocals. I would describe them as what happens when Obituary, Jungle Rot, and the originators of slam, Internal Bleeding, have a very spiteful offspring.

Across 29 minutes they crawl, they sometimes blast, but most assuredly break down and plow through their simple and catchy arrangements with enthusiasm and vigor. Dying Remains has released one of my top death metal albums of the year with this album. I’m excited to see where they go from here.

Standout tracks: Merciless Suffering, Upon the Torture Rack, Sawblade Execution, Crushed, As the Blade Swings Down

RIYL: Obituary, Internal Bleeding, Jungle Rot, 200 Stab Wounds

~TB

Dispossessed Democide Review

Sun, 21 Sep 2025 09:00:06 GMT

Dispossessed

Democide

Carbonized Records

2025

Portland, Oregon circa 2014. A ferocious, lumbering mastodon melding doom, sludge, and death metal known as Dispossessed is born into an unsuspecting world. They wreak havoc, they crush cities, and maim onlookers while challenging injustice, encouraging critical thinking, and addressing societal collapse. They turn the mirror on us with engaging, emotionally charged, and often scathing compositions.

The prehistoric monolith has returned after their 2019 debut Examinate to bring us the equally loathsome and dismal four songs from Democide. Dispossessed are a quartet (comprised of members K. Jewett – guitar, bass; M. White – guitar; M. Du Bose – vocals; and L. MacDonald – drums), and they employ their influences of bands such as Corrupted, Asunder, Winter, and Grief to powerful effect. Slow-burning riffs, pained death growls, raw aggressive energy, and a downright bleak atmosphere throughout are the order of the day here. Make time for this one, because even though it's only an EP, the running time is 32:13. The first track, “Examinate,” clocks over ten minutes, and album closer “Watan – If I Should Die” breaks that barrier as well. Don't be put off by the lengthy songs; they offer enough groove and interesting arrangements so that you're never finding yourself bored or thinking a particular section of any song is overstaying its welcome.

What Dispossessed do incredibly well is employ enough stop-start parts, speaker-rattling bass interludes, and powerhouse drumming against impossibly low-tuned fuzzy, buzzsaw guitars that even though the pace is that of a snail, it's still heavy as all fuck and maintains my attention. I would even venture to say that BECAUSE these songs march on with trance-like precision, they are that much weightier and more impactful. Sometimes low and slow bashing is even more brutal than going as fast as possible. Read that last part twice, tech bands. ;)

Democide was recorded by Mike Vera at VeraTone (Juliana Hatfield, Great Falls) and mastered by James Plotkin at Plotkinworks (Earth, Sunn O))), Khanate, Amarok). The result is a thick slab of molten lava that just creeps forward to devastate and incinerate the entire population. One nod I hear from the band is that of the late, great Morgion and their album Solinari. Maybe not musically, but in the moods captured here for sure. The world is a dark, disjointed, and divisive place. Dispossessed just gave us a cold, venomous soundtrack for the most troubled of times. They speak of “systemic violence, environmental destruction, and carceral injustice, grounding their work in anti-authoritarian ideals,” and we NEED an album so angry right now. This fucking rules. To put it quite crassly: turn it on, turn it up, and watch the world burn along with them…

RIYL : Grief, Corrupter, Winter, Mythic, Morgion

~TB

Occulsed Antegnosis Review

Sun, 21 Sep 2025 09:00:06 GMT

Occulsed

Antegnosis

Everlasting Spew Records

2025

“Antegnosis is not a standard English word. It appears to be a constructed term combining the Greek prefix ante- ("before") and gnosis ("knowledge").” Hey, thanks Google! What it also happens to be is the new full-length from Georgia-based death metal outfit Occulsed.

The members of Occulsed are no strangers to the death and/or black metal scene, with a combined 21 years of experience amongst its trio of members (K. Parker – vocals; J. Stubbs – guitars & bass; and J. Moran – drums). Having spent time in various bands across those genres over the years has not only informed their musicianship and songwriting, but also their ability to bring Antegnosis to life all on their own accord, as they recorded it themselves over the course of 2023/2024. The album was mixed and mastered by Stubbs as well. The production here is murky, low-tuned, punchy, and foreboding—not unlike the famed Scott Burns Morrisound Studios classics.

This nine-song release is their fifth outing, after two demos in 2019 and 2020, and two full-lengths in 2021 and 2022 respectively. Occulsed are not different from A LOT of newer death metal bands post-COVID, in that they are mining the rotten ground of old-school death metal. However, that's not a criticism. What Occulsed are doing very well (and in so doing, are separating themselves from the pack) is drawing from the more mid-paced, doomier aspects of that sound, by way of Tampa and Scandinavia. There are passages of clean guitar overlapping long, held-out chords, plenty of tremolo-picked sections, pinch harmonics, subhuman low bass and growls, and dexterously fast drumming that can also groove and plod to masterful headbanging effect. Perhaps it was what I was listening on, but I wish the vocals and drums were a bit louder in the mix, as they are sometimes buried by the very guitar-forward production.

Minor complaints like that aside, at the crux of Antegnosis we get a varied and engaging listen from the opener “Haze of Morbid Slicing” to the very last track “Realm of Debasement” (clocking in at 9:17!). Truth is, the band seems to swirl in and out of mournful dirge to blasting insanity, double-bass-riddled sections, and mammoth mid-paced parts effortlessly, and it is all just very tasty icing on the cake. If I may quote their press, it's “a labyrinth of sonic decay, a necrotic ritual steeped in arcane resonance!” Hard to find fault in that spot-on description, really. Give Occulsed some of your hard-earned dollars and take Antegnosis for a spin. It's a record that is brutally ugly, well (de)composed, and a worthy addition to the OSDM revival scene. Be warned though: this has a bit more teeth than a lot of bands, so you may draw back a bloody stump. It doesn't get any more death metal than that, right?

-RIYL: Incantation, Morpheus Descends, Funebrarum, Blaspherian

~TB

Before The Dawn Cold Flare Eternal Review

Sun, 21 Sep 2025 09:00:06 GMT

Before The Dawn

Cold Flare Eternal

Reaper Entertainment

2025

With “Cold Flare Eternal”, Before the Dawn sound like a band fully locked into their second life. Where 2023’s “Stormbringers” felt like a triumphant re-introduction, polished, melancholic, and carrying the weight of their return, this new record hits with far more confidence and muscle.

“Fatal Design” comes crashing in with sharp riff work and a chorus that instantly feels built for a live setting. The track “As Above, So Below” really sets the tone, mixing soaring melody with a heavier undercurrent. “Stellar Effect” pushes into darker, moodier territory, its gothic leanings adding a shadowy edge that wasn’t as pronounced on the last album. And then there’s “Shock Wave”, by far one of the band’s most aggressive tracks to date, thick with groove and bite, a side of Before the Dawn that rarely came through on “Stormbringers”.

What stands out most is the balance: Tuomas Saukkonen and company haven’t abandoned the Melodic Death Metal melancholy that has always defined them, but this time the aggression feels dialed in and the clean/harsh vocal interplay sits more naturally in the mix. If “Stormbringers” was about proving the band could still deliver, “Cold Flare Eternal” is about planting the flag and pushing forward.

In short, this is leaner, heavier, and surer of itself, an album that doesn’t just reestablish Before the Dawn, but makes the case that they’re entering one of their strongest eras yet.

~Black Angel

Philosophobia The Constant Void Review

Sun, 21 Sep 2025 09:00:06 GMT

Philosophobia

The Constant Void

Sensory Records

2025

The Prog Metal universe is vast and often overcrowded with bands who think long songs and odd time signatures automatically equal brilliance. But then something like “The Constant Void” comes along and reminds you what Progressive Metal should feel like: dangerous, thoughtful, technical, but still brimming with heart and soul instead of sterile math equations. Philosophobia doesn’t just play Prog Metal, they stretch it until it trembles on the edge of collapse.

From the first notes you’re dropped into this swirling maze of riffs, melodies, and moods that shift like storms. One moment, guitars carve jagged trenches in your brain, the next you drift into haunting atmospheres that whisper from some place between dreams and nightmares. It’s cerebral, yes, but never cold, there’s always a pulse and warmth that makes you feel human.

The musicianship here is lethal. Every instrument gets a chance to shine without stepping on the others. The drumming is precise but organic, like a living metronome made of muscle and instinct. Guitars twist between crushing heaviness and delicate passages that feel fragile. The bass, thankfully, isn’t just an afterthought, it rumbles in the mix, pushing the songs forward like tectonic plates shifting under your feet. And the vocals cover the spectrum ranging between melodic, aching, harsh, all delivered with the conviction of someone trying to escape madness.

These songs don’t feel like separate pieces slapped together, they unravel like chapters in a larger story, each one deepening with emotional gravity. You’re never left drifting too long before the next songs crashes over you.

“The Constant Void” lives up to its title, it’s heavy and sometimes unsettling. It’s the kind of record you put on late at night, lose yourself with, and come out feeling both exhausted and renewed. Philosophobia has carved out an intense album, it commands your attention, and once you give it, it’s impossible to pull away.

Standout Tracks – “Will You Remember”, “The Fall” and “The Forgotten Part I”.

~Black Angel

Ripping Remains Necrodestiny Review

Sun, 21 Sep 2025 09:00:06 GMT

Ripping Remains

Necrodestiny

Satanik Royalty Records

2025

There's something in the water in Oregon lately. I've been greeted with a slew of quality material from that state since I jumped back into being a humble scribe here at BAP, and Ripping Remains are no exception. Rising from the cauterized and smoldering corpse of Pacific Northwest death metal stalwarts Dripping Decay, they are set to lay waste to everything in their path on their debut EP Necrodestiny.

Returning from Dripping Decay is vocalist/guitarist Eric Stucke. He's taken up the frontman mantle here with conviction, a deep pronounced growl, and blackened screams. His songwriting is a mixed bag of hook-laden riffs, grinding brutality, and memorably infectious moments. Also, along for the ride is his Decay bandmate, drummer Jason “The Machine” Norton, whose tight, precise, and extreme playing ability has seen him as a touring member of Jungle Rot, Ripped to Shreds, and Skeletal Remains. Rounding out the lineup is Satanik Royalty Records founder Michael “Frei” Freiburger, who also provides face-melting background vocals and bass. Necrodestiny was recorded by Derek Leisy, mixed by Greg Wilkenson, and mastered by Dan Lowndes. The production is a nasty, bottom-heavy affair with HM-2-derived guitars, punchy drumming, and thudding bass sure to please fans of the death/grind classics of old.

Four songs and an intro are all Ripping Remains needed here to state their case. We begin with the near two-minute soundscape/intro “Carbonized Effuvium,” which has spooky, eerie atmospheric keyboards straight out of an Argento film. From there, track two (the title track) spews forth with intensity, speed, and dexterous, almost thrashy rhythms, and straight-up pummels for just over three minutes. Next up we have “The Horror Writes Itself,” which is more of the same feel, but also adds in a stomping mid-paced breakdown here and there and Rick Rozz-like, whammy-addicted, reverb-washed leads. The family-friendly titled “Rub My Infection on You” follows with more blazing speed, some snaking riffing, and chugging gallops. The vocal approach is a bit more varied here too, with black metal shrieks punctuating the guttural renderings. The closer “Maternal Rot” caps things off with a slowed-down, death/doom pace before settling into a headbanging verse section that utilizes trilling riffs and middle-of-the-road plodding tempos before breaking into d-beat sections and more lead guitar. This is the longest track at just over five minutes, and it's also my favorite.

Ripping Remains are an informed, quality song-crafting bunch. Their horror-themed, death-grinding insanity will surely take those of us who remember the nascent days of Razorback Records, Impetigo, and early 90’s classics like Necrology back, and leave us fondly remembering those gory days. They not only keep their past alive in remembrance, but also add fresh elements to create a bloody, disgusting rebirth. I'm all for it. This one, while an intense, raw, and undeniably brutish carcass of OSDM and grindcore, was a pleasant surprise. Rip on, gentlemen.

RIYL: Repulsion, Exhumed, Terrorizer, Nausea

~TB

Stoned Jesus Songs To Sun Review

Sun, 21 Sep 2025 09:00:06 GMT

Stoned Jesus

Songs To Sun

Season Of Mist

2025

I won’t sugarcoat a damn thing; I’ve been stalking Stoned Jesus’ “Songs to Sun” like a drug fiend. I knew it was coming, but I didn’t know when, and the not-knowing gnawed at me. I pestered my poor rep at S.O.M. begging: Where and will we get the next Stoner Rock revelation? And now it’s here. The sun cracked open like an egg, yolk spilling fire across the sky, and Stoned Jesus was the band to bottle it. “Songs to Sun”. A record, yes, but also a prophecy. The first part of a trilogy. That’s not just news; that’s a cosmic dare. A vow written in sweat and smoke.

Press play, and the sound doesn’t just start, it explodes. You’re thrown face-first into passages of progressive sprawl, with riffs twisting like vines around your throat. This band never fakes it, never panders and never stoops. They mean it. And maybe I’m fragile right now, ear surgery gone sideways left me cracked open like a busted speaker, but music this raw goes straight into the wound. It’s emotional, it’s unnerving, it’s almost too much. And yet I keep hitting repeat!

Six tracks, forty-one minutes. Tight. Focused. Perfect for vinyl, though you know this beast deserves the audiophile treatment, a double-LP slab of wax heavy enough to crush. The riffs are massive and will shake your insides loose. Hooks that coil like snakes; melodies that melt like Dali clocks. And remember this is a three-piece band. No extra bodies, no wasted space. Every note counts. Every crash of the cymbal feels like it’s hammering into your skull.

Standouts, don’t even ask. This whole album is a standout. Lead single, “Shadow Land” hits the hardest while maintaining a mid-paced vibe that settles in nicely as it stares at the ghost of Soundgarden smirking in the corner. “Lost in the Rain” is a cathedral of sorrow, with haunting orchestral silhouettes wrapping around the vocals. Then comes “Quicksand”, ten minutes of an acoustic revival that pulls you back to the lost days of MTV Unplugged. It’s nostalgia dipped in incense smoke and days long gone. I listened and suddenly remembered being sixteen, clutching a pack of smokes, ready to inhale anything, cigarettes, riffs, drugs, fire, it didn’t matter what, as long as it burned.

“Songs to Sun” isn’t just the Stoner Rock release of the year, it’s a solar flare that incinerates all the competition. It’s magnificently produced, monstrously arranged and dangerously alive. This is the beginning of a trilogy that might just end with the band being mythologized, canonized and deified.

~Black Angel

Zipperguts Books Of Blood Review

Sun, 21 Sep 2025 09:00:06 GMT

Zipperguts

Books Of Blood

Horror Shock Records

2025

Horror Shock Records aren’t releasing an album; they are unleashing a DISEASE. October 3rd will mark the day humanity gets its ears split wide open by “Books of Blood”, the new sermon of filth and fury from Zipperguts. Vinyl, CD, hell, they should’ve pressed this thing into sheets of HUMAN SKIN because that’s how wrong and right it feels. This isn’t the start of spooky season; it’s the opening of the KILLING SEASON. Lock your doors, hide your priests, and kiss your loved one’s goodbye because Zipperguts has climbed out of the coffin and he’s humping your Halloween candy bowl.

I first heard this maniac on “Shockwaves Vol. 2” and thought: what the fuck is this abomination? No Misfits vibes, no cutesy “whoa-oh” choruses, just pure stalk-and-slash audio pornography. It was like a knife pressed against my jugular whispering, “smile for me, darling”. And now with “Books of Blood”, the knife has been shoved in…

Before, Zipperguts was a one-man ghoul with a drum machine, a haunted ventriloquist doll rattling in a shoebox. But this time, he dragged in an unholy cult of creeps from The Creepy Crawlers and Hideous Monster, with Reverend Chad Wells himself lurking in the background, producing, howling and vomiting into the chalice. The result is a MONSTER stitched together, lurching into the night with an axe in one hand and a rosary in the other.

Listening to “Books of Blood” is like kneeling in a confessional while a serial killer breathes heavy behind the screen and starts describing the smell of your insides. Twenty-one minutes of blood-slick mania that makes you feel complicit, dirty, aroused, guilty, and begging for more.

“Smile” is a razorblade dipped in bubblegum, a Punk anthem so catchy it feels like you’re pogoing on corpses in a grave. “Shallow Grave” is the dirge that never lets go, those riffs crawl up your spine like centipedes while Chad Wells’ backing vocals hammer the last nail into your box. Play it loud enough and you’ll taste dirt in your mouth. “Not Too Dead”? That’s not a song, it’s a necrophiliac manifesto, one minute of furious corpse worship, screaming that you’re never too dead to fuck. Crown the corpse queen and bow before her rotting majesty!

And then there’s “I Fuck Nuns.” Holy Christ in a blood-filled baptism pool. It’s got a riff that sounds like a Flock of Seagulls record was found in a dumpster behind a porno theater and played through a Marshall amp. Zipperguts is shrieking blasphemy straight into my skull, and I can’t decide if I’m supposed to be laughing, jerking off, or vomiting. So, I did all three. Simultaneously!

The rest of the record is no less diseased, songs that make your skin crawl, your dick twitch, your moral compass spin until it snaps in half. Vocally, Zipperguts is a young Lemmy possessed by Satan and fed through a meat grinder. The Creepy Crawlers and Hideous Monster guests drag his music out of the grave and force it to dance in the moonlight.

Grab “Books of Blood” and baptize yourself in the noise. Zipperguts is here to stalk, slash and skull-fuck your sanity. And if you’re not ready for that, then you’re already dead – and by now you should know you're never too dead to fuck...

~Black Angel

Eldfodd Risen From The Flames Review

Sun, 14 Sep 2025 09:00:21 GMT

Eldfodd

Risen From the Flames

Edged Circle Productions

2025

Supergroups are often hit or miss, especially in extreme metal circles. There are notable exceptions to this rule, such as Lock-Up, Killer Be Killed, and Bloodbath, to name but a few. Often, the “supergroup” tends to sound like a smattering of each band the individual members hail from. Thus, this results in making the albums very uninteresting, or at the least, they sound as if they are treading familiar ground walked by their main outlets of creativity. Thankfully, this is not the case with the debut EP from Sweden’s Eldfodd, the raging four-songer Risen From the Flames.

Eldfodd feature in their ranks members of death and black metal luminaries from Dimmu Borgir, General Surgery, and Necrophobic. They began in February of 2025 “just for the hell of it” and popped a couple of songs onto Bandcamp (the best and most fair-paying streaming service out there, mind you), and Norwegian label Edged Circle came a-calling, and now we have this EP. The lineup is comprised of Erik Sahlström on vocals, Sebastian Ramstedt on lead guitar, Johan Jansson on rhythm guitar, Victor Brandt on bass, and Perra Karlsson handling drums. The sound cultivated here is best described primarily as old-school Swedish death metal stylistically (Entombed, Dismember, Carnage), but there are no Sunlight Studio production cues or HM-2 buzzsaw guitars. Instead, Eldfodd draw from that era and add in a healthy dose of Carcass and the filthiest of the filthy, Autopsy. They've worked with producer Gord Olson to craft their mutated babies and forge their own unique sound here, but make no mistake, this is old-school death metal the way it was meant to be heard, and there is no reinventing the wheel.

When listening to these foul, rotten, cemetery-ridden songs, you're getting it all in spades: growly, gravelly, and somewhat reverberated vocals; down-tuned guitars (that also pack plenty of melodic parts by way of twin harmonized sections and eerie atmosphere in minor keys); blasting, double-bass-riddled drumming with punk penchants; and distorted sinewy bass parts. It all adds up to a gruesome good time. Lead single Risen From the Flames is a belter from the word go, careening from a slinky intro into blast-beaten, tremolo-picked, evil guitarmony bliss and a downright catchy gang-growled chorus. The doom button is pushed toward the song's end, and we're smack-dab onto shreddy soloing and repeating church bells over a breakdown before it's all over. Beyond the Fire is up next and gleefully gives us more of the same, along with some thrashier verses. Possess, Blind and Devour, whether intentionally or not, is decidedly Possessed-like in its snaking, noodly verse riffing before crushing with a mid-tempo refrain of “Join us!” and whammy-bar abuse that follows. Lastly, we come to Silence of the Gods with its breakneck pacing, anguished screams, and relentless thrash abandon. We’re treated to another mid-tempo breakdown at the 2:12 mark that could have easily been an outro on Left Hand Path, before shifting back to a four-on-the-floor end. And that's all she wrote. In a mere twelve minutes and twenty-five seconds, these crazy bastards have given us the most authentic-sounding Swedish death metal EP since Breeding Death. Nothing here sounds forced, revivalist, or tongue-in-cheek. Death metal is their business, and from the sounds of songs of this caliber, business is GOOD. I wait for the full-length or next EP with bated, blood-soaked, flesh-eating breath…

~TB

Dusted Angel This Side Of The DIrt Review

Sun, 14 Sep 2025 09:00:21 GMT

Dusted Angel

This Side Of The Dirt

Heavy Psych Sounds Records

2025

Occasionally, I stumble on a record that feels like a time capsule cracked open in the middle of the present day. Dusted Angel’s “This Side of the Dirt” is exactly that kind of record, earthy, riff-driven, and just dirty enough around the edges to remind you that Rock ’n Roll is supposed to have some dirt under its fingernails. This isn’t a record for people who want everything polished to a mirror shine. This is for the folks who live for the dive bar jukebox, who know the bartender by name, and who understand that a little distortion and dust is the spice of life.

The record hits with a swagger that borrows equally from Punk, Stoner, and classic Heavy Rock. The riffs are thick and lumbering, but never monotonous, each track has its own personality while keeping a consistent mood that ties the whole album together. You can feel the weight in the low end, that swampy groove that pulls you down like quicksand, and the drums hit with that loose but locked-in feel that keeps everything rolling forward.

Vocally, there’s this raw, unfiltered delivery that doesn’t bother with theatrics. It’s real, lived-in, and matches the music’s vibe like a worn-out denim jacket matches a whiskey-stained floor. You don’t feel like these guys are trying to reinvent the wheel, but that’s not the point. The point is they ride the wheel, take it through the mud, and hand it back to you dripping and rattling.

On paper, “This Side of the Dirt” is a Stoner Rock album, but it’s the kind of Stoner Rock made for blasting in a rusty hot rod on cassette or 8-track. It’s heavy without suffocating you and raw without being sloppy. Ultimately, it is just a damn good listen for anyone who still believes that Rock N’ Roll is still king.

Standouts – “Death Crushes Hope”, “Redman”, “The Thorn” and “Seeking Dawn”

~Black Angel

Year Of The Goat Trivia Goddess Review

Sun, 14 Sep 2025 09:00:21 GMT

Year Of The Goat

Trivia Goddess

Napalm Records

2025

Year of the Goat has returned to remind us that 70’s styled Occult Rock still matters. Their latest offering, “Trivia Goddess”, is a masterclass in atmosphere, where shadows of the 70’s are alive and well. This band has always leaned into that retro mystique, and here they take it even further, blurring the lines between ritual and Rock show.

What immediately jumps out about this album is the mood. You can almost smell incense smoke curling through the riffs. The guitars shimmer and swirl in equal measure, laying down grooves that feel carved from the same stone as early Occult greats – Coven, but with just enough modern polish to avoid sounding like a museum piece. The vocals are haunting, theatrical without being campy.

There’s also this undeniable sense of dynamics. “Trivia Goddess” isn’t about blasting you with heaviness the whole time, it’s about luring you in, seducing you with melody, then dragging you into the ritual. One track will swirl with psychedelic layers, the next will strike with a hammer of pure Proto Doom, but it all feels connected, purposeful, and drenched in dark atmosphere.

If you’ve been craving a record that honors the great tradition of 70’s Occult rock while pushing it forward, Year of the Goat has you covered. “Trivia Goddess” is spellbinding, sinister, and strangely uplifting. Simply put, this record is a ceremony.

Standouts – “The Power of Eve”, “Kiss Of The Serpent”, “Alucarda” and “Witch Of The Woods”.

~Black Angel

In Your Blood Self-Titled Review

Sun, 14 Sep 2025 09:00:21 GMT

In Your Blood

Self-Titled

Witches Brew

2025

Germany’s Witches Brew label has sunk its claws into another young, bloodthirsty Metal act, this time from Canada, by signing In Your Blood. I had to do some digging to learn more about the band, but honestly, none of that really matters once you throw on their Self-Titled debut. The music does all the talking, and what it says is loud, ugly, and lethal.

The band’s still green, with only a few singles and an EP under their belt, but from what I can tell, most of that material has been re-recorded and sharpened for this release. Here’s the truth: this record isn’t for the faint of heart. If you’re not a lifer, if you don’t bleed Metal, then this isn’t for you. And if raw, Blackened Thrash makes you squirm? Turn around and RUN.

Normally, I’d glance at something like this and move on, but something about it hooked me right away. Maybe it’s the sheer youth and venom in their attack, the unrelenting urge to annihilate anything that moves. The production is raw, sure, but so was a ton of Thrash in the ‘80s. Half of those classics sounded like they were tracked in a Jersey sewer, and we wouldn’t have it any other way.

Riff-wise, this album is stacked. Blistering guitar riffs come hard at your throat with ill-intent. It’s Slayer colliding with D.R.I., with a few jagged shards of Exodus scattered in for extra damage. The solos are scorched-earth, chaotic, and perfect for this style. Vocally, the album leans more into Black Metal territory than straight Thrash, which is either a bonus or a letdown depending on where you stand. For me, the mix sometimes buries the clarity, but that’s nitpicking, because the feral energy never lets up.

Bottom line: In Your Blood have arrived swinging chains and broken bottles, and they’re here to smash skulls with a vicious slab of Blackened Thrash Metal. If riffs are your religion, this debut is worth your devotion. Just prepare yourself for bloodshed!

Standouts: “Ash and Alcohol,” “Dead,” “Serpent Eye,” and “Empty.”

~Black Angel

Revelator Light The Devil's Fire Review

Sun, 14 Sep 2025 09:00:21 GMT

Revelator

Light The Devil’s Fire

Nameless Grave Records

2025

Typically, I don’t wander too deep into the forests of Black Metal or Death Metal anymore, those days of corpse paint and blast beat obsession are mostly in my rearview. But every now and then, an album slips through the cracks and sucker punches me in the face, reminding me why I ever loved the stuff in the first place. That’s exactly what happened a few weeks back with the Canadian Black/Death blasphemers, Revelator.

The usual PR email landed in my inbox and I didn’t even bother with reading who or what it was, I went straight to the video. No preconceived notions, no inflated expectations, just blind listening the way it should be. And holy hell, the band hit me like a bloody hammer to the temple. Heavy as sin, sure, but not just heavy. Revelator fell directly into that sweet spot between chaos and craftsmanship; the kind of violence I didn’t know I needed. From that moment on, I was jonesing for the full promo like a rabid dog waiting to get its ass kicked again. Hell, I might’ve asked for it twice before the full album landed.

For almost a month now I’ve been getting stomped daily by Revelator’s debut full-length “Light the Devil’s Fire”, dropping via Nameless Grave Records in September. The band has two demos on cassette under their belt, but this is their first major offering, and it is a glorious bloodletting. It’s technically Black/Death, but the way the riffs are carved out leans toward a Blackened Thrash frenzy that speaks directly to my reptilian brain. No overcooked blast beat overload. No tired, knuckle-dragging chugs. This record is packed with riffs, actual riffs, the kind you can latch onto, hum under your breath, and air-guitar until your wrists ache.

Now, the vocals, forget understanding them. These aren’t lyrics so much as they are guttural death rattles, vomited curses, sounds of someone purging demons through a microphone. Pain as performance. And somehow, it works. The unintelligible sickness only adds to the aura of desecration.

Musically, “Light the Devil’s Fire” delivers everything you’d want from modern Black Metal without retreating to the tired “recorded-in-a-cave” gimmick or symphonic string excess. It’s raw, sharp, searing, but balanced with just enough melody to make the brutality stick. Think early Celtic Frost or Satyricon colliding with the grime of Venom. If you need a modern comparison, imagine Goatwhore, but nastier, filthier, and possessed by demons who haven’t slept in centuries.

My only gripe is the mix. Everything’s smashed together into a wall of hellfire, leaving the vocals buried and clawing for air. Not that I’d understand them anyway, but some separation would’ve given the record that extra sting. Still, this debut is a triumph of riffcraft and chaos. A record that proves you don’t need a fog machine and church-burning aesthetics to conjure evil, just a direct line to Satan’s riff factory.

Standout tracks: “Light the Devil’s Fire”, “Death Serenade”, “By the Whip”, “We Who Reign with the Devil”.

~Black Angel

Horror Punk Chartbusters Resurrection Review

Sun, 14 Sep 2025 09:00:21 GMT

Horror Punk Chartbusters Resurrection

Wolverine Records

2025

After a few years, Wolverine Records has resurrected one of their most celebrated cover compilations, and this time, it’s a beast. "Horror Punk Chartbusters Resurrection" gathers 26 Horror Punk heavyweights and sets them loose on some of the biggest hits from decades past. Slow clap for Wolverine Records here, because it takes guts to admit there are Horror Punk bands not only willing, but worthy, of tackling the Pop charts.

The set drops as a double CD and vinyl release, and that alone makes it special. Usually, cover comps in this scene mean Misfits reinterpretations - fun, sure, but expected. Here, with the emphasis on “chartbusters,” you know you’re in for the random, the weird, and the gloriously fun.

Disc 1 cracks open strong.

Germany’s titans The Other ignite the record with a stunning take on Ultravox’s New Wave classic “Dancing With Tears In My Eyes.” I grew up hearing this on the radio every hour, and The Other drench it in fresh paint while keeping the admiration intact. Rod Usher’s vocals are absolute fire.

Then comes the curveball, Derry’s raging cover of Olivia Rodrigo’s “Vampire.” I’ll be honest, I wouldn’t have even known the original without my wife tipping me off (I’m out of touch with Pop these days). But damn, I fell in love with it, fun, heartfelt, and loaded with swearing that still amuses my inner 12-year-old. Derry’s snotty punk delivery fits the song’s bite perfectly. Consider me a new fan, I’ll be hunting down more from these guys.

Zombina and The Skeletones float into orbit with a dreamy version of Peter Schilling’s “Major Tom,” while Dickie Devil and the Deviants smash “Do You Wanna Dance” somewhere between Ramones fury and Beach Boys sunshine. Perfect.

Of course, no Horror Punk party is complete without “Science Fiction Double Feature,” and Bloodsucking Zombies From Outer Space absolutely nail it. Their pogo-ready rendition even slips “Superheroes” into the mix.

The surprises keep coming: The Crimson Ghosts inject raw menace into Dead or Alive’s “You Spin Me Round” (a song I’ve covered myself, so I know the temptation). And my old pal Nim Vind twists Johnny Cash’s “Folsom Prison Blues” into something unrecognizable yet mesmerizing. Sacrilegious, never – brilliant, absolutely.

Disc 2 doesn’t hit quite as hard, but it still has its monsters.

Hellgreaser kick it off with Patti Smith’s “Because the Night,” moody in the verses but blazing in the chorus. Then, out of nowhere, Astra Zombies Rickroll us with a full throttle take on “Never Gonna Give You Up.” I didn’t peek at the track list, so yeah, I got Rickrolled for real. It’s chaotic at times, but gutsy and fun as hell, I respect it.

Midnight Haunt dig into Rockwell’s “Somebody’s Watching Me,” leaning heavy into darkness but missing a bit of the camp that makes the original so weirdly perfect. Still, points for effort. Thankfully, Los Morts swoop in with a killer rendition of Laura Branigan’s “Self-Control”, a criminally underrated 80’s gem. They play it as straight as they can, and it works beautifully. The original version of this track was a sincere favorite of mine as a kid – the video was campy, spooky and Branigan was gorgeous. This cover made me feel good for sure. Bravo!

Left Hand Black turn Loverboy’s “Working for the Weekend” into a lo-fi fist-pumping banger, while Rezurex close things out with a jaw-dropping Rockabilly blast through the Stray Cats “Runaway Boys.” As a Rockabilly guy too, I’m floored, the precision and swagger here are next level. I expect this kind of greatness from Rezurex, they’ve been “on” since their debut several years back.

At the end of the night, Horror Punk Chartbusters Resurrection is exactly what its name promises: a monstrous compilation that delivers nostalgia, surprises, and enough Horror-kissed energy to keep your coffin rattling. CD or vinyl, it doesn’t matter, just get your claws on it. Wolverine Records have done it again, and for me, it’s vinyl all the way.

~Black Angel

Sölicitör Enemy In Mirrors Review

Sun, 14 Sep 2025 09:00:21 GMT

Sölicitör

Enemy In Mirrors

Gates Of Hell Records

2025

If I wasn’t cursed as a half-assed writer, junkie of riffs, and lifelong fiend for the underground Metal scene, I’d miss out on half the good shit this planet pukes up. The normies want you to choke on whatever factory-polished garbage the radio shoves down your throat. Major Labels - don’t even get me started, most of those bastards aren’t hunting for the real deal, they’re just casting nets for their next payday.

Why am I foaming at the mouth about this? Because occasionally, an album barrels into my life and annihilates the safe, sterilized garbage the big labels are peddling. It reminds me why I still give a damn about Metal in the first place. Sad? Sure, I’m sad for all the bands busting their asses while the mainstream pretends, they don’t exist. But also fucking glorious. Because finding one of these records feels like eating the forbidden fruit of Eden. Once you take a bite, you’re never the same and you see and hear colors you didn’t beforehand.

Enter Sölicitör. A Speed Metal warhead out of the Pacific Northwest, and one of the few bands that still understands what the words Heavy Fucking Metal mean. Not cosplay Metal, not radio-safe “modern rock with extra distortion,” but the kind of fire-breathing American Metal that makes you want to bleed, puke, scream, and dive headfirst into the pit. The kind that raises the hairs on your neck like the first time you heard Dio wail, Savatage rip, or W.A.S.P. sing about their “Sex Drive”.

And here’s the kicker: I’d never even heard of them until now, see my rant above about labels and radio acting as gatekeepers of mediocrity. Their new release, “Enemy In Mirrors”, is technically their second full-length, and it slaughters with the force of a thousand armored tanks. This isn’t nostalgia bait from washed-up geezers trying to relive high school glory days. No, this is the kind of Speed Metal that convinced kids in the ’80s that Metal could save the world. And for me, it fucking did.

Let’s talk about vocalist, Amy Lee Carlson. Holy hell. If banshees, Valkyries, and feral wolves had a child together and set it loose on a mic, that’s what’s happening here. She shrieks, howls, and claws at the air like she’s starving and your dinner. Think Ann Boleyn (Hellion) and Maryann Scandiffio (Blacklace) with a dose of early Doro’s (Warlock) ferocity, then crank the voltage until your brain melts. She doesn’t imitate; she incinerates.

The music is a goddamn revelation. Spirited riffs, leads sharper than guillotines, and songwriting that doesn’t waste a single note. This is what I dig through promo piles hoping for. This is why I wade through oceans of mediocrity, because once in a blue moon I find a monster like this. It has Mausoleum Records time-capsule energy, with shades of New Renaissance fervor. It’s classic yet intense and familiar enough to be ferociously alive. If I had one gripe, it’s the mix, could’ve been brighter, but fuck it, my ears are already mangled from decades of abuse. Plus, I had ear surgery a few months ago, so I’m still recovering. Don’t take my word on the mix as Gospel.

No filler. No fat. Just Speed Metal perfection, warped through a carnival mirror and sharpened to a killing edge. If forced to pick stand out tracks, I’d go with “Black Magic,” “Devil’s Hand,” “Iron Wolves of War,” “Fallen Angel”, each one a rabid beast with teeth bared. This album will be gnawing on my skull the rest of the year, and it’s already cemented itself on my best-of list for the end of this year. I’m fucking pumped that there’s a band out there like this, a band that still bleeds American Metal, this is what it’s all about.

Vinyl/CD drops mid-September. Hit their Bandcamp, throw your money at them, and grab every goddamn thing they’ve put out. I already did and those records have been getting tons of spins since they hit my mailbox. When a band this good comes crawling out of the abyss, you clutch it, bleed with it, and scream with it until the end of days. This is why Metal will never fucking die.

~Black Angel

Veil Lifter Night Grotesqueries Review

Sun, 07 Sep 2025 09:00:14 GMT

Veil Lifter

Night Grotesqueries

Kold Kave Production

2025

Every so often, a Black Metal release sneaks in and reminds me that the genre still has something left, that all the chaos, bleakness, and atmosphere aren’t dead and buried. Italian band Veil Lifter’s “Night Grotesqueries” is exactly that kind of EP. It’s not a casual spin by any stretch. This is music best consumed when you’re willing to let yourself drift into the dark corners and lose your bearings for a while.

After a brief intro track, the opening tune, “Votive Candles”, sets the stage with oppressive weight. The guitars rip and roar, coiling around the rhythm section like serpents, constricting tighter with every riff. The drums pound endlessly, and the vocals, though guttural and buried, sound like the shrieks of something unhinged and damned. Personally, I’d like them louder in the mix but given that the riffs are the spine of the song, the balance works.

The track “Crumpled Sleeve” pulls back just a little, trading sheer aggression for a more melodic hook. There’s still atmosphere everywhere, but this time you can catch moments where the fists can pump, and the head can bang. The vocals, while still raw, are more decipherable, and the track strikes a balance between ferocity and catchiness that lingers. Then comes “Psalm X”, another standout drenched in melody yet fully anchored in the icy heart of Black Metal. The vocals once again take a backseat to the instrumentation, but the song carries that familiar, cultish chill that feels like home for anyone who’s spent time in the genre’s underground scene.

“Night Grotesqueries” isn’t background music. It’s a descent, a ritual in sound. Veil Lifter has conjured an EP that drags you into its shadows and leaves you to wander among the damned. Released this past July on cassette and CD (with the tapes already sold out), this one is for anyone who craves their Black Metal bleak, relentless, and utterly merciless. The band is already at work on a follow-up.

~Black Angel

Nailed To Obscurity Generation Of The Void Review

Sun, 07 Sep 2025 09:00:14 GMT

Nailed To Obscurity

Generation Of The Void

Nuclear Blast Records

2025

There’s a strange beauty in misery and Nailed To Obscurity seems to have carved their entire cathedral inside that truth. Their new album “Generation of the Void” isn’t just a listening experience, it’s a slow bleed, a meditation in shadows with faint glimpses of hope that flicker somewhere in the darkness.

From the opening moments, you’re pulled into their haze: riffs that feel like waves of pressure crashing against your chest. The guitars drone and weep in equal measure, while the rhythm section slogs forward with a kind of doomed inevitability. The vocals, those tortured growls and ethereal cleans don’t just sit on top, they drag you further down into deeper waters. There’s despair in every syllable, but it’s a despair you want to hear on repeat.

What I love is that Nailed To Obscurity never rushes. They understand the power of patience. Songs stretch and breathe, unfolding like a forbidden ritual performed at midnight mass. The dynamics keep you trapped in their storm: one moment crushing riffs rattle your bones, the next you’re suspended in ghostly atmosphere, staring into the abyss. It’s not about instant gratification, it’s about immersion.

And yet, this isn’t just some wallowing exercise in gloom. There’s craft here, a sense of direction in the chaos. The band knows how to write hooks that lurk beneath the melancholy. It’s heavy, it’s progressive, it’s gripped with Doom but above all, it’s human.

“Generation of the Void” feels like standing in a thunderstorm with echoes of past lives whispering in your ears, while above you the sky splits open and threatens to fall around you - It’s suffocating, This isn’t an album that wants to cheer you up, it wants to remind that yes, there’s more darkness and that the void is never ending.

Standout Tracks – “Glass Bleeding”, “Echo Attempt”, “Misery’s Messenger” and “The Ides of Life”.

~Black Angel

Green Carnation A Dark Poem Part I: The Shores of Melancholia Review

Sun, 07 Sep 2025 09:00:14 GMT

Green Carnation

A Dark Poem Part I: The Shores Of Melancholia

Season of Mist Records

2025

I first stumbled into the world of Green Carnation back in 2005, when my pal, TJ dropped his review of “The Quiet Offspring”. We’d just landed on The End Records’ PR list, and that album came spinning in like a gift from the Gods of the void. I remember pressing play and thinking here was a band that felt like a sleeker, more accessible cousin to Paradise Lost. There were also shades of Lake of Tears in there, another group carved into my personal pantheon. And yet, after that album, Green Carnation slipped from my mind, and I forgot about them.

Now here we are, a decade or 2 later, standing on cusp of a new release: “A Dark Poem Part I: The Shores of Melancholia”. The title alone feels like a curtain raising on something that lurks only in shadows. This is the opening act of a promised trilogy, and longtime fans have every reason to clamor with excitement. My own history with the band is patchy at best, but listening now, I hear a group that has evolved, sharpened, and arrived at what feels like their full potential. Or at least, that’s what it sounds like to me.

The press release throws around the word “Prog”, and yes, the band has graced the ProgPower stage in Atlanta, but that label doesn’t sit right with what I’m hearing. This isn’t polished, formulaic and boring Prog, it’s something more elusive. There’s an Avant-garde heart beating here, draped in Doom and Atmospheric Metal, with ghostly brushstrokes of Black Metal flickering at the edges. Those harsher moments don’t dominate; they’re used more for texture rather than foundation.

What makes this album grip so tight is its sheer depth. The songs are not content to simply exist; they pull you in, dragging you through twisting corridors of half-remembered dreams. This isn’t background music at all. This is a record that demands your attention, a labyrinth of sound where sorrow and truth intertwine. Melodies ache, hooks cut deep, and every piece feels deliberate, synchronized, and impossibly cohesive.

At six tracks and forty-two minutes, it may look lean on paper, but there’s no shortage of substance. Each song is a world to itself, and to single one out feels almost unfair. Still, if pressed, the title track “The Shores of Melancholia” rises like a monolith, as does the opener “As Silence Took You”, both shimmering with power and fragility in equal measure.

I find myself hungry for the next chapter in this trilogy, curious to see what landscapes the band will carve from their dark imaginations. Even without having heard every page of their history, I can say this might just be Green Carnation’s strongest statement yet.

~Black Angel

The Rods Wild Dogs Unchained Review

Sun, 07 Sep 2025 09:00:14 GMT

The Rods

Wild Dogs Unchained

Massacre Records

2025

I always get a kick out of writing about the bands I grew up with, especially the veterans who laid the groundwork long before most of us even had our first turntable. Today, the spotlight falls on none other than the legendary American Heavy Metal outfit, The Rods! Now, I’ll be the first to admit I’ve never been their number one disciple, but if you’re a denim wearing Metalhead or vinyl collector, you know The Rods. Back in the day, their ‘80s catalog was among the first full discographies I chased down and let me tell you, there’s nothing like spinning those old slabs of Metal. Decades later, those records still roar with the kind of raw magic that refuses to die.

But enough about my nostalgia, let’s sink our teeth into the main course: “Wild Dogs Unchained”. Dropping just a year after 2024’s “Rattle the Cage”, this record serves up seven fresh cuts alongside three re-recorded classics from the band’s back catalog.

The album kicks the door wide open with “Eyes of a Dreamer,” a mid-paced statement track that immediately locks you in. The chorus soars, the hooks snap, and David Feinstein proves his pipes and fretboard firepower are still in fighting form. From there, “Rock N’ Roll Fever” slams down like a dragster at full throttle, tight bassline, no gimmicks, just pure, unfiltered Rock fury. “Mirror Mirror” keeps the pedal down, but spices things up with molten solos that teleport you straight back to the denim and leather glory days of the early ‘80s.

Then comes the emotional curveball, “Tears for the Innocent.” It begins with a balladic whisper, then surges into a power-charged anthem that’s heartfelt without ever tipping into cheese. There’s a touch of Maiden in its bones, and that’s never a bad thing.

As for the re-recordings, they’re exactly what you’d expect, classic Rods anthems with modern production muscle. Do I still favor the originals? Absolutely, but hearing them refreshed doesn’t feel like a betrayal, it’s thrilling. And the choice to close things out with “Hurricane” is a perfect ending to what has been a spectacular album.

Here’s the reality: The Rods have been charging since 1980, and every time they release a record, there’s that whisper of “could this be the last one?” If “Wild Dogs Unchained” ends up being their swan song, then it’s a damn proud way to bow out. Personally, I think this is their strongest release since “Heavier Than Thou”, and that’s saying a lot.

Bottom line, this isn’t nostalgia bait, this isn’t “good for their age.” This is a no-bullshit Heavy Metal record from a band that helped lay the cornerstone of American Metal itself. Raise a glass, drop the needle, and let The Rods remind you why they’re still a force to be reckoned with.

~Black Angel

Babylon A.D. When The World Stops Review

Sun, 07 Sep 2025 09:00:14 GMT

Babylon A.D.

When The World Stops

Kivel Records

2025

California’s resident bad boy Glam/Hard Rockers, Babylon A.D. have returned, swagger intact, with a brand-new slab of fire. Hot on the heels of “Rome Wasn’t Built in a Day” (2024, Perris Records), their latest record, “When The World Stops” (via Kivel Records), dropped just days ago. Some might ask why a band would deliver two albums so close together, me? I say life’s too short. If the music’s in your blood and the band is burning hot, why keep the flames in the furnace? Babylon A.D. never faltered. Since 1989, they’ve walked the tightrope between indie spirit and major label polish with grace, leaving behind a catalog without dead weight. Derek Davis and his crew don’t just write songs; they craft lifelines for their loyal fanbase.

“When The World Stops” feels like a continuation of the resurrection sparked by “Rome”. But this time, the band sounds more sure-footed, more comfortable in their skin, more dangerous in the studio. The recording is pristine, yet the pulse is raw. The flow is effortless, every song feels like it belongs. From arena-sized scorchers to slow-burn ballads that reach into your chest, this record knows its audience.

Take “Love is Cruel”, a song that doesn’t just play, it haunts. Close your eyes, and you’re back in the high school gym, the lights low, the smell of punch, perfume and smoke linger in the air. You and your girl sway slowly, clinging to each other like the world could vanish if you let go. There were nights that I prayed would never end. Thankfully, they never did – a love that started in 1991, still burns as hot and wild as it did back then. That’s the magic, music that resurrects memories, that makes time collapse. Derek’s vocals soar like they did back in the glory days, and the band surrounds him with a wall of sound that feels both modern and timeless. Dare I say this might be their finest moment since their debut album. I felt every lyric and every piece of music deep in my soul.

Of course, Babylon A.D. hasn’t forgotten their penchant for anthems. Tracks like “Toxic Baby”, “Power of Music”, and the title cut “When The World Stops” bring the hooks, the fists, and the neon haze of 1989 flooding back. You can almost taste the denim and leather and the fog machine mist.

And let’s be clear: I’m a Sleaze rocker to the bone. Call it “Hair Metal” if you must, but I despise that label, it was never about Aqua Net clichés, it was about fire, lust, and melody. Sure, I dabble in Psychobilly and worship at the altar of all things Metal, but Sleaze is my soul. Bands like Babylon A.D. raised me and made me who I am today and when they deliver an album like this, it feels like HOME.

So, here’s my advice: grab this album, turn the lights low, pour a strong one and grab your girl and hold her close. Let Babylon A.D. do what they do best, make the world disappear for a while.

~Black Angel

Rise From Your Grave Thirteen Single Review

Fri, 05 Sep 2025 09:00:44 GMT

Pittsburgh’s graveyard fiends Rise From Your Grave have clawed their way out of the mausoleum again, unleashing a brand-new single that’s been festering in the coffin for far too long! The track is called “Thirteen”, a cursed number if there ever was one, and it’s a tune the band wrote way back in their primordial days, now mutated, stitched together, and jolted with fresh electricity. With their latest Horror-show A New Flesh Reborn still dripping, they’ve tossed this song out as a wicked bookend to the era, a final nail hammered into the coffin lid.

But wait, here comes a wicked twist of the blade. This track features the vocal presence of the Indianapolis creeps Pretty With The Lights Out. This feels like two Horror flick slashers teaming up for one last kill. I haven’t heard the raw, original version of this track, but who cares? This incarnation doesn’t tiptoe around; it explodes like a chainsaw through bone. Under two minutes, it’s pure Thrash-fueled whiplash: a wall of sound that crushes and leaves your ears bleeding for more.

There’s a filthy streak of Thrash metal here that rattles like broken teeth in a can. Sure, I’d toss Misfits’ Earth A.D. out for comparison, but that leadbreak screams and that’s not something typical of the Misfits. The whole song is a blast of speed, chaos, and horror-punk power.

Looking for the weekend’s earworm? Look no further. And do yourself a favor: dive headfirst into the rest of Rise From Your Grave’s and Pretty With The Lights Out’s blood-spattered back catalogs. It's a feast for the insane!

https://open.spotify.com/artist/6rt0IO5tUqIziIFu2VxdTz?si=8-VHgWuySze0cAldlA05KA&nd=1&dlsi=bcfdb13e8a184837

~Black Angel

Cult Burial Collapse of Pattern, Reverence of Dust Review

Sun, 31 Aug 2025 09:00:18 GMT

Cult Burial

Collapse of Pattern, Reverence of Dust

Self-Released

2025

Children of ashes and disciples of chaos, gather close. For Cult Burial have carved into stone a scripture of ruin, not to exalt, not to uplift, but to remind us that all forms “collapse, and all reverence returns to dust”.

This is a procession of crushing Black Metal with elements of Doom tossed in for spite. Eight psalms of erosion, each tolling like the death knell of structure itself. Let us walk the path of this crumbling temple together.

“Beseech” - The congregation bows. Dissonant chords rise like incense tainted with blood, and the priest of ruin cries out in guttural tongues. We are not welcomed, we are condemned.

“Collapse” - Behold; patterns shatter like stained glass beneath a hammer. Drums fall like thunder from a wrathful sky, riffs grind like millstones, and every semblance of order dissolves. This is the gospel of ROT.

“Seethe” - Here is wrath unmoored, a storm of noise with no shepherd, a raging crowd gnashing at the heavens. No redemption is promised; rage is its own prayer.

“Vincula” - Chains rattle in the dark. This hymn begins bound in structure, but the shackles soon break. The song fractures, the form disintegrates, and we are left with echoes - ghosts of riffs dissolving into formless air. This is liberation through ruin.

“Mire” - We are dragged into the swamp, heavy limbs, and lungs filling. The riffs lumber like monuments collapsing into mud.

“Collapse of Pattern, Reverence of Dust” is a handbook of annihilation. It teaches that all bonds rot, all beauty withers, and that all structures fail. It is a mass where the chalice overflows with ash, the host is broken stone, and the congregation sings not in harmony, but in the language of ruin and sorrow.

Raise your horns, ye faithful of decay, for Cult Burial has given us the gospel of dust.

~Black Angel

Vindicator Whispers Of Death Review

Sun, 31 Aug 2025 09:00:18 GMT

Vindicator

Whispers Of Death

Self-Released

2025

Vindicator have always carried themselves like torchbearers for Thrash’s rawer side, never bothering to polish the edges that made the genre dangerous in the first place. With “Whispers of Death”, the Cleveland wrecking crew take that ethos to its grittiest extreme, offering a record that feels like a wild ride through rust-belt decay, underground clubs, and pure old-school fury.

The album opens with a sense of immediacy - riffs that slice right into the bloodstream, backed by drums that crack like bones against concrete. Tracks like “Whispers of Death…Anxiety’s Grip” and “Charnel Pastures” wastes no time flexing that Bay Area-inspired Thrash backbone but twist it with a Midwest grit that’s uniquely theirs. There’s no sense of playing to trends here; Vindicator are digging in their heels and thrashing like the world depends on it.

One of the album’s strongest traits is its balance of speed and menace. Songs like “Your World Dies in Flames” lean into darker, almost horror-punk energy, while others like “Bleed Between the Lines” throw down relentless riffing that would sit proudly alongside the nastiest underground acts of the ’80s. The vocals spit with just enough venom to keep things raw, cementing an atmosphere of unhinged aggression.

Compared to their earlier work, “Whispers of Death” feels sharper and more stripped-to-the-bone. Gone are any indulgences, what’s left is lean, direct Thrash Metal that doesn’t pretend to be anything other than what it is: fast, ugly, and loud. The record thrives in that refusal to compromise, making it both a love letter to classic thrash and a declaration that Vindicator are still here, still vicious, and still ready to tear down walls with their sound.

In short: this album isn’t about reinventing Thrash. It’s about keeping the flame burning hot enough to scorch, and Vindicator have done just that. “Whispers of Death” is a fist to the face of complacency, a filthy reminder that underground Thrash is alive, mean, and ready to draw blood.

~Black Angel

Warmen Band Of Brothers Review

Sun, 31 Aug 2025 09:00:18 GMT

Warmen

Band Of Brothers

Reaper Entertainment

2025

Warmen’s “Band of Brothers” marks a turning point for the band: instead of being viewed as Janne Wirman’s side project, it now feels like a fully realized group effort. Petri Lindroos returning on vocals and guitar brings more intensity, pushing the music into darker, heavier territory while keeping the melodic edge that has always been part of Warmen’s DNA.

The record kicks off with the title track, a storming opener that wastes no time in laying out the album’s mission - fast, tight, and brimming with energy. From there, the band shows a surprising amount of variety: “One More Year” leans into triumphant melodies without losing its aggression, while “Nine Lives” brings sharp hooks and guitar fireworks that feel tailor-made for the live stage. “When Doves Cry Blood” slows the pace, letting atmosphere creep in before surging back into heavier ground, and “Out for Blood” channels the band’s most straightforward, driving side.

The record closes on a daring note with a cover of Stratovarius’ “The Kiss of Judas.” Rather than simply paying homage, Warmen reframe the song through their own lens, giving it a grittier, more forceful feel that ties back neatly to the rest of the album’s character.

What makes “Band of Brothers” stand out is its sense of unity. Every instrument feels locked into place, the keyboards aren’t just decorative but often lead the charge, while the rhythm section keeps everything grounded and explosive. The production is clean but powerful, giving the songs the weight they deserve.

Compared to “Here for None”, this album feels more assured and purposeful. Where that record reintroduced Warmen after years of silence, Band of Brothers sounds like the band stepping into its prime - tighter, heavier, and more collective in spirit. This is an album that balances technical flash with raw energy, proving Warmen aren’t just carrying on but pushing forward with fresh fire.

~Black Angel

Firmament For Centuries Alive Review

Sun, 31 Aug 2025 09:00:18 GMT

Firmament

For Centuries Alive

Dying Victims Productions

2025

Germany is no stranger to quality hard rock and metal across all subgenres. Over the decades, Deutschland has given us the Scorpions, Helloween, Gamma Ray, Destruction, Sodom, Tankard - you name it. All different, all great. For this review, though, we turn to Firmament and their fire-breathing new full-length, For Centuries Alive.

Formed in Leipzig in 2021, Firmament deliver a decidedly old-school take on traditional metal, pulling from proto-metal and NWOBHM. With only one album under their bullet belts prior to this, the growth is palpable, and these nine songs fall firmly into the “epic” variety. The press release describes their sound as “epic, dark, yet romantic heavy rock,” powered by the classic lineup of drums, bass, twin guitars, and vocals - and based on this album, I can’t argue. The songs are melodic, catchy, and impactful, with a clean, almost analog production that bridges past and present both stylistically and sonically.

So, the music - what to make of it? The fingerprints of power metal, ’70s hard rock, and NWOBHM are everywhere. Think Thin Lizzy, by-way-of–Maiden twin guitar harmonies, Saxon’s grit, and Diamond Head’s sense of drama. Marco Hermann’s vocals don’t quite soar to Dickinson or Kiske heights, but his controlled upper-mid-range channels early Di’anno while holding its own. “Pulsar” is a prime example: earworm hooks, weaving twin guitars from Tom Michalik and Philipp Meyer, big riffs, progressive flourishes, and a fist-pumping chorus.

“A Legend of the Fall” is pure Maiden worship, complete with galloping rhythm, harmonized guitars, Stefan Deutsch’s tasteful rolling bass, and the first shred-heavy solo - all backed by yet another killer chorus. “Swear by the Moon” ups the ante with more guitar fireworks, a galloping groove, a clean bridge, and Jonas Zeidler’s impressive drumming. These guys seem to craft singalong choruses effortlessly.

The curiously titled “An Anthem for the Spotless Mind” leans harder into rock pacing, coming off like Blue Öyster Cult on steroids. “Brother of Sleep,” “Starbeast,” and “Into the Realms of Distant Wonders” swing back into trad-metal glory, driven by monster hooks. Finally, high-fantasy closer “The Empress and the Foundling” wraps it all up with technical riffing, minor-key drama, and gassed-up tempo - a triumphant finish.

In just thirty-eight minutes, Firmament delivered a tight, memorable, and damn solid set of metal and hard rock songs on For Centuries Alive. They draw heavily from the past but add their own distinct touch, making them a band to watch going forward. Consider me pleasantly surprised, and officially a new fan.

RIYL: early Iron Maiden, Saxon, Diamond Head, Gygax

~TB

Degrave Metalithic Review

Sun, 31 Aug 2025 09:00:18 GMT

Degrave

Metalithic

Shredhead Records

2025

A surefire way to get me to listen to a band is if the word “thrash” shows up anywhere in the description of their sound. I’ve loved it from the jump, cutting my teeth on the classics in the early ’90s to playing in my own band from 1991–1995 in my teens, it’s been and always will be part of me. With that, lace up the white high tops, throw on your favorite sleeveless band shirt, skinny jeans, and let’s talk about Missouri-based heathens Degrave and their newest (and fourth overall) release, the nine-song Metalithic.

For the uninitiated, Degrave have been ripping it up in the “Show Me State” since 2016, operating as a fearsome four-piece. They tread familiar ground, but with a precision attack and a fresh melding of influences that you don’t often hear in newer bands. Metalithic was recorded by Conrad Hildebrand at Five Turn Production Studios, and mixed and mastered by John Breeden of Johnny DCat Entertainment. Thankfully, their love for throwback bands comes through in the recording. The final mix is raw, lively, and feels minimally polished - urgent in a way that suits the style perfectly. Everything sits nicely up front without fighting for space. My only gripe is with the vocals from dual vocalists/guitarists Clyde Daniels and Dylan Volmert – they’re a bit too reverb-heavy and occasionally too loud for my taste, though that might just be preference.

Across the album you’ll find fast tempos, down-picked chug riffs, powerful leads, busy drumming (Caleb Bethel), and pulsing, complementary bass lines (Isiah “Cliff” Curtis). Their thrash pedigree runs deep, with hints of D.R.I., Toxic Holocaust, Exodus, Nuclear Assault, and the often criminally underrated Seattle-based Forced Entry (especially in the John Connelly/Tony Benjaminesque vocals). The compositions run on pure adrenaline, averaging three to four minutes, aside from the 7+ minute opener “Usurper of the Flame” (which kicks off with a wall of feedback) and “Burn Up the Sky” at 6:26, which veers into stoner territory with its Sabbathy bass line and fuzzed-out guitars thick enough to grow a small woodland creature. Bassist Isiah even gets his own spotlight in “Ignis Accendere,” a nod to the “bass solo take 1” tradition.

Elsewhere, the rapid-fire verses and pinch-harmonic guitar work of “Every Fucking Day” stand out, especially when the song breaks into a doomtastic section around 3:30. Spoken vocal passages pop up throughout the album too, adding another layer that separates Degrave from the usual crop of revivalists. My favorites? The pummeling “Lockdown,” which carries a whiff of Boston’s Wargasm, and the raging, chaotic “Living in a Smokescreen,” blasting out with nitro-fueled BPMs, shredding leads, and a climactic death-growled descent into chromatic madness. The closer, “Death Is,” rides creepy, undulating riffs into a mid-tempo plod reminiscent of Coroner, capped off with a menacing, hissed chorus and an ending of ear-splitting feedback - the perfect bookend.

Degrave aren’t rewriting the playbook, but they’re running the field with their own moves - adventurous, faithful, and full of energy. In a genre where many are content to simply ape their heroes, it’s refreshing to hear a band blending styles into something that feels like their own, even when it leans familiar. Throw this on, handle with care, skank around your living room like a wild dog, and bask in their bone-crackin’ fever. Thrash or be thrashed indeed…

~TB

The Prophecy 23 Mosh O' Clock Review

Sun, 31 Aug 2025 09:00:18 GMT

The Prophecy 23

Mosh O’ Clock

Massacre Records

2025

I’m not sure what the first twenty-two prophecies were or what they entailed, but The Prophecy 23 is apparently the tale of a tongue-in-cheek party metal band with one mission: they want fun (copyright Andrew W.K.), to thrash hard, and to mosh with everything they’ve got, all while throwing a Project X–level rager on their seventh album, Mosh O’ Clock. Grab your favorite libations, illicit substances, bad decision-making skills, and let’s dive in.

The Prophecy 23 are a German quintet (first appearing in 2002) specializing in their own genre known as “fresh metal.” Their 2020 album of the same name even cracked the official German album charts at #67. So, you’re probably asking yourself, “What is fresh metal?” Fair question. If I had to nail it down, I’d call it a raucous, high-energy blend of hardcore, punk, thrash, funk, and death metal (at least vocally in several spots). This is a tight, crisp listen with just the right amount of raw edge. Mosh O’ Clock was recorded, co-produced, mixed, and mastered by Kai Stahlenberg at Kohlekeller Studios, home to albums from Powerwolf, Electric Callboy, Kanonenfieber, and more. The result is massive and polished, proving that while Prophecy 23 doesn’t take themselves too seriously, their songs are crafted with razor-sharp precision.

Musically, imagine Municipal Waste, Suicidal Tendencies, Hatebreed, and Slayer in an eight-man tag team match against 24-7 Spyz, E-Town Concrete, Madball, and early Stuck Mojo, and you’re in the ballpark. “Chill ’Em All” kicks things off with thick riffs, gang vocals, and chants about living your best stress-free life. The title track follows, celebrating inclusive pits with high-octane hardcore punk energy and breakdowns heavier than a tow truck full of Atlas stones. The melodic guitars and “whoah-oh-oh” singalong at the end seal the deal.

“Work Eat Sleep Repeat” rages with New York hardcore grit, fighting the daily grind with tasty leads and crowd-surfing intent. “Welcome to the Blastbeach” brings another gang-shouted anthem, layering death growls over screams and lyrics about the perfect escape, capped with a clean guitar interlude that closes the track beautifully. “Fresh Metal Fights Fascism” is exactly what the title promises: a blazing one-minute-and-twenty-three-second chugger against hate, even leaning into rap-like nu-metal triplets and double-kick barrages.

“Forever 23” is a thrash masterclass with guest appearances from former members and some Blood for Blood–style “whoahs” clashing against Offspring-like riffs. My personal favorite. “Ready to Get Wasted Again” stomps through a mud-thick hardcore/thrash groove about hangovers and doing it all again. “I Feel Black” hits the darkest note here, channeling mental health struggles against a Bay Area–flavored backdrop. “Good Enough for Me,” “23/7,” and “No Money Back” keep the freshness rolling with chunky riffs, comedic bite, and big singalong shouts. “I Won’t Go” leans into breakdown-heavy hardcore life-on-the-road vibes, while “Supermassive Green Hole” closes things out with chaos, destruction, and some left-of-center experimentation. Admirable, though I think it might’ve worked better placed mid-album.

Mosh O’ Clock blasts through its thirteen tracks in just about thirty-seven minutes. At its core, it’s humorous, exuberant, and uplifting - a wild, FUN listen that mashes together multiple corners of metal and its neighboring genres. Throw on your best tuxedo t-shirt, open up the pit, and let these purveyors of partying show you how it’s done. I’m reminded of the line in The Breakfast Club where Claire tells Bender, “Brian isn’t interested in going to any of your heavy metal vomit parties.” But I bet Brian would haul ass to one if The Prophecy 23 were hosting it. I know I would.

~TB

Darkness The Deathsquad Chronicles Review

Sun, 31 Aug 2025 09:00:18 GMT

Darkness

The Deathsquad Chronicles

Massacre Records

2025

Picture it: Sicily, 1945. Okay, okay, I’m kidding. And yes, that was absolutely a Golden Girls reference.

Moving on… Seriously, picture it: Germany, 1985. A sweaty, beer-soaked throng of denim-vested metalheads gathered in a small, dingy club. They’re headbanging, crowd-surfing, and circle-pitting like maniacs while a four-piece band is on stage ripping through fast, aggressive, yet undeniably catchy thrash. Sounds awesome, right? Like some good, friendly, violent fun? That’s exactly where my mind went after spinning Darkness’s latest twelve-song release, The Deathsquad Chronicles.

I’ll begin by sheepishly admitting that until this release landed in my lap, I wasn’t aware of Darkness. My ego takes a hit here, I pride myself on knowing some of the most obscure thrash bands ever, yet these Deutsch destroyers escaped me. Until now. With this album, they seem to be celebrating 40 years in the game! It’s worth noting these aren’t all new songs, but re-recordings of some of their most pivotal and memorable moments from across those four decades. We get choice cuts from Death Squad (1987) and its successor Defenders of Justice (1988), a track from Conclusion & Revival (1989), some long-lost demo material, and yes, two brand new songs. Produced and mixed by Cornelius Rambadt (Rambado Recordings) and mastered by Dennis Köhne, the record packs a punchy, modern production where every palm-muted guitar, lightning-fast drum blast, pocketed bass line, and snarled vocal cuts through cleanly.

Throughout The Deathsquad Chronicles, Darkness skank, gang-shout, and strangle their instruments with venomous vigor. You’ll hear Bay Area histrionics, nods to the holy trinity of German thrash (Sodom, Destruction, Kreator), and even flashes of NYC crossover. From intro “The Gates” into the rapid-fire assault of “Terror for Terror,” it’s clear that tactile precision and unrelenting speed rule the day. This approach continues through “Battle to the Last,” “Death Squad,” and “Soldiers.” Finally, the gas pedal eases up for a baroque classical guitar intro on “Burial at Sea,” which settles into a mid-paced stomp before the acoustic bookend closes it out. It’s a brief respite.

Next up, “Last Round Is on Us” rockets forward with nitro-fueled pacing, the title suggesting they’ve shared more than a few beers with Tankard. “Victims” lands a boot straight to the teeth, followed by the ominous, minor-key intro of “Iron Forces,” before stomping back into high gear. “Defenders of Justice” delivers chromatic death chugs before blasting back to a 200bpm belter. It’s almost as if Darkness use these slower breaks as a wink and a nod, just long enough for us to catch our breath, before pivoting on a dime to beat us into submission again. I love that about these songs.

The album’s longest track, “Predetermined Destiny,” kicks off with tasty guitar leads over a descending chug before sliding into d-beat ferocity. A halftime midsection builds tension and shows off some melodic sensibilities before the chaos resumes. Finally, mercifully, perhaps, Darkness close with “Proud Pariah,” another Teutonic stormer that ends the record with endurance-testing ferocity.

As I said, I hadn’t heard of Darkness before this spin. But good God, am I glad I have now. After 51 exhausting, exhilarating minutes, these guys prove they may be long in the tooth, but it’s a razor-sharp, bloodstained tooth. They can still deliver anthemic, tight, syncopated thrash with the best of the young bucks. Would they tell you to get off their lawn? Probably. But they’d do it with such fury and conviction that even the flipped-bill-hat crowd would respect it. All hail Darkness and the absolute assault and battery that is The Deathsquad Chronicles. They sound youthful, energized, and invigorated here.

Welcome back.

RIYL: Exodus, Kreator, Sodom, Slayer

~TB

Burning Witches Inquisition Review

Sun, 31 Aug 2025 09:00:18 GMT

Burning Witches

Inquisition

Napalm Records

2025

Few things get me more excited than symphonic power metal colliding with speed and thrash. In wrestling or carnie speak, you could say I’m a total “mark” for this style. That’s accurate. And lucky me, such a release has just landed in my lap (and ears): Burning Witches’ latest, Inquisition.

For some quick background: Burning Witches formed in Switzerland in 2015, and Inquisition marks their sixth full-length release. What sets them apart in their genre-blending approach is their all-female lineup. Now, this is thankfully more common (and accepted) today than in decades past, but I hesitate to emphasize it too much, because at the end of the day, their gender is irrelevant to the fact that they’re simply a killer band. Still, it’s worth noting how rare it is in this corner of heavy metal.

Inquisition spans twelve tracks, produced by Damir Eskic (Destruction) and V.O. Pulver (Little Creek Studio, Pro-Pain, Destruction). The record is packed with blistering riffs, thunderous drums, soaring vocals, and choruses that will haunt your brain. Every instrument has space to shine, all mixed clean and punchy.

Opener “Sanguini Hominum” sets the stage with booming drums, ominous Latin chants, and eerie guitar work, leading perfectly into “Soul Eater,” which charges straight into thrash territory with rapid-fire drums and razor-sharp screams - like the Reaper swinging his scythe. The title track, “Inquisition,” is pure power metal fury: all energy, zero filler. Laura Guldemond’s vocals deserve special mention, her ability to weave between soaring highs and grounded lows adds mood and grit to the album’s pulse.

The single “High Priestess of the Night” struts in with swagger, boasting an ’80s-inspired guitar solo that absolutely rips. My personal favorite, though, comes earlier: “The Spell of the Skull.” This mid-paced stomper is catchy as hell, with Romana Kalkuhl and Courtney Cox (formerly of The Iron Maidens) trading riffs and harmonies while the chorus soars. Elsewhere, “In for the Kill” delivers chugging speed/thrash, “Eye of the Storm” channels Dio-esque grandeur, “Mirror, Mirror” rides double bass into harmonized shred territory, and closer “Malus Maga” bookends the eerie opener with a chilling outro.

At 45:21, the album flies by, and I immediately hit replay.

With Inquisition, Burning Witches have unleashed a darker, meaner, and more laser-focused beast. I’d go so far as to say this is their strongest album yet. It’s classic heavy metal that walks the line between the sacred and the profane - melodic, menacing, and tough as nails. Get it now.

RIYL: Helloween, Dio, Hammerfall, Iced Earth

~TB

Hellbound Billy Lucky 13 Nightmares: Part I Review

Sun, 31 Aug 2025 09:00:18 GMT

Hellbound Billy

Lucky 13 Nightmares: Part I

Self-Released

2025

I’m always on the prowl for music that gets under my skin and rattles my bones. In most genres, it’s not that hard, but in Psychobilly/Rockabilly/Horrorbilly? That’s like digging for treasure in a cursed graveyard. You can search from tomb to tomb and still come up empty. But at last, after years of prowling, I’ve struck gold - cursed, blood-slicked gold.

The discovery came by accident, as all the best hauntings do. I tuned into the Psychobilly Family Hour and within a track or two, I was ambushed by a sound that hit like headlights in a foggy graveyard. From Denver, Colorado, rose a beast called Hellbound Billy. Instantly, I thought holy hell, this is KILLER. I went digging for more like a ghoul clawing in the dirt. No CD to clutch, but a band generous enough to pass me their latest creation. And so, fiends, I present to you a fresh corpse of sound: “Lucky 13 Nightmares: Part 1”.

Hellbound Billy have returned from a 15-year coffin nap, and they’re not here to tiptoe back in. They’re here to break hearts, eat brains, and rev their engines until the sky splits. The EP (if you can even call it that) delivers nine tracks in 23 minutes - a blitzkrieg of grease, groove, and grave-dirt.

It all kicks off with “Hot Rod Hearse,” a cool-cat creeper that swings as much as it stings. Suave, crooning vocals glide where most Psychobilly singers growl, evoking a ghostly Sun Records session. But don’t mistake smooth for soft, the melody flows like blood from a stump, and the upright bass thumps like something locked in the trunk, desperate to get out.

“Zombie Hop” shifts gears, slapping you with upright bass thunder and a chorus that’ll have corpses hopping out of their graves to join the dance. “Drive-In Massacre” is pure B-movie glory: love, blood, and popcorn under the glow of a projector bulb. A little kitsch, a lot of swing, and totally irresistible.

For the speed freaks, “Haunted Highway” roars like a cursed engine. It moves at breakneck speed without losing melody, flashing surf-rock shadows of “Pipeline” but twisted into something dark and furious. Then there’s “Rockabilly Vampire,” equal parts fang and pompadour, an anthem for every sharp-dressed ghoul prowling moonlit alleys. And “Graveyard Shift”? That’s a straight-up earworm, its wicked chorus gnawing at your brain like a hungry ghoul until you’re howling it back yourself.

Every track drips with style, clean guitar tones echoing from some neon-lit dive, upright bass like a skeleton rattling its own bones, and vocals that manage to croon cool and howl horror all at once. It’s sleek, it’s sharp, but it’s also drenched in the campy gore that makes Psychobilly such a beautiful monster.

Don’t you dare skip “Satan’s Cadillac” either, it’s a joyride into hell with chrome trim and flames licking the sides. This whole EP isn’t just a taste; it’s a full-on haunted banquet.

Lucky 13 Nightmares: Part 1” isn’t just a record, it’s a haunted house attraction you can’t escape, a midnight monster marathon blasting through your speakers. For me, finding Hellbound Billy was like discovering a cursed jukebox in a graveyard diner, the moment I hit play, the dead started dancing. Currently, the band doesn’t have any physical copies, but they’re in the works. You can stream and purchase the EP in all the normal places, and I’ll attach a link where you can purchase downloads of everything the band has available.

So, crank it up, spread the infection, and let this EP loose on your friends, your neighbors, and your freshly exhumed acquaintances. Because Hellbound Billy’s Psychobilly resurrection isn’t just for the living - it’s for EVERYBODY: the ghouls, the goblins, the vampires, the hot-rod demons, and all of us twisted fiends who like our Rock ’N’ Roll with a little extra blood on it.

Hellbound Billy: they came back from the grave… and they brought the party with them!

https://www.qobuz.com/us-en/album/lucky-13-nightmares-part-i-hellbound-billy/v8iyiljjo20sa

~Black Angel

Blitzkid Terrifying Tales Revamped Review

Sat, 30 Aug 2025 14:34:35 GMT

Blitzkid

Terrifying Tales Revamped

A Corpse With No Name Productions

2025

Ghouls and Boils! The crypt has cracked open, and from the mossy graveyards of Bluefield, West Virginia, Blitzkid, the eternal Sultans of Horrorpunk, have clawed their way back into the moonlight. With fangs sharpened and guitars dripping ectoplasm, they’ve once again donned the ceremonial mask of rebirth. Yes, fiends, they have resurrected the dead with the Revamped edition of their first full-length, “Terrifying Tales.”

The kid in me is screaming bloody murder, leaping out of my ribcage in a frenzy of wide-eyed, bat-winged excitement. But there’s also a ghost of nostalgia rattling my bones. This was the spark that ignited my torrid love affair with the so-called “Blitzkids” (as my nephews dubbed them back in 2000). I found them on the old, haunted back alley called mp3dotcom - and when those grimy, self-burned CDs first landed in my mailbox like cursed relics, my world twisted forever. Hand-cut covers, raw CDRs, and the scent of DIY blood in the ink. I still have them on my shelf, trophies of devotion, talismans of chaos.

That moment was the fuse. Without knowing it, this 33-minute, 13-track beast altered the course of my life. My manic cheerleading for the band dragged me into forums, into their label, into PR work, into friendships that mean more than any paycheck or plaque. Blitzkid isn’t just a band to me, they are the crooked, stitched-up artery that brought me fellowship, love, and some of the wildest nights of my existence. Without them, I’d be half the ghoul I am today.

But enough sentiment, let’s drag this corpse back into the crypt and talk about the beast itself.

The original “Terrifying Tales” was recorded reel-to-reel by three young maniacs who didn’t know shit about fuck, except that they loved Horror, Punk, and unleashing unholy racket on anything that twitched. The production was raw, filthy, imperfect, but those of us who were baptized in basement shows and VHS gore knew that was part of its beauty. It was sweaty, bloody and alive.

Now, 25 years later, the Revamped edition exhumes those bones, scrubs them clean with acid, and bolts the skeleton together with Frankensteinian precision. The first thing you’ll notice is the bass finally breathes! Back in the day, Goolsby’s lines were a phantom, barely audible. Now they stand tall, crunching like tombstones under a hearse’s wheels. Dr. Stu’s drumming, once thin and papery, now thunders, the snare snaps, the cymbals sizzle like electric rain. And TB’s guitar tone? Holy hellfire - alive, addictive, serpentine. Press play and it’s like being hit in the chest with a shovel made of reverb.

But the true resurrection is in the voices. The unholy hymns of TB and Goolsby sound reborn, screaming louder, sharper, like banshees wired through an amplifier possessed by Satan himself. Tracks once muffled now breathe fire, “Diabolos Rising,” “Salem’s Ghost”, all given a clarity that lets their Thrash-drenched bones rattle with ferocity. Goolsby, still in the larval stage of the monster he’d go on to become, is laid bare here. There’s beauty in the struggle, the raw edges, the vulnerability dripping beneath the horror mask. “My Dying Bride” has always been his bleeding-heart centerpiece here, but now it cuts deeper, like a love letter written with a knife. “Although my heart harbors love songs, they are crippled and insane”. I see you Gools, I feel you.

TB, though, TB is the golden throat of Horror. His voice could make a phonebook sound like scripture carved in blood. “Pretty in a Casket” here is transcendent, sharper, louder, a siren song to every teenage ghoul who ever slow danced in a mausoleum. And “Teenage Necrophilian Love”? That’s pure Blitzkid DNA, the twisted anthem that binds us all together in this graveyard cult. On the Revamp, the background vocals bloom like undead choirs clawing from the dirt, it’s intoxicating.

When Blitzkid began dropping these Revamped reissues, this was the one I burned black candles for. I begged, pleaded, maybe stalked their shadows online hoping for hints. And now it’s here, exhumed and reborn, ready to turn a whole new generation of monster kids into freaks just like me.

This Revamped edition is more than a reissue; it’s resurrection by ritual. It’s proof that sometimes the grave can’t hold the good stuff down. No, I don’t have any secret whispers about vinyl or CDs yet, but let’s be honest: this monster belongs on every shelf, digital or otherwise. Also, all of these reissues have been pressed to vinyl and CD, so it’s just a matter of time before the announcement.

So, grab it, ghoulies. Let it possess your ears. Let it drag you by the ankles into a graveyard mosh pit where every chorus feels like a shovel to the skull. “Terrifying Tales Revamped” isn’t just a record, it’s an invocation. And if you’re anything like me, it might just change your fucking life.

https://acwnnprod.com/digital-downloads

~Black Angel

Victor Elian of Escarnium Interview

Sun, 24 Aug 2025 09:00:15 GMT

Several weeks ago, Tracy had the opportunity to sit down with Victor Elian, guitarist and vocalist of the Brazilian Death Metal band Escarnium. In their conversation, Elian offered insight into the group’s current projects, the state of the underground metal scene in Brazil, and what lies ahead for the band. Known for their uncompromising sound and relentless energy, Escarnium continues to carve out a place for themselves on the global stage, and Elian’s perspective sheds light on both the challenges and the passion that drive the band forward.

Can you give us a brief history of how and when Escarnium came to be?

Escarnium started taking shape in 2008/2009. I already had a handful of song ideas and finally began giving them real life after I left Impetuous Rage in late 2007—not the friendliest split, let’s say. From there we pulled friends in, rehearsed anywhere we could, and by 2010 we were playing shows and putting out demos.

You guys are from Salvador, Brazil. What’s the metal scene like there?

Salvador’s scene is often overlooked—even by locals—but it’s vibrant. Classic names like Headhunter DC, Mystifier and Malefactor paved the way, and killer new bands such as Devouring keep popping up. We have committed promoters, zinesters and distros; everything a healthy scene needs. Sure, we’re outside the Rio/São Paulo/Belo Horizonte axis, so the city sometimes gets forgotten, but to us Salvador (and Bahia as a whole) is still the best place in the world to play.

For the new album, did you have many of the songs prepared before you recorded? If so, was there a lot of collaboration and adding ideas to them once you were in the studio?

Yeah—drafts of several tracks were around as far back as 2019. COVID and an old-label mess delayed things, but that also gave us freedom to refine every riff. In 2022 we proudly released the EP Dysthymia ; many riffs on the new record were written in that same creative burst, so the EP now feels like a clear harbinger rather than a stopgap. Pre-production opened the floodgates, and once we hit Walzwerk Studio, Sergej (who runs it) kept pushing fresh ideas. His talent and instinct really elevated the final songs.

This is your fourth full-length overall. How has the band’s sound evolved since you formed, and what’s the biggest evolution you notice on this album specifically?

The core is still dark, straightforward death metal, but we’ve let our influences roam more freely—crust, punk, grind, black metal, even jazz or soul. Experience in the studio taught us that sometimes a two-note riff can crush harder than a thousand-note sweep. To me the new album is a natural step beyond Interitus : same raw violence, sharper dynamics, deeper atmosphere. Nothing reinventing the wheel—just 100 % Escarnium, honed.

Being signed to Everlasting Spew Records, what is your relationship like with them?

Fantastic. They’re transparent, supportive and genuinely care about underground extreme music—no shady moves (we’ve had enough of those elsewhere). We’d wanted to work with them for a while; once our deal with Testimony finally ended, Thomas Haywood at Redefining Darkness (our U.S. partner) connected the dots and Everlasting Spew welcomed us instantly. Grazie to both labels.

Bands like Ratos de Porão, Sepultura and The Mist have written about Brazil’s socio-economic unrest. Do you find it the same today, or different?

Hard to live in Brazil and not have reality shape your art. It’s an incredible country with massive virtues—and corruption that poisons everything. The difference now is the chaos feels global, not just Brazilian. Our lyrics often paint that brutality in abstract or allegorical form; what seems like a nihilistic poem may be describing something very real. We’re not singling out Brazil—we’re talking about humanity as whole.

Being a death-metal band in 2025 is hugely overcrowded. How would you describe what makes Escarnium stand out?

Maybe it’s persistence—17 years already—plus the fact not many Brazilian bands mine this vein of old-school darkness. We tour hard, give everything onstage, and focus on authenticity over trends. That honesty seems to resonate.

Right now, you’re on tour. Any plans to tour the United States?

Absolutely. We’ve hit Europe and Latin America many times and we’re actively working on a U.S. run—probably after our European winter tour. Visa logistics are never fun, but it’s on the radar.

Every band has influences. Who or what are Escarnium’s biggest inspirations, bands, movies, TV, anything?

Musically: Morbid Angel, Immolation, Repulsion, plus crust and grind staples like Discharge and Napalm Death. Outside music: documentaries, war history, geopolitics, psychology (Freud, Jung, Nietzsche). I’ve visited concentration camps, war-torn regions such as Bosnia and Croatia, watched fentanyl-crisis docs that make you lose your appetite—anything exposing the raw edge of humanity fuels the lyrics.

Any pre-show rituals you HAVE to do before taking the stage?

No big rituals now. Years ago, I’d hit a line of coke and jump onstage—those days are gone. I keep calm, stretch, warm up and focus. The show itself is catharsis enough.

Seventeen years is a long time for a band to be together. What do you attribute your longevity to?

Constantly aiming for maturity—listening to each other, knowing when to speak up, staying humble—and, above all, loving what we do. If it ever felt like an obligation, we’d have quit long ago.

Lastly, anything you want to mention. Another band, favorite gear, special shout-outs?

Huge thanks to everyone who supports us: labels, promoters, zines, bands we share the road with, and every person who buys a shirt, a record, or just shows up. Support your local scene—small shows, small bands, distros—don’t pour all your time and money into the mainstream. See you in the pit.

Shadows Miseria Review

Sun, 24 Aug 2025 09:00:15 GMT

Shadows

Miseria

Self-Released

2025

A new force rises from the frostbitten borders of Germany and Sweden, Shadows, a Blackened Death Metal outfit forged from the smoldering remains of Visceral Bleeding, Enshrined, Berserker, and Ominous. With lineage like that, you’d expect fury, and you’d be right. Later this month, Shadows will release their debut full-length, “Miseria”, a name that already hints at the unrelenting weight within.

I’ll be honest, this one didn’t win me over on first contact. Not because it’s lacking, but because it’s abrasive to the point of brutality, and I’m still a few weeks removed from ear surgery. So yeah, this literally made my ears bleed even more. But sometimes the best albums aren’t love at first listen; they’re slow burns that claw their way under your skin and refuse to leave.

What pulled me in, what kept me, was the sheer directness of the music. The first half of “Miseria” doesn’t waste conjuring smoke and shadows like so many Blackened bands tend to do. Instead, it kicks in the door with riff-heavy fury and relentless firepower. It almost leans more Blackened Thrash than pure Death Metal, but these are blurred lines by design. You’ll hear the unmistakable echo of Scandinavian Metal throughout, moments that flirt with the Gothenburg sound, whether intentionally or not. Either way, it works.

The riffs soar, rip, stomp and twist your head to the point of explosion. There’s an electric charge to the lead breaks, a kind of controlled chaos that speaks to seasoned hands on the fretboard. And the tone is both melodic and menacing. There’s harmony laced in rage here, and it gives this record surprising depth and staying power.

Now, the vocals… that’s where my ears had to adjust. They’re delivered with undeniable grit and authority, but at times, it felt like they were crowding the space, stepping on the toes of the riffs rather than dancing with them. Initially, it felt disjointed. But with repeated listens, it clicked. I started tracing the melody beneath the growl, following the emotional thread through the distortion. And when it lands, it really lands.

This isn’t music for casual listeners. It’s desolate, aggressive, and at times, suffocating. But if you’re a fan of Melodic Blackened Metal that nods to the gods of old without devolving into cliché, Miseria is a must-hear.

Standout tracks: “Delivered from Sin”, “As Above So Below”, “Spring Sleepwalker”, and “Unnamed Sorrow”.

~Black Angel

Malthusian The Summoning Bell Review

Sun, 24 Aug 2025 09:00:15 GMT

Malthusian

The Summoning Bell

Relapse Records

2025

Brothers, sisters, vermin of the earth, gather close. For the bell has tolled, and its tone is not salvation but damnation. Malthusian have returned to unleash upon us a scripture of ruin, an album forged not of riffs alone but of curses, plagues, and the slow collapse of heaven itself. Hopeless Death Metal for the insane…

When “Red, Waiting” begins, it is as if the altar cloth has been set aflame. The guitars gnash like locust wings, the drums fall like stones from the sky, and the lone voice, guttural and inhuman, becomes the preacher of pestilence. This is prophecy written in blood.

“The Summoning Bell” itself, the title track, the unholy mass, does not ring with hope. It is iron cast in sulfur, a call to gather not in worship but in defiance. Each chord is a spire collapsing, each shriek a saint unmade. Here, the sacred dies screaming.

And then comes the true gospel: “Amongst the Swarms of Vermin,” a fifteen-minute cathedral of decay and rot. It does not comfort, it devours. It shifts, halts, erupts, a sermon too vast for human tongues, a scripture written by vermin gnawing on the bones of angels. Listen long enough, and you will swear the floor beneath you is giving way.

By the end, “In Chaos, exult” is not a finale, it is a coronation. A crown of maggots placed upon the skull of creation, a hymn for the damned, a benediction of nothingness.

The Summoning Bell is no mere record; it is an unholy sacrament. A sermon at the altar of disorder, where the chalice overflows not with wine but with filth, bile, and the laughter of the void. The faithful of light will flee. The heretics will kneel. And we, the chosen of the ruinous path, shall raise our horns as the bell tolls again, summoning not God, but the end of days.

~Black Angel

Chevelle Bright As Blasphemy Review

Sun, 24 Aug 2025 09:00:15 GMT

Chevelle

Bright As Blasphemy

Alchemy Records

2025

For those who still burn warm with the glow of early 2000s Alt-Rock and Metal, the news may stir a familiar spark: Chicago’s Chevelle is poised to release a new album. I’ll admit, I’m a little startled myself, not from any urge to gatekeep, but because I simply lost sight of them after “This Type of Thinking (Could Do Us In)”. Back then, their sound felt like a fresh breath in the heavy music haze of the era. Yet, to my ears, the band’s growth never strayed far from the DNA of their second album. For some acts, that sameness can be a virtue, for others, it becomes a tether. Chevelle, for me, leaned toward the latter.

Now they return with “Bright as Blasphemy”, a title that suggests a flare of defiance. The music, however, walks the same familiar corridors they’ve always paced. Yes, the songs brood a little deeper, and there’s a faint industrial sheen here and there, but the bones remain unchanged. While I personally find that predictability a bit wearying, there’s no denying their craft, especially in the vocal delivery and the gift for melodies. Hooks bloom across the album with the ease of muscle memory, and the production is polished to a high shine. For longtime faithful, this is a homecoming worth celebrating.

If you were young when Chevelle first stormed the airwaves, this record may well move you. It’s nostalgia dressed in a tailored suit, the sound of your past reintroduced with a steady handshake. But it doesn’t tear down any walls or set the earth trembling. Chevelle still plays the game they’ve always played, and they still play it well, it’s just that the thrill, for me, belongs in another time.

~Black Angel

Dropkick Murphys For The People Review

Sun, 24 Aug 2025 09:00:15 GMT

Dropkick Murphys

For The People

Dummy Luck Records

2025

I’m late for the feast, but some records don’t wait. They don’t knock politely at the door. They kick it in, drag you from your chair, and shove a pint in your hand before the foam settles. Dropkick Murphys’ “For the People”, was descended into the world on the Fourth of July, is that kind of record. And the title is no accident. It’s a banner, a battle cry, a truth carved deep as stone: this band has always been, and always will be, for us. For the broken-fingered workers, for the dreamers, for the ones who fight and the ones who remember.

From the first blare of “Who’ll Stand with Us,” the ground shakes with pipes, guitars, and drums like a thousand boots pounding cobblestone. This is a summons. A call to arms for the men and women who build the world while the hollow suits in glass towers figure out new ways to bleed us dry. Some would call it politics. But the Murphys know better. Earning your bread, sweating for your pay, standing shoulder to shoulder, that ain’t politics. It’s birthright.

And the clan is bigger this time. Billy Bragg lends his thunder, The Scratch and The Mary Wallopers bring folklore and fury, and then, like a ghost stepping back into the fire, Al Barr returns. On “The Vultures Circle,” his voice crashes against Ken Casey’s like waves on rock, fierce and familiar. His absence has been a wound, his return a reminder: this band is more than music, it’s blood and brotherhood. We wait and hope he stays.

But the heart of this record, for me, beats in “Chesterfields and Aftershave.” A folk hymn, a grandson’s song, a memory stitched in tobacco smoke and spilled whiskey. If “Rose Tattoo” carved its mark into your skin, this one will haunt your bones. I didn’t have a grandfather who taught me life, but I had my older brother. His Nova groaned like an old drunk, the air inside thick with cigarette ash and cheap bourbon. He hauled me to pool halls where I stood on chairs to reach the table, my hands too small for the cue, the old-timers roaring with laughter. When he had a gig at the legion, we loaded his guitar, his amp, his damned hat, always the hat, as essential as the guitar itself. He told me, “We have a show tonight.” I wasn’t on stage, but I believed him. He played for both of us. He was the spark, the teacher, the master, and I’ll say it until the grave swallows me: one of the greatest guitarists I’ve ever seen. Blood or no blood, that’s truth.

Dropkick don’t let you linger too long in sorrow. “Bury the Bones,” with the Mary Wallopers, kicks the dirt and dances on it, a jig of whiskey and history. “Kids Games” tears through wasted youth with sneering riffs and clenched fists, if you don’t feel it, you haven’t lived. “Streetlights” is Casey’s ode to his father, a song of innocence held and lost, a reminder that family is fleeting as smoke. And then there’s “One Last Goodbye,” their farewell to Shane MacGowan, poet king of The Pogues. It’s no dirge, it’s a passing of the torch, a salute from one band of balladeers to the giant who lit their path.

“For the People” is more than an album. It’s a tapestry of the living and the dead, a record of working-class struggle and the ghosts who still sit beside us at the bar. It’s a hymn, a fight song, a eulogy, a rallying cry. The Murphys aren’t just a band, they’re the voice in the crowd, the hand on your shoulder, the song you didn’t know you needed until the pipes screamed and the boots stomped in time with your heart.

And for the faithful, there’s treasure buried deeper: the vinyl comes with five more tracks, hidden like flasks under the floorboards. I preordered mine before the pint glass was empty. If you haven’t yet, what are you waiting for? The music is here, the truth is here, the people’s band is here. Raise your glass, raise your voice, and make a stand.

~Black Angel

Undead This Side Of The Grave Review

Sun, 24 Aug 2025 09:00:15 GMT

Undead

This Side of the Grave
Edged Circle Productions

2025

Undead (no, not the CA punk band and not Bobby Steele’s band of the same name) break into 2025 with a brand-new four-song rager called This Side of the Grave. The Swedish quartet has been churning out material since 2015, dealing in cleanly executed, skillfully crafted, crushing old-school death metal. Per their press release, they’re “hailed for their ability to mix an old school approach to death metal with the fresh stench of decomposing bodies without being sentimental or sounding outdated.”

This EP (their fifth release overall) checks every box of what we know as the “Swedish death metal sound.” For the uninitiated, that means thick, bass-heavy slabs of Boss HM-2 buzzsaw guitars, moody and creepy minor-key melodic parts, booming d-beat and blast-driven drums, pedal-heavy bass, and razor-throated growls that rest somewhere between gutturals and blackened shrieks. Swedish extreme metal legend Dan Swanö (Edge of Sanity, Odyssey, Bloodbath, etc.) handled the mix and master, capturing the band’s thorny, visceral attack with a production that’s faithful to the style’s pioneers while carrying just enough modern loudness and rawness to appeal to both fanbases. It’s fiercely old school in its aural ferocity, but with today’s bells and whistles.

The songs don’t stray far from prime Entombed, Dismember, Carnage, and even Hooded Menace as influences, but Undead add their own spice to avoid being a carbon copy. For example, “I Am the Curse” storms in with harmonized guitars before slamming into a double-bass-heavy midsection and dropping a cool spoken-word passage near its conclusion. Elsewhere, “Blood Enemy” rips through speedy verses before shifting into a near-hardcore breakdown, then kicking into a speed metal section that resembles Udo-era Accept—only filthier, nastier, and meaner. Lead single “Samsara” carves its left-hand path with swirling aggression and more double-bass-driven breakdowns, while the title track creeps in with a reverb-soaked intro before pummeling into triplet-picked thunder reminiscent of The Haunted’s debut.

At just fifteen minutes and twelve seconds, Undead arrive, carve you up, leave you begging for life, and then vanish—working strictly on the old Stone Cold Steve Austin principle: Arrive. Raise Hell. Leave. This isn’t the first rodeo for this kind of death metal, but Undead pull it off with such venom and youthful vigor that it’s impossible to ignore.

So, rest in festering slime, linger among the tombstones, and blast this mean, zombified sonofabitch…

~TB

Naevus Back Home Review

Sun, 24 Aug 2025 09:00:15 GMT

Naevus
Back Home
Dying Victims Productions

2025

Tackling this one feels timely, as the world is still reeling and rightfully grieving the loss of John “Ozzy” Osbourne. The legacy he left with Black Sabbath alone cannot be overstated. They birthed countless bands, CREATED heavy metal as we know it, and continue to inspire men, women, and children everywhere to pick up guitars, basses, and drumsticks and worship at the altar of the riff. German troops of doom Naevus are no exception, as we dive into their third full-length, Back Home.

Formed in Bietigheim-Bissingen, Germany in 1991 (originally as a death metal trio), Naevus endured lineup shifts and stylistic detours before arriving at 1995’s demo The Autumn Sun. That release showed them kneeling before doom’s Big Four - Sabbath, Trouble, Saint Vitus, and Pentagram, while sprinkling in a dose of The Obsessed. In 1997 they inked a deal with Lee Dorrian’s Rise Above Records, leading to the release of Sun Meditation in March 1998, recorded at Berlin’s Vielklang Studio (home to The Obsessed’s debut and Saint Vitus’ V). A split 7” and a Trouble cover followed before the band called it quits in 1999. After a long slumber, Naevus reemerged in 2012 with their second full-length Heavy Burden. In 2023, the sessions for Back Home began.

Back Home delivers nine tracks steeped in grief and loss but balanced by themes of love and hope. Uwe Groebel’s vocals, equal parts Eric Wagner and Wino, carry the material with a soaring, mournful power. The title track kicks things off with beastly riffs, memorable melodies, and choruses that stick like glue. Tempos stay mid-pace, never dragging into drone territory, and the twin-guitar interplay between Groebel and Oliver Grosshans nails the harmony-laden attack we expect from this school of doom. Sven Heimerdinger’s basslines prove to be a secret melodic weapon, while drummer Mathias Straub locks everything down with tasteful swing and groove.

“The Dead Don’t Sleep” follows with Obsessed-style guitar histrionics and another massive chorus. “My Fire” and “Under a Different Sky” carry the momentum before “Ghost” delivers a heartfelt lament that flirts with balladry before exploding into a crushing midsection. “Angels Never Come” slows the pace but stacks riffs sky-high. “Master of Shiver” stands out: it opens with Sven’s bass carrying the theme before shifting into a Down-esque groove with Hammond organ accents. The song bends toward something almost celebratory, not “happy,” but undeniably hopeful. Closer “Free the Ravens Fly” caps things with harmonized guitars, gut-punch riffs, and woeful yet commanding vocals.

Naevus aren’t reinventing the doom wheel, but they’re steering it with purpose and carving out their own space. Blessedly, they avoid the genre’s modern trappings, no endless fuzz wall, no cavernous, soupy production. The misery is there but sharpened with clarity and conviction. Give Naevus a serious listen, they’re dealing in GREAT epicus doomicus metallicus.

FFO: Black Sabbath, Trouble, The Obsessed, High on Fire

~TB

GWAR The Return of Gor-Gor Review

Sun, 24 Aug 2025 09:00:15 GMT

GWAR

The Return of Gor-Gor
The Pit Records

2025

Richmond, VA’s latex-laden, costumed freak show GWAR has returned! For 40 years as of 2025, they’ve been equal parts performance art, punk/metal/hard rock, and pure controversy. Their stage show is the stuff of legend, no one in the first ten rows ever leaves without being drenched in copious amounts of fake blood, fake semen, and whatever other substances they feel like hurling at the audience. From 1988’s Hell-O to the now-classic Scumdogs of the Universe, GWAR has endured as one of metal’s most unique and entertaining acts, amassing 23 albums and touring this toilet earth with a live spectacle second to none.

After the death of frontman and ringleader Oderus Urungus (Dave Brockie) in 2014, the band decided to carry on. GWAR has always been a collective with a rotating cast of colorful characters, and today Blöthar the Berserker fronts the chaos. He was briefly joined by Vulvatron (Kim Dylla), but now helms the mic alone, alongside Balsac the Jaws O’ Death and Grodius Maximus on guitars, Beefcake the Mighty on bass, and Jizmak da Gusha on drums.

With The Return of Gor-Gor we get three brand-new songs and four live tracks, wrapped in a true multimedia package: vinyl, CD, digital download, a Gor-Gor plush toy, branded merch, and even a 32-page comic chronicling the sordid tale of GWAR’s beloved pet T-Rex. According to Blöthar, Gor-Gor, missing since Oderus left this mortal coil, has returned as “a 20-foot-tall trans-species prostitute.” Apparently, times have been tough for our scaly friend.

The new songs, “The Great Circus Train Disaster,” “Lot Lizard,” and “Tyrant King” (the latter even slipping in some late-’90s SoCal skate punk vibes) are worthy additions to the catalog. They bristle with urgency, leaning hard on thrash, hardcore, and punk speed while sprinkling in the requisite GWAR weirdness: clean guitar breaks, funky detours, and sound-effect mindfuckery. Mixed by Converge’s Kurt Ballou, the production has a pronounced live feel—big, tight, and punchy, with every instrument landing just right.

The live material rounds things out with classics: “Crack in the Egg,” “The Founding Fathers,” the instrumental “America Must Be Destroyed,” and the ever-offensive “Fish Fuck.” They sound great and will no doubt satisfy longtime scumdogs, though I can’t help but wish for more new songs in the mix.

Still, The Return of Gor-Gor delivers exactly what we’ve come to expect from a GWAR release. That’s no complaint—it’s fun, chaotic, and packed with the kind of out-of-nowhere shifts only GWAR could pull off. It follows the absolute face-smash of 2022’s The New Dark Ages admirably, even if it doesn’t fully capitalize on that momentum. Minor gripe aside, it’s noisy, unhinged, and utterly devoid of discipline, just the way we like them.

The interplanetary shock-rock troupe sails onward, and The Return of Gor-Gor serves as a perfect gateway into their demented mythos. God What Awful Racket are still out there raising hell, and I, for one, am glad they are.

~TB

Cryptodira Genesis Of Error Review

Sun, 17 Aug 2025 09:00:00 GMT

Long Island’s own Cryptodira have just unveiled the third chapter in their evolving sonic saga, new EP titled Genesis of Error. Truth be told, I hadn’t crossed paths with them until this landed in my inbox, but after a few immersive spins, I find myself compelled to dig into their back catalog with intent.

Now, let me be upfront: I don’t usually make time for Prog. I’m not looking to solve equations or navigate labyrinthine time signatures. I want music that transports me, spiritually and emotionally without requiring a compass or a calculator. I crave transcendence, not a textbook.

But Genesis of Error isn’t that kind of Prog. Hell, I’m not even sure I’d call it Prog at all. It leans experimental, yes, textured and thoughtful, but it’s grounded by grit and gut. What keeps me here, what hooks me in, are the moments of unexpected clarity in the chaos, and how the band moves through passages like they’re opening doors to different rooms in the same haunted house.

Take the opener, “No Monuments”, it begins with a feral punch, a blast of jagged aggression reminiscent of something off the ‘Corish family tree. Then, like a serpent uncoiling, it slides into a groove-heavy segment that brushes up against early 2000s Nu Metal, Chevelle comes to mind, and not as a throwaway reference. The juxtaposition is stark but seamless. While both halves of the track land well, it’s the latter section that hits harder for me - melodic, emotionally resonant, and executed with surgical restraint.

“The Same River Twice” is a flash bang at 1 minute and 47 seconds of blistering rage. Screamed vocals slash through muscular riffs, and the brevity only amplifies the impact. It doesn’t overstay its welcome; it just punches you in the mouth and walks off with a laugh.

Finally, the title track “Genesis of Error” encapsulates the EP’s full breadth, an amalgamation of nuance and noise. Here, that Nu Metal undercurrent returns, mingling with razor-wire guitar work and throat-ripping vocal delivery. At its heaviest, the band echoes the fury of The Absence, and that comparison is no slight, they’re a band that continues to push boundaries, and so does Cryptodira. Yet, once again, it’s in the quieter, more melodic moments where this band truly gleams. The emotional clarity, the deliberate phrasing, the way the rhythm section breathes, this is where they transcend genre and just become.

The EP is currently pressed to vinyl, available through the band and, of course, digitally via Bandcamp. I suggest you drop in for a listen, let it spin a few times around your brain, and if it sticks (and it just might), pick up the wax. Genre labels be damned, this is skillfully crafted, emotionally potent music that deserves your ears.

~Black Angel

Abraded Ethereal Emanations from Cthonic Caries Review

Sun, 17 Aug 2025 09:00:00 GMT

Abraded

Ethereal Emanations from Cthonic Caries

Redefining Darkness

2025

Upon receiving the promo for this album, I was struck, hilariously so, by the label’s description of Cleveland, Ohio’s death/grind maniacs, Abraded, and their new release Ethereal Emanations from Cthonic Caries. And I quote: “Anarchic death metal w/a heavy grind influence that's uglier than a can of smashed assholes!” Well, alright then. It doesn’t get much more descriptive than that. Pondering that disgusting visual aside, let’s dive in.

Abraded formed in 2018 and carry on the old-school traditions of death metal pioneers like Repulsion, Napalm Death, Autopsy, and Carcass, with nods to Agathocles and Assück. The result is raw, chaotic, live-sounding brutality. At the helm is founding member Patric Pariano, veteran of underground death/grind legends Hemdale. His DIY approach clearly informs everything happening here.

Before this album, Abraded had released a demo and two full lengths. By death/grind standards, Ethereal Emanations is concise, nine songs in twenty-four minutes and thirty-six seconds, and it doesn’t overstay its welcome. While Abraded are a five-piece, all parts except for some drum programming and bass (handled by David Kirsch) were performed by Patric himself. Originally recorded in 2017 and remixed/mastered in 2024, the production is bottom-heavy, murky, and completely devoid of polish, but each instrument and vocal remains distinct.

The songs are short, furious bursts of blast beats, heavy mid-paced grooves, punk/thrash speed, and anguished screamy/growly vocals. Grindcore elements appear sparingly, keeping the album more than a wall of noise. Abraded’s primary focus is grimey, putrefied death metal straight out of the late ’80s and early ’90s, executed with ferocity and precision. The brief runtime serves the album well, you’re never bored, and nothing drags on. Standout tracks include “Uroboric Incest,” “Compensatory Contrarianism,” and “Mass Formation Psychosis,” all of which showcase brutal twists, crushing heaviness, and relentless intensity.

This isn’t for everyone, of course. But if you like your death metal grinding, deformed, ugly, and pissed off, you’ll be salivating like Pavlov’s dog as soon as you hit play. Abraded deal in face-melting carnage, and by God, business is good.

~TB

Crimson Coven -0- The Genesis Review

Sun, 17 Aug 2025 09:00:00 GMT

Emerging from the fog-drenched tombs of Shadow Kingdom Records is a mysterious new force in Epic Doom Metal: Crimson Coven. True to their name, the band cloaks themselves in secrecy, with both the group and the label opting to keep identities in the shadows. And honestly, that’s just fine, so long as the riffs are righteous and the gloom is potent. Based on their debut demo/EP, "-0- The Genesis", I can confidently say: the storm has begun, and it sounds damn promising.

If you worship at the altar of riffs and crave Doom that leans toward the epic, Crimson Coven arrives with sword in hand and shield raised. When I first clicked play on this beast, I had to double-check that I hadn’t accidentally thrown on Candlemass, that’s how tightly their sound aligns with that golden age of somber heaviness. Still, scattered throughout are wisps of Solitude Aeturnus and the raw, arcane energy of Manilla Road, giving the EP just enough variety to keep it from being a carbon copy.

We’re only treated to three proper tracks here (plus a short, non-musical intro that adds little), but they hit with enough weight to make a mark. The opening cut, “Crimson Coven,” is a mid-paced bruiser, like a warship battling black waves under a thunderous sky. It churns with plodding, bone-heavy riffs and tasty lead fills that nod to classic Doom without sounding derivative. There’s an almost piratical vibe to it, not in theme, but in mood and motion. No, this isn’t Pirate Metal, but it rides the same stormy seas.

Next up, “The Born of the Serpents ” (title quirks aside) leans more melodic and structured. The band flexes their songwriting muscle here, weaving in quieter, brooding passages that heighten the drama and let the chorus land with real impact. It’s cinematic, ominous, and executed with care.

Closing things out is the true gem of the release: “Unleash the Kraken.” At around seven minutes, it’s a sprawling, sea-crushing ode to the mythical beast and a masterclass in riff worship. Guitars rise and fall like tidal waves, building anticipation until the vocals finally surface. The song strikes a balance between epic storytelling and lumbering doom heaviness, with scorching guitar leads tearing through the murk like lightning bolts. It’s the type of song that sticks with you, echoing long after the final crash.

If there’s a flaw to be found, it’s in the vocal mix, which is sadly too low, often buried beneath the instrumental thunder. That said, the spirit and craftsmanship on display more than make up for it. In today’s oversaturated metal landscape, Crimson Coven feels like a much-needed ritual in the old ways, a return to slow-burning power and atmosphere.

“-0- The Genesis” drops as a 12” vinyl this August via Shadow Kingdom Records, and you can already stream the whole thing on their Bandcamp page. Don’t sleep on this. If you crave authentic Epic Doom, then Crimson Coven just might be your new high priest.

~Black Angel

Vittra Intense Indifference Review

Sun, 17 Aug 2025 09:00:00 GMT

Vittra

Intense Indifference

Self-released

2025

Vittra are a Swedish band working on their second full-length, Intense Indifference. Formed in 2022, they quickly gained ground in the extreme metal world with their debut Blasphemy Blues. Their name (originally Vildvittra ) was inspired by characters from Astrid Lindgren’s Ronja Rövardotter (Ronia, the Robber’s Daughter, first published in 1981). These days they go simply by Vittra, drawn from the mythical creatures of Swedish folklore. This new album centers on one’s emotional journey, soul searching while fighting an uphill battle. Struggle metal? Sure. Let’s call it that.

Vittra fall under the umbrella of melodic death metal, a broad spectrum these days—but their lineage is clear: At the Gates, Dissection, early In Flames, and Megadeth all echo through their sound. The ten songs were recorded and engineered by Simon Johansson (Soilwork/Wolf), produced by Johan Murmester, and mixed/mastered by Lawrence Mackrory (Lik, Bloodbath, Katatonia). Guest appearances include John Lönnmyr (Night Flight Orchestra), who adds piano to “Transylvanian Buffet”; Bastian Thusgaard (Soilwork), who contributes shaker on “Burn(h)er” and vibra-slap on “Transylvanian Buffet”; and Linus Öhrn (Valkyrja), who adds backing vocals on several tracks. The production strikes a balance between old-school rawness and modern polish, with no instrument crowding another in the mix. Everything hits hard—thick low end, biting highs, and plenty of aggression.

So what about the songs? They don’t linger, averaging two and a half to three and a half minutes each, but they pack a lot into compact structures. Opener “MOFO” storms out of the gate with tremolo-picked guitars before settling into blackened pacing and voicings, matched with a Jeff Walker/Tomas Lindberg-style mid-to-high death growl. The shouted refrain of “motherfucker let’s go!” makes for an urgent, blood-pumping kickoff. “Reign Supreme” dials back into a thrashier, mid-paced groove with harmonized guitars and a clear Megadeth influence, there’s even a tasty Skin O’ My Teeth nod and Friedman-esque lead work. “Burn(h)er” rockets forward again with speed and a catchy chorus, blending their blackened edge with death/thrash precision. Then comes “Transylvanian Buffet,” which throws in piano and vibra-slap during a tripped-out punk/ska section, yes, it sounds insane, but it works.

“Soul Searcher” brings more thrash mechanics before swerving into a smooth jazz breakdown ahead of the solo. These curveballs come out of nowhere, yet the band pulls them off effortlessly, a testament to how tight and well-rehearsed they are. From there, “The Leap” charges ahead with melodic death fire and clever interplay between low and high growls. “Bound by Blood” channels prime In Flames, while “Hate” tears into brutal, fast-paced territory. “End to It” opens with a bass intro and slides into a groove metal stomp, pairing its melodic chorus with blackened ferocity and even hardcore-style gang shouts.

The album closes with a cover of Slayer’s “Piece by Piece” from Reign in Blood. Vittra nail it, it fits their style perfectly, but honestly, I wouldn’t have minded another original track to finish things off.

All told, Intense Indifference is a varied and exhilarating sophomore album. Vittra wear their Gothenburg-inspired influences proudly while twisting them into something fresh, surprising, and visceral. Grab your snus and let Intense Indifference slaughter your soul, but wipe the blood from your nose before leaving the house, because these guys throw a mean punch.

~TB

Bask The Turning Review

Sun, 17 Aug 2025 09:00:00 GMT

Bask

The Turning

Season Of Mist

2025

From the misty mountains of Asheville, North Carolina, the Heavy Psych/Americana/Heavy Blues outfit Bask return, weathered, unyielding, and ready to bend minds, with their fourth album, The Turning. This latest chapter is set to roll out later this month, prepared to shake bones and expand horizons in equal measure.

The album starts with “Chasm”, a drone that’s part Zeppelin’s “In The Light” and part Jane’s Addiction tuning session. Less a song than a beautiful intro that leads into the psychedelic, Middle-Eastern flavored beginning of “In The Heat Of The Dying Sun”. The song fakes left just at the moment where you prepare yourself for some Doors cum Tool vocal meandering and you are instead crushed by a pummeling metallic wave. The song wanders into a little Mastodon territory and then a little Neurosis territory and then off into a wash of head down, exotic thrashing.

The third song on the album comes on like a fat, horny Meat Puppets before stepping into a psychedelic sixties pastiche that could be the theme song to a British occultsploitation film and careens off into watery layers of ecstatic celebratory soaring before landing for some more Jane’s Addiction-esque guitar soloing that sounds like Navarro on the world’s most psychoactive opiates.

On the 4th song, “The Cloth” we find Bask treading into spaghetti doom scenery that gives way to Alice In Chains flavored grunge metal that metamorphoses into the shape of System Of A Down before dropping a ghostly banjo passage that lets the listener know that we might not be in Kansas anymore, but that this is a truly Americana themed adventure.

On “Dig My Heels” we get a Bask that flirts with a burly form of emo-country that is neither of those genres but the best part of both sounds still. This goddamn song is going to be stuck in my head forever. Midway through the song we careen into beatdown hardcore that drops off into lo-fi progressive folk jazz replete with pianos and steel guitars before returning with an attack that feels like an apocalyptic version of My Chemical Romance.

“Unwound” deals in chordal changes and dramatic pastiches that call similar era bands to my mind. Thursday, Braid, AFI even, but with an always maintained Baskness that is built into the instrumentation and the production. You sail through genre boundaries but never feel whiplash. You never forget that you’re listening to Bask.

“Long Lost Light” is beautiful and feels like The Avett Brothers and Isis spawned a sideproject.

“The Turning” begins as a space-prog Skynyrd anthem before going full Conan The Barbarian metal and then off into a stratosphere of decay.

This is black light poster music for the next generation.

~ Rev

Helloween Giants and Monsters Review

Sun, 17 Aug 2025 09:00:00 GMT

Helloween

Giants and Monsters

RPM Music

2025

For over 40 years, Germany’s Helloween have been one of heavy metal’s most enduring and elite bands. Blending power metal with NWOBHM and even speed metal, they’ve built a catalog that speaks loudly for itself. You may not count them among your favorites, or maybe only know them in passing, but you know them. If you’re a Gen X’er like me, you likely discovered them through the Headbanger's Ball Tour of 1989 with Exodus and Anthrax, or via their hit single/video “I Want Out” from the phenomenal Keeper of the Seven Keys Pt. 2, which ran endlessly on MTV. Who could forget Michael Kiske practically swallowing the rest of the band at the end of that video? Helloween have always been a world-class act, capable of getting dead serious while still delivering with a playful wink (who else names an album Pink Bubbles Go Ape?). Their latest release, Giants and Monsters, is no exception.

These days Helloween operate as a seven-piece. Founding guitarist/vocalist Kai Hansen is joined by co-lead vocalists Andi Deris and Michael Kiske, original members Michael Weikath (guitar) and Markus Grosskopf (bass), plus Dani Löble (drums) and Sascha Gerstner (guitar). Produced by Charlie Bauerfeind and Dennis Ward and mixed at the legendary Wisseloord Studios (home to Iron Maiden, Judas Priest, Def Leppard, and Rammstein), the album sounds modern and massive without ever feeling sterile or dated.

The ten tracks kick off in grand fashion with “Giants on the Run.” Don’t be fooled by its clean guitars and moody verses, it erupts into pure adrenaline with a chorus that’s anthemic and unforgettable. “Savior of the World” strips away the atmosphere for a denim-and-leather stomper, with fantastic vocal interplay between Deris and Kiske. “A Little Is a Little Too Much” slows into a mid-paced, hook-laden rocker with synth flourishes and sing-along charm. “We Can Be Gods” doubles down on power and speed with chugging riffs and soaring falsetto. By this point, every chorus is lodged firmly in your head. “Into the Sun” and “This Is Tokyo” lean into epic balladry but carry enough bite to avoid the “power ballad” tag.

The centerpiece, “Universe (Gravity of Hearts),” is an eight-minute fist-pumping sprint, balanced by a mesmerizing interlude. “Hand of God” and “Under the Moonlight” keep things strong with mid-tempo crunch, harmonized shred, and, again, killer vocal layering. Finally, “Majestic” closes the album with piano and atmospheric vocals before snapping into a headbanging finale full of soaring harmonies, tempo shifts, and dizzying arcs that most bands couldn’t conjure across an entire album, let alone a single song.

With Giants and Monsters, Helloween return bold, big, and adventurous. The pumpkin-powered tricksters still have plenty of cards to play, and this album makes a convincing case for their crown as the kings of power metal.

~TB

Desaster Kill All Idols Review

Sun, 17 Aug 2025 09:00:00 GMT

I first stumbled headlong into the German Blackened Thrash juggernaut Desaster thanks to their 2007 slab of raw hatred “666 – Satan’s Soldier Syndicate”, and I remember foaming at the mouth like a junkie od’ing when I heard it. It felt like being chased by Satan himself while escaping the gates of hell in a rusted-out hot rod. Then life happened I dropped the pen, picked up an instrument again, and I fell off the face of the Desaster map entirely. And who could blame me? There are hardly no fucking music stores anymore, no sacred shrines with dimly lit Metal sections to thumb through. We live in a dystopia of algorithms and beige playlists. I hate you, World. Deeply. Truly. Passionately. And if you’re reading this and you support this kind of bullshit, you have an open invitation to kiss my fist.

So, imagine the split-brain aneurysm I had when “Kill All Idols” showed up like a flaming axe through my inbox. Not only are Desaster still active, but they’ve also gone full berserker and cranked out five albums while I was off playing Drums in divebars, shacks and other shady places. Now, several spins into this blood-soaked masterpiece, I realize I’ve been missing out on divine carnage.

Desaster is a band you do not compare. They aren’t walking anyone else’s trail, they’re stomping through the forest with fire on their boots, snarling like feral animals, and laying waste to genre norms. That whole “Black Metal” label gets tossed around way too often, and I’m telling you right now: most of it sucks. Yeah, I said it. Your feelings hurt? GOOD. Let'em bleed. Half the “Black Metal” scene turned into mopey dudes in corpse paint recording lo-fi howls in their parents' basement with a fucking Rock Band mic. That’s not evil, that’s embarrassment in drop D.

But Desaster, these bastards are the real deal. “Kill All Idols” sounds like it was forged in the pits of an ancient battlefield and recorded during a sword and hammer fight. That’s because they tracked the whole thing live in their rehearsal space, eyeball to eyeball, sweat and spit flying, no punch-ins, no Pro Tools fakery, just pure, unfiltered Metal Mayhem. You can feel it. It breathes. It bleeds. It screams.

The guitars are riffs wrapped in barbed wire delivered with all the subtlety of a boot to the face. The leads, shrieking banshee wails from the cosmic void. The hooks, catchier than a zombie plague in a Strip club on 2 for 1 night. And underneath it all, that rhythm section is a war machine, precision devastation locked in tighter than a coffin nail while the vocalist howls out sermon after blasphemous sermon like he's preaching from a pulpit made from the human remains of his enemies.

There’s a flavor of Black ‘n Roll swagger here that grabs you by the neck and demands you drink grain alcohol and dance in traffic. It’s not that overcooked symphonic b.s. or blastbeat-for-blastbeat’s-sake nonsense that plagues so much of “modern Black Metal.” This is the dirty, whiskey-soaked Motörhead-dipped-in-hellfire side of the genre that too many bands have forgotten, and Desaster have it coursing through their veins in SPADES.

Sure, I could sit here and pull apart individual tracks like some tame critic with a monocle and a clipboard but fuck that. This whole album is a war cry. But if you're the type who needs a place to start, go directly to “Kill the Idol,” “Great Repulsive Force,” “Fathomless Victory” and the closer “Idol’s End”, which is an instrumental that screams of ending credits after a hard-fought victory. Four sonic pipe bombs that’ll rip the top off your skull and paint the walls with your expectations.

I’m pissed that I forgot about Desaster. But I’m also grateful, because this kind of rediscovery, is like finding a long-lost tool of death under your bed just before the apocalypse kicks off.

In a time when bands are turning into corporate mascots or cosplay caricatures, Desaster are still out here drinking blood, breaking necks, and recording albums the real way, face to face, with strings bleeding, amps screaming and no bullshit.

~Black Angel

Anthrodynia Unspeakable Horrors Emanating From Within Review

Sun, 10 Aug 2025 09:00:12 GMT

Anthrodynia

Unspeakable Horrors Emanating From Within

Nameless Grave Records

2025

I gotta tell ya, Canada has given us some fantastic metal throughout the last four decades. Our brothers to the North introduced the world to diverse acts like Anvil, Exciter, Razor, Annihilator, Voivod, Gorguts, Cryptopsy, Kataklysm, Strapping Young Lad, 3 Inches of Blood and so many more. There has never been a shortage of heavy from the land of poutine, and the latest to cross my desk is no exception. Edmonton’s Anthrodynia and their debut five song EP, Unspeakable Horrors Emanating From Within.

Before we dig in, let’s get a little background on these 90’s OSDM (old school death metal )/doom merchants. Per the band themselves, “As the behavior of mankind increases in cruelty and pettiness, a permanent state of exhaustion has taken its hold. These words define and inform the sound of ANTHRODYNIA.”. The band is just a duo, consisting of Derek Orthner – guitars, vocals, synth, effects and Durell Smith – drums/bass. For a two piece, these guys make a big helluva noise and present us with a well-rounded wall of sound. Said sound is multi-layered, covered in guitar harmonies, clean atmospheric parts, full and clear death grunts and growls, well placed drums and a tight and thundering bottom end. The EP was recorded, mixed, and produced by the band’s own Derek Orthner with mastering by Brad Boatright at Audiosiege. What you get from that is an overall organic and somewhat polished production that contains just the right amount of bite and rawness. I really can't say enough good things about how this is presented aurally. I applaud them for taking the time to make something so seasoned and professional sounding.

Salivating over the sonics aside, you are in for crunchy, thick slabs of death metal colliding with slower doom moments that can get plenty moody and surprisingly melodic in places. My personal favorite aspect would be Derek’s vocals, which recall prime John McEntee’s (Incantation) Onward to Golgotha era. They are properly low and menacing and there's nary a pig squeal or modern technique to be found, thank goodness. In fact, I would say much of the output here is directly inspired by those first couple Incantation albums, as well as Grief, Disembowelment, Spectral Voice and Temple of the Void. As such, these are not short songs. Opener (and my pick for best track) “Severed from Mundanity” is just shy of eight minutes and draws us in with its low n’ slow dirge before blasting our heads off with relentless pacing, segueing into more double bass plod and guitar atmospherics, then bludgeoning us with held out power chording and more guitar harmonies. After that, the 8:58 depressive intro of “Engulfed in Grief” makes way into head bobbing territory replete with the hallmark guitar pull offs and trills. Up next is “Cathartic Dissemination” which is more clean droning giving way to effected flange guitars over more monolithic riffs and spacious drums. We then pick up the speed for “A Rotten Sun” before it settles into mid-tempo blunt force and blast beats. The closing track, “Suffering Pure Light” brings things home with another nearly nine minutes of synth laden weirdness, funeral paced verses, melodic guitar lines with pronounced galloping and chugging that is earth shattering heavy before more effect riddled guitar. Then it's over, and five songs in 36:44 seem to have gone by oddly quickly. You're never bored, and the sound is varied enough between the faster elements and the doomed out growly stuff that you immediately want to press play again. Anthrodynia are apparently not concentrating on many live shows, so they can primarily focus on the writing, recording and production side of things and I have to say, given the strong showing here, that's the right decision and I simply cannot wait to hear what they come up with next.

Canada's terrifying, gruesome twosome are knocking it outta the park. Unspeakable Horrors Emanating From Within is one of the strongest death/doom debuts I've heard in recent memory. Nicely done lads.

~TB

Aurorawave Monument Review

Sun, 10 Aug 2025 09:00:12 GMT

One of the unexpected blessings of being a half-assed music scribe with a full-assed love for sound is the sheer randomness of what lands in my lap. Most folks who read the site or know me at all are aware that I live and breathe Metal. But that doesn’t stop the digital tide from washing in a wild array of genres like bottles cast from distant shores. Rap. New Age. Film scores. Experimental oddities that sound like a sentient toaster got high with a Moog synth. All of it arrives. All of it gets a spin.

Why? Because music is life. And life, in all its chaos and clarity, is music.

Sure, I don’t love everything. But every now and then, some weirdo little record walks in the room wearing the wrong shoes and absolutely owns the place. Aurorawave’s new album Monument is one of those.

Now let me be honest, I’m not fluent in Reggaecore. Outside of what (hed) P.E. has crafted in their mutant laboratory of styles, I couldn’t tell you where that genre starts or ends. Reggae itself, yeah, I dabble. I’ve got a small, curated section in my collection, albums that I dust off when the mood is mellow and the suns still got something to say. But Monument didn’t hit me like a mellow afternoon. It hit like memory and invention colliding in a glittery back-alley brawl.

I didn’t expect to like this. PR sheets often over-promise and under-deliver. But from the moment I pressed play, I felt that magnetic pull. The ‘core elements are there, crisp and sincere, reminding me of those early-2000s Nu-Metal leanings: Relative Ash, Taproot, bands who understood groove but didn’t sacrifice melody. Aurorawave brings that energy, but they’re not here for nostalgia, they’re builders. Architects. They serve the song with surgical care.

There’s structure here. Heart. Craftsmanship. And while I haven’t heard their debut, I’m now actively hunting it down.

This album drips with clean hooks and confident swagger, yet never once feels like it's chasing trends. Guest appearances from members of Underoath and Emmure give nods to Metalcore’s spine, but they don’t hijack the soul. This isn’t a Frankenstein of style, it’s a garden where unlikely hybrids bloom in full color.

And yes, there’s Pop sensibility here, but it’s the good kind. The “make-you-sing-in-the-shower” kind. It’s catchy without feeling corporate. Playful without sounding plastic. There are moments of Rap, Hip-Hop, things I usually avoid like expired sushi, but the flow here feels earned and organic. There's no mumble filler or artificial flavor. Just emotion. Just rhythm. Just real.

And the Reggae, it’s not a garnish, it’s the root of it all.

In a time when genres get mashed together like leftovers in a blender, Monument is a rare meal where every ingredient holds its own. It’s vibrant. It’s honest. It feels good, soul good.

I’ve spent more time with this album than any other recent submission. I didn’t see it coming, but that’s the beauty of the open ear. I’ll be snagging the vinyl the moment it drops, no question.

Standouts: “Judge Me”, “Welcome to Your Nightmare”, “Suffocate” and “Turn the Page”.

~Black Angel

Pustulent Flesh Gurgling Pustulence Review

Sun, 10 Aug 2025 09:00:12 GMT

Pustulent Flesh

Gurgling Pustulence

Extremely Rotten Productions

2025

We find ourselves back in the saddle with a grimy, angry and absolutely vicious debut offering from Copenhagen’s Pustulent Flesh. Strap in, this one is gonna be a blistering, bloody ride into the nether realm.

Formed in 2022 and later rounding out their sound with a twin guitar attack, Pustulent Flesh, if the name isn't an obvious indicator, play a filthy, loud and raw style of death metal bordering on grind. We get just seven songs here but my God, they make’em count. In the short run time, all the usual suspects of the styles they embrace are employed from fast blasting to groove laden doom riffs and the HM-2: buzzsaw sound that a little Swedish band called Entombed made famous eons ago.

This is primal and very old school in sound. It's refreshing to hear today, where most death metal even of this variety, is concerned with crystal clear production and quantized and sterile tones. You ain't gonna find that here, not by a long shot. From their press release, “the EP was recorded, mixed, and mastered by Benjamin “Polle” Radtleff at Radtleff Recordings, who captured the band’s raw and putrid expression with sharp precision and maximum foulness.” All the instruments are feedback ridden and carry plenty of muck, and sound like they were taken directly from the recording studio floor. Throughout the songs we are also treated to tried and true (and often overused) horror movie samples, but thankfully they are peppered in sparingly and meant to act as an enhancement to certain movements in the songs. I must mention the vocals here too, as they literally resemble a fire breathing, vomitous demon straight from the pits of Hades, if albeit a bit buried for my liking. Given the genre, perhaps that is their intention? Either way, I’d dig hearing them a bit more present in the mix next time fellas.

I'm not sure what songs I would pick as standouts as again, this thing flies by and leaves you beaten, battered and bruised before you can even catch a breath. However, the lead off track “Beyond Lobotomy”, the plodding breakdown riddled “Cadaver Creation” and the hulking mid-paced violence/sludge metal of “March of the Ravenous Dead” are all perfect places to start (they're the first 3 tracks respectively) and the closing title track is atmospherically eerie, brutality.

Pustulent Flesh isn’t here for a long time, but they are here for a good time. If YOUR idea of a good time is vile, putrid, bone cracking Danish death metal that resides in the same murky graveyard as early Carcass, Blood Duster and the gore obsessed offerings of Exhumed, then put your decaying party hat on and keep rotting in the free world with this motherfucker of an EP.

~TB

Church Of The Cosmic Skull Discography Review

Sun, 10 Aug 2025 09:00:12 GMT

Church of the Cosmic Skull Discography

I’ve been tripping all the way back to the 70’s this week. No, I didn’t drop acid and find a time machine, but I might as well have. I was a bit of a latecomer in joining Rev. Bill Fisher’s Church of the Cosmic Skull, but this week I have been attending prayer service about three times a day, blasting through the lysergic acid diethylamide drenched discography time and again.

I was first baptized in the rainbow waters of the Cosmic Skull in 2018 upon the release and subsequent buzz surrounding Science Fiction, the (inter)stellar sophomore release from the seven-piece band with that oh-so-70’s sound. Inspired by the likes of Queen, Thin Lizzy, Fleetwood Mac, Black Sabbath, Deep Purple, Pink Floyd, Rainbow, Dio, Elf, Judas Priest, Bowie, Ozzy’s solo work, early Genesis, Slade, ABBA, Hendrix, Heart, Mahavishnu Orchestra, ELO, The Beach Boys, etc., the group has issued four independent releases, shunning all major labels to maintain complete creative control of the Church’s ministries.

The 2016 release Is Satan Real? launched the group’s career. However, a copy of that album didn’t grace my eardrums until AFTER the 2018 release. But the first time I dropped the needle on Is Satan Real?, sadly a third pressing and not a limited first, and heard the opening track “Mountain Heart” with that soaring Magic Guitar, the unique timbre of the Hammond Organ accompanied by the beautiful harmonies of Michael Wetherburn (organ, piano, vocals), Sam Lloyd (bass, vocals) Jo Joyce (vocals), Amy Nicholson (cello, vocals), and Caroline Cawley (vocals), alongside Fisher’s trademark Rainbow colored Flying V, dubbed The Magic Guitar, and the the textured drumming of Brother Laurence Stone, the hook was set. That is most assuredly a track that makes my playlist, right at the top. Another tune that really grabbed me on the debut is the sparse acoustic ballad “Answers in your Soul.” Bill Fisher’s vocal along with his minimalist guitar work on this song, reached right into MY soul and spoke volumes to me.

Then there’s the album’s centerpiece, the title cut, which features an outstanding, pulsing bass line by Brother Samuel and some fancy guitar work from Brother Bill, that caught my ear.

Even though it was 2018 by this point and I already had a familiarity with the band, it wasn’t until hearing that particular track that I visited the Church’s website, cosmicskull.org, and began my path to enlightenment. The Church and Fisher (guitars, lead vocals) became my bodhisattvas. I wasn’t aware of the mystical power of seven until coming before the altar that is the Cosmic Skull.

The rainbow has seven colors, the Church seven members, the Chestahedron (conceived by Frank Chester) seven sides, and there are seven “objects” the Church of the Cosmic Skull preaches:

1. Recognize the Hallucinatory nature of reality

2. Investigate all aspects of the reality – hallucination

3. Receive all phenomenon and equanimity

4. Celebrate and uphold the freedom of art, science, and thought

5. Meet mistakes with forgiveness and determination

6. Do what you want, with love in your heart

7. Maintain focus on the unity of all living beings

Indeed, a philosophy to live by. Who says hippies are a thing of the past ? Peace, love, harmony, quick, get these guys in H.G. Well’s most famous fictional creation and port them back to Woodstock.

Appropriately, considering how big a fan of Wells, Jules Verne, and H.P. Lovecraft I am, it was the title Science Fiction that lured me in. That album, start to finish, is a masterpiece of melodic doom, prog rock. There is not a single lax moment on this record, which had me on the edge of my pew for its entire 40:43 sermon. I cannot identify a standout track, because all ten tunes are of stereophonic superior quality. Songs to meditate upon, draw inspiration from, and maybe alter your state of consciousness to. To call listening to Science Fiction a religious experience for me is not much of an exaggeration.

The track and video that truly broke the band was this record’s “Cold Sweat.” Check out the trippy, hooky, video for the song below.

Science Fiction topped many 2018 end-of-the-year best of lists, including mine, as at the time I was contributing to Doom Charts.

The group followed up with another stunner the next year, Everybody’s Going to Die. The lyrics to the title track were a gut punch the first time I heard them, but I have come to comprehend them in a more transcendental manner. Consider the second verse, “some of us will live like there is no tomorrow / some of us will fight until the end / some of us will struggle through the pain and sorrow / some of us will choose to make it stop…”

The third verse is just as devastating, or beautiful, depending upon your mindset, “some of us will be taken long before we should be / some of us will go before we’re born / some of us will do the things we want to do here / some of us will not…”

The first time I spun my Exploding Crystal Edition of the vinyl and heard that track my psyche was both shattered and illuminated. I honestly had been a live-for-the-day kind a guy, just rolling with everything as it came. But that song gave me pause, I had never really taken the time to reflect upon my own demise, or that of my wife, or daughter, or that of relatives who had passed and the legacies we all leave behind. I knew it was inevitable everyone must meet that destiny one day but had never let that influence my decisions or reach me on a deeper level.

Becoming a disciple of the Church of the Cosmic Skull actually made me a better, more thoughtful person. How many bands can you say that about?

There are a number of other outstanding songs on Everybody’s Going to Die, lifting this to my number two slot of albums released by the Church to date, key among those being the opening, bouncy, piano-driven track “Fantasy,” the questioning “Do You Believe in Magic?, ” the gospelesque title cut, the frantic, time signature changing “Do What You Want (With Love in Your Heart)” and… then there’s the final message from this record, “we’re living in a bubble / won’t you come join the family,” from “Living in a Bubble.” It is damn near a second perfect record.

In 2022 the Church delivered a new sermon and made a stunning proclamation. There is No Time, the fourth LP release, was announced as the centerpiece of a seven-album cycle for the group. Of the four albums issued by the band thus far, it is the one I have the least familiarity with, though I do own a copy or two.

The track “Now’s the Time” preaches a vital message, “There is no time / no time / like tonight… Seasons come and the seasons they go again / but the moment now is right…”

Another of my favorites from There is No Time is “Last Words of a Dying God,” which delivers this essence, important especially now, “we are humanity” and “we are reality.”

The band has been on a brief respite as Fisher explored a bit heavier take on doom with three solo records, but now features a twin guitar attack, originally made famous by Glenn Tipton and K.K. Downing of Judas Priest, with the subtraction of Brother Joseph and the addition of a second guitarist, Brother Martyn. The band is at work on its fifth installment of the planned septology at present.

The Church of the Cosmic Skull fills a singular rainbow-colored hole in doom metal, once upon a time occupied by Ritchie Blackmore’s early Rainbow albums with Ronnie James Dio at the helm, and Tony Carey on the keys. Taste the rainbow, motherfuckers.

~Mike

The Jackalopes All The Sleaze Review

Sun, 10 Aug 2025 09:00:12 GMT

A few months back, during our Halfway to Halloween blowout, I practically foamed at the mouth over one of my favorite Horror Punk degenerates, The Jackalopes. In the process, I wormed my way into the twisted lair of the man pulling the strings, Rev. Chad Wells of Horror Shock Media. This was less “networking” and more “selling my soul for backstage passes to the depraved carnival,” and honestly, it was long overdue. Now I’m sort of in the Rev’s inner circle, peeking behind the velvet curtain at the dark, sticky guts of the label and the band. And let me tell you, having the Rev around is like carrying around a coolness encyclopedia that smells faintly of beer and sin. The man is the real deal, a certified 1% muthafucka. And you know me, I don’t dish out praise unless it’s earned in sweat, blood, and other questionable bodily fluids.

Which brings us to why we’re here… to talk about The Jackalopes AGAIN.

Last year Horror Shock dropped “All the Horror”, a remastered buffet of their creepiest cuts, an absolute knockout. Fast forward to 2025, and yesterday they unleashed another filthy little miracle: “All the Sleaze”.

What is All the Sleaze? It’s exactly what the name promises, every tongue-in-cheek, below-the-belt, hips-and-hands-wandering track from the band’s back catalog, remastered for maximum thrust and audio carnage. See, The Jackalopes never played by the rules of the Horror Punk dress code. They weren’t afraid to lace up a little raunch in between the blood-soaked verses. Me, I’m an ’80s kid, I like Sleaze in everything. I grew up on the gospel that you’re not worth a damn unless you can “Fuck Like a Beast” or quote BulletBoys’ “Smooth Up In Ya” without blushing. That was the mating call of my generation, swagger up, roll the hips, drop the line, hope she didn’t slap you. Worked better than it should have.

Most of these tracks were born on the long-out-of-print “Jacksploitation”, which these days is harder to find than your dignity after a weekend of hookers, cocaine and mescaline. But the Rev went back in, tightened the screws, polished the chrome, and here we are with the definitive Sleaze bomb.

The album kicks the door in with “1% Percent Muthafucka,” a sermon from a preacher who’s clearly been baptizing himself in booze and debauchery. From there it dives into “Good Clean Fun,” which might be about laundromat love, or maybe it’s just an excuse to picture washing machines vibrating hard enough to make OSHA nervous while strangers accidentally grind on each other in the spin cycle aisle. “Drive In Saturday Night” delivers that Rockabilly swagger with just enough grease to slide you into trouble: beer, blood, and questionable backseat gymnastics under the flicker of a giant screen.

My personal crown jewel - “Pristine Fifteen”, pure ’80s Sleaze-core energy with a riff that smells like Aqua Net, stale pussy and bad decisions. It catapults me right back to my feral teenage years when every thought began and ended with fuck. Not my proudest era, but God, it was fun. Then we’ve got “Switchblade Sisters” and “Daughter of Discipline,” two tracks I hadn’t met before but that instantly earned a spot in my dirty little heart.

Sixteen tracks in total, every one dripping with filthy punk energy, bad intentions, and the kind of grin that gets you banned from most places. And because the Rev doesn’t do just enough, Horror Shock is offering bundles with both “All the Horror”, “All the Sleaze” CDS, a hoodie, and a grab bag of merch pulled straight from the Rev’s private stash. No two bundles are the same, think of it as a Sleazy loot box for the fanatics. My dick is still hard from reading the news!

If you’re a die-hard fan, you’re already in line. If you’re just some innocent soul wandering by, “All the Sleaze” will happily ruin you in the best way possible. Either way, it’s not something you want to miss, unless you enjoy living without sleazy punk filth in your ears.

https://horrorshockrecords-shop.fourthwall.com/collections/the-jackalopes?fbclid=IwY2xjawMEJpdleHRuA2FlbQIxMABicmlkETFQeWJzWnU1SWJlUWJDZGZzAR4FXcKApLgKnkDa__TdL8p_cX-KxfjfLLNuNRPUD2rkbMBTnCc7lUD2g8YCLA_aem_8H2fgG4S95fBz0iuTp6vTQ

~Black Angel

The Dogs Of Hope Review

Fri, 08 Aug 2025 00:22:19 GMT

We’re here to talk about music, of course, but not just music.

This is about The Dogs of Hope, a compilation created to help a local rescue shelter near my home. Before we dig into riffs, breakdowns, and track lists, let me tell you why this matters to me, because my life has been measured not in years or records, but in paw prints.

I’ve been forever altered by the animals my wife and I have shared our lives with. No matter how tough I’ve tried to act, I was nothing until a dog taught me how to give and receive love. Real love. The kind that’s sacred, wordless, and eternal. I’ll die a happy man for having known the devotion in a dog’s eyes.

Yes, I love all animals (unless they slither), but dogs… dogs are different. Four-legged joy machines with waggly tails, wet kisses, and souls older than the mountains. Their love can move those mountains, too. It changes lives, teaches those willing to learn, and heals things that medicine can’t touch.

I grew up with a few pups, but the connection didn’t fully click until I was grown and married. We started with a cat, Stimey the Bullcat. The meanest bastard alive, but in between swipes and snarls, he’d show tiny flashes of kindness that melted me. He lived 18 years and broke the mold. We never got another cat. He spent a few years of his life with the dogs we're about to talk about... I wouldn't say they were harmonious, but that old cat held his own and whipped 2 dogs asses at once on the daily.

I always wanted a dog. Specifically, a Boxer. My wife said not until we had a house, so we waited. The day we closed on our first home, my boy Mr. Barlow was already waiting. He was my teacher in love, loyalty, and joy for nine years, until ALS took him from us. It nearly broke us.

We adopted Maggie, another Boxer, who suffered a sudden heart attack in my arms. She was Barlow's companion, she left us before he did. After Barlow, came Keeper, pure white, pure heart, the healer who gathered our shattered pieces and made us whole again. Keeper was softness incarnate, a timid, 80-pound baby who thought my lap was his rightful throne. I got sober shortly after we brought him home, and his love was a lifeline. I will always believe that without him, I might not have made it.

Then, one Sunday, Keeper started coughing. Congestive heart failure. We fought for him, but his heart could no longer hold on. Letting him go was like being hollowed out. I still miss him so badly it aches in the quiet moments.

Dharma came into our lives as Keeper’s companion, and she remains, older now, slowing down, but still following my wife everywhere. We added Preacher, an English Bulldog who’s part caveman, part toddler, and 100% love on his own terms. At first, he didn’t care for me. But we bonded over football and music, and now he’s my writing buddy and game-day partner. The last few months have been tough, I’d had a double ear surgery in June, so I’ve been down more than I’ve been up. Preacher’s been there every step of the way. He lays at my head when I have ear drops put in and he comforts me until it’s time to flip over to the other side and he follows me over there and lays next to me ensuring that I know he’s there if I need him. You can’t beat that, I’ve felt that love daily and it’s been needed.

These animals, every single one, have shaped me. Without them, I am not the man I am. Without their love, I am not sober, I am not whole, and I am not as patient or as kind as life requires.

And that is why The Dogs of Hope matters.

This compilation, organized by Iodine Recordings and industry veteran Tom Bejgrowicz, exists for one reason: to raise funds for a privately owned, no-kill animal shelter in Randolph County, Alabama. They take in the lost, the broken, the unwanted, and give them love until the very end.

The record is stacked with Hardcore and Punk acts, most offering exclusive tracks you can’t get anywhere else. Killswitch Engage, Orange 9MM, Snapcase, Deadguy, names I know and names I don’t, all united for the cause.

Killswitch’s “Blood Upon the Ashes” is pure fire, a facemelter that didn’t make the cut for “This Consequence” but found its perfect home here. Jeromes Dream’s “The Seventeen Downtown” hits like a storm, raw and relentless. But my personal highlights are the two Pink Floyd covers that bookend the album, “Pigs on the Wing” Parts 1 & 2, performed by Walter Schreifels. They hold the same warmth and bittersweet weight as a dog’s final goodbye. I cried when I read the PR release with those songs playing.

Every cent from this release goes directly to the shelter. Vinyl, digital, tees, however you buy, you’re feeding, sheltering, and loving an animal that might otherwise have been forgotten.

A dog’s day is a year in our time. Imagine going hungry, unloved, unwanted for a year. This compilation is more than music, it’s hope you can hold in your hands. Blessed be the souls who run this shelter, and may this album keep their mission alive for years to come.

Because all lives matter, and sometimes, the ones that save ours walk on four legs. I can’t imagine my life without a dog and while I’ve loved and lost, the love was so worth it. We saved each other and that’s the only circle of life that will ever matter to me.

https://deathwishinc.com/collections/all/products/various-artists-the-dogs-of-hope?variant=52086568681844

https://iodinerecordings.bandcamp.com/album/the-dogs-of-hope

~Black Angel

R.I.P. David Roach of Junkyard

Sun, 03 Aug 2025 12:27:41 GMT

I always say that 1987 was the most important year for music in my life, but the more I look back, the more I realize 1989 had just as much to say. I was coming of age, past puberty, into rebellion, and already applying for the job of Captain Trouble. Of course, no 13 or 14-year-old could be legit trouble without the right soundtrack, or the right amount of booze and chemical inspiration, but that's a whole different confession.

And 1989… it came armed with the soundtrack I needed, delivered with divine timing, especially that summer. May gave us the self-titled debut from Texas hellraisers Dangerous Toys, and June gave us Junkyard, by way of California but carrying Texas grit in their pockets. Two albums. Just two. But those records came to define me, not just as a music fan, but as a drummer, and frankly, as a human being. I’ve lived those lyrics on purpose, some by accident. I drank too much, took too much, laughed too loud, fought too often, and loved the chaos too dearly to see it happening.

But from those albums came something deeper. A mantra. A war cry. A piece of soul carved into vinyl. Junkyard’s “Simple Man” wasn’t just a song, it was scripture. It still is. The lyrics spoke in a language I hadn’t heard before but somehow always understood. The groove and approach were what I now call Southern Sleaze, a term I live by. To this day, if someone says, “Hey man, this sounds like Southern Sleaze,” I’ll damn near break my neck to give it a listen.

That song, it is me. I’m the guy they sing about, on purpose, with pride. My socials even quote it “Don’t throw your pennies in the wishing well, cause what you get is what you see.” My wife will agree with this sentiment too although it took her several years to come around to accepting it, now she appreciates that about me. That line has followed me since ’89, like a shadow and a shield. I’ve listened to more music than I can count, written my fair share too, but “Simple Man” still stands tall as the one. The gold standard. My personal gospel.

Junkyard never stopped. Not really. They were Rock Warriors, scarred and shining, and I followed them through it all, lineup changes, label switches, indie releases, tour rumors, all of it. The internet helped, and later, so did social media. I got to befriend a few of the band members, and more importantly, I found other lifers, fans who loved this band as deeply as I did. Some of those people are now among the most beautiful souls I’ve ever met.

As for the band, I only ever really chatted with vocalist, David Roach, and even that was minimal. I didn’t want to fanboy too hard or come off like some kid still begging for an autograph. I’ve always been that way - respectful. These people are human. You don’t treat them like trading cards or living statues. I’d drop into his DMs now and then, check in, ask about new music or tours. Quiet admiration. Still, I've never seen Junkyard live. That’s a damn crime in my book.

They were part of the Monsters of Rock Cruise scene for a while, but I never went. Too expensive. Too surreal. Too many fans mistaking proximity for entitlement, hovering around their heroes like flies at a barbecue. That’s not me. I don’t need selfies while they’re eating. They know we love them. You’re on the fucking boat with them, let the man drink his juice in peace. That’s my opinion though, it’s not law, it’s just my 2 pennies.

Then came the news that cut deep. A few years ago, maybe not even that long, David announced he was battling cancer. I backed off immediately. That’s the time for space and dignity, not inbox clutter. I gave what I could to the GoFundMes, I sent strength through silence and followed updates from his wife, who posted daily, even when things got rough. Especially then.

And now… he’s gone.
Yesterday. Maybe the day before.
Time doesn’t matter when grief shows up, it just is.

A wife lost her husband.
A child lost their father.
A band lost its frontman.
And we, the musical misfits, the lifers, the dirtbags with hearts of gold, lost one of the truest voices to ever rise from the Texas heat.

David Roach was a lifer.
And he was that Simple Man.
There’s not a damn thing more admirable than that.

I’m crushed once more. This is another voice of my youth falling silent. Another soul who taught me how to survive, how to feel, and how to keep it real, even when life turns savage. When I can’t find the words, I put on “Simple Man” and let David speak for me. I dive back into Junkyard’s catalog like a lifeboat, looking for comfort, for clarity, for that edge of truth I can’t express alone.

He had the pulse. He had the guts.
And even when the spotlight dimmed and the hairs turned grey, he never strayed.
You don’t live through something like the ‘80s and just walk away from it.
Unless, of course, you never really meant it.
David meant it. Every damn word.

Denim vest, heart on sleeve, middle finger ready.
A man’s man. A poetic bruiser. A straight-shooting, no-bullshit saint in Sleaze.
And now, gone.

But we have the records. We have memories. We have the lines tattooed across our souls.
And we’ll carry him with us until the wheels fall off this motherfucker.

R.I.P. David Roach
Thank you for showing a wild Georgia kid that it’s okay to be simple,
to be raw, to be real.
And to never, ever, take shit from anyone.

~ Andy

Roadsaw Discography Review

Sun, 03 Aug 2025 09:15:00 GMT

The Roadsaw Catalogue

Today I thought I’d take a look at a band that I don’t believe gets enough media attention, one of my favorite stoner rock bands of all time, the mighty Roadsaw.

In 2015, just as I was slipping back into collecting vinyl after a more than a 25-year lapse, I ordered a copy of Monster Magnet’s latest release, Cobras and Fire (The Mastermind Redux). Contained in the package was a handful of stickers, including one from a band that was alien to me – Roadsaw. I looked up the band online, even briefly made email contact with one of the founding members, Tim Catz, as I did not find a great deal of information about the group on the net.

Catz was cool to communicate with, and he directed me to the group’s Bandcamp page. There I was able to sample a handful of tunes, and they really spoke to me. In particular, I loved the tracks “Starcock,” Roadsaw’s Sucking the 70’s compilation contribution “I’m Your Vehicle” (a cover of the old Ides of March tune), and the American Dream 7” release that featured “Not Today” with “Interplanetary Love Song” as the b-side.

“Starcock” has perhaps the greatest opening stanza in rock IMHO, “John Holmes’ ghost haunts the limo, trying to catch a ride, looking for a keyhole, it's not his size, you know, it’s the way to go, so we climbed inside with a deadman at the wheel.” The chorus isn’t bad either, “You can’t get to heaven in a car like that, there ain’t any tires left on it. You’ll never get to heaven with a cock like that, I heard that you killed someone with it.”

I set about attempting to collect as many Roadsaw releases as I could lay my hands upon. I quickly learned the band had a solid back catalogue, including the debut One Million Dollars, the follow up, Nationwide and Rawk N’ Roll.

The first album that I was able to secure a copy of on vinyl was the band’s 2011 self-titled LP release, Roadsaw. It is my favorite record they have issued to date. It features some truly stand-out tracks, including “Weight in Gold,” “So Low Down” “The Getaway,” “Motel Shoot Out,” and “Electric Heaven.”

This stoner rock group features two original members still, Craig Riggs (drums, vocals), and Tim Catz (bass, vocals). Rounding out the group as of their latest release, Tinnitus the Night, is Ian Ross (guitars). Ross joined the group in 1999, six years after the band's formation, and has been a terrific addition to the group’s sound, offering some blistering solos. Roadsaw, originating in 1993, has been releasing 70’s style, acid-drenched stoner rock for more than 30 years now, contributing a number of outstanding covers to compilations, including 2000’s Aerosmith tribute, Right in the Nuts, laying down a smokin’ hot version of “Toys in the Attic.”

The group followed that with a cover of the old Ides of March tune that I love so much, “I’m Your Vehicle” for the first Sucking the 70’s comp in 2002. In 2005 they once again contributed to that series, adding a cover of Zeppelin’s “When the Levee Breaks” for the edition of Sucking the 70’s - Back in the Saddle. While “I’m Your Vehicle” is one of my favorite covers ever by any group, and I thoroughly dig the Aerosmith track, the version of “When the Levee Breaks” didn’t really connect with me, as it sort of plods along at a slightly slower pace than the original, and just sounds off somehow.

Roadsaw would have been a tremendous covers band, though. Other excellent offerings from the group include a cover of Van Halen’s “Outta Love Again” (which opens with a killer bass line from Catz), “Where is My Mind” by The Pixies, and “I Smell a Rat,” originally by The Bags.

The group has also pitched in on the In the Groove comp, which features their original track “Blackout Driver,” and the Welcome to Meteor City series, giving that album “The Finger.” Each of those tracks returned for Roadsaw’s Rawk N’ Roll in 2007.

Additionally, Roadsaw has offered up a couple splits, a 7” single with Grind as their first official release in 1994, “The Sickest Ride,” and the EP The Boston Sherwood Tapes split with Blackrock that contains three tracks by Roadsaw, including The Pixies cover.

The band’s non-album releases also include a self-titled EP, not to be confused with the self-titled LP, and a pair of compilations that collect miscellaneous covers, b-sides, live in studio tracks, and outtakes: Takin’ Out the Trash (2000) and More Trash (2020).

Roadsaw’s most recent LP was Tinnitus the Night, on the Ripple Music label; that came in 2019. Following that, they dropped their second compilation album that assembled most of the band’s one-offs and unused tracks, the More Trash release. Since then, Roadsaw, which hails originally from Boston, has been silent.

Tinnitus the Night is probably my second favorite record Roadsaw has produced. The final pair of songs on that album are powerful, slow burners that really can chill you out after a stoner tour de force performance, in a slightly altered state of mind.

The 2008 album See You in Hell, in my mind at least, is the forgotten, oft overlooked record. It is by far, the one I spin the least; and that brings us to the Roadsaw EP, which contains just three tunes – “Twisted Steel and Broken Glass,” “Burn Down the Night,” and “Monkey Skull.”

So, now that we have tiptoed through the Roadsaw catalogue, let’s examine the band’s sound. I believe they fall into the same category of stoner rock bands like Sasquatch, Orange Goblin, Mothership and Wo Fat. Plenty of fuzz and stomp, and overall clean vocals.

What does the band not sound like?

Well, there’s Bongzilla, Weedeater, Acid Bath, and that brand of stoner metal. Roadsaw has more singing, less screeching.

Then, what sets Roadsaw apart from all these other bands?

I believe it’s the harmonies that Riggs and Catz combine to create, as well as the band’s willingness to experiment creatively, such as the inclusion of the odd interlude in “Blackout Driver,” the addition of unique instrumentation for a stoner band, using organs, bongoes, piano, and is that a cello I hear at the beginning of “Starcock.” Andrew Schneider contributes some outstanding piano work in the instrumental “Tarantula” from the Rawk N’ Roll album. On that same album is “Burnout,” a track that has a distortion effect on Riggs’ vocals that I really dig.

Catz has posted music videos for a pair of tracks from the Roadsaw album on YouTube, “Weight in Gold” and “So Low Down.” Check ‘em out, particularly the hilarious video for “So Low Down.”

If I were to assemble a playlist of my favorite Roadsaw tracks from the group’s entire catalogue it would look like this:

“Fancy Pants” from One Million Dollars

“Handed You Your Ass” from One Million Dollars

“So Low Down” from Roadsaw, LP

“Electric Heaven” from Roadsaw, LP

“Not Today” from Nationwide

“Interplanetary Love Song” from American Dream 7”

“In Threes” from Nationwide

“Satellite” from Nationwide

“Starcock” from One Million Dollars

“Blackout Driver” from In the Groove

“The Getaway” from Roadsaw, LP

“Motel Shoot Out” from Roadsaw, LP

“The Finger” from Welcome to Meteor City

“I’m Your Vehicle” from Sucking the 70’s

“Outta Love Again” from Takin’ Out the Trash

“Where is My Mind” from The Boston Sherwood Tapes

“Toys in the Attic” from Right in the Nuts

“Scorpion Bowl” from Rawk N’ Roll

“Foot” from Rawk N’ Roll

“Arlen” from Takin’ Out the Trash

“Dead and Buried” from Roadsaw, LP

“Weight in Gold” from Roadsaw, LP

“That’s Mr. Motherfucker to You” from Rawk N’ Roll

“Thinking of Me” from Roadsaw, LP

“Too Much is Not Enough” from Roadsaw, LP

“Midazolam” from Tinnitus the Night

“Silence” from Tinnitus the Night

“Dead Astronaut” from More Trash

“Burnout” from Rawk N’ Roll

“Tarantula” from Rawk N’ Roll

“Long in the Tooth” from Roadsaw, LP

and

“Shake” from Tinnitus the Night

In closing, I’m sharing a couple quotes from a Roadsaw song I really identify with:

“Too old to rock and roll, and too young to die, too late to save my soul, so don’t even try.” ~ Roadsaw, “Long in the Tooth” from Roadsaw (2011).

And

“I’ll never get to heaven, and I’ll never be rich,

But the devil is my friend, so I get in on the guest list.” ~ ibid.

~Mike

Alterium Stormrage Review

Sun, 03 Aug 2025 09:00:03 GMT

I can’t, in good conscience, look anyone straight in the face and claim to be a big Power Metal fan. It’s just never been a genre that’s clicked for me, too often it comes off as overwrought, tired, and frankly, a little dull. That said, I’ve never questioned the musicianship or sheer technical talent that thrives within it. So, when Stormrage, the new EP from Italian newcomers Alterium, landed in my inbox, I figured, why not give it a spin?

After about an hour of listening on repeat, I found myself unexpectedly taken with the band, particularly with vocalist Nicoletta Rossellini. She bucks the typical Power Metal vocal tropes: no falsetto screeching or theatrical wailing are found here. Instead, her voice sits comfortably in a warm mid-range that feels natural and grounded. She stays well within her abilities, something sorely missing in a genre where vocalists often mistake ambition for skill. Odd as it may sound, there’s a Madonna-esque quality to her tone that struck a nostalgic chord with me. Maybe it’s because I’m an '80s kid, but it just works.

Technically, the EP offers only two brand-new tracks, rounded out by a symphonic version of “Of War & Flames” and a ripping cover of Symphony X’s “Paradise Lost.” I’ll be honest: I’ve never been a huge fan of the original, but Alterium’s take won me over. Rossellini’s vocals elevate it, there’s something ethereal and angelic in her delivery that reshapes the song entirely.

The two new cuts, “Stormrage” and “Sui” are loaded with solid riffs, well-crafted keyboard layers, and smart arrangements. Still, it’s Rossellini who commands center stage with confidence that’s impossible to ignore.

Considering how early Alterium is in their career, Stormrage feels like a strong step forward, a signal flare in the often-overcrowded skies of Power Metal. All this band needs now is the right opening slot on a major tour, and I have no doubt they’ll win over fans from all corners. Even skeptics like me.

~Black Angel

Litania Self-Titled Review

Sun, 03 Aug 2025 09:00:03 GMT

One of the things I’ve always admired about Heavy Psych Records is their uncanny ability to uncover bands who carve out their own distinct space within the heavy underground. In a genre landscape often crowded with fuzzed-out repetition, the label seems to have a sixth sense for artists who aren’t just playing Doom or Stoner music, they’re reshaping it, transcending it. And with their latest signing, they may have unearthed their most singular act yet.

Litania, a transcontinental force hailing from Italy and Serbia, whose upcoming self-titled debut is less of an album and more of a ritual, a sonic invocation that folds together the raw weight of Doom riffage with the spectral beauty of ancient Hindustani music. Yes, you read that right: sitars and dilrubas mingle with distorted guitars, harmoniums swell beneath ethereal female vocals, and the whole experience feels like wandering into a desert shrine long buried by time, the wind carrying sacred songs you don’t understand, but deeply feel.

Out this October on vinyl and CD, this debut will likely divide listeners, but for those of us with ears tuned to the otherworldly, and hearts open to sound as spirit, Litania offers a passage into something primal, tribal, and beautifully transcendent.

Don’t worry about the lyrics not being in English. If you're already a fan of Death Metal, you're no stranger to deciphering the indecipherable. And anyway, the meaning here is carried in vibration, not vocabulary. This is music that bypasses logic and speaks directly to the bone, to the blood, to the breath. The way the traditional instruments weave with modern Doom’s gravitational pull feels like a forbidden alchemy that shouldn't work… yet somehow does, brilliantly.

Press play and you’re no longer in your room, your car, or wherever you think you are, you’re somewhere else entirely. A temple scorched by sun and incense smoke. A dreamscape carved from forgotten myths. A place where rhythm is language, and melody is memory.

If I still indulged in psychedelics, I imagine this record would be downright cosmic, but the truth is, imagination alone is more than enough. The colors this music conjures, the textures it paints across the mind’s canvas, they’re vivid, tangible and alive. You need only to surrender to the sound.

Are you seeking escape? Revelation? Resonance?
Are you ready to walk a sonic path few have tread?
Then follow the call of Litania.

Standout tracks: “Jaminiya,” “Bound,” and “Shankara.”

~Black Angel

Phantom Fire Self-Titled Review

Sun, 03 Aug 2025 09:00:03 GMT

This is one of those records, the kind you spend your whole damned life hoping to trip over. And wouldn’t you know it… I finally found this absolute sonic chainsaw of a band, Phantom Fire, and guess what? They’ve already been lurking in the shadows, three deep into their discography like specters with Marshall stacks strapped to their backs. And the scene has been dead silent. Not a whisper. Not a screech. Not even a dislocated jawbone rattling in the wind. Where the hell are you people!?

Let’s break it down: Phantom Fire is a 3-piece Norwegian weapon designed in the frostbitten dungeons of the old gods. The members are veterans from Gaahl’s Wyrd, Hellbutcher, and fuckin’ Enslaved. That’s not a resume; that’s a war crime waiting to be committed on tape. And yet, instead of following the well-worn goat-trail of corpsepaint clichés and blastbeat predictability, these maniacs come at you with Blackened Melodic Thrash laced with gasoline-drenched Rock N’ Roll and just enough NWOBHM worship to get the juices flowing.

It’s Motörhead in a knife fight with Dissection, using Venom’s bones as drumsticks and Maiden’s gallop as the getaway car. Imagine Witchery and The Haunted tearing donuts in a cemetery while Satan DJ’s. That’s the vibe.

And you know what, it’s criminal that nobody is screaming about this band. I mean, what the actual fuck, Metal community? Have we gotten so obsessed with being the most "Kvlt" that we forgot how to feel something again? Did you lose your spine in a record store bargain bin? Did your soul get buried under some poorly xeroxed demo tape from a band that only plays once a decade when Mercury is in retrograde? Wake the fuck up!

I’m from the school of If it’s good, it’s good. I don’t care if the band was raised by sewer mutants under a bridge or recorded their album on a haunted answering machine, if it rips, it rides. And Phantom Fire rips like a demonic Harley wheelie-ing into the abyss.

The self-titled beast is a 10-song death ride fueled by brimstone riffs and vocals that growl like a man possessed but never lost in the mix. You understand the rage, the hunger, the vibe, it’s Black Metal, but with hooks. With purpose. With pavement-scorching intent. You can smell the engine grease and burnt leather in these tracks.

This album wasn’t tossed off in a meth-fueled garage session either, this is immaculate production, razor sharp, with all the polish of a seasoned hitman’s blade. I’ve heard major label output this year that sounds like it was recorded inside a dying goat. This is crystal-clear carnage.

And the feel of the record - it’s built for motion. This is the soundtrack to a blood moon road trip through a world gone to hell, your grip on the wheel white-knuckled, your girl riding shotgun, your enemies shrinking in the rearview as the amps howl louder than the sirens behind you. It’s the spirit of danger. Of freedom. Of living like the laws of gravity and man no longer apply.

Standout tracks: All of them. But if you want a taste before diving in headfirst:

“All For None” – Burn-your-house-down energy.

“Fatal Attraction” – Straight from the twisted lovechild of Lemmy and a Scandinavian warlock.

“Eternal Void” – Sounds like your soul being sucked into a V8 engine.

“Sleep To Die” – An anthem for the damned.

“My Crown” – Because kings bleed too, and this one bleeds fire.

If this record doesn’t make you want to throw a Molotov into the sunrise and scream at the gods until they answer, check your pulse. You might be dead. Or worse… listening to radio rock.

~Black Angel

The Brains Crazy Monster Review

Sun, 03 Aug 2025 09:00:03 GMT

I’m a little late dragging myself to the latest slab from Montreal’s Psychobilly fiends, The Brains, but to be fair, recovering from ear surgery doesn’t exactly pair well with upright bass thunder and Horror-fueled chaos.

Their newest full-length, Crazy Monster, dropped appropriately on July 4th, and let me tell you, this beast is feral. This isn't just another Brains album, this is their most unapologetically Horror-obsessed release to date. It’s a straight-up monster mash with no escape hatch. Those already familiar with the band’s macabre leanings will find themselves back in hellish comfort, because here, the grave is never cold, and the lyrics come crawling out with claws and bad intentions. The Brains are where they belong: knee-deep in horror, gasoline, and grim melody. All Horror. All the Time. Exactly where I want them.

Several singles bled out in the lead-up to the release, but the cut here that grabs me by the neck the most is “Hollywood Final.” It’s a morbid instrumental drenched in spaghetti western dust and draped with eerie whistles and mariachi trumpets. It conjures up ghost-town dread - The Town That Dreaded Sundown meets Carpenter’s Vampires, riding shotgun with Eastwood's ghost. The guitar work is lethal, razor-sharp riffing and cinematic leads that crawl across the desert of your imagination. And those trumpets, fucking glorious. Horns of the damned.

Then there’s “Darkness,” a mid-tempo creeper that prowls with a steady gait, think Tiger Army on a moonless night. The real payoff here is in the chorus, a gigantic melodic hook that sinks in deep and refuses to let go. It’s the kind of chorus that lingers like fog on a tomb.

“Candy Apple Red” kicks the doors off with car-themed carnage, an ode to chrome, speed, and blood on the dashboard. I’m a sucker for songs about badass rides, and this one roars with Punk Rock velocity and the devil's own charm. If you’re into nitro-fueled tunes that could soundtrack a getaway from a burning town, this is your jam.

“One More Time” throws it back with a dose of Rockabilly-stained Psychobilly, one of the band’s signature sounds. It's a welcome flicker of familiarity amidst the creeping dread, like finding a dance floor inside a haunted house.

There isn’t a single misstep on this record. Every track lands. Every note is soaked in the kind of melodic rot that makes Psychobilly worth bleeding for. Crazy Monster is, without question, their strongest outing since The Monster Within, a high watermark of terror-tinged songwriting and spine-snapping production.

Sure, “Friends and Zombified Antics” held us over, but this, this, is the fresh meat for the beast! These are all-new, skin-crawling anthems meant to soundtrack your descent into madness. I’ll be securing the vinyl, no question. There’s something about hearing that upright bass thump in analog.

The production here is shockingly clean, tight, modern, and detailed in a way that many Psychobilly releases just don’t achieve. The Brains gave a damn, and it shows.

If this one’s not in your collection yet, fix that fast. The veil is thinning. The dead don’t sleep. And Crazy Monster is the soundtrack for every moonlit drive through the underworld.

~Black Angel

Malformed Confinement Of Flesh Review

Sun, 27 Jul 2025 09:00:00 GMT

Malformed

Confinement of Flesh

Dark Descent (US)/Extremely Rotten Productions (EU)

2025

Finland… By now, this part of Europe is the stuff of legend and has a lore and band lineage like that of Sweden and Norway in the most extreme metal circles, and for good damn reason. Have you ever heard the phrase “Finnish death metal”? You have? Ok, great. Then you most assuredly know of the practically God-like status of Demilich, Convulse, Demigod, Amorphis and Sentenced. All bands from Finland and all are great. Well, now we can add another to the list in Helsinki’s, Malformed who just released their worldwide debut, Confinement of Flesh. Let's dig a little deeper.

This formidable quartet of malcontents started making noise in 2022, behind the strength of their demo Uncontrollable Malformity, which US based label Rotted Life picked up and released. Then in 2023 they inked a deal with Extremely Rotten Productions in Europe for 2023’s Gathering of Souls. Based on the strength of those two albums, they are now making inroads into the US with ERP partnering with Dark Descent Records and the nine songs of Confinement of Flesh.

Malformed are Eetu Hyvönen- Lead Vocals & Guitars, Akseli Lindroos - Guitar, Pauli Niemi - Bass & Vocals and Jani Seppi - Drums. The album was recorded by the band themselves and produced/engineered by Felix Pennanen (Disguised Malignance). It was mastered by Lasse at Ballade Studios.

Getting into the overall sound of this album is quite satisfying if you are a fan of the Finnish death metal sound. For those of us who are, all the trademarks are represented skillfully with nightmarish darkness. You have the requisite blast beats, atmospheric soundscapes, brutality and heaviness, deep growls, unique rhythms/song structures and the calling card - melodic and technical elements. There is something inherently dare I say, evil about the songs crafted here within the framework of such a celebrated sound. After my first listen, what struck me most were the very shred-tastic and accomplished guitar solos. The rhythms are all properly down tuned, sludgy hitting like a ton of blood-soaked bricks and the drums and bass are formidable. While some parts are somewhat technical, they aren't as such that you are doing math in your head as each part is played or wondering how many bpms, counts or notes are included. I say all of that to state that Malformed could certainly do that stuff justice, but it's only included in tasteful flourishes that enhance the songs as opposed to feeling like they’re all competing in a game of “look what I can do!” on their respective instruments.

The songs themselves seem to fly by, and all come in around the ¾ minute mark. So, you’re looking at a running time of 31:33, which should suit most of your attention spans just fine. It's honestly a bit short for 9 tunes, but that's what I love about it. It leaves me wanting at least one or two more songs and that's certainly not detrimental to the proceedings. All the compositions have something going for them with my favorites being the opener “Within the Flesh” it starts off with long, held out chords over some pinging bass and then dives into a frenetic and fast verse. Next up I must mention the ferocious “The Bleeding” era Cannibal Corpse plod of the main riff of “Eyes Torn Out” that segues flawlessly in and out of racing speeds and boasts some tasty lead work. This is also the shortest song here coming in at 2:56. Other standouts are the very Swedish leaning “Confinement of Terror” and the all guns blazing muscular mid-pacer “Abnormal Eulogy”.

Malformed are certainly not reinventing the wheel, as I hear influences that sit heavily in the Convulse and Demigod yard, but what I do find interesting is the slower doom parts with the melodic and sometimes harmonized guitars tend to point to Hooded Menace as a direct inspiration also. This is a band to watch and if they keep producing such memorable stuff, we can count them amongst the Finnish elite in short order. Well done gentlemen!

~TB

https://darkdescentrecords.bandcamp.com/album/confinement-of-flesh

Sweet Level Headed: Alternative Mixes And Demos Review

Sun, 27 Jul 2025 09:00:00 GMT

Metalville Records is at it again, serving up another brilliant Sweet release, this time diving deep into the “Level Headed” era. The album, titled “Level Headed: Alternative Mixes and Demos”, may be a bit of a mouthful, but it's also a feast for longtime fans. Previously available only on vinyl as a Record Store Day exclusive, this gem finally got the CD treatment on June 20th.

Not long ago, I had the pleasure of reviewing another Sweet collection packed with alternate mixes and demos, so if I sound a little spoiled, it’s because I absolutely am.

This latest CD unearths tracks from the “Level Headed” sessions, yes, the very album that delivered Sweet’s final Top 10 hit, “Love Is Like Oxygen.” It also marked a sonic shift from their beloved Bubbleglam Rock roots to a more polished AOR sound. Admittedly, Level Headed was never my favorite in the Sweet discography. How do you top monsters like “Action” or “Ballroom Blitz”? but that’s not to say the album wasn’t solid. It was in a very Raspberries sort of way.

These alternate versions inject a rawer, more raucous energy into the mix, and for me, that’s the Sweet I fell in love with. “Love Is Like Oxygen” feels almost schizophrenic here in a good way. It’s a rocker now, stripped of its gloss and driven by dirty riffs and Connolly’s spot-on vocals. “Strong Love” benefits from the same treatment, musically towering over the original. “Fountain” gets a similar rock-forward upgrade.

“Lady of the Lake,” however, still feels like an Elton John leftover. It’s presented here as an instrumental, which is a bit of a letdown. I would’ve loved to hear Connolly tackle it again in this more muscular form. “Silverbird” earns some serious points for its dirty, magnificent riffing, but Connolly’s scratch vocals are hit-or-miss, sometimes off-key, sometimes just... la la la. Same goes for “Cover Girl,” which sounds rawer and more aggressive, though again, the rough vocals occasionally veer into eyebrow-raising territory. Still, you get a great peek into how Connolly worked in the studio - warts and all.

All in all, “Level Headed: Alternative Mixes and Demos” is another fun addition to Metalville’s growing Sweet catalog. Sure, I would've loved more polished demos, but let’s be real these songs were recorded in '77/'78. We're lucky they exist at all. Hardcore fans will absolutely want this in their collection, and for those of us who missed the vinyl the first time around, this CD release is a very welcome second chance.

~Black Angel

Bright Sunshine Extreme Power Supreme Review

Sun, 27 Jul 2025 09:00:00 GMT

A Symphony of Middle Fingers and Flaming Briefcases...

Every so often, the universe pukes something into our inbox that doesn’t just kick, it jackknifes across six lanes of traffic, ejecting us through the sunroof, and leaves a crater smoking with righteous noise. That’s what Bright Sunshine just did. This isn’t music, it’s a weaponized HR violation dressed in a thrift store suit and covered in blood and gasoline fumes.

This new album, Executive Power Supreme, isn’t so much a record as it is a deranged PowerPoint presentation delivered during a hostile takeover of your central nervous system. And Bright Sunshine, they’re not here to make friends. They’re here to light the water cooler on fire and roast marshmallows over your unpaid overtime.

These Arizona maniacs sound like they were raised on expired Go-Gurt, broken printers, and VHS tapes of Beavis & Butthead. Their sound is a three-headed mutant hybrid of Green Jellö, Gwar, early Butthole Surfers, and your middle school cafeteria fight playlist. It’s Noise. It’s Punk. It’s Metal. Its chaos incarnate. It’s the musical equivalent of a raccoon in a Red Bull factory with opposable thumbs and a grudge against capitalism.

Let’s talk tone: the guitar is fuzzier than a wet Muppet in a dryer, the bass growls like it’s got rabies, and the drums hit like someone’s stapling your forehead to a fax machine. Vocals, imagine a disgruntled IT guy screaming into a megaphone while being eaten alive by office supplies. That’s the vibe.

The lyrics, Oh, sweet baby Satan. They’re a love letter to workplace hell, a cubicle-bound descent into madness. This thing reads like a diary scrawled in dry eraser marker during a panic attack in the janitor’s closet. There’s real rage here, but it’s wrapped in satire, dipped in sarcasm, and set on fire like an effigy of your district manager.

You want standout tracks, Step back: “Failure to Execute”, “Unlimited Bread Sticks”, “Business Lunch” and “Retention Efforts”.

This band doesn’t want a record deal. They want to break into the Capitol Records office and shit on every desk in the penthouse. They’re not gunning for mainstream appeal; they’re flipping the gun around and pistol-whipping the mainstream with it.

Executive Power Supreme isn’t here to climb the charts. It’s here to vomit on the charts, set them on fire, and dance naked in the ashes while screaming about corporate greed and TPS reports.

If you’re into pristine production, subtlety, or sanity, run. If you want to be bludgeoned by the sound of weaponized burnout and a band that sounds like it’s trying to escape from an Arby’s freezer then buy this album. Crank it. Scare your boss. Start a riot in the break room.

This is audio anarchy with a punchline and a pipe bomb.
This is Bright Sunshine.
This is war.

~Black Angel

Imperishable Revelation in Purity Review

Sun, 27 Jul 2025 09:00:00 GMT

Imperishable

Revelation in Purity

Everlasting Spew

2025

Coming in hot (and believe me, it gets WARM here) we have South Carolina’s extreme metal supergroup, Imperishable. This trio are rooted in tight, grinding technical death metal with a flair for the experimental (clean vocal passages and atmospheric melodic song parts). Along with a sense of groove tied up neatly with an emphasis on dark occult vibes, memorable hooks and musicality.

The band is led by Brian Kingsland (Nile), Alex Rush (Olkoth) and drummer extraordinaire Derek Roddy (Hate Eternal, Malevolent Creation). See why I said supergroup? Exactly. They formed in 2020 with Roddy joining their ranks in 2023, and that leads us directly to their debut, the seven song Revelation in Purity. Kingsland serves as producer while the mixing and mastering was handled by Jamie King. The results are a well-rounded sound/mix that showcases a foreboding, near black metal motif. There is a plethora of the chordal voicing’s guitar wise from that genre as well as relentless blasts and tortured high growls, yet it never firmly plants its feet in Norway. It just visits throughout, with some Emperor inspired sections peppered in.

The main component of Imperishable’s sonic DNA rests in the form of the dark and demonic side of death metal. Their hats are clearly hung on the racks of bands like Angelcorpse, Morbid Angel and Nile. Given Kingsland’s involvement, the last one isn't much of a surprise, yet the similarities are not carbon, they are merely the same painting with different brushes. Specific tunes that stood out for me were the single “Oath of Disgust” (the clean sung vocals with the near symphonic part at 36 seconds in was a welcome curveball). The title track, “Iniquity” (I love the juxtaposition of the clean guitars over the doom ridden outro) and the tremolo picked brutality of the last track “The Enduring Light of Irreverence” all had me properly feeling particularly evil and looking for some matches and gasoline to take to the nearest church. I kid, I kid.

Seriously though, if this a sign of things to come from Imperishable, then we better strap in. This stuff is all power, no flash. Get ready for Sumerian inspired craziness and raise your glass (chalice?) to their brutality, their beauty and their urgent need for obliteration by way of unsettling, yet engrossing tech extremism. The devil always has the best music, indeed…

~TB

Amon Amarth We Rule The Waves Single Review

Sun, 27 Jul 2025 09:00:00 GMT

Amon Amarth has been one of my favorite bands for close to two decades. For a number of those years, they stood alone, perched atop of Yggdrasil with Vedrfolnir and the eagle as my favorite. Quite frankly, most of their discography is untouchable and when you really look back at their debut album, ‘Once Sent From the Golden Hall’, you would be hard pressed not to agree that it’s one of the best death metal releases of the 90’s. But if I’m being honest with myself, ‘Versus the World’ is my favorite.

It wasn’t until 2016 when they released ‘Jomsviking’ that I started to lose interest. Sure, it’s got some good material on it, but I didn’t really connect with it the way I had with everything previously. Interestingly enough, this was the first release without longtime drummer (and my favorite member) Fredrik Andersson. Unfortunately, my mindset didn’t change with either the release of ‘Berserker’ or ‘The Great Heathen Army’. Although I will say ‘Berserker’ is my preferred listen of the three. It just started to feel too gimmicky, and everything began to feel and sound the same.

About a week ago, I saw a trailer for the band’s latest offering - “We Rule the Waves”. As I tried to keep my expectations in check, I hastily grabbed my axe and shield in preparation. I’ve listened to it several times and the drumming reminds me more and more of ‘With Oden on Our Side’, which I am incredibly pleased with. If more of the album has this influence, it could be a return to form. This is where I must pump the brakes a little, because the song overall feels very mid to me. It’s good, not great; however, there is enough promise that I’m excited to see where the band goes from here.

~ TJ

Incite Savage New Times Review

Sun, 27 Jul 2025 09:00:00 GMT

Incite

Savage New Times

RPM Music
2025

Nepotism is probably something that has greatly benefited a lot of bands as much as it has brought on plenty of naysayers and diversity to several of them also. Having a famous musician for a mom, dad or uncle may have its perks for getting your proverbial foot in the door. But at the end of the day, if your talent, work ethic determination and songs are all on point, then let the naysayers, nay man. You can't deny good music, no matter who the people creating its relatives are. Such is the case with Phoenix Az’s INCITE and their new long player, Savage New Times (God what an apt album title for 2025, but I digress…)

Formed in 2004 by Max Cavalera's (Sepultura, Cavalera Conspiracy, Soulfly, Nailbomb) stepson, Richie Cavalera (vocals). INCITE has been burning up stages across the US and abroad since 2009’s debut The Slaughter. They play thrash, which isn't surprising given Richie’s lineage, but they do so with a modern edge, and something that I find is sorely missing from a lot of new thrash bands - an unmistakable and pronounced groove. So, I guess a better descriptor here would be “thrash/groove metal”.

The band is rounded out by Lennon Lopez on drums, bassist EL and new guitarist Layne Richardson. Together with Richie's edgy, raw and spiteful vocals, they craft songs here that are fiercely heavy, fast, and utterly vitriolic. The album was produced by Steve Evetts (THE DILLINGER ESCAPE PLAN, HATEBREED) and mixer Arthur Rizk (SOULFLY, MUNICIPAL WASTE). Along with striking artwork by Marcelo Vasco (SLAYER, KERRY KING). We get 10 songs, and none of them overstay their welcome – they all stay close to the three/three-and-a-half-minute mark. Musically, it would be very easy for the band to sound like Sepultura, but that’s not the case save for in the SPIRIT of Chaos A.D.’s metallic hardcore and punkier moments. Richie's vocals fall somewhere between Robb Flynn and Jamey Jasta. The riffs and grooves undoubtedly owe a bit to Slayer, Machine Head (Burn My Eyes vibes specifically) and the long-forgotten Seattle band, Forced Entry to my ears. Aggressive opener “Lies” kicks us off with a relentless pace, the energetic rhythms of “Just A Rat” could easily start a pit anywhere. Then comes the atmospheric “Dolores” and the seething closer “No Mercy, No Forgiveness”. They are all notably my picks, but the album keeps my attention – it’s never boring and thankfully, it's devoid of any filler. I believe this is thanks once again, to the songs being trimmed of all fat and running lean, and most certainly mean.

INCITE are carrying the torch for not only thrash and groove metal from the past, while carving their own path into the future with a varied, exciting and visceral modern take in Savage New Times.

Nepotism? Hell no. The beasts that are INCITE are standing firmly on their own and ready to maul everything. Let's fuckin’ go…

~TB

R.I.P. Ozzy Osbourne

Tue, 22 Jul 2025 22:31:39 GMT

Farewell to the Father of Metal

I can’t quite recall the first time I heard Ozzy. Not exactly. But I know it was a Sabbath record, one my mom picked up for me. That was our thing: records for birthdays, Christmas, or just because. She didn’t overthink it, just snagged whatever sat on the endcaps. KISS. Alice Cooper. Sabbath. Then came Ozzy’s solo work, and with it, something seismic shifted inside me.

It must’ve been '79, on the cusp of a new decade. Next came Blizzard of Ozz and Diary of a Madman. Amazingly, I still have those same two records today. Not replacements. Not reissues. The real thing. They’ve survived the wreckage, just like I did.

Sabbath was a love. But those Ozzy records, They cut deeper. Randy Rhoads’ guitar - A revelation. Ozzy’s voice - A spell. The melodies, they carried me someplace else. I studied those album covers like sacred texts, memorized the lyrics and wrapped myself in every note like armor.

Ozzy wasn’t just an artist to me. He was something holy, a constant in a life where constants didn’t exist.

When I was a kid, I told people Ozzy was my dad. They knew I was lying. I knew it too. But it felt better than the truth: I was the discarded son of a burnout musician who chose bar tabs and backstage blowjobs over bedtime stories and birthdays.

So, Ozzy & my older brother raised me. His voice, his chaos, his pain, they gave me a place to hide, a space to heal, a world where I was wanted. That has never changed.

I’ve lost count of how many times I saw him live. Ozzy solo. Sabbath reunited. Ozzfest in its glory. And I’ve had the honor of covering his songs on stage myself, Mr. Crowley still gives me chills when a guitarist nails those leads. I’ve never claimed Ozzy or Sabbath were my favorites. They’re more than that. They’re elemental. If you’re a Metalhead, Ozzy is the oxygen you breathe. We don’t have Metal without him. We never would’ve.

Today, I am shattered. He’s gone. Just weeks after I watched his final show. I wept the whole time, even during bands I don’t care for. But it wasn’t about preference. It was about presence. It was about bearing witness. It was about love. You could see it in his face. Hear it in the strain of his voice. He knew it was goodbye. And he still gave us everything he had left. The tempos were slower, sure, but who gives a damn? That man showed up. For us. His tribe. His chosen family.

My wife called me at work today. She didn’t want me to find out online. She knows how I carry grief. I drove home in tears, blasting deep cuts from those same solo albums I’ve been clinging to since the farewell show.

What a life he lived. What a hole he leaves behind. For his family. For us. For Metal itself.

I told my wife during that show, “He won’t see the end of the year.” Not because he looked frail, but because he looked finished. At peace. Like a man who had given everything and wanted to give us a proper farewell.

After the PPV ended, I watched the whole thing again. Just because I could. Because it mattered. Because it felt right. A few weeks earlier, I’d had double ear surgery. I’d been struggling to hear anything clearly. But that day, my ears were open. And I heard him. The Universe, or maybe Ozzy himself, was giving me one last gift. One more embrace. One final reminder that I belonged.

Long may his spirit thunder across this Earth, in riffs, in howls, in rebellion and in grace. Ozzy Osbourne, the eternal father of misfits and Metal hearts.

God bless Ozzy. God bless his family. And God bless every single soul he ever saved with a song.

R.I.P. Dad, the sweetest Prince Of Darkness the world has ever known.

“You don’t need a ticket to ride with me… I’m free.”

"Let me see your fucking cigarette lighters"!

~ Andy

Atomic Witch Death Etiquette Review

Sun, 20 Jul 2025 12:30:30 GMT

Atomic Witch

Death Etiquette

Redefining Darkness Records

2025

(a review by someone frothing at the mouth and literally bleeding from the ears)

I don’t know why Ohio keeps catching me off guard, maybe it’s the trauma of Browns football but I’m perpetually stunned when something rules from that cursed land. Sure, the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame squats there like some gilded mausoleum of past relevance, but that doesn’t mean jack shit when you're staring down a nuclear blast of METAL that hits you like a tire iron to the temple.

Atomic Witch enters the chat...

Cleveland's very own harbingers of hell, birthed in 2016 and forged in the flames of every filthy dive bar with a PA system duct-taped together by Satan himself. I slept on this band. I’m ashamed. I didn’t know. I should’ve known. But once their new album “Death Etiquette” hit my inbox, it was like the heavens parted and a goat-headed deity screamed directly into my soul. Love at first blast beat. Lust at first tremolo.

This isn’t your little cousin’s core shit. Atomic Witch tap into the crusty, blood-drenched lineage of Ghoul, Goatwhore, Toxic Holocaust, and Cleveland's own black-leathered warlocks, Midnight. This is the kind of band that wakes you up in the middle of the night sweating and thinking, “Did I leave the oven on or am I just possessed again?” It's got that same venomous spit and fire-snorting swagger. It’s nasty. It’s sleazy. It’s absolutely unholy. And if you told me they found this sound buried in a haunted 8-track in a rotting Plymouth Barracuda, I’d believe you.

They even stir the cauldron with some real underground grotesquery; The Lurking Corpses and their deranged horror-punk-thrash DNA are clearly in the blood here. And holy hell, even Bitchslicer, yes, that Philly band with the juvenile brilliance of “Cum Inside”, makes a spiritual cameo in spirit alone. This isn’t pastiche. This is evolution by decomposition.

Let’s crack the casket open and get a look at this bitch:

“Morgue Rat” kicks it all off like you’ve just been jumped by a gang of undead greaseballs with nailbats. What’s a morgue rat? No clue. Probably something that licks corpses. Who cares, it rips. The riffs are an unholy marriage of early Slayer and demonic swamp gas. I haven’t heard leads this dangerous since Kerry King could still see straight.

Then it’s straight into “Of Flesh and Chrome”, a sleazeball thrasher that feels like getting T-boned by a flaming hearse. The guitars chug and slice like chainsaws soaked in motor oil. And the vocals are full-on “Them”- era King Diamond–shrieks from the dimension where your childhood fears go to multiply.

By the time “Worms and Dirt” slithers in, you’re not even listening anymore, you’re living it. Mid-tempo riff worship that still hits like a hammer made of teeth. This one shows off the band’s mastery of restraint and release. You think you’re safe, then the next riff shanks you in the neck. And there’s even more here to be had, but you need to hear it for yourself, just don’t miss out on the tune “Death Edging”. I’m not sure if I’m turned on or what, it’s really something to behold.

This album is only 27 minutes long, but it feels like getting exorcised by electricity. No filler. No nap time. Just a relentless goddamn freight train hauling decapitated mannequins and cursed VHS tapes. The production is killer, raw without being sloppy, sharp without being sterile. The riffs sound like they're coated in tetanus.

And let’s not gloss over the fact that Atomic Witch aren’t some bedroom project with a Hot Topic vibe. These guys are lifers. They live and breathe this shit. They don’t care about algorithms or marketability. They want to rip your spine out and wear it like a bolo tie. And honestly, I respect the hell out of that.

“Death Etiquette” drops July 26th via Redefining Darkness Records, and you better believe I ordered my copy of the record. I even picked up their debut, “Crypt of Sleepless Malice”, on vinyl because I need this evil in my life in physical form.

The label’s got stock in hand, the band’s posting vinyl pics on their socials, and unless the post office spontaneously combusts, you’ll have your copy in time to terrify the neighbors.

Top 10 album of the year, no contest. Right up there with Rotgut and Mean Mistreater. Atomic Witch are now on my radar permanently, carved in with rusty nails and bile. Book them a tour with Nunslaughter, Bewitcher, or fuck it, reanimate Lemmy and put ‘em on the road together.

You like Metal? You like horror? You like being brutalized by sound?

Then put on your big boy pants and get “Death Etiquette” this album doesn’t ask for your attention. It takes it by force.

~Black Angel

Clairvoyance Chasm Of Immurement Review

Sun, 20 Jul 2025 12:30:25 GMT

Clairvoyance

Chasm of Immurement

Carbonized Records

2025

The Oxford dictionary defines clairvoyance as the following -

clair·voy·ance/ˌklerˈvoiəns/ • noun the supposed faculty of perceiving things or events in the future or beyond normal sensory contact.

Based on that it's a foretelling of the future, or knowing what's going to happen or having an idea how something is going to go or how it'll end up, that's the jest I get from the definition of the WORD, but the definition of the BAND Clairvoyance might read as “creepy, heavy as fuck old school ass kicking death metal”. I gotta tell ya, after spinning the six(six six) songs on Chasm of Immurement, that definition couldn't be more appropriate.

Clairvoyance formed in Poland in 2019, and as per their press release, “Vocalist Maciej Cesarczyk and guitarist Denis Didenk both shared a love for heavy music and decided to create something out of it even though Cesarczyk at that time had no experience as a vocalist, and Didenko, who moved to Poland from Ukraine in 2015, hadn't picked up a guitar in several years.” They later welcomed drummer Adrian Szczepański and bassist Jasiek Kraciuk to the lineup and began in earnest cultivating a sound that owes to Finnish and US death metal from the 90’s. A release of their three-song demo followed in 2020 on cassette from Caligari Records and on 7” from Polish label, Behind the Mountain. They played local shows, went through some lineup changes, dedicated some time to recharging and finally began recording this very album in the summer of 2024. The entire thing was recorded and engineered by CLAIRVOYANCE guitarist Kacper Pawluk, mixed by Pawluk and Piotrek Polak, and mastered by Polak. The sound is that gnarly bottom heavy and sludgy guitar and drums forward mix that Scott Burns made famous at Morrisound Studios in Florida. You won't find any overly sampled or triggered or compressed drums here, nor will you hear any trebly buzzy guitars or overly reverberated vocals. The mix is somewhat dry, and the songs benefit greatly from what I'll call a nostalgic production. Everything sounds organic and raw with just enough polish. This is what old school death metal should sound like.

Clairvoyance isn’t afraid to mix their compositions up, as many of them contain lightning-fast blasts, chugging down tempo and doomy and depressive elements all at once, often in the same songs! Somehow it manages to be concise and the parts flow well weaving in and out and never come off as disjointed or like they don't belong. “Eternal Blaze” is a perfect example of this. Another example of their mood swinging tempo shifts is the excellent “Hymn of the Befouled” and the rapid fire “Flesh Machine” that breaks into a MAMMOTH breakdown at 2:42. These songs are not short, as none are under four and a half minutes, with “Reign of Silence clocking in at six and a half, and closing track “Monument of Dread” being seven minutes even. I'm happy to report though, they never meander or get boring, and my interest is held captive throughout. The atmosphere here is real dark, gloomy and ravenous all at once. I dig it like a grave, if I may.

Chasm of Immurement is a ride full of twists, turns and varied, well composed songwriting. In addition to that, at its core it's ripped out heart on the sleeve OSDM that fans of Incantation, The Chasm and Abhorrence will find appealing and devour like a zombie gnawin’ on a brain. Blessed are the sick perhaps? You bet. Clairvoyance deliver hard.

-TB

Diamond Head Live and Electric 2022 Review

Sun, 20 Jul 2025 12:30:21 GMT

Diamond Head

Live and Electric 2022

Silver Lining Music

2025

Diamond Head really needs no introduction (unless you are under 30 maybe), and they are considered heavy metal royalty. Their origins and formation out of Stourbridge West Midlands date back to 1976 (I was born that same year!) and lead to the historic NWOBHM (New Wave of British Heavy Metal) that began to take shape into the early 80’s. Metallica kind of owe the start of their career to these guys, as they have covered them throughout their existence. Ever heard “Am I Evil?”, “Helpless”, “The Prince” or “It's Electric”? Right, those songs? All Diamond Head covers. By the same token, Diamond Head kind of have Metallica to thank for putting them on most people's radar.

Being around for 49 years is no easy road to travel, yet here we are, discussing their latest release, Live and Electric 2022. This marks their first foray into a live album in over twenty years, and they sound absolutely fantastic. The album is mixed in such a way that you can kind of imagine you got your ears right up against the PA speakers and every vocal, guitar crunch, bass line and drum is clearly audible and not fighting for space. Members here are sole OG founder Brian Tatler, along with newer vocalist Rasmus Bom Andersen. They are joined by bassist Paul Gaskin, rhythm/lead guitarist Andrew “Abbz” Abberley, and drummer Karl Wilcox and they are all lockstep tight which further compliments Diamond Head’s no nonsense riffing and catchy song structures. The album was recorded while on tour with Saxon in 2022 at various UK spots such as Aberdeen, Blackburn, York, Cambridge, Cardiff, and Bexhill. In fact, all 14 shows were recorded on said tour which allowed the band to pick and choose from the best of them instead of hoping everything lined up for one show.

By now we all know what Diamond Head sounds like. It is classic UK heavy metal for those who appreciate Tygers of Pan Tang (still the best name out of all the NWOBHM bands), Witchfynde, Angel Witch and Saxon. The tracklist reads as a greatest hits setlist and the aforementioned Metallica covers are all represented here in their original machinations, but for me, the deeper cuts hit harder and carry their own weight stacked up against those timeless classics. ‘Messenger of Death”, balladesque ‘In the Heat of the Night”, and the crushing mid paced stomp of “Set My Soul on Fire” are personal highlights to my ears. Elsewhere newer tracks like ‘Belly of the Beast” show these old regal dogs can still write proto speed metal ragers with the best of them.

Behind the superb mix (by one Jay Shredder), the quality of the songs (12 in all) and the excellent individual performances from everyone in the band, Live and Electric 2022 has ensured that I probably need to grab a ticket and witness the leather clad mastery for myself before they call it a day. Judging from how good they sound here, luckily that doesn't seem to be coming any time soon. All hail Diamond Head and may they continue to bring lightning to the nations for many more years to come.

~TB

Vertebra The Same Review

Sun, 20 Jul 2025 09:00:08 GMT

Vertebra

The Same

Xtreem Music

2025

Madrid Spain’s Xtreem Music has been churning out metal of all subgenres since 1990. One of their latest is on display here in Vertebra’s The Same.

Vertebra has an interesting story. They actually formed in the southern part of Brazil in 1994, but this is their first official full length! After releasing some demos and being intensely active for a few years, in 1996 it was determined they’d go on hiatus due to playing extreme metal being practically subversive at the time in their corner of the world as well as adulthood and a lack of infrastructure for death metal in Porto Alegra. Basically, life and other stuff happened, it tends to get the best of a lot of great bands. Thus, Vertebra was dormant for quite a long while. Then the pandemic hit and founding guitarist/vocalist Arildo Leal felt the need to get Vertebra rolling again, started writing, and new material began to take shape and that leads us to now.

The Same was recorded at Undercave Studios, Aleph Studios and finished at Tiago Studios. The band chose to produce it themselves and I have to say, they did a fine job. Every instrument cuts through the mix and can be heard clearly. I'm especially fond of the guitar and drum sounds achieved here. They are crisp and articulate with the right amount of bite and bottom end. There isn't an ounce of mud to be heard so it makes the entire listening experience very digestible. What also makes this album (11 songs in total) interesting is that it's a concept album that focuses on repetitive social patterns, modern alienation, and the inner struggle for individual autonomy and critical thinking. This is thinking man’s death metal, and a welcome respite from the blood, fire, death and gore themes typically showcased in this genre.

Musically and structurally these songs fall firmly in what I would safely call a hybrid of mostly technical death metal, thrash and some traditional heavy metal. There are plenty of full throttle moments (Architecture of Perspective) and they also know when to slow things down and inject some melody and twin guitar harmonies (Eyes). The title track is absolutely a standout and is easily the catchiest of the bunch right behind the second track, “Behavior in the Eyes” which starts melodically then bursts headlong into a Human inspired verse full of start stop picking patterns and brutish chugs. The track listing is worth mentioning as no two songs sound overly similar yet flow seamlessly into one another.

If you are a fan of the more technical side of early 90’s Death, Kreator (especially vocally), and the ethereal weirdness of Atheist and the melodic musings of later Carcass then you really can't go wrong by giving The Same a listen. Then, listen to it again. Catchy, memorable and well thought out death metal like this deserves repeated listens. Why yes, I think I will…

~TB

Void Return Of The Phantom Review

Sun, 20 Jul 2025 09:00:08 GMT

A few weeks ago, we dropped a line about VOID, Lafayette’s unholy Thrash mongers, and now we’re back making good on our promise like a blood oath scratched into the wall of a crumbling asylum. Their latest 7” slab, “Return of the Phantom”, isn’t just a teaser, it’s an omen. A red-eyed, grave-digging, bone-cracking harbinger of what’s to come from their first full-length for Shadow Kingdom Records. And if this single is the canary in the coal mine, then the mine has already collapsed and caught fire.

The title track kicks in like it’s being channeled through a haunted phonograph on Halloween night. Think King Diamond’s “Them” if it got possessed by Annihilator, then locked in a shed with a bottle of gasoline and no adult supervision. It’s got that kind of energy, epic, malicious, theatrical, and sharp enough to cut glass. Void don’t just flirt with Horror; they french kiss the Reaper and leave lipstick on his scythe.

The confidence here is rabid. It’s not the sound of a band "finding their voice", this is a band that’s howling through a megaphone made from human femurs. It shreds, it thrashes, it commands. And the video - the band went full-tilt VHS Horror meltdown.

But then there’s the B-side… “Necromantical Screams”. It’s not just a track, it’s a ritual. Slower, heavier, darker, it lurks like a reanimated corpse wearing a studded denim vest. This one doesn't punch; it crushes. A slow-mo jawbreaker of a tune that feels like it was raised on Nuclear Assault’s “Something Wicked This Way Comes”, then fed nothing but rust and razor blades.

The whole 7” is beautifully packaged chaos: two different colored vinyl pressings, gatefold, OBI strip, the works, because even maniacs like presentation.

If you’re not already riding the VOID train, what are you doing? Reading reviews like a civilized person? Wake up and smell the smoke. Go listen. Go feel. Because the “Return of the Phantom” is more than a release, it’s a summoning.

~Black Angel

Thorndale Spiritual Chains Review

Sun, 20 Jul 2025 09:00:08 GMT

Netherlands-based Stoner/Doom newcomers Thorndale are dragging their second beast of a release, “Spiritual Chains”, out of the smoke-filled abyss this September. This one follows hot on the heels of their debut “Lightning Spawn”, which I regrettably haven’t wrapped my ears around yet, but if this new slab is anything to go by, I’m already behind the curve.

Though technically billed as a full-length, “Spiritual Chains” clocks in at a lean, mean 23 minutes, short on time, maybe, but thick as hell where it counts. It plays like a weathered EP that doesn’t waste a second. Fans of the hazy, fuzz-caked Stoner groove with a filthy splash of Grunge swagger are in for a treat. Think of early '90s soul-stain, mid-tempo riff hypnosis fused with that melodic, clean-vocal melancholy.

“Twenty Thousand Souls” is a towering highlight. It grinds forward with the apocalyptic weight of Deliverance-era C.O.C. and rides a groove that feels like dragging a coffin full of busted amps through the swamps of despair. But the crown jewel is the title track, “Spiritual Chains”, a riff-laden sermon for the damned. It’s got that slow-motion whiplash that defines the genre at its best. “Tune slow, play slower,” as the ancient gospel says and Thorndale are true disciples. It’s soaked in reverb and doom-murk and it hits with the precision of a wrecking ball made of bong resin and regret.

Then comes “Exiles and Masters,” rolling in like a bourbon-fueled Clutch jam session held in a condemned garage. It stomps, snarls, and it doesn’t give a shit whether you’re ready or not.

Look, I haven’t heard their debut, but if “Lightning Spawn” is even half as potent as “Spiritual Chains”, it’ll hit like a rusty shovel to the cranium. If you’ve ever mainlined Cathedral and Soundgarden in the same sitting or got a sloppy backseat grunge-blowjob in your buddy’s station wagon while Tad blared through cheap speakers, this record’s gonna feel like coming home.

Light one up, press play, and let Spiritual Chains do terrible things to your spirit.

~Black Angel

Firstborne Lucky Review

Sun, 13 Jul 2025 10:47:58 GMT

Firstborne

Lucky

M-Theory Audio

2025

Switching gears completely from my usual fare here, I freely and unashamedly admit that I am a fan of catchy, melodic hard rock and 80’s inspired metal. That's exactly what we are dealing with in Firstborne’s debut long player, Lucky.

Firstborne was um, born out of virtuoso guitarist Myrone, vocalist Girish Pradhan (Girish and the Chronicles, The End Machine) bassist James Lorenzo (White Lion, Megadeth) and drummer Chris Adler (of Lamb of God and Megadeth fame). In 2019, they started jamming which would see them releasing various singles/EPs from 2020 to 2023. In fact, in late 2023 all their individual schedules aligned, and they recorded the ten songs we have here. Lucky was also produced by the acclaimed Machine (Clutch, King Crimson, Crobot). It's a melodious, gutsy, raw with modern polish vocal and guitar shred forward record that not only showcases the elements above but also features Adler’s human metronome-like technique and his ability to groove and let the songs breathe while giving them just what they need behind the kit. He's such an accomplished drummer some might hear this and think he's dumbing it down, but I don't find that to be the case. He's still showing plenty of his killer chops while playing for each song.

Musically, I hear nods to Van Halen and the harder edged Dokken stuff, Dio, Mindcrime era Queensryche (that main riff from “Normandy” does Chris Degarmo proud) King's X and the early 90’s bluesy sleaze and hooks of The Lynch Mob. Speaking of The Lynch Mob, I would argue that Girish sounds very similar to that band’s Oni Logan on more than a few occasions with a bit more grit and rasp to his pipes. I don't draw these comparisons to downplay anything they have going on here, I make them to say this - these songs ROCK and are instantly enjoyable transporting me to a better time. If you can resist singing along to the na na nas in the outro of “Only A Fool”, I'm just going to surmise that you aren't any fun at all. That moment alone had me grinning from ear to ear. The guitar work from Myrone is outstanding throughout, whether it's clean tone blues, Lynch/Satriani/Vai wizardry or thrashy chugs on “Human Interrupted” the man can play, you guys. Being a guitar player myself but coming nowhere close to what he can do with six strings, I find his tone clean, heavy, articulate and just enjoyable to listen to. Lucky is as their press release states, “a blend of high-energy riffs, soaring vocals, and thunderous rhythms to create a modern yet timeless sound rooted in classic metal, hard rock, and shred guitar.” I can't argue with any of that as it's pretty dead on.

What I like most about this record is that it doesn't steep itself in the “girls, partying and sex” trappings lyrically. As much of this brand of music tends to do. Here it seems to be a bit more introspective, suggesting that we just love each other, and it laments the state of the world in its musings. The one notable exception is the last track “Minefield”, which urges that we’d all be better off shutting off our phones and the TV every now and then and kick back with a beer instead of dealing with the big bad world outside. Again, I can't argue it.

Lucky is officially my second favorite release this year so far. Don't sleep on it and cast it off as nostalgic “hair metal” or whatever other ridiculous label you can think of. This album is just a damn fine collection of hard rock leaning metal with enough melody, hooks and masterful musicianship to earn a place amongst one of the most cohesive and catchiest albums I've come across in recent memory. Here's hoping they continue injecting rock n’ roll and its spirit into the arms of us all. Great job dudes…

~TB

Devilpriest Where I Am the Chalice, Be Thou the Blood Review

Sun, 13 Jul 2025 09:00:00 GMT

Devilpriest

Where I Am the Chalice, Be Thou the Blood

Nuclear Winter Records

2025

Having JUST released this merely days ago, (June 27th to be exact) it’s hard not to see the name Devilpriest and the album title and not automatically wonder about this being some dark and evil death metal. Lucky for me, I was right on the money. Admittedly, I am unfamiliar with Devilpriest, but these Polish scene veterans got their start in 2015 and began under the guiding light of all things early 90’s DM and their lyrical concepts are firmly based on the occult and ritual. Dark and evil indeed, but I digress…

Devilpriest 's strengths are on full display on the seven songs found on Where I Am the Chalice, Be Thou the Blood. Those strengths are resounding tempo shifts, technical riffing and barbarity that often comes on at the drop of a very decayed hat. Album opener “He Is In Me” starts off with some foreboding clean guitar juxtaposed with an eerie spoken word intro then dives headlong into a blast beat riddled cacophony before going into mid-tempo breakdown sections throughout. The sound here (which has a punchy, bottom heavy and clear production) is also reminiscent of those black metal-esque picked dissonant chords that have been hallmarks of that genre as well for 30 years on. Elsewhere, the lead single “Unwavering in the Left Hand Path” is an exercise in a crushing, slow intro morphing into Vital Remains-like, speed. Lyrically it is exactly what it sounds like. Conformity be damned, do what thou wilt and stay the course even when others fall away into the “normal” sets of society. This is surely a standout cut and has catchy memorable guitar machinations throughout, with plenty pinch harmonics to drive the point home.

Devilpriest aren't doing anything too groundbreaking or innovative here, but quality old school death metal like this is hard to come by. If you find yourself longing for a band that melds early Morbid Angel, Azareth, Angelcorpse and Vital Remains into a cohesive hate fueled EP that is equal parts cold atmosphere, technical proficiency and knuckle dragging brutality, then grab a healthy sip from their chalice and become one with their brand of worship.

-TB

Primal Fear Domination Review

Sun, 13 Jul 2025 09:00:00 GMT

Primal Fear

Domination

RPM Music

2025

There is no stopping Germany’s Primal Fear They've been going strong since 1997, waving the flag for anthemic and epic true metal, that borders on the power side. There have been triumphs, twin guitar leads and tragedies along the way, (bassist/vocalist Matt Sinner nearly died from a year long illness before completing 2023’s “Code Red”) so they are certainly no strangers to adversity. 2025 sees this denim and leather troupe of heathens return with the thirteen song Domination, and the title is very accurate.

Sinner is at the helm of producer again along with vocalist Ralph Scheepers and Magnus Karlsson acting as co-producers. Recording took place in 2024 at Dennis Ward’s Kangaroo Studios and mixing/mastering was handled by longtime cohort Jacob Hansen at his personal studio in Denmark. The result is a heavy modern production that favors live organic sounds and the band's trademark speedy gallop, thunder God double bass, neo classical leads, harmonized guitars and the soaring vocals that have become their trademarks. Speaking of the vocals, Scheepers has never sounded better here, and that is no easy feat considering they are nearly 30 years into their career. I’d be remiss if I didn't mention the excellent guitar work of the aforementioned Karlsson and Thalia Bellazecca. They play off one another effortlessly and can both burn up the fretboards.

Musically, this is what we have come to expect from Primal Fear, in that it is traditional power metal of the European variety that echoes the bloodline of Iron Maiden and fellow countrymen Accept, Gamma Ray and Helloween, but that is never a bad thing. These vets put their own unique spin on those sounds throughout the record, the constant is exceptional, skilled, memorable and catchy songs. Opener “The Hunter” kicks things off with a hard-hitting pace and plenty of sing along fanfare. Mid-tempo grinder (see what I did there?) “Tears of Fire” is definitively anthemic and they even throw in an instrumental replete with guitar soloing and synths in “Hallucinations”. Primal Fear are just a touch heavier than their contemporaries and the songs here reflect that, especially the thrashy and uplifting jaunt of “Heroes and Gods”. “Scream” is a plodding, somewhat down tuned chugger that has a mid-break that will melt faces and cause spinal damage. From there we go into another mid-tempo crusher “The Dead Don't Die” with you guessed it, a chorus that will stick in your head for days. The hooks throughout this record just refuse to let go of you, and I’m absolutely ok with that. “Crossfire” follows that up with breakneck speed metal and the reflective piano and strings of album closer “A Tune I Won't Forget” ends things on a bit of a melancholy, yet still memorable note.

Power metal is arguably a genre that MANY think only has a few noteworthy acts, maybe even a couple handfuls, (this is not even close to being true btw) but Primal Fear once again proves they belong in the scene’s upper echelon, and they sound positively reinvigorated with Domination. Their press release states, “PRIMAL FEAR aren’t here to reclaim the crown - they’re here to prove they’ve never left the throne of heavy/power metal royalty.” To that I say, hail to the king’s baby!

~TB

Barbarous Initium Mors Review

Sun, 13 Jul 2025 09:00:00 GMT

Barbarous

Initium Mors

Creator-Destructor

2025

Oakland CA circa April 2024. That's when brutal death metal sickos Barbarous burst onto the Bay Area scene and now they are poised to spread their blood and guts gospel to the rest of an unsuspecting world with their debut LP Initium Mors. The eight-song affair was recorded, mixed, and mastered by Cody Fuentes in February/March 2025 at Rapture Studios (Spite, Wolf King, Lionheart) and completed with art by the legendary Dan Seagrave (Dismember, Hypocrisy, Morbid Angel).

What you're getting here is death metal, plain and simple. Barbarous don't mess around with crystal clear, quantified or overly compressed production here. Throughout the entirety of the album, we get a raw, reverb soaked, cavernous listening experience that actually fits the vibe of the record. There is a bit of polish, but raw and cold are the main feelings this production evokes. Barbarous clearly take influence from bands like Cannibal Corpse, Necrot, Skeletal Remains and Gatecreeper, but what sets them apart is an underlying sense of melody in more than a few guitar lines and a focus on a more plodding and mid-tempo approach instead of bludgeoning us to death with speed of light blast beats. Don't get me wrong, things get plenty speedy, (the title track for example) but it's used sparingly to enhance transitions and not be whole songs. The riffs are never too busy or undecipherable and their understanding of making this style of music groove makes it that much heavier (see “The Tomb Spawn”). The last track “Coupe De Grace” is probably my favorite song here, as it opens with riffs straight from the Ever-flowing Stream handbook and drives it’s point home in a mere two minutes and fifty-two seconds. The whole thing operates within this ethos, and it seems no song lingers for more than four and a half minutes. Brutal death metal that is devastatingly heavy and says what it needs to say and leaves you gasping for breath and tells you to get the hell out of its way when it's done. That is Barbarous here in a big, rotten nutshell. They mean business, they sound convicted, angry and should be taken seriously. Approach with caution, then revel in the blunt force trauma set to music.

~TB

Castrator Coronation of the Grotesque Review

Sun, 13 Jul 2025 09:00:00 GMT

Castrator

Coronation of the Grotesque

Dark Descent Records

2025

Formed in 2013 by way of international waters and the death metal mecca of yesteryear, New York (ever heard of Immolation, Internal Bleeding, Suffocation? Thought so...) Castrator are continuing the long-standing tradition of (I hate this phrase) of all female metal bands. They are joining such luminaries in the field as Derketa, Mythic and Demonic Christ so you know you're in for the extreme side of things. The particular side they dwell on is decidedly East Coast early to mid-90’s death metal. Let's delve into their latest, Coronation of the Grotesque.

Coronation follows up their absolutely fantastic 2022 debut Defiled In Oblivion, and this is where I personally became aware of them and in so doing, became an instant fan. The band consists of Robin Mazen (Gruesome, Derketa ) - Bass, Carolina Perez - Drums, Clarissa Badini - Vocals and newcomer/shredder Sara Loerlein - Guitars. What Castrator does so effectively is turn the genre’s mirror on itself. Death metal, especially brutal death metal and more recently “slam” all tend to be, traditionally very unkind to women in the lyrics, artwork, everything. You could easily say it's pretty misogynist. While it's not exactly in the same vein and all about killing dudes, there's a bit of that, but also has lyrical content that points out the evils of man/men/the world in general. For this album especially, there is a focus on a wide range of historical and societal themes that reflect on injustice, victimization, and human suffering. I say go for it.

Go for it they do. This release is a very noticeable step forward from Defiled in that the production is less dark and murky with more dynamics and is less bottom heavy throughout, while maintaining a nice balance of the low and high end. Crisp, clear and fittingly intense is the order of the mix here. John Tardy (Obituary) handled the bass at Redneck Studios in FL while guitars and vocals were done by Jordan Milner at Obsidian Audio, additional guitars by Taylor Nordberg (Deicide) at Smoke and Mirrors Productions, and drums by Noah Buchanan (Nunslaughter) at Mercinary Studios, where Buchanan also handled mixing and mastering. In addition to all of this, well known underground death metal artist/phenom Jon Zig handled the cover art. The pedigree of the band and those involved in helping them put it together reads like a list of extreme metal luminaries.

So, by now you're probably saying it asking, “All this seems awesome, but what's it SOUND like?” and that's fair. Castrator, as I mentioned earlier, has a very pronounced East Coast bend. Those of you well-schooled in the genre know those hallmarks are low/high growls and screams, somewhat technical and grooving chunky riffs, blasts, double kicks and thrashy tempos followed by plodding breakdowns and utmost brutality. These elements are contained in these ten songs in spades. Clarissa’s vocals are properly deep, and the guitar riffs/leads from Sarah anchor the songs. I can't pick out favorites as I listened to this thing from front to back twice before I even realized I had. This album is engrossing and song oriented with old school flag bearing at its finest. For the sticklers, I'll say that my personal picks for standouts are opener “Fragments of Defiance”, “I Am Eunuch”, “Covenant of Deceit” and near the album's end “Discordant Rumination”. Speaking of closers, they churn out a blistering masterful guitar soloing cover of Exodus’ “Metal Command” to wrap things up! Castrator are not merely a band of women, screw that-they’re just a kick ass BAND, period. With Coronation of the Grotesque, they up their own ante and can easily be considered one of the US’s elite death metal outfits now.

~TB

RIYL- Immolation, Death, Suffocation, Internal Bleeding, Dehumanize

Condition Critical Degeneration Chamber Review

Sun, 06 Jul 2025 12:39:32 GMT

Condition Critical

Degeneration Chamber

Self-released
2025

New Jersey. The land of no left turns, not pumping your own gas, pork rolls and an enduring and thriving metal scene which has brought us some of the best thrash in existence. Well, in 2025, that trend continues and goes harder than Tony Soprano wolfing down a bialy with Condition Critical’s latest, Degeneration Chamber.

If you are unfamiliar with these maniacs, they got their start in 2010, so they have had more than enough time to perfect their sound. Condition Critical have a heavy handed no bs approach where the fast parts are faster, the slow parts cave in craniums and the entire affair bears all the hallmarks of the most (good friendly) violent (fun) pioneers of the style.

We get pummeled with 9 songs here that were mixed and mastered by Mike Low. The guitar tones are heavy with that trebly bite and mid-range skronk that would feel at home on any of the new wave of American thrash records yet somehow the slightly lower gain settings here make it seem more articulate, and all the dynamics can be heard loud and clear. Elsewhere the drums are mixed pristinely and the bass (yeah, this is a thrash record you can hear it on, unlike that ONE classic album...) has that fantastic slightly distorted piano string ping of D.D. Verni, Danny Lilker and Frank Bello. Raw and face punching production aside, these songs flat out rip.

Breakneck opener “Wretched Aggression” bludgeons us with near death metal speed at its onset and seriously, contains one of the better lead guitar breaks within the genre’s recent memory before segueing into a slow double bass breakdown that would have Overkill taking notes. This one just grinds you into dust with its outro. Stellar. Vocalist/guitarist Ryan Taylor employs the Tony Forresta by way of Billy Milano vocal technique, peppering in some death growls elsewhere and it all works in a beautiful moshy effect. Later, “Cranial Dissolution” has a mid-tempo lead break into a techy drum and guitar push pull that is mind bending as much as it is satisfying. For my money though, it doesn't get any better here than the Wrathchild America on steroids gallops of “Cryonic Intestinal Preservation”. Who am I kidding?! The entire record is devastating and catchy in a way that I haven't heard in this motif in a long while. Seasoned touring all over America, Europe and Russia have sharpened Condition Critical's attack to razor like precision and is their best outing yet. Actually, this could very well be their career defining moment. If you dig your thrash sharing lineage with Demolition Hammer, Havok, Morbid Saint and giving subtle nods to heavier fare like early Obituary and Pestilence, then lace up your high tops and stage dive into this pit. I know the “thrash revival” has gotten somewhat stale, but sometimes an album comes along that breathes new life into it. Degeneration Chamber IS that album. Simply brilliant.

~TB

Viogression Thaumaturgic Veil Review

Sun, 06 Jul 2025 12:39:29 GMT

Viogression

Thaumaturgic Veil

Self-released

2025

Milwaukee has a pretty decent list of notable metal accomplishments, mainly the Milwaukee Metalfest which was THE extreme metal shindig to go to back in the day and it has since returned. Aside from that, you have underground stalwarts like Jungle Rot, Morbid Saint, the Electric Hellfire Club and Lazarus A.D. calling the cheese capital of the US home. Well, veterans Viogression also hail from the land of the Brewers and have thrown their hat into the ring with their latest self-released NINETEEN song long player, Thaumaturgic Veil.

According to the album’s press release, “Thaumaturgic Veil is a metaphysical sonic construct, weaving intricate threads of human consciousness, vibrational frequency, and esoteric intent into a tapestry that transcends the boundaries of death metal.” Hmmm. Ok? I'm not quite sure what all of that means, other than to say it's pretty heady stuff lyrically, and that's a good thing in my estimation because the brand of death metal on display here tends to tread the ground of gore, zombies, Satan, etc. I respect the fact that they are stepping outside of the genre’s trappings and doing something a bit more cerebral.

The production is crisp and clear, and nothing ever gets lost in a muddy, bass heavy mix or sounds like a wall of bees due to turning the distortion up to 10. These guys are all accomplished players and instrumentally proficient and this lends itself to the listening experience over so many songs to never grow tiresome or feel like a chore. We are dealing with old school death metal that harkens back to early 90’s - Death and Obituary’s first three records, especially vocally. They aren't just culling from the swamps of Florida here though. There are dissonant moments and melodic passages in quite a few tunes that also recall Testimony era Pestilence, and elsewhere you can hear tips of the cap to Autopsy’s brutish renderings. These guys wear their influences on their sleeves for sure, but they add enough of their own touch on them to not sound like just a carbon copy, due in no small part to the expensive soundscapes, samples and spoken word pieces throughout the album. Thaumaturgic Veil is mainly rooted conceptually in infinity and after spinning it, I can confidently say that it warrants repeat listens within that construct. Lose yourself in their disturbing and forward-thinking nostalgia death trip. It's a scary place to be certain, but it makes the old guard proud and creates something fresh and exciting. It's an engaging ride full of mournful drones, caveman grooves and a swirling maelstrom of left of center weirdness. Great stuff.

Recommended tracks: Enûma Elish Ilū, Jinx, Travesty of Darkness, Pummeled, Eaten By Flies, Light Harvester

~TB

https://viogressionofficial.bigcartel.com/

Alestorm The Thunderfist Chronicles Review

Sun, 06 Jul 2025 12:39:21 GMT

Alestorm

The Thunderfist Chronicles

Napalm Records

2025

I still remember walking into my local FYE perusing the new heavy metal releases and stumbling across Alestorm’s ‘Leviathan’ EP. The album artwork caught my eye immediately and it looked like I was in store for an epic adventure with its ominous dark clouds casting over tumultuous black waves and a sea creature attacking ships with a sinister and ghastly skeletal pirate overseeing it all. I hadn’t heard of the band prior to this, but was fortunate that at the time their debut full-length ‘Captain Morgan’s Revenge’ was already out so I was able to indulge further in heavy metal pirate debauchery! It’s hard to believe that it was over 15 years ago and the band is still tearing through the water like the Kraken hunting its next victims.

Over the next several years, the band became one of my favorites and I was constantly listening to them. Their first four albums are impeccable and hold up well, even compared to much of today’s power and folk metal. It wasn’t until ‘Curse of the Crystal Coconut’ that I started to lose interest. I saw the music video for “Treasure Chest Party Quest” and was immediately turned off. One of the things that I always appreciated about the band was that they never took themselves too seriously, but that video stopped me from checking out any more of the album. I found it too jokey, even for them. It wasn’t until their latest release, “The Thunderfist Chronicles”, that they registered in my brain once more.

The album starts off strong with the keyboard driven “Hyperion Omniriff”. I know it’s a bizarre comparison, but between the keyboard solos and Chris’ more gruff and haggard death metal style vocals in parts of the song, I was picking up Children of Bodom vibes. I’m quickly jarred in the transition in tone and atmosphere by songs like “Banana” and “Killed to Death by Piracy” as there are elements of industrial and techno that are throwing me off. Someway, somehow, it all comes together and works though. Is it what I come to the band for? No, but it’s impressive and it’s cohesive. And while the album only consists of eight songs, the band makes up for it with the over 17-minute closer, “Mega-Supreme Treasure of the Eternal Thunderfist”. This song makes every other adventure the band has taken us on up to this point pale in comparison. It showcases a few different elements such as some killer lead guitar work in the throes of battle, beautiful female vocals courtesy of Patty Gurdy and a standout vocal performance from Russell Allen of Symphony X and Adrenaline Mob.

~ TJ

Deviates Time Is The Distance CD Review

Sun, 29 Jun 2025 12:16:36 GMT

I’m generally a very indecisive person. Sometimes it’s because there are too many options and other times it’s just the ol’ ‘tism breaching the surface to overwhelm me. There are instances where I’ll make a decision just to placate someone or even myself without there being any heart or thought behind it. I need to do considerable thinking when someone asks me what my favorite x, y, and z are. My favorite movies? Grab some snacks because it’ll take me some time to get you the answers. Favorite video games? It depends on how I feel at the time, but I can get you a list. Inquiring about my favorite albums? There’s no question. There are two that are at the tip of my tongue at any given moment. Both are very different, but both are always at the top of the mountain for different reasons. The significance here (for me at least) is that I don’t need to run my fingers through the rolodex of my brain. It stays with me at all times.

2001 was an interesting year for me musically. I spent most of my time in two camps - punk/punk rock and all things metal. I was still feeling my way through the minefields of metal, but I loved (and still do!) punk rock. As mediocre as a lot of them were (especially the later releases), I was fond of Epitaph Records’ Punk-O-Rama albums as they helped me discover many new bands. This was the case with the Deviates, whose “Come With Me” was featured on Punk-O-Rama 6 and upon hearing it, immediately changed my life. As soon as those opening guitar riffs hit I was spellbound; however, it wasn’t until I heard the lyrics that I knew this was something immensely deep and profound. The song explores agony, desolation and battling personal demons. In reality, the entirety of the album, Time is the Distance, encapsulates those emotions and so much more. I feel this is why this album is one of my favorites. It spoke to me when I felt I had no one and nothing, as this was around the time my father had passed away after a battle with cancer. His passing and the release of this album coincided around the same time, and I felt it was the universe trying to console me in some strange way.

Songs like “Twice As Nice”, “One in Ten”, “Profile” and “Start Again” cause a swell of emotions, even 20-something years later. Not necessarily cemented to the memory of my dad, but it takes me back to when I was in high school and reminds me of the people who were in my life and no longer are. I don’t lament those thoughts or memories, conversely, it has the opposite effect and makes me appreciate where I am now and the people who I choose to let be a part of it. Time is the Distance isn’t just an emotional support album for me in a morose way. The controlled frenetic energy captured here is intense enough to stand up against any punk rock or even hardcore albums released at the time. One of my favorite elements of the album is the production and how every instrument is highlighted to showcase how talented the band really was. While every instrument is standout in quality and precision, Donnie’s drumming is some of the best I can recall on any album of this ilk.

I recall decades ago someone referring to the band as “the next Pennywise”, which I find interesting since Pennywise guitarist Fletcher Dragge was a big fan of theirs and actually produced their first album. They were considered by many to be the future of punk rock, especially by their peers in the SoCal punk scene. Unfortunately, this would be their last album before releasing Holding Out in 2021 and, while solid, doesn’t come anywhere near the warm, welcoming and haptic fire that its predecessor ignited in me two decades earlier.

~ TJ

Fishbone Stockholm Syndrome Review

Sun, 29 Jun 2025 12:08:22 GMT

Fishbone dropped their latest release Friday, titled Stockholm Syndrome. It comes at an odd time, as one of the men largely responsible for the naming of the psychological phenomenon of Stockholm Syndrome, Clark Oloffson, died Thursday following a lengthy illness. Stockholm Syndrome is a condition that occurs when victims began to empathize with their abusers, in the Stockholm case, bank robbers that held hostages for six days more than 50 years ago. Fishbone’s use of the term is most assuredly pointed commentary aimed at the present administration in the United States. They also hash-tagged the new release, #FuckRacism.

The album opens with what I feel is the strongest track on the record, a collaboration with funk legend George Clinton titled “Last Call in America.” Up tempo, and snappy, Fishbone’s unique blend of punk, funk, jazz, ska, metal and soul melds perfectly with Clinton, who the group previously partnered with on the very accessible 2000 release, Fishbone and the Familyhood Nextperience Present: The Psychotic Friends Nuttwerx, when an all-star lineup that included Perry Ferrell, Gwen Stefani, Rose Stone and Rick James recorded the old Sly Stone tune, “Everybody is a Star.”

The band originated when the Fisher brothers, John Norwood Fisher (bass), and Philip “Fish” Fisher (drums), joined with friends Angelo Moore (saxophone, vocals), “Dirty” Walter A. Kirby II (trumpet, vocals), Kendall Jones (guitar), and Chris Dowd (keyboards, trombone, vocals) in 1979 in junior high. In 1986 the band recorded and appeared in the movie Back to the Beach performing “Jamaica Ska” with Annette Funicello, and Frankie Avalon. Then they received what proved to be their breakthrough role, landing an opening spot on the Beastie Boy’s License to Ill Tour in 1987. Fishbone was the first band to play the original traveling iteration of Lollapalooza, appearing on select dates in 1991, and as one of the main stage acts in 1993. After that, however, “Fish” and Moore eventually were the final two original members standing then in 2010 everyone from the original line-up, except Jones, reunited for several anniversary and return tours.

Presently, Moore and Dowd, alongside long-time guitarist “Spacey T,” are the most tenured members of the group, that also includes JS Williams (trumpet), Hassan Hurd (drums), and James Jones (bass).

Back to the new release, finally, right? The second track features horns that reminded me of something you might experience at a traveling carnival funhouse. Highly infectious, the rambunctious “Adolescent Regressive Behavior” bounces along at breakneck speed, with a jazzy trumpet solo.

Track three, “Dog Eat Dog” was a little lackluster. “Spacey T’s” guitar work here stood out in an otherwise dull tune. Then there’s “Suckered by Sabotage,” which comes to a satisfying cacophonous orgy of sounds.

“Secret Police” doesn’t pull any punches, lambasting secretive law enforcement types that target minorities, much as ICE is presently doing in the United States. “Donny hates chinks, niggas, wetbacks and Jews / So he joined the armed forces for the Red, White, and Blue / He’s been deployed to a town at a riot near you / He joined the Secret Police…”

Damn!

“Gelato the Clown” features a spoken word rap that I thoroughly enjoyed, but the sound otherwise felt like something that might accompany a carnival clown car’s entrance under the big top. “Why Do We Keep Dying” shifts gears pretty drastically, it’s a light reggae number, reminiscent of some of Bob Marley, Peter Tosh, and “Bunny” Livingston’s more mellow material. The ska/funk fusion rears its head in the raucous “Hellhounds on My Trail.” It’s my second favorite track on the album, narrowly beating out “Racist Piece of Shit,” a truly fun kiss-off song that follows it.

One thing about the album that did let me down, however, was the fact I didn’t really notice any songs featuring Angelo Moore’s contrabass saxophone playing. Perhaps on a fourth or fifth listening I’ll pick it up if it’s there.

“Living on the Upside Down” immediately brought to mind the Netflix runaway hit of 2016 - Stranger Things. However, I’m not sure that’s what the band is referring to directly. It’s more of another song commentating upon the group’s view of present-day America, a theme which ties most if not all of the album together.

I felt “All About Us” had a decent moral message but is kinda lost in what I deemed a throwaway track. The piano-driven ballad “Love Is Love” concludes this record in a classy fashion, having ripped the present-day U.S. though much of the release, Fishbone wraps up with a wonderful sentiment. The band asks, “How we gonna build each other up / when we keep tearing end other down?” Well, love is love, and Fishbone is aces in my book. I saw them live at the height of their fame in 1993, and while this album doesn’t rise to the level of some of the early releases such as Truth and Soul, and The Reality of My Surroundings, it’s a damn solid album. A hearty recommendation for those particularly fond of genre mashups.

~Mike

Joe Stump's Tower Of Babel Days Of Thunder Review

Sun, 29 Jun 2025 11:52:34 GMT

Having grown up knee-deep in the prime of Hard Rock and Heavy Metal, it takes more than a flashy riff or overproduced breakdown to knock me sideways. These days, I’m nearly impossible to impress. Not because I’m jaded, okay, maybe a little, but because I’ve seen the gods at work. And now, with the way things are going, it feels like Hard Rock is getting bulldozed by sonic overkill, all scream, no soul. It’s all bark and no blues. So, when something unapologetically pure drops into my inbox, it feels less like nostalgia and more like salvation.

Joe Stump, the six-string samurai himself, is back, armed and dangerous with his latest slab of molten steel under the banner of Joe Stump’s Tower of Babel. The record is entitled “Days of Thunder”. Don’t get cute thinking it’s about NASCAR, this ain’t no Tom Cruise vanity project. This is an open love letter to the gods of Hard Rock’s golden age, a full-throttle dive into the same thunderous waters that birthed Rainbow, Deep Purple, and Alcatrazz. Hell, I even caught a few Manowar fumes wafting through the speakers. That could be my own head talking, but I’m willing to die on that hill.

Stump doesn’t need to prove a damn thing. The man’s been out here shredding faces and melting fretboards since half the current scene was still in diapers. “Days Of Thunder” isn’t some sad victory lap, it’s a declaration. A statement that says, “I’m still here, I still give a shit, and I can still outplay half the clowns with signature guitar lines.”

Now let’s talk about this band, stacked with players who may not be household names, but holy hell do they play like it. Special shout to vocalist Jo Amore, who came outta nowhere (at least to me) with a voice that lands somewhere between Ian Gillan’s scream and a thunderstorm. It’s familiar in the best way possible, like a voice you swore you heard echoing out of a muscle car stereo back in ’83.

Sonically, the album bleeds Euro Hard Rock. If you’ve ever dug through the Frontiers Records catalog or have a soft spot for the more melodic side of the steel curtain, this thing will feel like home. It’s slick, fast, and dressed in leather, the kind of record that makes you want to dust off your patched-up denim, take a trip down the freeway, and forget for a moment that the world’s gone soft. No trend-chasing. Just guitars and gut-punching glory.

If you’re the kind who still believes that Rock isn't dead, this album is your wake-up call.

Standouts: “Days of Thunder”, “Alone in the Desert”, “Sacrifice”, and “Trust Me”.

Shred-heads. Oldheads. Lifers. This one’s for you.

~Black Angel

Helms Deep Chasing The Dragon Review

Mon, 23 Jun 2025 15:27:07 GMT

Helms Deep

Chasing The Dragon

Nameless Grave Records

2025

The Metal winds howl once more, and Helms Deep has returned, sword sharpened, amps blazing with their sophomore slab of steel, “Chasing The Dragon”. Released via Nameless Grave Records, this album sees the band doubling down on their love letter to the glory days of Heavy Metal and the hallowed NWOBHM sound. That latter influence is stamped in blood by none other than legendary Raven bassist/vocalist John Gallagher, who handles low-end duties here.

Now, before you get your leather britches in a twist, no, Gallagher isn’t handling lead vocals. I was mildly bummed by that too. But let’s not miss the forest for the riffs. Gallagher may not be on the mic, but the man is tearing up that bass. This isn’t your standard four-string thud. This is an experienced warrior showing he’s still got new tricks in his arsenal.

Their debut, “Treacherous Ways”, came out of nowhere and landed like a fireball, leaving a smoking crater of praise in its wake. Expectations, naturally, were sky-high this time around. With “Chasing the Dragon”, the band tries to soar even higher, but whether they hit the mark depends on what flavor of Metal fuels your veins.

Musically, the album gallops like a warhorse, riffs slicing, drums pounding, and the spirit of denim-and-leather glory pulsing strong. There are moments where it fully clicks, that old school Metal ecstasy that hits you right in the chest. But vocally, I’m a little torn. It’s not bad, not by any means. But at times it feels worn, less battle cry, more journeyman chant. Maybe it’s the more pronounced Prog leanings creeping into the mix this time. And look, I get it, some folks thrive on that complexity. Me, I want my Heavy Metal loud, proud, and straight to the gut. Give me soaring Priest-style falsettos that peel paint off the walls. I want to smell the stage smoke and feel the amplifier tubes melting. I want the sky to crack open when that chorus hits.

Then there's the production, less polished than the debut, and that’s where I struggle. It’s rawer, looser, a little grittier… Maybe even intentionally so. But in this case, a cleaner, more explosive mix might’ve given the vocals and melodies the lift they deserved. As it stands, it’s a solid effort, but doesn’t quite punch as hard or shine as bright as it could’ve.

Still, don’t get me wrong: this is a damn fine record. Helms Deep are clearly in love with the roots of this genre, and that passion bleeds through every note. Classic Metal fans, especially those who cut their teeth on the Metal glories of the early '80s, will find a lot to bang their heads to here.

Standout Tracks: “Black Sefirot,” “Chasing the Dragon,” “Craze Of the Vampire,” and “Cursed” – all worthy entries into the Heavy Metal cannon.

~Black Angel

Ghost Bath Rose Thorn Necklace Review

Mon, 23 Jun 2025 15:18:21 GMT

Ghost Bath

Rose Thorn Necklace

Nuclear Blast Records

2025

I’ve had “Rose Thorn Necklace” festering in my inbox for months now staring me down like some stray that I couldn’t bring myself to shoot. I tried to pass it off to the rest of the crew, but no one bit.

Normally, that’s the kill shot. Hit delete and move on. But this album, it sunk in. Not like a sweet melody or a catchy hook, but like teeth. This isn’t a guilty pleasure, there’s no guilt in indulgence. It’s a last-call lust-fest at a dive bar when all the pretty has been peeled away. The lights are harsh, the drinks are cheap, and there’s someone in the corner with enough demons to match yours. You’re not falling in love. You’re feeding the need. That’s this album. That’s “Rose Thorn Necklace”.

I had no clue who Ghost Bath was before this. I didn’t dig into their history, didn’t Google their lore. I still don’t care. Whatever chaos or confusion follows them is just extra seasoning on the meat. I’m not here for a background check; I’m here for the body.

This record bleeds Black Metal, sure, but it's veined with Post-Metal shimmer, Shoegaze haze, and the aching, mascara-smeared kiss of atmospheric Pop. It floats and fucks in equal measure. There’s an undeniable depressive current running through it, deliberate and seductive. You’re not supposed to feel good. You’re supposed to feel something, and it ain’t good.

Production-wise, it’s pristine. Too clean for the gutter and too dirty for the symphony hall but stuck somewhere between agony and ecstasy. It’s like hearing Beethoven in a strip club, majestic, inappropriate and unforgettable. You might not like it right away, but it’ll crawl under your skin and whisper things your better self shouldn’t hear.

And let’s talk about Mike Heller. Yeah, that Mike Heller, drumming god, human wrecking ball. He’s here, and his touch is all over this beast. The percussion doesn’t just guide the songs; it whips them, punishes them, brings them to the edge before letting go. But make no mistake, this album doesn’t bludgeon the ears. It targets the heart and soul - the soft parts...

This isn’t an album you put on while doing dishes. It’s the soundtrack to your first overdose, your last heartbreak, or that night you woke up with claw marks down your spine and no memory of how they got there.

Standouts: “Rose Thorn Necklace” (a seduction in slow motion), “Dandelion Tea” (fragile and fucked up in all the right ways), and “Throat Cancer” (the sonic equivalent of watching your ex walk into the bar with someone hotter, knowing you’ll still go home with them).

~Black Angel

Deadlands Seven EP Review

Mon, 23 Jun 2025 15:11:17 GMT

Deadlands

Seven

Spinefarm

2025

Reviewed by someone who’s seen too many pit injuries to count and still hears the faint echo of Overkill riffs in their sleep.

It’s been a while since I’ve been this deep outta my element. Let me be real with you, I’m not exactly up to speed on what the “next gen” of Metalheads are screaming about these days. I’m not “with it,” whatever “it” even is anymore. My boots are planted in the battlefield of old-school riff worship, where solos reigned, bands bled onstage, and you were either real or you were roadkill.

But every now and then, something crosses my desk and makes me slam the brakes, spill my water, and mutter “...okay, what the actual fuck is this?” That something is Deadlands, a Metalcore act from Long Island that just dropped an atomic elbow from the top rope with their upcoming EP “Seven”. And yeah, this ain’t my usual poison, but I drank it deep, and it burned good going down.

By today’s genre taxonomy, Deadlands are Metalcore with a cinematic sense of drama and melody. Imagine if Heaven and Hell threw down in a bar fight and brought a film crew. Frontwoman Kasey Karlsen is the conductor of this chaos, switching gears from banshee-wails to haunting clean vocals so fast it’ll give your neck whiplash. It’s demons vs. angels in a vocal tug of war, and somehow, she wins both sides.

Backing her up is CJ Arey, the mad scientist behind the curtain, writing, riffing, and shaping the sonic skeleton of this whole beast. Now, I’ll admit by old bastard standards like mine, there’s a noticeable absence of solos, leads, and tasty little fretboard fireworks. It's all low-end crunch, chugs, and palm-muted punches to the throat. But here’s the kicker: it works. You don’t always need a show-off solo when the riffs stomp like war machines and the vocals sound like they’re exorcising the last century’s worth of pain.

Kasey Karlsen might just be the next big female voice in Modern Metal, if she stays sharp. Talent is only part of it. This industry eats the weak and naïve like wolves on a fresh kill. She’ll need to keep her body strong, her mind sharper, and her business even sharper than that. But if she plays her cards, right? She could end up the next icon on a million-bedroom walls, and not just because of how she looks, but because of what she brings.

“Seven” is thematically anchored around the Seven Deadly Sins, but don’t expect a tracklist that spells it all out like a coloring book. Each track has its own identity, its own venom. One spin through, and if you’ve got a soul (or what's left of it), you’ll know which sin is which. It’s a clever move, letting the listener do a little digging rather than being spoon-fed. I respect that.

Gripes? Sure. I’ve got one. I miss guitar leads. Sue me. Sometimes the music plays it just a little too safe, feels like it's wearing gloves when it should be throwing fists. Metal needs danger. It needs that devil-may-care, set-the-church-on-fire energy. But maybe that’s just the old head in me crying into my vintage Judas Priest vinyl.

Standouts, Hell yes:

“Limbo” – brooding, blistering, borderline unholy.
“Die In Paradise” – melody with menace, like being stabbed with a rose.
“Wither” – pure emotion delivered with the subtlety of a sledgehammer.

Bottom line: “Seven” isn’t perfect, but it is powerful. If this is what the new blood’s bringing to the table, I might just have to start showing up to the feast again. Just don’t expect me to stop yelling about guitar solos. Ever.

~Black Angel

NEFAS Oblation ov Obliteration Review

Wed, 18 Jun 2025 09:00:00 GMT

Nefas

Oblation ov Obliteration

Self-Released

In 2025 recording technology allows for many bands to operate remotely or at least meet up after they have culled together the song ideas to put them down in a studio. Cross country newcomers Nefas are no exception, and their latest 3 song EP Oblation ov Obliteration wields some very favorable results.

Nefas feature in their ranks members of Teeth, Bedlam of Cacophony and Wax People. Their individual pedigrees suggest that they have very adept players across the technical, the dissonant and especially the mathematical spectrums of extreme metal. Upon repeated listens, it’s as if they set out to create songs that bend the mind, invoke unease or to just unravel reality as we know it. Their bio puts them the “psychocosmic deathgrind” category, but I feel that tagline doesn't do them justice. There are certainly those kind of moments (blast beats, screeching vocals, tremolo picked guitar passages), but I feel that there are also equal parts dissonant hardcore, thrash and groove powered death metal. The vocals are also just as varied, as there are gruff shouts, earth shattering gutturals and gravelly highs of which are not uncommon on many black metal albums. It's definitely a mixed bag of influences, but what Nefas do so well is weave in and out of them pretty naturally and none of the sections sound thrown in or jarringly out of place. These songs are carefully crafted and calculated.

The production is pretty spot on and clean. With material like this that shifts in and out of not only genres but also extremely varied in tempo is no easy feat. The entire affair was produced, engineered, and edited by Samur Khouja at Seahorse Sound Studios in Los Angeles, California, with mixing and mastered by Erol Ulug at Bright Lights Studio. The lumbering start stop groove of closer ‘Mindstream Transference” is definitely a standout replete with those scary sounding inverted chord voicings that all the newjack metalcore bands have adopted for nearly two decades on now, but here they sound fresh and aid in the overall mood of this tune. This is not to say that Nefas rest on those laurels either. Oh no. One only need to listen to opener “Xenomorphic” and its raging speed and thrashy guitar beginnings to dispel that notion.

Nefas are an exciting and enjoyable addition to what I affectionately refer to as “spacey death grind”. What do I mean by that? Well to put it in simpler terms, if you find yourself pining for a band that combines the best elements of the earlier works of Cephalic Carnage, Gojira, Coalesce, Intronaut and the early 90’s guitar wheetles and whistles of Seattle's Forced Entry, then you will surely dig this. Forward thinking material like this that is as chaotic as it is memorable and catchy will ensure their place in the pantheon of “left of center” metal for years to come. Now how about a full length soon guys?

~TB

Savage Master, NITE & Chariots Overdrive at Boggs Social & Supply

Sun, 15 Jun 2025 20:01:07 GMT

There’s no better omen than a Friday the 13th to hit the road in search of noise, danger, and sweaty communion, and that’s exactly what my comrade-in-debauchery and I did. Destination, Boggs Social & Supply, Atlanta, Georgia. A venue I’d never set foot in before but now consider hallowed ground. Boggs is a dive bar reimagined, not some sticky-floored hellhole, but a joint that lures you in with killer food, cheap drinks, and a staff that actually gives a damn. The place gets it. It breathes in neon, exhales soul. I’ll be back, over and over again like a sinner to the confessional.

This night kicked off the Savage Master and NITE tour, and from the jump, there was that unshakable buzz in the air, the kind that says you’re about to be baptized in riffs and fury. For NITE, it was their first taste of the East Coast, a long-overdue collision between coasts. And for me, it was my first time finally seeing Savage Master live after years of near misses.

Chariots Overdrive, a local Atlanta act I’d never heard of, opened the gates and didn’t just warm up the stage they lit that Sombitch on fire. Their sound is a snarling cocktail of early ‘80s Speed Metal and NWOBHM sweat and swagger. Like Angel Witch and Exciter had a nasty little one-night stand. The real kicker, a Heavy Load cover, thrown down like a gauntlet, raw and righteous. I didn’t see any merch at the show, but I hunted them down online and bought their downloads which is something I hardly ever do. If you’ve got blood in your veins and denim on your back, go find them. Now.

Then came NITE, and the vibe shifted, darkness descended, thick and tangible. If you haven’t wrapped your ears around this band yet, fix that immediately. Imagine a ritualistic marriage of Maiden, Priest, and Thin Lizzy but bathed in Black Metal’s vocal bile. It shouldn’t work, but it does. This was their first East Coast set, and the crowd knew it. People traveled from other states just to witness this.

Their set was pure steel, no banter, no bullshit, just one neck-breaking anthem after another. The twin guitar assault was like standing in front of a jet engine built by Scott Gorham and Glenn Tipton. They hit songs from all three of their records, weaving it all together into one molten stream of electricity. Their latest, "Cult of the Serpent Sun", is easily one of the top albums of 2025, and live, it breathes fire. I bought one of everything at the merch table, got my records signed, shook hands, and took pics. The guys in NITE - Humble, gracious, and fucking warriors. No VIP pass, no velvet rope, just raw fan energy and mutual respect. Metal the way it used to be. The way it should be.

And then… Savage Master.

Stacey Savage and her hooded horde took the stage like desecrating priests at midnight mass, and the room went nuclear. Stacey, tiny in frame, towering in presence, preached fire and lust from the pulpit of Heavy Metal, and we drank every word like it was gospel. I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: she’s channeling Ann Boleyn of Hellion with a venomous bite and a dominatrix command. She owned us, mind, body and soul.

The band was tight as hell, every riff a dagger, every beat a thunderclap. The drummer wasn’t playing drums, he was summoning demons from hell. And the guitars, melodic, mean, and soaked in the blood of every cassette you ever wore out in high school. Their set pulled from across their discography, and even though they didn’t play “Altar of Lust” (a track I fiend for like a basement-dwelling demon in heat), every song was its own black sermon.

Their new album, "Dark & Dangerous", out now via Shadow Kingdom, is a leather-clad, spike-tongued beast, and you owe it to yourself to get it. Their merch table was a den of temptation, vinyl, shirts, CDS. And yeah, I got my Blade of the Ripper CDs signed by the legend Adam Neal, the bassist/lyricist of Savage Master - a man who’s left claw marks all over the underground with bands like The Hookers and that Southern Satanic sidewinder Blade of the Ripper. Getting those covers signed was Holy grail shit for me .

The band was just as giving offstage, photos, signatures, handshakes, hell yeahs. The kind of interaction that’s disappearing from the scene as everything gets too clean, too corporate and too safe. Savage Master ain’t having any of that, they’re here for the sinners, the outcasts, the lifers.

This tour runs through June 28th, and if it even sniffs your town, you owe it to yourself to drag your ass there—bloodied, late, whatever it takes. This is American Metal in its purest, filthiest, sexiest form, a celebration of power, sweat, community, and sonic blasphemy. Like Lizzy Borden said: “We all need American Metal”!

Just do one thing for me: tip your bartenders, control your limbs, and leave a little whiskey for everyone else. You don’t need to blackout to feel alive. You just need Metal. This tour is proof.

The Dickies What Once Was CD Review

Sun, 15 Jun 2025 09:00:13 GMT

Cleopatra Records has been on an absolute rampage lately, storming through the vaults like Indiana Jones with a mohawk and a studded leather jacket, unearthing vintage Punk Rock. Or let’s just call them what they really are: legendary releases from legends. Their latest Punk Rock resurrection comes from one of the most gloriously unhinged bands of my youth, The Dickies!

Now, I can’t quite remember which cassette I got first, “The Incredible Shrinking Dickies” or “Dawn of the Dickies”, but whichever one it was, it hit me like a glitter bomb of pogo-stick chaos. The Dickies weren’t your typical sneering, safety-pinned punkers. No, these guys were like Saturday morning cartoons got into your Pixy Stix stash and formed a band. Imagine bubblegum Punk with a giant goofy grin and maybe some googly eyes glued on for effect. The only other band that even sniffed their level of joyful absurdity was The Dead Milkmen, and I will fistfight the internet on that opinion if I must.

What really certified the band’s greatness for me was their contribution to the cinematic magnum opus “Killer Klowns From Outer Space”. I mean come on, if you can write a Punk theme song for homicidal alien clowns and somehow make it badass, you’re basically Punk Rock royalty in my book. That song still lives rent-free in my head, and it pays in cotton candy and anarchy.

So now, in true Cleopatra fashion, they've pulled another gem from the time capsule, a live show titled “What Once Was” that’s never seen the light of day (to my knowledge or the collective memory of Punk nerds on the internet). This set comes from a 1980 show at the Euphoria Tavern in Portland, Oregon, a name so Punk Rock vague it sounds like a place you’d go to find enlightenment and cheap beer in equal measure. I’m sure there were few locals that showed up that night who got pissed that they couldn’t sit and drink their Schlitz in peace.

And what a glorious racket it is. The Dickies tear through tracks from their first two albums and toss in a handful of covers because, well, that’s what The Dickies do. The audio quality? Let’s just say it’s got that charming “rescued-from-a-box-under-the-bass-player’s-bed” vibe. Yes, there are volume dips here and there, but nothing that’ll scare off anyone who’s ever shouted “Oi!” at a gig while dodging a flying Doc Marten. It’s raw, it’s real, and it’s Punk as hell.

Now let’s talk about those covers. These aren’t just tossed-off novelties; these are glorious Punk Rock crime scenes . Their version of “Nights in White Satin” completely rips the stuffing out of the original, no more mopey mood lighting and heartbreak, just a turbo-charged blitzkrieg with zero time for feelings. “The Sound of Silence” - More like “The Sound of Carnival Mayhem”, the keyboards sound like a merry-go-round on meth, and Leonard Graves’s vocals are the demented cherry on top.

And then there’s their cover of Black Sabbath’s “Paranoid.” I did a double take when I heard it, this thing goes so hard it might accidentally summon Ozzy himself through your turntable. It’s chaotic, messy, beautiful - everything a good Punked up Sabbath cover should be. And let’s not forget “Eve of Destruction,” a song so frequently covered it might as well come with a free guitar tab tattoo. Yet somehow, The Dickies still manage to make it feel fresh, manic, and totally theirs.

Sure, the sound has its limitations, but that just adds to the charm. This isn’t some glossy, over polished, reverb-drenched affair. It’s a time capsule of a band that was clearly having the time of their lives, and we’re lucky to get to tag along. I was five years old in 1980, and even if I’d lived in Portland, there’s no way the bouncer at Euphoria Tavern was letting me in with my Scooby-Doo lunchbox. So yeah, this release is necessary!

If you’re a Dickies fan, or even just someone who thinks Punk should be fun and unhinged, grab this on vinyl. Drop the needle, crank it up, and relive the glorious, goofy chaos. You’ll laugh, you’ll pogo, and you might even throb a little bit here and there…

~Black Angel

Sigh I Saw The World’s End (Hangman’s Hymn MMXXV) Review

Sun, 15 Jun 2025 09:00:13 GMT

Sigh
I Saw The World’s End (Hangman’s Hymn MMXXV)

Peaceville Records
2025

In the formative days of my writing journey, I was both blessed and cursed to encounter albums and bands that completely unraveled me in the best possible way. One of the earliest and most striking of these encounters was with Japanese Avant-garde Black Metal pioneers, Sigh.

My introduction to the band came via their landmark album “Imaginary Sonicscape”, a record so bewildering and brilliant that I knew immediately our paths would cross repeatedly, though not always consistently, over the years. Now, with 35 years under their belt, Sigh’s longevity is not just impressive, it’s exceptional, especially for a band operating in such an unorthodox corner of Extreme Metal. While I wouldn’t claim to be a die-hard fan, I’ve spent enough time with their catalog to consider myself casual, I’ve ventured into their world more than once, and let’s just say I’ve “fucked around and found out.”

To commemorate their 35th anniversary, Sigh has revisited and re-recorded their 2007 album “Hangman’s Hymn”, reintroducing it as “I Saw the World’s End (Hangman’s Hymn MMXXV)”. Like many artists who choose to revisit past works, the band sought to elevate the original, refining its production and enhancing its sonic depth. Predictably, some kvlt purists are clutching their inverted crosses and throwing tantrums about it, but let’s be honest: there’s absolutely nothing wrong with what Sigh has done here. Black Metal doesn’t have to sound like it was recorded in a sewer to be authentic. Personally, I prefer production that’s polished, expansive, and layered. I want to hear every nuance. You can have all the darkness and chaos in the world, but if it sounds like garbage, it’s still garbage. “Evil trash” is still trash.

The most immediate noticeable upgrade is the symphonic element; it dominates and defines this version of the record. The arrangements bleed grandeur and ambition, benefiting immensely from modern production technology. The orchestration is no longer buried; it’s front and center, and it works. Another crucial upgrade is the drumming; Mike Heller’s performance here is nothing short of phenomenal. His precision, speed, and dynamics elevate the entire album, adding a muscular backbone that the original simply lacked.

Guitars and vocals also fare far better in this rendition, sharper, more aggressive, and clearly articulated. There’s a noticeable thrashier energy this time around as well, which injects a ferocity that feels more aligned with the band’s theatrical edge. The original “Hangman’s Hymn” never fully resonated with me, it was muddy, chaotic in the wrong ways, and ultimately landed in that space where my interest in Sigh began to fade. But this reimagining, it feels like the grotesque Horror-circus spectacle it was always meant to be.

Let’s be clear: if you’ve never liked Sigh, this release likely won’t convert you. But what it will do is offer a fresh perspective on a band that many rightfully consider legends within their genre. For me, this version completely replaces the original. There’s no need to revisit the past when the present sounds this good.

Standouts: “Me-Devil,” “Inked in Blood,” “Salvation in Flame,” and “Death and Dishonor.”

~Black Angel

Heaven Shall Burn Heimat Review

Sun, 15 Jun 2025 09:00:13 GMT

Heaven Shall Burn

Heimat

Century Media Records

2025

I’ll be straight with you, I haven’t kept tabs on Germany’s Metalcore mainstays, Heaven Shall Burn, since their 2001 release “Whatever It May Take”. I reviewed it back then, sure, but in that early wave of Metalcore’s boom, there was just too much noise and too many bands chasing the same sound. They got buried under the pile. I caught a few tracks over the years in passing, but I never made a point to sit down and really listen. Until now.

Fast forward nearly 25 years, and here I am again, older, hopefully wiser, and staring down their latest offering, “Heimat”. I wasn’t expecting much. Honestly, I figured I’d get some tired rehash, the kind of thing legacy Metalcore bands cough up while praying something sticks. But here’s the surprise: Heaven Shall Burn didn’t just survive, they adapted. They sharpened their edge, broadened their vision, and leveled up.

“Heimat” doesn’t cling to Metalcore tropes like a security blanket. This album leans heavily into Melodic Death Metal territory, and it wears that shift well. This isn’t a cheap facelift, it’s a full-body transformation. The aggression is still there, but now it’s channeled, purposeful. Every track feels like it belongs.

Production-wise, the band went all-in, enlisting legendary Danish producer Tue Madsen to mix and master. And right out of the gate, it shows. The opening track, “War is the Father of Them All,” hits like a calculated strike. It’s got orchestral choir lines, a slow-burn buildup, and a mid-tempo descent that feels cinematic. The weight increases with every step, and yeah, I’m getting Haunted vibes, that mix of melody and menace. Whether intentional or not, it lands.

And then there’s the curveball everyone’s talking about, their cover of Killswitch Engage’s “Numbered Days,” complete with a guest spot from KSE’s own Jesse Leach. Look, this track is sacred to Metalcore fans, a certified anthem. Covering it is a bold move. Bringing Leach along for the ride? That’s a god-tier flex. It could’ve crashed and burned, but instead, it soars. Not only is it one of the album’s high points, but it’s also a respectful, thunderous nod to the band’s roots and to the scene they helped to build.

The band isn’t afraid to ease off the gas either. “A Silent Guard” offers a much-needed breather, not soft, per se, but more melodic, more introspective. It’s a moment of calm that’s still built on stone. But if you’re looking for the full payoff, the crown jewel of “Heimat” is “A Whisper Above.” It’s a masterclass in balance, haunting melodies, precise riffcraft, and the kind of songwriting that proves Heaven Shall Burn aren’t chasing trends. They are the bar.

With “Heimat”, Heaven Shall Burn doesn’t sound like a band clinging to relevance. They sound like a band that never lost it. This is a sharpened, refined, and mature version of who they were, with fists still clenched and fire still burning. In a genre littered with has-beens and half-measures, this is the sound of a band that aged with intent and came back swinging harder than ever.

~Black Angel

Fallujah Xenotaph Review

Sun, 15 Jun 2025 09:00:13 GMT

Fallujah

Xenotaph

Nuclear Blast Records

2025

Apparently, 2025 is shaping up to be the year of the Progressive Death Metal renaissance. We’ve already seen heavyweights like Rivers of Nihil and Allegaeon drop strong entries into the fold, but truthfully, those records fade into the periphery when placed beside the cosmic monolith that is “Xenotaph”, the latest offering from Fallujah.

Now, I won’t pretend to be a lifelong disciple of the band, but I’ve spent enough time in their orbit to understand what they’re capable of. And make no mistake, they’re operating on a level that feels almost extraterrestrial. Fallujah doesn’t write music; they conjure entire sonic galaxies, bending time, space, and atmosphere into something beyond the sum of its parts. Sure, aggression is there, but it’s the atmosphere where the magic lies. The band transcends Prog Death norms, shedding the flesh of genre to become something more… something other.

“Xenotaph”, the band’s sixth full-length, lands June 13th, and it doesn’t signal a band running out of steam, it beams ascension. This is Fallujah not only refining their sound but redefining what modern Metal can be. But let me be clear: this isn’t for everyone. If you’re not wired for sci-fi grandeur or open to forward-thinking composition, this may slip past you unnoticed. However, if you crave mind-bending arrangements, unhinged technicality, and deep immersion, then Fallujah has crafted a sanctuary. One where reality dissolves, and the music becomes the only truth.

The concept behind the record is vast, a cerebral voyage influenced heavily by Children of Dune and the Dune saga in general. Vocalist Kyle Schaefer channels this mythology into a storyline where each track serves as a chapter in a post-death odyssey. The protagonist, suspended in a liminal dream-state, encounters a celestial guide, angelic in form, but seething with malevolent intent. I’ll admit, the plot is dense, and for someone like me who leans toward the immersive over the narrative, the lyrics may have helped… But when the instrumentation is this meticulously chaotic, even the clearest words might struggle to keep pace.

This album is as close to divine perfection as modern Metal gets. Every note, every shift, every transition feels surgically executed, not a single misstep, not one jarring surprise that pulls you from the world they've created. It's frightening how clean this record is… too clean at times, as if it were crafted in the vacuum of space, untouched by human imperfection.

For fans of Progressive Death and science fiction alike, “Xenotaph” is a required pilgrimage. It’s a wormhole carved into vinyl, and I can only imagine the warmth and magnitude it would yield in analog form.

Essential Tracks: “Kaleidoscope In Waves,” “Step Through the Portal and Breathe,” “A Parasitic Dream,” and the sprawling, celestial title track “Xenotaph.”

~Black Angel

Deathblow Open Season Review

Sun, 15 Jun 2025 09:00:13 GMT

Deathblow

Open Season

Sewer Mouth Records
2025

Salt Lake City has a problem, and no, I’m not talking about the whole sister-wife sitcom they’ve got running in the background. I’m talking about a filthy little secret they've been selfishly hoarding a goddamn Thrash Metal treasure named Deathblow.

Now I don’t know if it’s the altitude, the water supply, or just good ol’ fashioned mountain madness, but someone in SLC’s underground scene decided they were gonna keep Deathblow under wraps like it’s some kind of state secret. Not cool, Utah. NOT. COOL. You can’t have polygamy, majestic red rock, AND one of the hardest-hitting Thrash bands this side of 1986. Share the wealth, you cryptic cult-loving bastards!

Deathblow’s been around for years, apparently. YEARS. And this is the first time I’m hearing of them? That’s like finding out your neighbor had a fully functioning TANK in their garage and just casually used it for grocery runs. This band should be everywhere, plastered on jackets, shouted out on every Metal podcast and tattooed on the necks of street prophets yelling at traffic. But no. I had to stumble onto them like a rabid raccoon digging through the Metal underground's trash.

Let’s talk about their latest auditory pipe bomb, the 4-track EP “Open Season .” Right out the gate, it kicks your teeth down your throat and makes you say thank you. There’s a message here, maybe political, maybe just pure sonic vandalism, but either way, I’m down with it. This is music for the pissed off, the disillusioned, and those of us who still believe that Thrash should sound like a riot in a meat grinder.

We’re talking about guitars that shriek like napalm in stereo. Riffs that shred harder than a paper company during an FBI raid. Vocals that channel the ghost of a young Tom Araya through a war-torn gas mask. It’s got that early Slayer snarl, the Exploited’s snot-nosed fury, the Discharge disgust, all rolled into an 8 ball of Crossover chaos. And if that wasn’t enough to make your combat boots start moshing on their own, there’s heavy doses of D.R.I. and Suicidal Tendencies coursing through this thing.

Tracks like “Open Season” and “Never Again” don’t just hit, they detonate. These aren’t songs. These are war cries from a band that time-traveled from a 1985 CBGB bathroom stall, wielding sonic brass knuckles and a bad attitude. This is the stuff I used to buy on blind faith at Record Bar as a feral Metalhead kid, based purely on a gnarly logo and the promise of total annihilation.

Now, at my "veteran of the pit" age, where everything hurts and nothing is sacred, this EP grabs me by the collar and screams, “You’re not done yet, you old bastard!” And suddenly I’m 16 again: sweaty, high, buzzed, shirtless, throwing haymakers in a dive bar while someone’s boot hits me in the face and I love it. That’s what Deathblow does.

So, if you’ve got any blood left to boil, any muscle memory left in those neck tendons, and even the faintest whisper of Thrash nostalgia clawing at your brainstem, you need this EP. If you’re into Municipal Waste, Power Trip, or just want to feel like the apocalypse is fun again, Deathblow will scratch that itch with a rusty switchblade.

And me, I’m diving into their back catalog like it’s the goddamn Dead Sea Scrolls. See you in the pit, losers. Bring ice packs.

https://deathblow1.bandcamp.com/album/open-season

~Black Angel

Sodom The Arsonist Review

Sun, 15 Jun 2025 09:00:13 GMT

Sodom

The Arsonist
Steamhammer/SPV

2025

Fucking Sodom.

Sodom is a band that sits in Motorhead territory for me. The origin of the band brought a wave of bands that would’ve never happened if these miscreants, captained by one Mr. Tom Angelripper, had never existed. Sodom wasn’t just another band in a wave of metal bands; they invented or at least pioneered formulas and genres that had yet to exist. Thrash, Speed, Death and Black Metal all owe Sodom their first-born children. My point is, just like Motorhead (and Pizza) Sodom is always gonna be good - however, due to time, technology and the way shit seems to go down, I didn’t have the highest expectations for this. I knew I could likely give it a thumbs up and then forget about it, but these tracks are phenomenal, and the production is a breath of crushingly heavy fresh air.

After a creepy, yet probably unnecessary opening title track that felt, and sounded, a little like the opening of a horror movie playing at the same time as a war movie while Motley Crue’s “In The Beginning” weaseled in and out between the film sounds, the rest of the album opens the fucking throttle and pummels the listener senseless with insanely hooky yet brutal vocals and riffs - and the drums - can we talk about the fucking drums? You see, Sodom is truly old school. The drums on this album were recorded fully in analog and they sound thunderously perfect. No triggers, no plastic, no digital trickery, this album is just real from top to bottom.

The lyrical content is classic Sodom. It’s war, destruction, revelry and beer. There’s not a high point because the whole damn album is a high point. The only low point is maybe that opening montage - but I’m going to say that during a second listen in headphones with the rest of the album, it has its place and sets the tone for what’s to come while lulling you with static noise and ambience, allowing track 2 (Battle Of Harvest Moon) to kick you in the guts. If I must pick the song the feels the most like a single it’s “Trigger Discipline”, with its timely story of the power of the gun. The track that makes me want to stomp posers to death in the moshpit is “Scavenger”. And if you think the guys aren’t at least a little soft hearted, there’s even a tribute to their late friend, Tank’s Algy Ward, in the track “A.W.T.F.”.

Killer war metal style cover art by polish art legend Zbigniew M. Bielak kicks the whole thing over the top.

Don’t take my word for it, just go get it. It’s fucking Sodom.

~ Rev

Bashful Billy Late For An Early Grave Review

Sun, 15 Jun 2025 09:00:13 GMT

Bashful Billy

Late For An Early Grave

A Corpse With No Name

2025

So, pull up a tombstone, get really uncomfortable… or hell, pop a lude, sip something stiff and settle in. Because what we’re about to talk about is far from business as usual. It’s a séance wrapped in vinyl. A séance called Bashful Billy.

This spectral entity is the latest creation summoned from the crypt by one of underground Horror's most tireless necromancers, Argyle Goolsby. You know the name. One-half of the legendary Blitzkid, the shadow that dances behind The Roving Midnight and the whisper in The Hollow Bodies… Goolsby is the kind of artist who doesn’t rest in peace, because he never rests at all. And yet, somehow, each project breathes its own haunted breath, each one distinct and unrepentantly alive.

But this time, Goolsby isn’t alone in the mausoleum. Enter Nicholas Edwards, a name I admit I didn’t know before this, but one I won’t forget now. His presence is felt like fingerprints on fogged glass, smudged, emotional, undeniable. Their collaboration bores a sound that’s nostalgic without being derivative and aching without being melodramatic.

On Bashful Billy’s debut LP, “Late for An Early Grave”, we aren't merely listening, we're time-traveling through cobwebbed corridors of post-punk romanticism. This album is a love letter written in bat’s blood to the pioneers of British melancholia: Joy Division, The Smiths and The Church… Whispered echoes of velvet voices and jangling despair. But what separates “Late for An Early Grave” from being just another shadow play is its organic heart, there’s no cold programming, no overproduced gloss. It’s all real instruments, all real hands, all raw, pulsing devotion. It’s tactile. It breathes.

Lyrically, it’s a confession booth. Songs steeped in unrequited love, bruised isolation, and dreams turned to ash. But the draw isn’t in the darkness, it’s in the tenderness of how that darkness is handled. These aren’t songs written for effect. They’re stitched from scar tissue, carefully and lovingly. I've followed Goolsby since Blitzkid’s first howl into the void, but what he does here is something else entirely. Delicate. Introspective. Vulnerable in a way I never saw coming.

And Edwards, he doesn’t riff, he bleeds through the strings. Every guitar line sounds wrung from the heart, not strummed from the hand. It's not flashy. It's felt. Deeply. It’s not technical. It’s emotional alchemy.

“Late for An Early Grave” is a perfectly balanced séance, every track aligned like headstones in a moonlit cemetery. Nothing feels out of place. Nothing begs for attention. It’s the type of record you must experience, like a dream you don’t want to wake from. Me, I heard one track and ordered the record immediately. No regrets. That’s just how I haunt.

Standouts? “Butcherbird” claws at my memory with talons made of my personal history. I’ve lived those lyrics. The music becomes a fogged mirror reflecting versions of myself that no longer walk this earth. In that song, I see the people I’ve lost. The person I once was. It doesn’t hurt, it aches. It heals.

“Exquisite Noose” slinks through the alleys of my subconscious like a lost lover’s scent. Its melodies are sticky and spectral, both charming and chilling. “Six Nails”, it’s not a song, it’s a ritual, a violent absolution wrapped in a velvet glove. A sonic key to a door in your past you’d sworn never to open, but now you’re grateful you did.

This record isn’t entertainment. It’s absolution. A slow dance with your past. A midnight letter to who you were before the world started carving into you.

And yes, it's still available. 500 vinyl pressings only, 250 in Stormcloud Blue, 250 in Translucent Sunstorm Yellow. I grabbed the yellow. It felt right. It looks like how “Butcherbird” sounds. There's also a digital version for the modern undead. But trust me, the vinyl is the spell circle. That’s the format this record was born for.

If you’ve ever loved Goolsby’s work, this will hit you like an old wound reopening, and you’ll thank it for doing so. If you haven’t? This is a hauntingly perfect place to start.

“Sing your verse, no one’s heard…”

~Black Angel

Cryptopsy An Insatiable Violence CD Review

Wed, 11 Jun 2025 21:23:49 GMT

Cryptopsy

An Insatiable Violence

Season of Mist

Thirty years into their brutal tech death brilliance, we find ourselves once again white knuckling the rosary while Montreal Canada's own Cryptopsy bludgeons everything in their path with surgical precision on their latest release, An Insatiable Violence.

Cryptopsy aren't just responsible for SEVERAL bands within the tech area of death metal, one could argue, quite strongly in fact, that they have perfected it. On this, their ninth album, however, Cryptopsy seem poised to go into another gear. These are some of the fastest tempos they've ever played, and I would be remiss if I didn't mention how flawless and tight the drum phenom Flo Mounier handles it all with relative ease. Arguably the most celebrated Canadian drummer that doesn't carry the last name of Peart, his abilities behind the kit are Olympian. He even adds the odd gravity blast here and there, something he has never done. Flo’s Herculean bashing notwithstanding, what strikes me most here is their nod to slower, groove laden passages as well as melodic passages that allow us to catch our breath before they go into the all gas approach. Again, on a dime.

This approach is used to great effect on “Until There's Nothing Left” and the mammoth chug of the closer “Malicious Needs”. Vocalist Matt McGachy turns in his deepest gutturals yet, as guitarist Christian Donaldson and bassist Oli Pinard also showcase their most informed and tightest syncopated playing to boot. This album picks up where 2023’s When Gomorrah Burns left off but ups the ante exceedingly in a ten-ton brick of heavy and fury. The album's lyrical concepts are also steeped in real life scares, such as our toxic relationship of battling algorithms with social media while they continually divide us and tear individuals apart. We feed the machine, to make it run more effectively and long to be tortured better by it. Cryptopsy’s machine is firing on all cylinders here, and damned if it isn't a lovely feeling to be tortured by something so harnessed and brutally ugly.

-TB

King Parrot A Young Person's Guide To King Parrot CD Review

Wed, 11 Jun 2025 21:20:12 GMT

King Parrot

A Young Person's Guide To King Parrot

Housecore Records

Australia’s King Parrot have been kicking in teeth, and probably more than a few heads with their auditory grind/death metal/crust/hardcore machinations for a while now. This new ten song platter is their first since 2022’s Holed Up in the Lair EP, and their first full length since 2007’s Ugly Produce, which received a ton of critical acclaim. To say their bar to follow up was high, is a bit of an understatement. But lest we fear they haven’t, we can rest easily with A Young Person’s Guide to King Parrot.

A Guide… is their first album on Housecore Records (yes, Phil Anselmo of Pantera infamy’s label) and it was recorded by Luke Walton at Melbourne's Dangertone Studios. The band have commented that throughout the mixing process they really honed in on where each instrument and vocal sat, making sure they were all 100% satisfied with the end result. That's no easy feat given the chaotic nature of their material, but I can attest upon my listens that every instrument is audible, clear and never gets lost in the inherent noise of most albums of this ilk. King Parrot set themselves apart in that regard as well. There are the sensory destroying blastbeat moments of course, but there are also plenty breakdown chugs alongside some crusty hardcore punk soloing and riffing and the tremolo picked death and grind moments. What I find most interesting is that vocally, the approach varies from deathly gutturals, hardcore shouts and anguished unhinged screams not unlike Dwid Hellion of Integrity.

Grindcore records are also typically short in their running time, and I feel that the band did themselves a great service in the track listing here. It really feels they boiled it down to their best and the album flows seamlessly from beginning to end at a sparse 22 minutes and 34 seconds! For the standouts, we have the hilariously titled “Fuck You and the Horse You Rode in on”, “Cunning as a Dunny Rat”, “I Got the Right” and weighty album closer “Pissing on the Fist of the Law’. King Parrot is staying true to their game here, and if you are into Integrity, Napalm Death, Blood Duster and Gadget then this nasty slab will have you grinning Chelsea style as you wonder how an album could effectively make you bang your head and so effortlessly and unsuspectingly slit your throat in the process. Dangerous lot these boys, but they are worthy and song-oriented entry into the annals of a genre that often has no structure to speak of. Strong come back indeed…

~TB

Chris Caffery 20 Years of the Music Man CD Review

Wed, 11 Jun 2025 21:15:10 GMT

Chris Caffery

20 Years of the Music Man

METALVILLE Records

If you were to look at the career of power/traditional/symphonic metal guitar hero Chris Cafferty closely, one would assume he's given the world more than enough. From Savatage, Dr. Butcher, his solo work, Metalium, Spirits of Fire, Big Mouth and perennial holiday extravaganza theatrical band Trans-Siberian Orchestra, the man has literally done it all. With such an impressive resume, you'd think the guy wouldn't need to prove himself to a single soul. However, he does, continuously. His latest, 20 Years of the Music Man, is a further testament to his legacy and boasts the length of a double album to boot. Let's get into it!

First, these are not new songs, but rather a career-spanning retrospective, a collection of choice cuts through Chris’s solo career and unreleased tracks from his many projects throughout the years. Cafferty has never been shy of being diverse, and these tunes are no exception. Disc one of two treats us to borderline thrash in “The Jester’s Court”, soulful balladry in “Music Man” and what would make for a fine outtake for Fight in “Pisses Me Off”. Next, unreleased song “Do You See What I See Now?” ramps up the tempo and brings us back to thrash territory not unlike Testament. I'm drawing a comparison here, to make those of you reading understand that the palette is diverse and catchy and memorable, even just four songs in! Other highlights here are the ethereal acoustic laments of “Forever We’ll Be” and CD1 closer “Glitter”.

Moving on to disc 2, opener “Seasons Change” is a galloping power metal tour de force replete with massive vocal harmonies, gratuitous double bass and more than enough guitar shred to satisfy fans of Shrapnel Records releases of old. “My Light” follows with what is best described as melodic but gutsy pop metal. 90’s groove metal follows a couple tracks later in “Last Time” and the off-kilter time signatures of the drums and the busy guitar riffing are definitely hallmarks here, as is some impressive wah pedal abuse in the solo section. My absolute favorite track here is “Why”, which has a plod not dissimilar to prime Dio and the later Savatage albums Cafferty had a heavy hand in creating. The chorus is especially fist-pumpingly potent and anthemic. Cafferty’s vocals also deserve mention here, as they fall somewhere between Jon Oliva, Dio and a raspier Bruce Dickinson from the first song to the last.

With the 22 songs in this collection, you not only get a glimpse into one of metal’s most endearing and enduring artists, but you begin to understand why words such as “underrated” or phrases like flying under the radar exist. If you're unfamiliar with Chris Cafferty (and shame on you if you are), this is a perfect place to start as there is literally something here for everyone to sink their teeth into.

-TB

Rotgut 24 Oz Cantrip Review

Sun, 08 Jun 2025 10:12:49 GMT

Once again, the gods of noise have cracked open my skull and shoved something in so violently filthy and oh so gloriously grotesque, that I nearly wept blood. I’m talking about a sonic sucker punch from a band that sounds like they crawled out of a toxic waste barrel behind a dive bar in Seattle, a three-headed, beer-swigging hellbeast called Rotgut. Never heard of ‘em, good. That makes you pure. Now go and ruin that purity.

Their bio reads like it was written on a napkin soaked in absinthe and puke, probably during a bender involving cheap horror flicks and possibly minor arson. Imagine Troma directing a Blackened Thrash opera with a Crust Punk orgy as the intermission. That’s the vibe. The press photo - three masked warlords of filth staring down the lens like they’re about to either murder you or become your new favorite Tinder matches. I don’t know what they’re hiding behind those masks, but I’d bet money they’re either ugly as sin or way too handsome to not get offered sex behind the dumpsters after the show.

Now let’s talk about the absolute maniacal masterpiece they’re about to vomit onto the world: “24 Oz Cantrip”, dropping June 20th, and destined to either destroy your speakers or summon a demon. This thing is a full-on RIOT. Crust Punk, Black Metal, and Thrash get tossed into a blender, spiked with battery acid and broken glass, and served in a gas can. It’s pure, filthy magic.

The moment I hit play on “Return of the Dead Without Eyes,” I knew I was done. Cooked. Brain pudding. I said out loud to no one: “This sounds like Dani Filth got possessed by a biker and quit his symphonic bullshit.” No orchestra, no pretense, just guitar, bass, drums, and pure, fucking madness. This thing doesn’t “play,” it runs you over and hits reverse to make sure you’re dead. Black N’ Roll perfection. And the fact that these maniacs aren’t signed? Get the fuck out of here. That’s a crime. Somebody call the cops and then throw them fuckers in the pit and show them how we do it!

“Under the Scarlet Cross” slows things down just enough to give you the illusion of safety before it crawls into your brain and shits all over your concept of melody. It’s moody, it’s mid-paced, it’s straight-up haunted. The riff is a zombie earworm straight outta 1986, and trust me, I was there. This track smells like old leather jackets, bullet belts, bad decisions, and the best night of your fucking life.

The whole EP is five tracks of raw, raging glory. “Bonemelter” lives up to its name, it’s a full-frontal assault on everything you thought Metal was. If you think underground means underpowered, this is your rude, screaming, beer-sprayed wake-up call. These dudes could easily go toe-to-toe with the so-called “big names”, all they need is a stage, a spotlight, and maybe a few gallons of fake blood.

And yeah, this will be on my year-end list. In ink, possibly blood. I want this on vinyl. I want this on CD. I want this carved into a tombstone and dropped on my grave. If you’ve ever had a hard on for bands like Midnight, Ghoul, Gwar, early Cradle of Filth, or even Venom, then this is your new religion.

It’s loud, it’s rude, and it’s an open-handed mouth slap to every poser in a crop top singing over a laptop. Real Metalheads, real, degenerate, road-scarred riff-fiends, this is your call to arms. Everyone else can get fucked.

Death to False Metal. Forever.

~Black Angel

Waste Cult Blame CD Review

Sun, 08 Jun 2025 09:00:00 GMT

Italian Doom Metal isn’t exactly a phrase that echoes often through the halls of the underground, sure, there are flickers and ghosts of it - bands that rise and fade like candlelight, but rarely does something emerge that lingers. That is, until now. Rising from the smoke and shadows of Italy comes Waste Cult, a Doom/Post-Metal collective whose sound feels less like music and more like the haunted wind of a forgotten place.

Their origins trace back to a 4-track cassette in 2022, a raw ember of what would become something darker, deeper, and far more immersive. Since then, Waste Cult has been gathering momentum, not through mimicry, but through their own carved path, a sonic pilgrimage between Doom, Stoner haze, and apocalyptic Post-Metal despair. This isn’t the kind of band you compare. It’s the kind of band you feel.

On June 6th, the band is poised to unleash their debut full-length, titled simply, “Blame”. And make no mistake, this is no offering to the altar of Sabbath or a wistful nod to the grandeur of Candlemass and Cathedral. This is something else entirely. There’s no reverence here for tradition; rather, Waste Cult crafts emotion in slow burns and barren soundscapes. Their brand of Doom is spiritual in sensation, not mechanical in structure.

One of the most refreshing qualities is the absence of symphonic gloss or bloated theatrics. Instead, they wield riffs like slow-motion wrecking balls, lumbering, relentless, yet meditative. There’s a patient menace in every note, a Post-Metal wanderlust that brings to mind the 90s in mood, but not mimicry. And woven through it all is a strange, glimmering thread of Doomgaze, that dreamy, disassociated heaviness that feels like watching a rainstorm from underwater.

Importantly, this album is not noise for noise’s sake. There’s clarity in its construction. Each riff, each passage, is carved with intent, with melody and hook playing as much a role as tone and weight. It’s this balance that elevates “Blame” above the mire of so many modern Doom releases. It feels alive.

Vocally, the approach is understated. No growls. No shrieks. Just clean, world-weary vocals, calling out like echoes from a lonely highway. They’re not the album’s sharpest edge, but they don’t need to be. They serve the atmosphere, haunting rather than dominating, and evoke a subtle melancholy not unlike the early 90s Alternative scene. It’s not about virtuosity, it’s about vibe, cohesion, and emotional gravity.

From the opening track onward, Waste Cult doesn’t just play songs, they build a world. A dusky, slow-burning dreamscape that expands track by track, each moment heavier than the last. It’s immersive in the truest sense.

I’ve dug through a mountain of Doom releases this year, most of which collapse under their own nostalgia. But Waste Cult’s “Blame”? It rises. It breathes. It offers something rare: a new voice in a genre long obsessed with its echoes.

Standout tracks: “Maze”, “Ad Astra”, “Blame” and “Pictures”.

~Black Angel

Funeral The Funereal EP Review

Sun, 08 Jun 2025 09:00:00 GMT

Fresh off the hallowed heels of what I swear is their magnum opus, the harrowing, soul-draining, cathedral-collapsing “Gospel of Bones”, Norway’s architects of abjection, Funeral, return to us just months later with an offering so bleak, so beautifully barren, it should come with a black veil and a disclaimer.

“The Funereal EP” is no throwaway. I thought it might be at first, maybe a spectral leftover gnawed off the ribcage of G.O.B., but no, this is a separate beast, starved and sharpened, crawling with its own gravity. It’s three movements long, but let’s not pretend we’re dealing with "songs" here. This is one colossal mass, split into three slow exhalations titled “Gamalt ljós”, or “Old Light”, a name that sounds like a memory you forgot to grieve.

According to the press kit the title refers to past hopes and unreachable absolutes, which feels about right. This is not the kind of music you dance to. This is the kind of music you collapse beneath.

And let me confess I was late to the funeral. Back in the mid-’90s, while I was wrapped in the gloom of My Dying Bride and Paradise Lost, Funeral slipped past me like a shadow at dusk. But “Gospel of Bones” dragged me back in last year with its mournful majesty, and now, I’m borderline obsessed.

Where G.O.B. felt like a final sermon, “The Funereal EP” feels like an echo that never ends. The major shift here, the growls, those infernal, abyssal bellows are louder, more primal, more... animal. But they don’t detract. Hell no. They anchor this sinking ship in deeper waters.

What Funeral do better than nearly anyone else in this godforsaken genre is immaculate composition. The strings, the symphonics, the violins, God help me, they are gorgeous enough to carve open your chest. And then you’ve got Anders Eek, whose voice should be registered as an emotional weapon. His clean vocals are not of this earth. They rise like a solemn psalm from beneath centuries of rot and ruin.

Each section of “Gamalt ljós” bleeds into the next. There are no hard edges, only currents, waves of sorrow crashing into silence and crawling back again. This isn’t a record you listen to; it’s one you drown in.

And just when you think it’s safe to cry in peace, they hit you with an acoustic rendition of “Når Kisten Senkes”, a track so tender it feels like being sung to by the angel of death herself. Eek, once again, delivers a performance that’s both intimate and monumental, like whispering your sins into the Grand Canyon.

In short, this isn’t just one of the best EPs in the genre right now. It’s a holy relic for those of us who worship at the altar of slow, sorrowful collapse. Funeral, have proven, yet again, that they are not merely participating in the Funeral Doom scene, they are conducting it.

~Black Angel

Beaten By Hippies Sidetracked in El Paso CD Review

Sun, 08 Jun 2025 09:00:00 GMT

Sometimes the universe kicks open the door to your psyche, throws a dirty denim-clad stranger on your couch, and that stranger lights a joint, cranks your stereo, and changes your life. That’s what happened when “Sidetracked in El Paso” by Beaten By Hippies crash-landed in my inbox like a meteor stuffed with fuzz pedals and peyote.

Let me be clear: I get sent a lot of albums. Most of them are the musical equivalent of a microwave burrito, technically filling, occasionally scalding, but mostly just sad. But this, this just isn’t music. This is an experience. This is crawling through the desert at 3AM in cowboy boots and a tank top with nothing but a half-melted tape deck and a six-pack of Schlitz to keep you company.

Beaten By Hippies, a Stoner/Desert Rock band out of Belgium have managed to distill the entire spirit of outlaw rock into a record that sounds like it was forged in the exhaust pipe of a ‘73 Dodge Charger. It’s heavy, yes. Riff-laden, absolutely. But it’s also catchy in a way that feels borderline illegal. It has no business being this accessible, this fun. There are melodies in here that could sweet talk your mom out of her pants and still knock your teeth in.

Every song oozes with a kind of vintage soul-funk-rock hybrid that would make Neil Fallon nervous and make the ghost of Jim Morrison rise from the grave for one more spin around the block. It’s Stoner Rock, but it’s been dipped in Pop brilliance and grilled over hot coals made of broken rules and shredded expectations.

The vocals, Oh baby. One minute it's whiskey-soaked howling from the edge of sanity, the next it’s clean and smooth like it’s trying to seduce your record player. No one has any business singing this well over riffs this dirty. It’s not fair. It’s not right. But here we are.

Production-wise, it’s dialed the hell in. Everything is clear without sounding sterile. The fuzz is rich enough to marinate in. It doesn’t just fill the room, it possesses it. There are no weak spots, no filler tracks, just a relentless barrage of songs that feel like they’ve been riding shotgun with you your whole damn life.

I tried to pick favorites but gave up halfway through and just let the whole thing play on repeat while I stared into the middle distance questioning my life choices. But for the sake of formality: “Born in the 80s,” “Sidetracked in El Paso,” “The Fall,” “Easily,” and “The Long Way” are all straight-up spiritual events. You don’t listen to them; you experience a ritual with every spin.

If you don’t buy this album, I can only assume you’ve been lobotomized by mainstream radio or you’ve never truly sinned. This is the kind of record that you drop the needle on, roll something questionable, and let the music peel back your brain like an orange.

“Sidetracked in El Paso” is filthy, beautiful, unreasonably catchy, and absolutely essential. It doesn’t just belong in your collection, it belongs in a shrine, surrounded by empty beer cans, incense ash, and a single, flickering lava lamp.

~Black Angel

Buckcherry Roar Like Thunder CD Review

Sun, 08 Jun 2025 09:00:00 GMT

My boyz, Buckcherry, are back at it again, slamming down another long-player that’s practically begging to have a few lines chopped up and snorted off its cover. Their latest release, “Roar Like Thunder”, drops June 13 ^th - just in time to be a soundtrack for your summer benders, backyard barbecues, and, most importantly for me, some high-octane cruising. Buckcherry was meant to be blasted at unsafe volumes from the blown-out speakers of a hot rod doing 90 on the open road!

This marks album number eleven for the band, and by now, Buckcherry have carved out a spot in the same pantheon as AC/DC and Motörhead. At this point, you know what you’re getting: swaggering, sleazy, high-voltage rock ‘n’ roll with zero apologies. Call it formulaic if you want, but when the formula works this damned well, why mess with it? Sure, I still hold a soft spot for the debut - it had me hoping Sleaze Rock was making a comeback, but even if that scene never rose from the grave, Buckcherry’s been out here waving the flag high and proud. I’ve been here for every step of the ride.

If there’s been one bump in the road, it’s the loss of guitarist Keith Nelson. He was essential to the band’s Stones-y swagger, and his absence is felt to me. The band kept rolling though, but that flavor - dirty, bluesy, riff-driven voodoo – isn’t quite the same. That said, Josh Todd and the boys kept the fire burning and carried on like the Rock ‘n’ Roll lifers that we knew they were.

“Roar Like Thunder” picks up right where “Vol. 10” left off. It’s no-frills, pedal-down, whiskey-drenched Rock ‘n’ Roll served neat. No chaser, no filler - just ten tracks of pure, greasy thunder with enough attitude to peel the paint off your neighbor’s Prius. One noticeable shift? There’s no ballad this time - no mid-album slow-dance for the radio crowd. This record barrels forward with the sneering, stumbling grace of the New York Dolls in a bar fight. I’ve always gotten a heavy Dolls vibe from Buckcherry, and this album keeps that spirit alive. The riffs snarl, the lyrics swagger, and everything hits you in that beautifully dangerous sweet spot, the place where you know you’re about to make bad decisions but you’re grinning the whole way down.

Joshua Todd and his merry band of rock 'n' roll miscreants are still riding a heater, and if this album is any sign, they’re not cooling off anytime soon. From the moment the title track kicks in, you know you’re in for a wild ride. It scratches every itch - Sleaze, speed, stomp, and shout. And by the time “Let It Burn” closes the set, you’re grinning like a mule with a mouthful of briars. That track might just be my favorite - it feels like a mission statement: “driving down the freeway, a wrecking ball is coming to your town.” Hell, yeah it is.

Get ready to crank it, cruise it, and tie one on – “Roar Like Thunder” is the soundtrack for the summer of 2025. Buckcherry is back and as badass as ever.

Standouts: “Roar Like Thunder,” “Talking About Sex,” “Blackout,” “Let It Burn”.

~Black Angel

Vader Humanihility EP Review

Wed, 04 Jun 2025 20:45:56 GMT

Vader

Humanihility

Nuclear Blast Records

Long standing death metal heathens Vader need no introduction. For over 40 years (these dudes formed in 1983!), this Polish band of bruisers are not only extreme metal’s longest standing European act, but they have been combining the best elements of old school 90’s death and late 80’s thrash for combustible and ferocious results. If you are a fan of the band and have been left longing for new material since their 12th studio effort, Solitude in Madness, your wait is finally over. May 30th, 2025 marked the release of the new 3 song Rager I am now pummeling my ears with, in Humanihility.

Vader have several classic albums under their belts (The Ultimate Incantation, De Profundis, Litany, Black to the Blind, etc.) and this EP is no different. The songs here blend neck break tempos with Vader’s tried and true death/thrash with an excellent production once again courtesy of Scott Adkins at Grindstone Studios UK. The guitar tones are bottom heavy and carry a nice trebly bite with some perfectly placed mid-range. The drums are tight and punchy and never sound overly processed and sampled, and the vocals and bass are more than audible and stand out in the mix. The sounds may be typical Vader, but they benefit greatly from this somewhat modern and well-rounded recording.

As for the songs, they’re all three great, and way too brief. Opener “Genocide Designed” goes for the throat immediately with a barrage of churning down tuned guitars weaving into lightning speed drums and a memorable gang shouted chorus refrain and some shreddy melodic leads between each passage. The ending breakdown gives way to yet another slight riff change and then ends abruptly. This song alone makes me feel sympathy for the drummer’s hands/feet and the guitarists’ wrists and forearms. Just brutal and fast with plenty of anger.

Returning to the fold, guitarist/vocalist Peter is joined by the returning Mauser (guitars), longtime guitarist Spider and new members Michael (drums) and Hal (bass). What makes this EP even more interesting is that each song was written in full by different band members this time, so everyone was able to bring their personal touches to the record.

Vader are simply doing what they do best with Humanihility, and that is crank out some of the tightest, heaviest thrash insanity with more than a few deathly passages, and we are all the better for it. If I can't convince you, try to check out the closing track “Unbending” and its mid-paced stomp without headbanging mercilessly. I promise you can't…

~TB

Decrepisy Deific Mourning Review

Mon, 02 Jun 2025 20:53:55 GMT

Portland Oregon. The Pacific Northwest where often, it rains more than it shines. I can't think of a better geographic location for the band Decrepisy, and their latest effort Deific Mourning. To understand Decrepisy, you have to be willing to forego expectations. This release is in stark contrast to the previously relentless Emetic Communion. The pandemic, sickness, and a state of real-life horrors are what main man Kyle House (Acephalix, Negative Prayer) had to work with. The result is an album that definitely leans more goth and doom within their death metal than the latter.

Decrepisy’s sound here is hard to categorize. It's rooted firmly in the old school variety of DM such as Morbid Angel, but they turn right around and throw in lumbering mid pacers to downright slooowww melodic sections that bring to mind Morgion. Throughout the album’s 7 songs, we are treated to crushing icy production and some really sturdy and adapt guitar playing. Daniel Butler’s growls are a perfect fit to the cold sounding nature of this music, and the production doesn't ever get too murky or too biting, it's the perfect marriage of lows and highs and mids, alot like life I suppose.

What strikes most is Decrepisy’s inclusion of industrial elements via samples and distorted bass in “Corpseless”, and “Spiritual Decay”. One would think they'd be out of place on a death/doom record, but they work to enhance the overall feelings here, which are anxiety, depression, grief and despair.

With this album being so dark, one may think they need to pass it up. However, don't avoid it. Despite its very helpless aesthetics and mournful sounds, it's an enjoyable and varied listen. After all, isn’t variety the spice of death?

Standout tracks - Dysautonomic Terror, Corpseless

~TB

BASK Anemone Single Review

Mon, 02 Jun 2025 20:40:02 GMT

Extending the original song by nearly two minutes, North Carolina’s Bask, pay homage to the legendary Brian Jonestown Massacre song “Anemone”, available now via Seasons of Mist.

Fans of the original song will rejoice in the fact that this cover is a pretty faithful reproduction of the original song in that the vibe and composition remain intact and no attempts are made to re-style or reinvent the song. The wheel is intact and the song remains the same as they say.

I have had the honor of interviewing the song’s chief creator, Anton Newcombe and I can honestly say that I think he’d feel honored by this beautiful cover but I also know that he might throw shade at it as unnecessary and that the Massacre’s most diehard fans would probably have the same thing to say. That said, this song wasn’t covered as a gift to it’s creator or the fans of the original.

If you stumbled into Bask’s version of this in the wild, with no knowledge of the original, you’d be pulled in by the greatness of the song as well as the Bask-ness of it with the texture of acoustic and traditional country music instruments as well as enough electrified, Earthless style vintage, warped drive metallicness and Pink Floyd-esque delay apocalypse sprinkled with just the right amount of spaghetti western twang-verb to please the headiest of musical cruisers. Put this song on a playlist with The Monkees “Porpoise Song”, Pink Floyd’s “Fearless”, Jane’s Addiction’s “Summertime Rolls” and Sleep’s “Dopesmoker”, take a handful of mushrooms and press play.

You can thank me later.

~ Rev

Walking Bombs Blessings Bestrewn Part 1 Review

Mon, 02 Jun 2025 20:32:21 GMT

Walking Bombs comes on like the bastard offspring of Black Flag and Ween. The “band” is a one-human songwriting and recording project spearheaded by Morgan Y. Evans and a cadre of musical co-conspirators wielding instruments typical and rare, from guitar to djembe, weird synths and organs that does not have a specific musical genre in which it specializes.

These recordings feel as though they were captured in the heat of the moment and while their less-than polished, lo-fi home recording approach may be initially off-putting for a listener without the acquired tastes for such things, spending a moment with the songs will have you bobbing your head, singing along and appreciating the musicality and ingenuity of the outfit.

Whereas the first song, “Mirror Mosh” bangs like an SST/AmRep baby, the second track, “Shitical Darlings” sounds like The Raconteurs if The Raconteurs wrote songs about Jack White being a fucking man-baby. Not that that’s what the song’s about, but it might be.

Just as quickly as the bombastic singalong rock of the second song ends the listener is dropped into “Lonely Petition”, a stream of consciousness, ultra-up-close and personal acoustic psychedelic confessional that does a wildly intense job of sounding like early John Frusciante (Niadra La Des era), the acoustic Alice In Chains stuff (Sap EP) and darker Blind Melon stuff (No Rain - Ripped Away Version) all at the same time.

By the middle of the album, you’re definitely hitting the musical zone where your grandmother might ask you to turn it off as it vacillates between 4 track sketches and over-dub experiments to electronic pastiches that jump from Skinny Puppy to Cop Shoot Cop-esque skronk hop and back to Casio Death Metal collages. Speaking of those moments, fans of Comets On Fire will probably dig this. Other standouts that are going directly on my personal playlists are “Lizard Boy” and the titular track, “Blessings Bestrewn”, which is just beautiful and feels like a way more organic Depeche Mode.

The album definitely has a cohesive vibe and feeling. Kudos for the mixing and mastering job on this album. Cohesiveness of listening experience is often overlooked in records where there is not a cohesive style of music being played.

There’s a 1980’s and 1990’s feeling to this recording. In the songwriting, the sonics and general vibe. This feels like it would fit well beside recordings by my neighbors in Guided By Voices or Brainiac. This would’ve been on Ipecac or K Records and would’ve been a huge hit with the big t-shirt wearing slackers of yesteryear.

~ Rev

Gaahls Wyrd Braiding the Stories CD Review

Sun, 01 Jun 2025 09:00:07 GMT

I am familiar with Gaahl’s work with Gorgoroth but was unaware of this project until it showed up in my inbox. I suppose that can be excused because even though Gaahls Wyrd has been around since 2015, ‘Braiding the Stories’ is only the second full-length studio release after the 2019 effort, ‘Gastir - Ghosts Invited’. I wasn’t sure what to expect from this album. Was it going to be more Gorgoroth/God Seed? I was of the mindset that it would be more pummeling black metal, but I was wrong. Kind of.

What’s interesting here is that there are some really beautiful and calm pieces and then there are others that fall into the abyss between doom, black and atmospheric metal. The opening track “The Dream” is…dare I say…calming? There is some spoken word and light singing from Gaahl, but this is something I could fall asleep to. “Voices in My Head” is similar in style and tone but starts to sound more ominous as the song ends which then leads into the album’s heaviest track “Time and Timeless Timeline”, which is what I primarily expected this album to sound like. It starts off with some death metal riffs and as the song progresses, the tempo slows and embraces doom elements. “Root the Will” is probably the closest in matching this sound and intensity, so if you’re here looking to be bludgeoned over the head, these two tracks are your closest opportunities at that.

The guitar intro to “And the Now” reminds me of “Everlong” by the Foo Fighters. It keeps up the trend of using atmosphere that takes you by the hand and by the end of the song, you’re not sure where you were or where you are. That is one thing that I give the album lots of credit for. The atmosphere and uncertainty of where you’ll end up on any given song makes for a unique listening experience. The album overall feels somewhat experimental with its constantly changing atmosphere. Fans of Gaahl will appreciate and enjoy ‘Braiding the Stories’ as there is something here for everyone.

~ TJ

Byzantine Harbingers CD Review

Sun, 01 Jun 2025 08:45:00 GMT

Obviously, years of substance and musical abuse have blessed me with the ability to completely overlook several bands that I once hyped up. I try to follow up on the artists I’ve covered, honestly! But, as with many good intentions, some slip through the cracks.

Today’s overdue follow-up is on the West Virginia Metal outfit Byzantine. They fall squarely into the category of “bands I once covered and promptly forgot existed.” I first wrote about them during their run on Prosthetic Records, when they were pushing “And They Shall Take Up Serpents”. I still have that CD somewhere in my stacks, hell, I even dust it off every now and then. I remember it being mean, aggressive, and absolutely fitting for Prosthetic’s roster back then.

To my surprise, Byzantine are not only still around but thriving. After a brief breakup several years back, they’ve regrouped, signed with Metal Blade Records, and are set to release their latest full-length, “Harbingers”, on June 13th.

Diving into “Harbingers”, it’s immediately clear - this is NOT the same band I remember from 2005. Back then, they had a Southern-fried Groove Metal meets Metalcore thing going on, like a bunch of dudes who chugged Pantera and then dove headfirst into the Metalcore gold rush. And hey, who didn’t back then?

Now? They’ve evolved. Big time. Harbingers leans heavily into Progressive Groove Metal, with a surprising (and welcome) amount of clean singing. Normally, clean vocals in this context feel forced, like someone dared the vocalist to sing nicely in the middle of a bar fight. But here? It works. The clean passages feel deliberate and sharp, never out of place.

Production-wise, they brought in Peter Wichers (of All That Remains, Nevermore, and Soilwork fame), and the results speak for themselves. The album is slick without being sterile - tight, punchy, and layered with just enough polish to let the riffs shine without sanding off the edges.

And speaking of riffs, this album is stuffed with them. Byzantine puts on a full-blown clinic in guitar sorcery. Razor-sharp lead breaks, chunky grooves, and an absolute arsenal of hooks. It’s clear they set out to make a catchy metal album, which, in today’s climate of sonic concrete mixers, feels borderline rebellious.

This is an album that could (and should) win them a whole new fanbase. If Metal Blade puts them on the right tour, “Harbingers” could be their breakout moment.

Standout tracks: “A Place We Cannot Go”, “Floating Chrysanthema”, “Harbinger” and “The Unobtainable Sleep”

~Black Angel

The Haunted Songs Of Last Resort CD Review

Sun, 01 Jun 2025 08:45:00 GMT

I’ve always been in the minority when it comes to my loyalty to Sweden’s purveyors of controlled chaos, The Haunted. No matter how many records they drop, my go-to has always been 2004’s “Revolver”, a slab of riff-soaked rage that burrowed into my skull and never left. I can’t explain it neatly. It hit me like a bottle to the teeth at just the right time. Peter Dolving’s raw, venom-laced vocals dug in deep and stayed there.

But after years of the band grinding forward - shapeshifting, growing meaner, tighter, something unexpected happened. The band’s new album, “Songs for the Last Resort” didn’t just land; it detonated. And for the first time in two decades, “Revolver” has a legitimate rival.

This new record isn’t just a return to form; it’s a sharpened blade drawn across the throat of modern Thrash. If you’ve been riding with The Haunted since the jump, this one’s going to feel like coming home to a war zone that you somehow missed. If you’re new, buckle up. Marco Aro is still behind the mic, and honestly, I didn’t expect to warm to him the way I have. But here, he’s a goddamned beast. His voice is smoke and steel, he doesn’t sing so much as he commands. The grit, the fury, the presence, he owns this record.

Conceptually, “Songs for the Last Resort” is rooted in something cold, terrifying, and real: the actual letters penned by the UK Prime Minister to submarine commanders in the event of nuclear annihilation. This isn’t fictional horror, it’s a bureaucratic apocalypse. I usually steer clear of war themes; they weigh too heavy, they feel too real. But this album doesn't glorify war, it drags its corpse into the light. Listening to this album so close to Memorial Day hits harder than expected.

The opening track, “Warhead,” tears through the gates like a pack of wolves. It’s a violent, breathless nod to their classic tune “99”, a full-throttle, teeth-bared reminder of what Thrash should feel like. “In Fire Reborn” follows with just as much firepower but adds a melodic lead-break that offers a flash of beauty in the wreckage. Hooks, yes, somehow - catchy and crushing. Then there’s “Death to the Crown,” which stomps over the line between breakneck aggression and eerie melody. Aro’s voice here isn’t just a performance, it’s a weapon.

Not every track is sheer speed and fury. “To Bleed Out” slows things down and replaces velocity with sorrow here and there. There’s real grief in those lyrics. “Hell is Wasted on the Dead” is another highlight, loaded with cutting riffs and fire-forged groove. This one doesn’t just hit hard, it bulldozes.

The closer, “Letters of Last Resort,” leaves a mark. Mid-paced, spoken-word sections, moments of eerie stillness, all wrapped in a creeping sense of dread. It doesn’t resolve so much as haunt you. After everything that came before, it’s the sound of silence after the bomb drops.

If you’ve followed The Haunted through their career, this album feels like a reckoning. They’ve always delivered, even though not every album was a home run. But this album is a front-row seat to devastation done right. It’s war on wax. It’s melody buried under rubble. Next to Nite’s “Cult of the Serpent Sun”, this is one of 2025’s Thrash records to beat. Pick it up ASAP and get your face kicked in!

~Black Angel

Volbeat G.O.A.T. CD Review

Sun, 01 Jun 2025 08:45:00 GMT

The Danish heavy hitters in Volbeat are locked and loaded, ready to drop their ninth studio album, titled “God of Angels Trust”, or, if you're paying attention to acronyms, simply G.O.A.T. Fitting, right? The album lands on June 6th, and yes, I already preordered it weeks ago. With the buzz thundering like a Viking charging into war, a flaming horn raised high and the scent of conquest in the air, how could I not answer the call?

Now, in classic me-fashion, I avoided listening to any early singles until the promo showed up in my inbox. I wanted a full hit, fresh and unspoiled. And let me tell you: it was worth the wait!

Frontman Michael Poulsen has said this album was about stripping it back, ditching the obsessing over verse-chorus-bridge structures, and just letting it rip. As a fan since the early days, I felt that. The last few records, while solid, started to feel like they were operating off a well-worn template. But this feels like the spark is back, the raw energy, the unpredictability and the swagger.

Let’s talk about singles first:

“By a Monster’s Hand ” is a riff-fueled stomper, channeling that old-school Metallica vibe filtered through Volbeat’s signature swing. It's heavy, hooky, and hits like a sack full of hammers.

Then comes the absolute bonkers title: “In the Barn of the Goat Giving Birth to Satan’s Spawn in a Dying World of Doom”. I mean, what the actual hell?! That title alone deserves its own Grammy. Sonically, it’s like “Sad Man’s Tongue” met “The Mirror and the Reaper,” threw on a leather jacket, and lit a ritual fire. There’s a dash of Johnny Cash twang, some serious Metal muscle, and when Poulsen belts out that insane title mid-breakdown, I got a hard-on and I believe I saw the Goatlord!

The third single, “Time Will Heal,” leans into Volbeat’s sentimental side, their heart-on-sleeve, arena-sized soul. It’s a tearjerker in the best way. This one hits hard emotionally, especially if you’ve got personal loss in your story. For me, it brought my late brother right back into the room and it hurt me in the best way it could without upsetting me. That’s the magic that only music can make happen. My brother’s loss looms over me like a fog that I can’t get away from, it’s in everything that I do. This song was a gentle reminder that I’ll be ok.

But let’s get into the deep cuts you haven’t heard:

“Acid Rain” rides the same emotional wave as “Time Will Heal”, melancholy, cathartic, and lyrically devastating. It’s the kind of song you don’t just hear, you feel it in your bones.

“Better Be Fueled Than Tamed” is an absolute Boogie-Metal barnburner. It struts and snarls with swagger, like a lost track from “Guitar Gangsters & Cadillac Blood”. It’s wild, riffy, and proud of its bad behavior.

“Demonic Depression” lives up to its name. Nasty riffage, gnarly tone, and a mood that drags you down into the dirt.

Here’s the bottom line: Volbeat has never made a bad album, but G.O.A.T. might just be their best since “Guitar Gangsters & Cadillac Blood.” It’s rawer, more immediate and more alive than the band’s recent releases. This album throws it back to those early days, when they weren’t chasing perfection, they were just playing their guts out, hoping people would get it. And we did.

I was there on that first U.S. tour, tiny venue, barely a crowd, but you could tell even then: these guys were the real deal. Now they’re selling out arenas worldwide, and they’ve earned every single bit of it. Volbeat remains one of the hardest-working, most authentic bands in Metal today. And “God of Angels Trust” might just be the new gospel!

~Black Angel

1968 Royal Bastards CD Review

Sun, 01 Jun 2025 08:45:00 GMT

I first discovered the UK Stoner Metal band 1968 when they self-released their debut album “Ballads of the Godless” back in 2018. At the time, I was knee-deep in the Doom/Stoner scene, running with a crew that kept my ears full and my wallet empty. I rarely miss anything, but I’m also a total snob when it comes to this kind of music, I’m tough as hell to impress.

But 1968 broke through my defenses immediately. Their debut wasn’t just RIFFS, it ripped. The songs were tight, the musicianship next-level, and the energy was off the charts. It was one of those rare records that made me go, “Okay, these dudes get it.”

Sadly, like many great bands in niche scenes, they didn’t get the love they deserved. Sometimes the Stoner/Doom crowd can be a little too cool for their own good, but I won’t climb that soapbox. Just know that while others slept, I was all in. I snagged everything I could, vinyl, digital (even though I hate digital), whatever. My crown jewel, the band’s debut LP, one of the first 100 pressings. I also nabbed their “Live in Los Angeles EP” recorded at the Whisky during their first U.S. tour, another must-have if you're even pretending to be into this genre.

A while back, the band announced vocalist Jimi would be stepping down, and Andrew Valiant (of Flamebearer, and previously, Oak) would take his place. I hadn’t heard of him, couldn’t find much to sample, and decided to wait for 1968 to drop something new.

Well, the wait is finally over. Their latest album, “Royal Bastards”, arrives June 19 via No Profit Recordings, and let me tell you, it rips harder than I ever thought possible.

The moment the album hit my inbox, I dove in expecting to get my shit rocked, and that’s exactly what happened. 1968 does not disappoint. No shade to Jimi, but Andrew’s arrival has injected a fresh, ferocious edge into the band. Where Jimi flowed within the groove, Andrew snarls, screams, and charges against it. His vocals are meaner, grittier, turning the fuzzed-out riff worship into something more volatile and more aggressive. It’s not just about the volume and tone anymore; it’s about destruction and devastation.

Imagine a younger, rowdier Corrosion of Conformity crossed with nastier version of Red Wizard, and you’ll be getting close.

Their first single, “Endless Game”, wastes no time unleashing HELL. Andrew's vocals absolutely soar, shifting from clean tones to throat-shredding screams without losing an ounce of energy. It’s jarring, sure, but never dull. It fits the band’s evolving mystique perfectly. And those riffs, straight-up guitar wizardry. This is a masterclass in how to riff hard and rip with precision.

Next up: “Jawmelter.” And yes, that title is accurate, it’s a bone-breaker. It starts with a funky, heavy groove that builds and explodes like a warhead. The guitar tone has a vintage Cream vibe, think “Strange Brew” on steroids.

Then there’s “Scorched Earth”, which leans into the band’s doomier instincts: tuned low, played slow, and absolutely crushing. Andrew shines again, his vocals cutting through like a preacher delivering fire and brimstone.

The band dials it back a bit with “Softly Spoken”, which has a cosmic, Pink Floyd-esque feel while keeping that 1968 flavor. It's a perfect track to appreciate the richness and timbre of Andrew’s clean vocals. Finally, the album closes with “Merlin”, an epic that opens with some mystical flute work, yes, flute, and somehow makes it work. I usually don’t vibe with that stuff, but here? It’s voodoo witch magic. Yes, there a few more tracks to be dealt with, but I didn’t want to give every single piece of the album away – go have a listen!

To be honest, I was worried about how the band would sound after the lineup change. But “Royal Bastards” isn’t a step sideways, it’s a leap forward. 1968 sounds like a band that’s fully grown into its skin. They’re not chasing trends or trying to fit in; they're kicking the damned door down!

Don’t sleep on this record. “Royal Bastards” is essential. RIFFS, rage, soul, and sonic destruction, 1968 is back, and they mean business.

~Black Angel

Blood Monolith The Calling of Fire CD Review

Mon, 26 May 2025 23:09:44 GMT

Side projects are often hit or miss within the extreme metal world. There are a few notable exceptions, (Lock Up, Comecon, Disincarnate come to mind) but by and large, they leave me wanting. Oftentimes they end up sounding just like the progenitors’ main bands. Well, good news. Blood Monolith’s Profound Lore debut The Calling of Fire can be placed in the exception pile.

After exiting Vastum in 2023, Shelby Lermo (Nails) tapped the talents of guitarist Tommy Wall (Undeath), bassist Nolan (Genocide Pact) and drummer Aidan Tydings-Lynch (Brain Tourniquet) and they quickly began to write for the debut. Given their individual pedigrees, the songwriting and performances are all top notch, and I can happily report they aren't just treading the water of their full-time gigs.

In a field that is vastly overpopulated and has some very serious competition, Blood Monolith stand apart because they employ speed laden, brutish simplicity in favor of any atmosphere or dissonance or melodic parts. There are riffs for days amongst blast beats, very adept guitar solos and vitriolic growls. The songs (8 in total) are well developed and leave little to the imagination. However, my only complaint is the production seems to have been done a bit of a disservice, as it's over loud and renders much of the low-end indiscernible.

The Calling of Fire (with cover art from Rudimentary Peni’s Nick Blinko) is an enjoyable listen and a worthy addition to any brutal death metal fan’s collection. Just don't be surprised if you're left feeling like you've been beaten up across its 28 minutes…

Standout tracks: Trepanation Worm, The Owl in Daylight, Slaughter Garden

~TB

HOT SHOT We'll Be Right Back EP Review

Mon, 26 May 2025 09:15:00 GMT

Back in 2021, most of the remaining members of Dirty Looks reunited with powerhouse vocalist Jason McMaster and guitarist David Beeson (also of Broken Teeth) for a blistering performance of the band’s highly acclaimed album, “Cool from the Wire”, plus a few bonus cuts at Selinsgrove Speedway. The show was captured and released as “Cool from the Speedway”, it’s a CD/DVD package that absolutely SLAYS! If you don’t own it yet, fix that today. It’s pure Rock n’ Roll fury and a must-have for fans of the band’s legacy. That live recording felt like the spark of something more... and now, the flame’s been lit.

Enter HOT SHOT.

Just days ago, it was revealed that Jason McMaster, Paul Lidel, Jack Pyers, David Beeson, and Dave McClain had formed a new outfit called Hot Shot and they’re kicking things off with a two-track EP titled “We’ll Be Right Back”, dropping May 24th on all major streaming platforms. For anyone familiar with “Cool from the Speedway”, this lineup is essentially the same crew, minus Gene Barnett. While I can’t speak about Gene’s absence, I can say McClain’s involvement is a monster win. With chops honed in Sacred Reich and Machine Head, he brings serious firepower to the rhythm section. As a drummer myself, hearing him cut loose in this setting is an absolute thrill.

Let me be clear this isn’t Dirty Looks. But it echoes that classic energy. With Lidel and Pyers in the fold, that signature grit and swagger naturally seeps into the mix. They could’ve easily slapped the old name on it, but that’s not how these guys operate. They’ve never coasted on nostalgia; they earn it every time. That work ethic and the refusal to rest on past glories, speaks volumes. These musicians don’t chase trends, they bleed for Rock N’ Roll, and it shows.

Now let’s talk about the goods: “We’ll Be Right Back” clocks in just under eight minutes, and it’s a razor-sharp preview of what this group can deliver. The first track, “Digging for Diamonds,” is a raw, raunchy rocker packed with swagger and angst. Think AC/DC meets Dirty Looks, but with a fresh twist. It’s not mimicry, its homage, reimagined with passion and purpose. Lidel is on fire, unleashing riffs and soaring solos. Beeson holds his own too, locking in perfectly and elevating every measure. Their chemistry is undeniable. And McMaster? The man’s a beast. He doesn’t just sing, he commands. He’s dripping with that Rock N’ Roll lifer attitude, and his voice cuts through like a dagger dipped in whiskey.

But it’s “Catwalk” that steals the show for me. This track struts with sleaze, style, and a bassline that hits like a freight train. Pyers brings the low-end thunder, and McMaster’s vocals slither in with the same magnetic snarl that floored me when I first heard Dangerous Toys back in ’89. His delivery is cheeky and sincere, always distinctive and always compelling. The lyrics? Pure attitude. Lidel and Beeson’s twin guitar assault is ferocious, with a lead break that smacks hard before diving into a nasty, groove-laden breakdown. McMaster rides the rhythm like a preacher possessed, every word feels earned.

Truth be told, I didn’t realize how badly I needed this EP until it landed. Even though I’ve been sober and smoke-free for years, this record makes me feel like I’m tearing down a desert highway with a bottle of Jack in one hand and a cigarette in the other. I won’t be drinking or lighting up, but you best believe I’ll be rolling the windows down and blasting this EP in my Challenger all summer long.

“We’ll Be Right Back” isn’t just a release, it’s a promise of what’s to come and what could be. And if this is just the beginning, I’m all in. Grab this EP, crank it, tell all your friends, let’s show the world that we still believe in Rock N’ Roll!

~Black Angel

Witchcraft IDAG CD Review

Mon, 26 May 2025 09:00:00 GMT

Back in the late '90s, I fell back into the molasses-thick world of Doom Metal, thanks in no small part to the gloomy, green-tinged brilliance of Type O Negative. Once I had a PC, I was lost for hours, days, maybe even weeks digging through the murky depths of the genre and its fuzzed-out cousin, Stoner Rock. I was fully enamored, caught in a haze of down-tuned riffs and unsettling grooves.

But like any good party, eventually the high wore off. And when it did, the crash was brutal. A good chunk of those CDs I’d once wanted so badly were swiftly sold, traded, or just flat-out given away. Gone. Ridiculous, in hindsight, but it also turned me into a certified Doom/Stoner snob. I don’t say that lightly. It’s not just any band that gets past my filter these days. If it doesn’t bring something special, I’m out before track two finishes.

Which brings us to Witchcraft.

This was one of those bands that never clicked for me the first time around. I picked up their first three albums as they came out, gave them more chances than they probably deserved, and… nothing. I genuinely wanted to like them but for whatever reason, we just weren’t meant to be. So out they went, casualties of the great Doom purge and I haven’t listened to anything the band has released since.

Fast forward to the present. I got a promo for Witchcraft’s seventh full-length, “IDAG”, and I groaned. “Oh no, not these guys again.” But because I have terminal FOMO when it comes to Doom Metal, I gave it a spin.

Well, damn. “IDAG” is good. Like, really good. This album feels raw, honest, and unpretentious. It doesn’t try too hard to be cool or retro or kvlt. Witchcraft finally sounds like a band that knows exactly what they want to do, and they’re doing it with zero regard for trends or expectations. The riffs are dank, dirty, and soaked in that vintage fuzz-tone that sounds like it was dug out of a forgotten 1970s reel-to-reel tape. It doesn’t chase speed or complexity; it just sits in the pocket and rides the groove like an old rusted-out truck on a gravel road.

The first half of the album is sung entirely in Swedish, which initially threw me off. It’s always harder to connect when you can’t follow the lyrics or hum along with the melody, but in this case, the atmosphere does all the talking. Then, halfway through the album, the English lyrics kick in, and everything starts to lock into place. The vocal lines hit harder, the melodies stick around a little longer, and suddenly the whole record feels more cohesive.

In terms of vibe, “IDAG” plays like a lost Proto-Doom relic from the early '70s. Think Coven, early Pentagram, with flashes of Pagan Altar, not necessarily as imitation, but in spirit. The whole album sounds like it was tracked with analog playback in mind, and the warm, hazy mix complements the Retro-Doom aesthetic beautifully.

After years of bouncing off this band, I can finally say it: Witchcraft have found their stride. “IDAG” isn’t just tolerable, it’s a genuinely compelling Doom/Stoner record that holds its own in a very crowded genre.

Standout tracks: “Burning Cross”, “Spirit”, “IDAG”, “Irreligious Flamboyant Flame”

~Black Angel

Jason McMaster HOT SHOT Interview

Mon, 26 May 2025 09:00:00 GMT

A few days ago, it was announced that Jason McMaster, Paul Lidel, Jack Pyers, David Beeson, and Mark McLain would be releasing a new EP under the banner of HOT SHOT. If you're a little long in the tooth or just have an insatiable appetite for Rock N' Roll, you already know these guys are straight-up Rock royalty, having played major roles in bands like Dangerous Toys, Dirty Looks, Broken Teeth, and Sacred Reich.

Naturally, The Rev. and I were all over it. We immediately reached out to cover the EP and lined up an interview with Jason himself. We wanted to keep the spotlight squarely on HOT SHOT so we and the rest of the world could get the full scoop.

The Rev. took the reins on the interview. His questions were spot-on, so I didn’t mess with a thing. Sometimes you just let greatness speak for itself.

So, grab yourself a strong drink and dig in, this is one you won’t want to miss.

Hot Shot is about to hit the scene—what lit the fuse for this project, and how does it reflect where you are creatively and spiritually right now?

This is just another extension of me and my friends who play and write strong dirty Rock n’ Roll. I have Broken Teeth and Dangerous Toys still going. Dirty Looks was a good tribute to Henrik Ostergaard and it was so much fun, we started to write some new songs on the side with Paul and Jack, the main Dirty Looks guys. These tunes came out great and we just wanted to share them under a new name, HOT SHOT.

Dangerous Toys always felt like a meaner, sleazier, more unhinged cousin to Toys in the Attic-era Aerosmith. The name itself sounded like a warning label. What was it that kept you rooted in the dangerous side of rock when so many of your peers softened or polished up over time?

Those are big words you are saying, I mean, I do not want to correct you, I don't know about sleazier, maybe a more four on the floor slightly less funky version… I will take that compliment for the Toys, but we were not really taking from just Aerosmith, it was a lot more than that. Any sort of soft side that we might have had was still coming from the same influences. We were just writing fun songs that made us feel good. We might have been following our noses a bit.

You’ve fronted some wildly different bands—Watchtower, Broken Teeth, Dangerous Toys, Ignitor, Cassius King, Gahdzilla Motor Company, Evil United —and now Hot Shot. What’s the connective tissue across all those bands that still feels like you?

I love heavy rock of any kind. I love all kinds of music, really. I started writing Country and some kind of weird yacht rock stuff during the covid years, and some Christmas music, too. There is not one thing that I like to sing better than the other. Even if I write something new, there has to be some kind of nostalgic feeling, or emotional connection of the story that turns your emotions on, otherwise, the song is no good.

There was always a touch of Horror in Dangerous Toys—especially in songs like “Scared.” How much of that love for Horror and the macabre lives on in your new work?

It is not just Horror; it leans more towards what I was saying. I love old 70’s music and film, and the stories told through film, tv and books, and even old magazines and posters, that seems it was a pulp culture, and all that stuff took off back then. Jaws and the Exorcist might not be even considered Horror anymore, but that nostalgia is like an added emotion that I have. When writing anything, it’s important that those things are channeled in my writing - like I am trying to describe a feeling or the story of one. It might not be directly borrowing from anything, but it has connection to something that moved me when I was young.

Do you remember what first sparked your interest in Horror—was it music, movies, comics? And what role does that inspiration play in how you write or perform?

The classics, Hammer film stuff, but then, it was 70's TV, the Nightstalker, etc...

By the time I heard KISS in 1975 and saw the album covers, it was this ah-ha moment. I knew there could be no limits. Alice Cooper and "The Crazy World of Arthur Brown" with "I am the God of Hellfire"... I knew that this stuff was melting and molding into something really cool. I am not sure how it plays into what I do on stage, but the crazy faces and attitude the music has, is definitely showing the stuff from my insides.

Dangerous Toys blended comedy and menace in a way few bands pulled off—songs that made you grin even as they growled. What’s the secret to keeping that balance without slipping into parody or losing your bite?

It is gonna be the tones you are using to tell the story, or even suggest that grimace, when you are smiling sweetly. The sounds, the tones and some of the lyrics. Tongue in cheek is still a good way to describe the song, or the parts. Beetlejuice and silly stuff like that bring it to a truly acceptable place, even though that's closer to parody of the Darkside. But, when jack Nicholson says, "Here's Johnny", in the SHINING - that's when it can be funny and frightening. Like you are almost violating someone's comfort for a second. That might be more of where I’m trying to take it when I wear that hat.

In terms of Hot Shot’s sound and vibe—should fans expect echoes of your past, or does this band exist in its own sonic world?

It really is more tribute to what Dirty Looks was doing. Broken Teeth was started by Paul (Lidel) and I, so it will seem to have some of our vibe in it, but, to me, this HOT SHOT stuff screams Paul and Jack's Dirty Looks heartbeat. If I had to pick bands other than Dirty Looks, it would be KISS and AC/DC.

What was the first song written for Hot Shot that made you go, “Yeah, this is the direction”? Was there a moment that defined the project?

This is more of the same thing that I’ve mentioned. When Jack (Pyers) and Paul asked me to front the Dirty Looks thing, we did not plan on writing material until way later. Now that the DL live record is out and we did a few really killer shows as a sort of DL2.0, we worked on the tunes a bit more and finished them up. It is satisfying to release them as something fresh, yet it still hearkens the sound of old Dirty Looks.

You’ve lived through multiple musical eras, formats, and scenes—from cassettes to TikTok. What do you think still matters about Rock music in 2025?

It has to move you. Any music must move you. Emotional response is important. If it does not make you cringe, or fall in love, then it should be easy to ignore. When you cannot ignore a song, that means it is talking loudly to you whether you wanna hear it or not. This is all that matters.

Looking ahead—will Hot Shot hit the road, drop a full album, or maybe throw some blood on stage? What should fans get ready for?

I don't wanna get anyone excited, or bummed out, but, right now, I have zero plans other than to write songs with my friends and release those songs under the banner of HOT SHOT. No plans to play live, or anything. But you never know, do you?

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0F9QPM17F/ref=sr_1_2?marketplaceId=ATVPDKIKX0DER&musicTerritory=US&trackAsin=B0F9QPM17F

Rivers Of Nihil Self-Titled CD Review

Mon, 26 May 2025 09:00:00 GMT

On May 30th, Metal Blade Records will unleash the fifth full-length from Pennsylvania’s Progressive Death Metal export, Rivers of Nihil. This time around, the band drops the pretense and goes straight for the jugular with a Self-Titled release, often a move that signals a band is making a statement, solidifying their identity, or starting a new chapter. Could that be what Rivers of Nihil are doing here? Maybe. Probably. Definitely... something.

Full disclosure: I’ve apparently been living under several rocks (geologically speaking) because this was my first proper exposure to the band. When this album hit my inbox, I went in totally blind. On first listen, I wasn’t sure what the hell I was hearing. It was dense, technical, and way outside of my usual wheelhouse, but undeniably intriguing.

Sonically, it’s clear these guys are playing at a level far beyond the average Death Metal outfit. Fans of Allegaeon will find a lot to appreciate here, the two bands share a certain surgical precision and melodic edge. There’s also a definite Meshuggah vibe in the heavier, chug-driven sections. But make no mistake, this isn’t just a barrage of down-tuned riffs and blast beats. This album has range.

Case in point: the clean vocals. There’s quite a bit of them. More than I expected. At times, they even lean toward something that feels... dare I say, pop-adjacent? It’s a bold move for a band rooted in Death Metal, and one that might turn off some purists. I’ll admit, it caught me off guard. Same goes for the horns. Yes, horns. The first time I heard them, I genuinely wondered if I’d accidentally queued up Kenny G. But the more I listened, the more it clicked. These elements aren’t gimmicks, they’re deliberate, well-placed, and add a distinct texture that sets Rivers of Nihil apart from the pack.

For fans of Opeth, Meshuggah, or Allegaeon, this album offers plenty to sink your teeth into. It’s not a record that reveals itself on the first spin, it’s layered, nuanced, and a bit of an acquired taste. But once it grabs you, it doesn’t let go.

Standout tracks: “Water and Time,” “Rivers of Nihil,” “The Sub-Orbital Blues,” and “American Death.”

~Black Angel

Onslaught Origins of Aggression CD Review

Mon, 26 May 2025 09:00:00 GMT

Forty years deep into the thrash trenches, Onslaught emerges not with a whimper but a war cry. Origins of Aggression isn't just a retrospective; it's a 2 disc defibrillator jolt to the genre's chest, reminding us that the UK's thrash titans still wield their instruments like weapons of mass disruption.

The first disc revisits ten classics from their early arsenal, re-recorded with a ferocity that suggests these tracks were merely biding their time, waiting for this moment to strike anew. "Thermonuclear Devastation of the Planet Earth" and "Let There Be Death" don't just echo their past; they detonate it, with modern production amplifying their raw power without sterilizing their grit.

Dave Garnett's vocals are a revelation, channeling the spirit of the originals while injecting a venom that's entirely his own. The guitars slice with surgical precision, and the rhythm section pounds with the relentless drive of a battalion on the march.

The second disc is a curated collection of covers, paying tribute to the punk and metal forebears who lit the fuse for Onslaught's explosive career. Their rendition of Motörhead's "Iron Fist" is less a cover and more a resurrection, roaring with the unbridled energy Lemmy would undoubtedly salute.

Diving into punk's gritty underbelly, Onslaught tackles Dead Kennedys' "Holiday in Cambodia" and Discharge's "Drunk with Power" with a zeal that bridges the gap between genres, proving that aggression knows no boundaries. Even Judas Priest's "Freewheel Burning" gets the Onslaught treatment, transformed into a thrash anthem that pays respect while staking its own claim.

Origins of Aggression is more than a double album; it's a declaration. Onslaught isn't content to rest on their laurels or fade into the annals of metal history. Instead, they confront their legacy head-on, reimagining it with the same fire that ignited their inception.

For longtime fans, it's a visceral reminder of why they fell in love with the band. For newcomers, it's an unfiltered introduction to the unrelenting force that is Onslaught. Either way, it's clear: the band's aggression isn't just a relic of the past—it's a living, breathing entity, as potent now as it was four decades ago.

~ Rev

Bludgeoned by Deformity Epoch of Immorality CD Review

Mon, 26 May 2025 08:45:00 GMT

Iron Fortress Records out of Kansas, deserves credit for single handedly scouring the underground for some of the best up and coming death metal bands in the entire scene. They have been churning out releases steadily for several years now, and they range from the most disgusting old school stuff to hardcore inspired slam bands, goregrind and brutal death metal. The latter is where Bludgeoned by Deformity firmly plant their blood-soaked flag.

Epoch of Immorality is BBD’s debut, and it boasts an impressive lineup that are a who’s who in the death metal underground. Don't believe me? Here, check these credentials -

Devin Swank (Sanguisugabogg) vocals

Ethan Buttery (Jivebomb) bass

Adam Jarvis (Pig Destroyer) drums

and guitarists Bradon Studebaker (Immortal Torment) and Andre Pickens (Tsuris). What's even more impressive is these guys do this remotely, spread out between Atlanta, Columbus and Baltimore!

Now, if you are unfamiliar with those bands, no worries. Bludgeoned by Deformity are essentially an amalgam of those bands but with some added spice to separate them from their primary outfits. BBD employ elements of slam, metallic hardcore and even some grindcore to get their point across in this brief but crushing five songs. The production is a bit on the raw side, but it lends itself well to the overall feel of the EP. That feel is to apparently obliterate everything in their path, as this is just unadulterated heavy the whole damn time. All of this is fine, but what do they sound like you ask? Well, if you had to pinpoint it - think Pyrexia, Internal Bleeding, Scattered Remnants and Eternal Suffering as main points of influence. These guys are young, hungry and they mean business. Check them out and give lead single “False Deliverance” a spin. Stuff this heavy may cause you to need an Excedrin or three afterwards while grinning like a lunatic. They wouldn't have it any other way I’d imagine.

Standout tracks: False Deliverance, Immorality and Extirpating Human Existence

~TB

(Hed) P.E. New and Improved CD Review

Sun, 18 May 2025 09:15:00 GMT

Do not adjust your screen, this is not a drill. You are about to enter the no-holds-barred, brutally honest, gloriously foul-mouthed dimension of music appreciation. Buckle up, bitches, because the kid is about to wax poetic about a band that will no doubt leave your grandma clutching her pearls...

I first crossed paths with the Nu Metal/G-Punk chaos agents known as (Hed) P.E. back in 1998, thanks to their banger “Serpent Boy” making its debut on Dee Snider’s Strangeland soundtrack. Since then, I’ve ridden the wave of this band’s journey like a drunken pirate trying to avoid a hangover, sometimes losing track, but always finding my way back into the fold. Following HED isn’t always easy they’re unpredictable, raw, and somewhere between a basement Punk Rock show and a conspiracy theory rabbit hole. But damn it, I’ve kept it real and snagged every release like it was a stash of vintage Garbage Pail Kids cards.

Now, I know some of you are side eyeing me, thinking “But what about the Rap and Reggae music?” And to that I say, that’s the point. HED is a sonic Frankenstein stitched together with barbed wire and duct tape, and I wouldn't have it any other way. Whether they’re spitting about shadow governments or screaming about making someone “cum” like a bitch in heat, it all hits. It's messy, it's honest, and it's beautiful in that sweat-drenched, alcohol-soaked, middle finger sort of way.

If you’re the sensitive, WOKE sort who needs your music to be sterilized and pre-approved by focus groups, hit the bricks now. This band is for the open-minded misfits who want their tunes with bit of real talk, bruised ego, and no apologies. That said, everyone’s welcome, just don’t be surprised when you get your safe space wrecked.

Flash forward to 2023, these madmen blessed us with “70’s Hits from the Pit”, a cover album that took Punk classics and AM favorites and shoved them into a mosh pit with a spliff in one hand and a Molotov cocktail in the other. They made “Margaritaville” sound like it was recorded inside a haunted tiki bar during a riot.

Now we’re in 2025, and the chaos continues with “New and Improved”, their first release for Cleopatra Records. The theme? All killer, no filler 80’s tracks. I’m talkin’ about the real 80’s hits, the ones you screamed in your bedroom using your hairbrush as a mic. Let’s break this beast down.

The album opens with “Every Breath You Take,” a stalker anthem that’s now been weaponized with Punk Rock intensity and Reggae swagger. Somehow HED takes a song that was already kind of creepy and makes it sound like a love letter written during a prison brawl. The Police’s version was already perfect, but my boyz in HED now own this shit. Then we get their take on Depeche Mode’s “Just Can’t Get Enough.” I never got down with the original tune, but here? I’m grooving like I just discovered ecstasy at a Basement Punk show in 1989.

The crown jewel of the album? “Always On My Mind.” Yeah, that tender little Willie Nelson heart breaker. HED takes it and turns it into something so soulful and spine-tinglingly good, it’s like getting punched in the feels by a Reggae-surfing, Punk-singing angel. Gomes doesn’t just sing, he feels it, like the song owes him money and he’s ready to collect.

Now, let’s talk “Red Red Wine.” Pop radio turned this track into mushy background noise, but HED rescues it with a Punk Rock overhaul. No fancy wine glasses here, this version is brown bagged, maybe spiked with Mad Dog 20/20, and meant to be chugged while flipping the local radio DJ the bird.

“I Melt with You”? Still kick ass. HED’s take gives it a fresh Rocksteady vibe that makes you wanna slow dance with all your bad decisions. Unadulterated nostalgic magic.

Things get weird, but like, the good weird with two AC/DC covers: “You Shook Me All Night Long” and “Back in Black.” I appreciate the attempt, but honestly, I’d rather hear HED tear into deeper cuts from the band. “Nick Of Time” anyone?

Flock of Seagulls’ “I Ran”? Now we’re talking! Stripped-down, no synth nonsense, just raw drive and dirty guitars. I'd pay money to hear their take on “Space Age Love Song” next just putting that out there.

And then, Biz Markie’s “Just a Friend.” This is not just a cover; this is a tribute with swag. The Punk/Rap/Reggae combo hits like a shot of nostalgia chased with 190 proof. If Biz were still around, he’d be two-stepping to this version, I guarantee it.

The album also drops a Cyndi Lauper grenade with “Time After Time.” It’s emotionally charged, musically tight, and so damned good it made my inner 80’s kid tear up a little bit.

Rounding things out are fresh takes on the band’s own classics “Raise Hell” and “Bartender.” The latter has that “red light, incense burning, let's get weird, do some blow and get naked” vibe. It probably should come with a warning label and a condom.

(Hed) P.E. still has the power to surprise me and that’s saying something after nearly three decades. This album is loud, heartfelt, strange, and a straight-up party. If you grew up in the 80’s like me and you love music that kicks normality in the teeth, this one’s for you.

You don’t just listen to this band, you experience them. Preferably with your fists in the air and your bullshit detector on full blast. So go ahead. Step right up. Get yourself a copy. Pour something strong and light up a fat one. And remember (Hed) P.E. didn’t come to play nice. They came here to wreck you, drink your booze, smoke your weed and fuck your girl...

~Black Angel

Refusal Venomous Human Concept CD Review

Sun, 18 May 2025 09:00:05 GMT

Finnish death has long been lauded, praised and downright worshipped by those who like things on the extreme and European side of metal. Refusal have been kicking over tombstones in Helsinki since 2008, and now, we have their first offering since 2019 in Venomous Human Concept.

From the start, I can hear that Refusal color with a pretty diverse palette. The guitar tones echo the HM-2 buzzsaw sound of Entombed, Dismember etc., but the riffs are not Swedish in flavor. I would say they reside firmly in the Finnish death metal vault (think Demigod, EARLY Amorphis, Convulse) and even have some mid paced chug along the way too.

These are meat and potatoes tunes, the songwriting for each track lasting anywhere between two and a half to four and a half minutes. They get in and get out with elements of the afore mentioned Finnish death, some grind, blast beats and the groovier elements of metallic hardcore and even some crust punk. The first single “Congregation of the Eyeless” blasts, growls and shouts its purpose in the very best of ways, recalling Deicide and Hooded Menace if they decided they wanted a group of basketball jersey clad hxc kids to demolish each other in a pit. Earth shakingly heavy and catchy, this one, for certain.

The ten tracks go by rather quickly here, given the relentless attention to sparse detail and surgical precision. For stuff this to the point, the shorter length of this album will definitely warrant repeat listens. The production is raw, yet bottom heavy and roomy enough to hear every instrument and vocal clearly. Overall, is it groundbreaking? No. But it's sure enjoyable and done very well. Refusal have definitely stepped up their game, delivered a high-quality record and solidified their place in Finland’s underground. They always say, “There's something rotten in Denmark”, but I think Refusal have also left some very choice cuts out too long, and we get to enjoy the spoils, if you will.

Standout tracks- Venomous Human Concept, We Are the Undead, Congregation of the Eyeless

~TB

Dwellers Corrupt Translation Machine CD Review

Sun, 18 May 2025 09:00:05 GMT

Salt Lake City’s resident Stoner Psych shamans, The Dwellers, have emerged from the haze with “Corrupt Translation Machine”, their first release in over a decade. Why wait so long? Who knows and honestly, who cares, because this album RIPS!

Released once again through the ever-reliable Small Stone Records, this album caught me completely off guard. I’d heard whispers about The Dwellers from friends deep in the scene, but I’d never given them a proper listen. That changed fast. One spin of this new record and I was neck-deep on their Bandcamp page, soaking up everything like a long-parched desert wanderer finally stumbling upon an oasis.

What sets The Dwellers apart is their refusal to be pinned down by genre conventions. Sure, there are Stoner and Psych elements, but this is no cookie-cutter Doom-and-fuzz affair. This is Progressive Heavy Blues, channeling a moody, sprawling energy that’s equal parts Pink Floyd and ’90s alt-rock. Yep, you heard me, there’s a serious Alice in Chains vibe here, and surprisingly, it works. Normally, that grungy flavor might be a deal breaker for me, but these guys pull it off with conviction.

The band feels locked in, confident, and utterly comfortable in their skin. What really stands out is how lyric driven this album is. “Corrupt Translation Machine” plays like a thinking man’s Stoner record - rich with soul, intent, and depth. The vocals are melodic, the lyrics thoughtful, and the production hits that sweet spot.

Standout tracks: “Marigold,” “Spiral Vision,” “The Sermon,” “Headlines,” and “Old Ways.”

Don’t sleep on this one light one up, drop the needle, and let it carry you away.

~Black Angel

Gotthard Stereo Crush CD Review

Sun, 18 May 2025 09:00:05 GMT

I’ve never been the biggest Gotthard fan. It’s not that I don’t dig Hard Rock or AOR, quite the opposite, but Gotthard has always been one of those bands that just never clicked with me, especially here in the States where their name barely registers unless you’re deep in the trenches of melodic rock. Honestly, if it weren’t for the internet, I might not have heard of them at all. But overseas, particularly in their homeland of Switzerland? They’re absolute Rock Royalty, cranking out chart-topping albums like clockwork.

“Stereo Crush”, the band’s 14th studio album, was recently released via RPM. From the jump, it channels the spirit of classic acts like Whitesnake and Bon Jovi - big choruses, big hooks, and a polish that screams '80s radio. And you know what? That’s not a bad thing. I’m of the generation that grew up on this stuff, so it’s hardly a surprise I find myself vibing on it. That said, I wouldn’t have minded a little more Sleaze in the mix, something dirtier and more dangerous. Still, what Gotthard delivers here is convincing. They manage to sidestep the keyboard overload that sometimes bogs down AOR records, and for that alone, they earn points in my book.

Now let’s talk about the wild card: a Beatles cover. Yep, “Drive My Car” makes an appearance. And I’ll be blunt; I can’t stand the Beatles or covers of their songs. It’s just not my thing unless the version is completely unhinged and flipped on its head. But somehow, Gotthard makes it work. They crank up the energy and rock it hard enough that I forget I’m listening to a Beatles track.

In classic AOR tradition, the album includes two ballads - and yes, I’m a softy. I love a good emotional tune, and these hit that sweet spot. They’re heartfelt without being schmaltzy, delivered with just enough grit and sincerity to feel real. Whether they’re firing off high-octane anthems or dialing it back, Gotthard knows how to build a melody and land a hook.

“Stereo Crush” won’t convert the unconverted, but for fans of the genre or anyone open to a little throwback magic, this is a tight, well-crafted album that proves Gotthard still knows exactly what they’re doing. No wonder they’re still crushing it back home.

Standouts: “Life,” “Thunder and Lightning,” “Burning Bridges,” “Rusty Rose,” and yes - “Drive My Car”.

~Black Angel

Void Horrors Of Reality CD Review

Sun, 18 May 2025 09:00:05 GMT

Thrash Metal is alive, snarling, and thrashing in the hands of Louisiana’s own Void. Formed in 2021, these maniacs wasted no time dropping singles left and right before self-releasing their debut full-length, “Horrors of Reality”, in 2023. The DIY spirit ran deep, and unsurprisingly, physical copies sold out. Now, with a fresh signing to Shadow Kingdom Records, the band has reissued the album on both vinyl and CD, so if you missed it the first time, now’s your chance to snag a copy before it vanishes again.

So, what do we have here? Simply put: Old School Thrash Metal with a capital “T”. Think Annihilator and Toxik filtered through a touch of Exodus, pulverized in a high-speed blender, and served raw. It’s all razor-sharp riffage, breakneck tempos, and whiplash-inducing solos. Listening to this record feels like teleporting back to the glory days - I'm instantly 12 again, holed up in my childhood bedroom, boom box cranked, soaking it all in. “Horrors of Reality” is a time machine back to when Thrash ruled the Earth.

Even more impressive is the production. For a self-released debut, this album sounds killer. There’s clarity and balance in the mix, every riff, every drum fill and every bass line have space to breathe. As every Thrash fan knows, bad production can turn even the best material into a total dumpster fire. Not the case here. Void clearly knew what they were doing.

Lyrically, the band leans into horror themes (as the album title suggests), which is right up my alley – I like it spooky! I hadn’t heard of Void before this record landed in my lap, but now I’m all in. It’s been a gnarly discovery, and a truly satisfying spin.

And hey, the band has a killer 7” single out too, but more on that in a few weeks. For now, if you’re a fan of 80s-style Thrash with attitude, atmosphere, and riff-driven adrenaline, “Horrors of Reality” deserves a top spot on your shelf.

Standouts: “Feeding Frenzy”, “Lazarus”, “Voodoo”, “Witching Hour”

~Black Angel

Undecayed In Death's Image CD Review

Sun, 18 May 2025 09:00:05 GMT

Do you ever find yourself hearing a new band, or a new release and immediately get transported back to being a teenager and grinning like an idiot as you listen? Me too. Such is the case with Sweden's Undecayed and their debut, In Death's Image.

We are treated to 9 songs here, and this probably the only album to ever have the word “death” somewhere in each song title. The word death is actually sung in 19 different languages on one track. Sounds hokey at first, I get it. It's not though! After taking a deeper look, the band did this purposely and the lyrical themes paint a world set for total annihilation as “Death” has arrived on earth in physical form. This being is set to surpass any existence or concept of God, to wipe out all existence. Literally everything dies. No humans, no vegetation, no water. Hope for life? Not here, pal. While not a concept album by definition, they sure lean into an overall theme, and it is ferocious from beginning to end.

Musically this is the best parts of 90s brutal death metal. For chrissakes, the cover art was even done by underground stalwart Jon Zig. These songs are rife with blasts, tempo changes, slam inspired breakdowns, low/high contrasting vocals and tougher than a $2 steak. Elsewhere, there are slower melodic sections that would make early Pestilence proud, then they segue effortlessly into busy riffing and pinch harmonics, thrashy parts, it's got all the hallmarks of the old R/C bands while also adding their own unique spin to those sounds. Undecayed are NOT a nostalgia act. It is paramount to say that here, as some may be apt to write them off as such. To that I say don't. This is expertly produced thick and punchy brutality that offers some fun twists and turns to a tried and true formula. A veritable epoch of barbarity some might say…

Standout tracks - In Death's Image, The Greatest Death, The World Shall Only Know Death, Death’s Only Demand

RIYL - Cannibal Corpse, Morbid Angel, Internal Bleeding, Suffocation, Pestilence

~TB

Sinners Movie Review (2025)

Sun, 18 May 2025 09:00:05 GMT

Believe the hype. This isn't just a great horror movie, it's a great movie, period.

The film takes its time getting to the horror, but it holds your interest as it introduces the main characters: twin gangsters "Smoke" and "Stack" (Michael B. Jordan), their guitar prodigy cousin "Preacher Boy" (Miles Caton), Stack's ex Mary (Hailee Stanfield), and Smoke's wife Annie (Wummi Mosaku). It also establishes the premise that the twins have bought an old building to run as a juke joint.

Opening night seems to be going well, but then the vampires show up and the film kicks into high gear.

Every aspect of this movie is perfect. Writer/director Ryan Coogler manages to deliver an awful lot of background about his characters and setting without it ever feeling like dull exposition, and he's just as adept at crafting impactful action sequences. The film also just looks great courtesy of cinematographer Autumn Cheyenne Durald Arkapaw. And the blues influenced score by Ludwig Göransson sets just the right tone.

Jordan has the showier performance in a dual role, and he's excellent. But it's newcomer Caton who is the heart and soul of the film. And Jack O'Connell as Remick, leader of the vampires, manages to be frightening while at the same time making a compelling case that the protagonists would be better off as bloodsuckers themselves.

The film is undeniably entertaining, but it also has thematic heft in the way it deals with issues of race. Coogler handles this deftly, but no doubt some folks will complain that the movie is too "woke". Whatever.

It's still early in the year but given my preference for films that balance entertainment with substance and how well 'Sinners' does just that, I expect this to at least make my top 10 for the year, and it won't surprise me if it's at the very top of my list.

~Bob Noxious

Corpus Offal Self-Titled CD Review

Sun, 11 May 2025 09:00:09 GMT

Seattle's Cerebral Rot are dead. After two critically acclaimed cult releases, the core of the band (Ian Schwab, guitar/vocals and Clyde Linstrom, guitars) remain in a new swampy, water logged monster, Corpus Offal.

Their 2024 demo hinted at what we were in for, and it is exactly what you would expect given their lineage. This self titled affair is their second release for 20 Buck Spin, and the seven tracks here are unrelenting. You get deeply growled down tuned murk that recall their previous band, yet dare I say, add elements of “slam”, death grind and bridges between modern, and the plodding groove variety of old school death metal. Add some dissonant leads, well placed pinch harmonics (“Essence of Disillusion”) a crisp, clear and thunderous production from Billy Anderson, and this is brutish, heavy, knuckle dragging death metal that will beat you senseless. You better like it, or you may find yourself resembling the pile of flesh, bone and blood that adorns the cover art.

-TB