Over the past 26 years and 10 epic albums, Arjen Lucassen has made a firm name for himself in progressive rock/metal circles with his Ayreon project. Each release has been an epic tale filled with rich characters, impressive chops, and vocal guests from all areas of the metal spectrum. 2004’s "The Human Equation" and the…
As of 2022, Germany’s Sodom will officially be 40 years old, with legendary frontman Tom Angelripper a year shy of his 60th birthday. This information, whilst a testament to the band’s longevity, is also mind-boggling when listening to their new album, the absolutely devastating ‘Genesis XIX’, because it has the energy of a band 30…
Very few bands in the extreme metal world have careers that last 30 years, but Sweden’s Necrophobic have proved that quality music, hard work, and determination pay off. Their 1993 opus, "The Nocturnal Silence", is still hailed as one of the classic pillars of the blackened death metal fraternity, and they have managed to keep…
If there’s one band in the world of extreme metal that needs absolutely no introduction, it is Napalm Death. A band that has, in their 39 years of existence (a phenomenal feat in itself for a band of this level of extremity), both started and stretched the limits of sonic excess, they have found success…
California’s Skeletal Remains are purveyors of classic old-school death metal in the vein of Pestilence, Death, and Morbid Angel, with a streak of their own personality shining through. Their previous three albums have been incredibly solid and entertaining, putting them in the same hallowed category as Gatecreeper, Blood Incantation, and Gruesome, all of whom are…
Matt Harvey is a latter-day death metal legend, heading up both Exhumed and Gruesome, two of the leading lights of the modern genre. Exhumed exemplify goregrind akin to classic Carcass, and have been knocking about since 1990 (albeit with a break from 2005 until their triumphant return in 2010) with a highlight being their "All…
Gus G. has made a name for himself over the past 20 years with his superior skill on guitar and songwriting second to none. He’s spent time in Dream Evil, Arch Enemy, and most notably in Ozzy Osbourne’s band, but his primary project and focus has always been Firewind, an act that has truly come…
There are certain albums that, once you have investigated their origins and delved deep into the recordings, you just know are special and worthy of classic status. When it comes to Thomas Gabriel Fischer, the mastermind behind Switzerland’s Hellhammer, Celtic Frost, and Triptykon (all three projects being HUGELY influential and iconic), every release creates a…
Oranssi Pazuzu is the perfect embodiment of the sub-sub-genre known as ‘psychedelic black metal’. Over the past 13 years and numerous releases, the Finnish legends have taken a cosmic journey that started with a fresh and hugely enjoyable venture into the darker realms and pushed it to extreme lengths. The music is always rooted heavily…
Of all the black metal artists that have emerged over the past decade, Danish phenom Myrkur (or Amalie Bruun, as her folks know her) has been the most exciting to watch. A strong female role model, her music up until this point has been concise, ethereal, fearsome black metal with choral and folk influences, and…
King Dude has, along with fellow doomstress Chelsea Wolfe, taken the dark folk sound to new and dangerous places over the past few years. Albums such as 2012’s “Burning Daylight” and “Songs Of Flesh And Blood” from 2015 were ominous and bloodthirsty, even with the stripped-down folk, and the mystery surrounding the man have just…
Since disbanding the mighty Emperor in 2001, Ihsahn has been exploring progressive and experimental territory with his solo project, finding many different areas that he has created some very exciting music in. With seven full-length albums under his belt, he has decided to release two EP’s this year that will embody his love for Norway…
Cleveland’s Frayle made some waves in the doom fraternity with their 2018 “The White Witch” EP, their ethereal blend of doom metal and post-metal a breath of fresh air amongst their peers. Female-fronted doom (and the occult rock revival) were already in vogue, but Frayle had an interesting, even balance of sound and dynamic that…
Ah, brutal tech death metal. I’m a big fan of a lot of bands that fall under this banner, but as the years progress, the level of quality and originality keeps rising with some acts evolving and others sadly regressing and growing stale. The template is straightforward: intense weight and speed; intricate leads and solos;…
It’s amazing to think that Sodom have been around since 1981, producing incredible music that has become seminal in the worlds of both thrash and black metal. Even in the dark 90’s when metal was overlooked by many, the German legends (most importantly band-leader Tom Angelripper, the Lemmy of thrash) produced some of their finest…
When it comes to hype, Bölzer took first prize with their 2013 debut EP, "Aura", a collection of music that deserved all the hoopla. Their distinct mixture of black and death metal, infused with sludge and their own brand of atmosphere, was a breath of fresh air at a time when we needed musical oxygen…
France’s mysterious Blut Aus Nord have been releasing quality atmospheric/ambient/avant-garde black metal since 1994 (the golden age of black metal), growing through various evolutions of sound and direction. Mostly known for their outstanding ‘Memoria Vetusta’ and ‘777’ trilogies, there have been a few adventurous missteps (2006’s ‘MoRT’ and 2007’s ‘Odinist’) but also some true successes…
Monolord are now in their 6th year of existence, their weighty take on stoner metal progressing over 3 full-length albums and an EP. Their original sound was a lot rawer and riff-focused, something that certainly works for the genre, but it was fairly generic and they’ve never really clicked with me. 2019 sees the release…
Coffins have somehow flown under my radar over the years (they’ve been around since 1996!), even with my interest in the death/doom genre and general love of Japanese metal in general. Whilst this is not uncommon in that even the most ardent music archaeologist cannot uncover every note ever recorded, I cannot believe that I’ve…
