RELEASE YEAR: 2024 BAND URL: https://teramaze.com.au/ The one genre where I have always found it hard to find works worth listening to twice has always been progressive heavy metal. When I bought CDs I usually had few albums in my collection, some early Dream Theater, some early Queensrÿche, Tool (of course) an occasional unknown band,…
RELEASE YEAR: 2024BAND URL: https://www.facebook.com/deafcon.de/ The German act named Deafcon5 dabbles in an eclectic mixture of hard rock and metal with a notably progressive touch to it, and this fourth full-length opus of theirs tackles some rather interesting philosophical questions relating to the human condition. What immediately stands out is how varied the song material…
RELEASE YEAR: 2023 BAND URL: https://www.paradogmata.com/ It’s becoming harder and harder to come up with a clever name as all the Megadeths, Medevils and Cryptopsies and Darkanes have already been taken. Paradogmata, presumably adressing fake dogmata, contradictory dogmata (as we will learn) or dogmata as it were, is an Norwegian progressive melodic heavy death metal…
RELEASE YEAR: 2024BAND URL: https://www.facebook.com/uncannysounds/ This is my first encounter with the charming and delightfully wonky progressive metal band from Norway known as Uncanny, and I must say that I find this eclectic and perfectly unpredictable eight-track offering of theirs, which will be out in April, quite beguiling and seductive. While their soundscapes undoubtedly are…
RELEASE YEAR: 2023 BAND URL: https://theocracymusic.com/ The Georgian progressive power metallers Theocracy is one of metal’s lesser known bands, possibly because they are born again Christians (as opposed to cultural Christians) and are not ashamed to sing about the Gospel of Jesus Christ and how it’s mankind’s only hope. Indeed, as I state in my…
RELEASE YEAR: 2024BAND URL: https://www.facebook.com/wolfenreloaded/ This is my first encounter with the German rockers known as Wolfen Reloaded and I must say that I find this sophomore effort of theirs titled The Ghost From Within an engaging and delightful listen. Containing bucketloads of muscular riffs, magnificent vocal hooks, and interesting arrangements, the LP immediately stands…
RELEASE YEAR: 2023 BAND URL: https://www.facebook.com/becomingthearchetypemusic The Georgian Christian progressive metallers Becoming the Archetype (BtA) may be very well known to Christians who love metal but I suspect they are virtually unknown in the greater heavy metal community, possibly due to Christian lyrics most people who aren’t Christians have no interest in reading much less…
RELEASE YEAR: 2024BAND URL: https://www.music-merchant.shop/en/balance-of-power/ The long-running British outfit named Balance of Power will unleash their next batch of songs via Massacre Records in April, and if aggressive and melodic metal with countless cool and interesting layers to it is your particular brand of vodka then you need to make sure that you check this…
RELEASE YEAR: 2023 BAND URL: https://m.facebook.com/Witheringscorn There was a sense, after the excellent The System Has Failed²⁰⁰⁴ Dave Mustaine’s intended solo album turned Megadeth’s comeback record (after the supposed 2002 end of the line), that Megadeth was back and stronger than ever. Dave Mustaine did not waste the momentum but, having previously gained former Black…
RELEASE YEAR: 2023 BAND URL: https://carthus.bandcamp.com/ It’s raining independent debuts here at ER so, after the British death thrash groovers Lokust now comes the Australian progressive melodic death metal folk quintet Carthus with Images Of Tyranny²⁰²³ released on July 21st just 3 years after formation. What stands out the most are the band’s extraordinary skills…
RELEASE YEAR: 2023 BAND URL: https://medevil.bandcamp.com/ The Canadian progressive power thrash metaller’s debut Conductor Of Storms²⁰¹⁶ was already a fiercely original record although the influences were also quite easy to point out. I thought what made Medevil original was their approach to metal: they clearly loved it and were inspired by it but it wasn’t…
RELEASE YEAR: 2023 BAND URL: http://enslaved.no/ Whereas E²⁰¹⁷ was a sore disappointment after the phenomenal In Times²⁰¹⁵, the former seemingly ending the string of top shelf material from Axioma Ethica Odini²⁰¹⁰ and Riitiir²⁰¹², Utgard²⁰²⁰ was a notable, if a partial return to form. I remarked similarly in my review of the album (5/6) where I…
RELEASE YEAR: 2023 BAND URL: https://www.tribulation.se/ I remember once listening to The Formulas Of Death²⁰¹³ and later The Children Of The Night²⁰¹⁵ (which came out after The Horror²⁰⁰⁹, the debut after 5 years from Tribulation’s conception) and praising the melodic death metal the founders Johannes Andersson (bass, vocals) and Paul Adam “Zaars” Zars (guitars) then…
RELEASE YEAR: 2023 BAND URL: https://unearthofficial.com/ When the official Century Media Records release calls the Boston, Massachusetts quintet Unearth “nothing short of standard-bearers and keepers of the faith for American metalcore” it’s not just a suave public relations rhetoric. As metal was largely losing its raison d’etre at the dawn of the XX Century, Unearth…
RELEASE YEAR: 2023 BAND URL: https://greenlabyrinth.net/ The Swiss outfit known as Green Labyrinth was a completely new discovery but a welcome one for me as their eclectic take on highly dramatic and epic prog metal suits my mood these days. As I stated before, this primarily falls within the progressive metal sphere, but one could make…
RELEASE YEAR: 2023 BAND URL: https://www.webbofficial.com/ Melodic metal with progressive overtones and a huge amount of groove that works like a charm – how could I not love this well-written and inspired output by the British act named Webb?! The riffs are meaty and pack a lot of punch, there is finesse and sophistication to the…
RELEASE YEAR: 2023 BAND URL: https://20buckspin.bandcamp.com/album/vast-reaches-unclaimed Finally, an album I can honestly give a top score in a good while, “Vast Reaches Unclaimed” from the Minnesotan melodic death metal trio Majesties is very aptly named and a debut at that. In fact, I should call this old school melodic death metal as, if In Flames’…
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…
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…
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…
