ALBUM REVIEWS

RECENT ALBUM REVIEWS

  • UTFLOD/SHAVING THE WEREWOLF – Split EP

    RELEASE YEAR: 2023BAND URL: https://utflod.bandcamp.com/album/split-ep-utflod-shaving-the-werewolf Fierce, frantic, and utterly intense, this four-track split EP by the two Norwegian outfits named Utflod and Shaving the Werewolf is as hard-hitting as they come. The ferocious musical attack of both bands is almost overwhelming but certainly not without a sick charm, and I find the material quite interesting…

  • THE ZOMBIES – Different Game

    RELEASE YEAR: 2023  BAND URL: https://thezombiesmusic.bandcamp.com/ Legendary psychedelic rockers The Zombies surely need no introduction as the British outfit is something akin to a musical institution in some respects. Even after all these years Rod Argent and his skilled bandmates are still a fabulous thing to witness live on stage and a most impressive and well-oiled…

  • INSOMNIUM – Anno 1696

    RELEASE YEAR: 2023 BAND URL: https://www.insomnium.net/ The”Argent Moon”²⁰²¹ EP was such a fantastic release that, as I remarked in my review (5.5/6) I could hardly wait for the full length and it turned out I had been so right about my predictions. The 9th full length from the Finnish purveyors of progressive melodic death metal…

  • BODYFARM – Ultimate Abomination

    RELEASE YEAR: 2023 BAND URL: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Bodyfarm/107945989258106 The last Asphyx full length “Necroceros” was an album that proved that classic death metal (with plenty of melody) does not have to sound antiquated but can excite like those well-known by Death or Obituary, especially since Asphyx was born in/into the same time. Their fellow countrymen Dutch purveyors…

  • MAN MUST DIE – The Pain Behind It All

    RELEASE YEAR: 2023 BAND URL: http://www.facebook.com/ManMustDie Let’s face it: eclecticism is the future of heavy metal. These days it’s becoming harder and harder to find a truly unique sound so modern originality is defined as a combination of wide range of influences into something greater than the sum of its parts. With their first two…

  • FROZEN DAWN – The Decline Of The Enlightened Gods

    RELEASE YEAR: 2023 BAND URL: https://facebook.com/truefrozendawn I have just finished a series on the Spanish metal scene and it seems right around the time one of the finest Spanish bands, the progressive blackened melodic death metal trio Frozen Dawn, consisting of Daniel “Dani” “Grinder” Álvarez (vocals, guitars), Antonio Mansilla Tolosa (bass) and Arjan Van Der…

  • SPIRIT TOMB – The Lotus of Dahlia

    RELEASE YEAR: 2023  BAND URL: https://spirittombaandegrav.bandcamp.com/releases Layered and utterly introspective, this 2-song EP by the one-man outfit appropriately named Spirit Tomb is one of those emotionally charged and desolate-sounding affairs that is impossible to shake. With its sophisticated use of piano, cello, and fragile vocals, The Lotus of Dahlia is a study and representation of grief…

  • BLACK HAWK – Soulkeeper

    RELEASE YEAR: 2023BAND URL: https://www.black-hawk-music.de/2014/index.php Black Hawk hail from the northern part of Germany and deliver classic old-school heavy metal that recalls Saxon and Accept, and after having listened to it a number of times I must say that I find this output of theirs rather charming, catchy, and entertaining. The production is loud and…

  • LARS FREDRIK FRØISLIE – Fire Fortellinger

    RELEASE YEAR: 2023  BAND URL: https://larsfredrikfroislie.bandcamp.com/album/fire-fortellinger What a lovely surprise this is album is! The wildly skilled keyboard wizard of Wobbler known as Lars Fredrik Frøislie will release this colorful, heartfelt, and superbly written 4-song gem in early June via Karisma Records, and if prog is your thing then make a note of this one. Fire…

  • THIS MEANS WAR – Omnivore Doctrine

    RELEASE YEAR: 2023  BAND URL: https://this-means-war.bandcamp.com/ I love Gymnocal Industries; the label is as unpredictable as they come when it comes to styles and genres but what you can be certain of is that they deliver quality. A case in point is This Means War whose hyper-aggressive and energetic take on death metal is a real…

  • AZAGHAL – Alttarimme on Luista Tehty

    RELEASE YEAR: 2023BAND URL: https://lnk.to/alttarimmeonluistatehty The Finnish black metal horde known as Azaghal is undoubtedly a known and familiar name to many of you underground freaks out there, and the band are veterans of the scene and have been at it for many years now. Their latest album is a scorching and razor-sharp opus that…

  • BEYOND HELVETE – Anthem of Decay

    RELEASE YEAR: 2022  BAND URL: https://lnk.to/anthemofdecay MMXX by the vile black metallers known as Beyond Helvete was an impressive and hauntingly dark affair that flushed my day right down the toilet when it was released back in 2020 – in the best way possible. It was therefore quite interesting to receive a promotional copy of their…

  • WIG WAM – Out of the Dark

    RELEASE YEAR: 2023  BAND URL: https://www.wigwamofficial.com/ I was rather enamored with Wig Wam’s Never Say Die opus from 2021 as it was an utterly confident, enjoyable, and energetic slab of memorable hard rock, and it is pretty frigging awesome to see and hear that their latest output, Out of the Dark, offers more of the same.…

  • 66CRUSHER – Limbo

    RELEASE YEAR: 2023  BAND URL: https://66crusher.bandcamp.com/ Progressive thrashers 66Crusher have returned with their fourth album, and this is one juicy and explosive musical cocktail that appeals to me greatly. “Why is that?” I hear you ask. Well, these talented Norwegians have a firm grasp of how to weave outstanding melodies and muscular, meaty riffs together to…

  • ROBIN MCAULEY – Alive

    RELEASE YEAR: 2023  BAND URL: http://www.robinmcauley.com/ Outstanding singer Robin McAuley is without doubt one of the best and most unique vocalists there is, and it is wonderful to see just how prolific he has been these past few years with Black Swan, Michael Schenker, and his solo career. This follow-up to the excellent Standing on the…

  • ALL MY SHADOWS – Eerie Monsters

    RELEASE YEAR: 2023  BAND URL: https://allmyshadows.de/ Eerie Monsters by the outfit named All My Shadows, which features members of Vanden Plas, is a lovely surprise and an impressively crafted piece of work that boasts a crunchy and powerful production, atmospheric and robust songs, excellent vocals, and plenty of killer riffs. The band sound as if they…

  • LEAGUS – Flora Eallin

    RELEASE YEAR: 2023  BAND URL: https://leagus.bandcamp.com/ This exquisitely crafted stroke of musical excellence is undoubtedly one of the most unique and deeply emotive albums that I have come across in quite a while. With its shimmering beauty and seemingly endless musical textures, the talented duo from Tromsø have joined forces with the North Norwegian Jazz Ensemble…

  • T3NORS – Naked Soul

    RELEASE YEAR: 2023  BAND URL: https://open.spotify.com/artist/7LDB2IlMsof4n8sxOexPz7 Featuring the three incredibly skilled vocalists Kent Hilli, Toby Hitchcock, and Robbie LaBlanc, T3nors is a melodic rock/AOR project by Frontiers Records that has been in the works for a few years. There is no shortage of quality musicianship here, and the slick and glossy production suits the song material…

  • DOBBELTGJENGER – The Twins

    RELEASE YEAR: 2023BAND URL: https://dobbeltgjenger.bandcamp.com/ Nobody out there writes eclectic, exciting, and irresistible rock songs quite like Dobbeltgjenger do. Explorative and quirky, adventurous and groovy, charming and perfectly funky, these Norwegian gentlemen do not disappoint on their third album, and the way in which their compositions weave so many different threads together is impressive and…

  • KORNMO – Vandring

    RELEASE YEAR: 2023  BAND URL: https://kornmo1.bandcamp.com/album/vandring Symphonic prog rockers Kornmo impressed me greatly with their previous output, Fimbulvinter (2021), and this latest effort of theirs titled Vandring is in many ways a continuation of its predecessor from a musical and stylistic point of view. Beautiful melodies and strong arrangements coupled with excellent musicianship and a bright…

  • KHYMERA – Hold Your Ground

    RELEASE YEAR: 2023BAND URL: https://www.facebook.com/khymeraaor/ Melodic rock is what Khymera is all about, and this follow-up to Master of Illusions from 2020 is certainly a polished and great-sounding affair yet one that lacks truly mind-blowing and memorable compositions. These gentlemen sure know their way around their instruments and the recording studio, and there are plenty…

  • CREYE – III Weightless

    RELEASE YEAR: 2023  BAND URL: https://www.facebook.com/creyesweden/ There was a lot to admire and cherish about the previous output by these melodic rockers from Sweden, and it is most satisfying to discover that this latest effort of theirs delivers too and leaves very little to be desired in terms of quality songwriting. A loud, crisp, and bright…

  • INFINITE & DIVINE – Ascendancy

    RELEASE YEAR: 2023  BAND URL: https://www.facebook.com/infiniteanddivine/ This scribe was quite enamored with the debut album titled Silver Lining by the Swedish outfit Infinite & Divine that came out a couple of years ago, which ticked a lot of boxes for me. So naturally, I was hoping for more of the same and some classy, memorable symphonic-inspired…

  • FIRST SIGNAL – Face Your Fears

    RELEASE YEAR: 2023  BAND URL: https://www.facebook.com/firstsignalband/ The previous effort by First Signal (Closer to the Edge, 2022) was neither particularly impressive nor as cohesive in terms of quality as it could have been, and although this follow-up entitled Face Your Fears is also somewhat uneven and contain a number of filler tracks, it is quite the…

  • IN FLAMES – Foregone

    RELEASE YEAR: 2023 BAND URL: https://www.inflames.com/ As one of the 3 forefathers of the Gothenburg-based melodic death metal (aka melodeath), next to At The Gates and Dark Tranquillity, In Flames need no introduction. Every melodeath fan, which I count myself as one of, is intimitely familiar with “The Jester Race”¹⁹⁹⁶, “Whoracle”¹⁹⁹⁷, “Colony”¹⁹⁹⁹ or “Clayman”²⁰⁰⁰, while…

  • ANTIPOPE – Rex Mundi

    RELEASE YEAR: 2022 BAND URL: https://antipope.bandcamp.com/music Once agan I find myself reviewing a fantastic album from a long standing band I have never heard of before. One of my excuses could be that Antipope started as a black metal band and, to be honest, black metal is a cherry pick genre for me. Another one…

  • ABYSSIC – Brought Forth In Iniquity

    RELEASE YEAR: 2022 BAND URL: https://osmoseproductions.bandcamp.com/album/brought-forth-in-iniquity As much as I count death/doom as one of my favorite genres, I am not a big fan of huge symphonic minimalistic funeral doom/death, bands such as Sceptiscism or Evoken only recently catching my attention precisely because they expanded and thus got more interesting. This is why I find…

  • WITHERED ANCIENT – II

    RELEASE YEAR: 2023  BAND URL: https://witheredancient.bandcamp.com/album/ii I stumbled on this evocative and atmospheric black metal opus by the utterly obscure Bulgarian outfit named Withered Ancient while browsing Bandcamp at work the other day, and there was something about it that drew me in and kept me engaged throughout. The stark monochrome album cover and the idea…

  • SONS OF CULT – Back To The Beginning

    RELEASE YEAR: 2023 BAND URL: https://facebook.com/SonsofCult/ This review is the 5th and the final one in the 5 album expose on the work of Palma de Mallorca Spanish vocalist, guitarist and bassist Vicente Javier Payá Galindo, the creator of 5 metal bands: Golgotha, Unbounded Terror, Decrapted, Bis.nte and Sons Of Cult – all currently on…

  • SYN – Wilk

    RELEASE YEAR: 2023BAND URL: https://synusbm.bandcamp.com/album/wilk Yes, this is just what the good doctor ordered – a raw, efficient, and utterly memorable new output by the skilled US black metal act known as SYN. These ugly fucks deliver a potent and powerful slab of harsh and grim music that harbors both aggression and finesse not to…