ZAKULA – White Forest Reign Lullabies

RELEASE YEAR: 2024 BAND URL: https://zakula.bandcamp.com/ In the movie “La La Land”, Keith (John Legend), tells his bandmate and friend, Sebastian Wilder (Ryan Gosling), essentially, that jazz is dying because the latter keeps it too traditional without opening himself for new ideas. How often true of heavy metal, how silly it sometimes sounds in the…

NIGHTRAGE – Remains Of A Dead World

RELEASE YEAR: 2024BAND URL: https://nightrage.com/ Although one of the Gothenburg melodic death metal three, In Flames, had stopped making music with the “wow” effect (to borrow from a commercial) after the fantastic Clayman²⁰⁰⁰, arguably they haven’t stopped making melodeath until after Reroute To Remain²⁰⁰², Soundtrack To Your Escape²⁰⁰⁴ where they started Kornizing their sound. It…

SUICIDAL ANGELS- Profane Prayer

RELEASE YEAR: 2024BAND URL: https://suicidalangels.net/ Once again, I must admit that I have never heard any of the Greek thrash metallers’ previous albums, but, if their 8th album, Profane Prayer²⁰²⁴, released on March 1st via the mighty Nuclear Blast Records, is any indication, to quote “Pretty Woman’s” Vivien Ward, big mistake, huge! Frankly, I have…

OCEAN OF GRIEF – Pale Existence

RELEASE YEAR: 2023 BAND URL: https://oceanofgrief.bandcamp.com/ The progressive doom/death metal sextet Ocean Of Grief consisting of Charalabos Oikonomopoulos (2014-vocals), Filippos Koliopanos (2014-guitars), Aris Nikoleris (2014-keyboards), Giannis Koskinas (2014-bass), Thomas Motsios (2014-drums) and Dimitra Zarkadoula (2015-guitars) provide a slight departure from my recent melodic death metal binge with their second (after “Nightfall’s Lament”²⁰¹⁸ on Rain Without…