Mastodon "Marrow Deep" (2026)

 
Crashing in with the lurching Barbarians Blood, a familiar cast of Sludgy Progressive Metal broods a stormy foreboding. Its gradual encroachment resolves with strides of Punkish groove and Troy Sanders' forlorn cries. With a meaty storm of metallic might finding intrigue through avenues other than barbaric brutality, Marrow Deep marks a lengthy wait for these seasons veterans to return. On first listen this cast of tense gloom laden creativity felt deeply satisfying. Its colorful outbursts of Psychedelia and analogue Synth tangents a keen flash of color in a bleak pan. With repetitious listens, the dance between dreary turbulence and melancholic reprieve tires on the Metal riffing front. Perhaps with curation it could be cast as slack that weighs down.

At a meaty sixty five minutes, Marrow Deep is stuffed with magical relief nestled within its elegiac song craft. Harmonious and rapturous, one gets swept up by its subtle shifts to soft luminosity. The songs never gets carried away with their selves, feeling anchored within a musical context yet reaching into expressive strides between the more dominant sombre tone. This counteracting inspirational source feels mostly drawn from the past, adding a mature touch, a sort of nostalgia Rock akin to Ghost yet more from the 70s Prog Rock lane. The frequent arrival of effervescence guitar solos especially reflect allures to that golden era, yet with their own character firmly intact.

Ultimately, Marrow Deep is a wild vision realized by seasoned musicians. With such resonant craft, its magnetic atmospheres seem daunting in duration. It battles the ever hastening treadmill of life, one's own patience worn thin by its shadier lingering passages... Yet when sat down to ponder the experience, analyze and reflect, it's difficult to actually critique. These twelve songs are all unique characters exploring a grandiose that's subtle and buried within the average of its temperament. It's worth the commitment every single time, a great album experience to get caught up in. That being said, its two concluding cuts feel structurally ambitious for what they offer.

Rating 7/10

Tartaros "The Red Jewel" (1999)

Further wallowing in the ghoulish theatric horrors of The Grand Psychotic Castle, Charmand Grimlock's Tartaros returns with The Red Jewel. Debut record and final release, It marks the end of a brief venture into a peculiar avenue of Symphonic Black Metal. Stylistically stagnant, It's eight cuts grind gristly distortion guitars against a rough clatter of rumbling blast beats. Emerging through the cracks of this raw, strenuous production, a twinkle of awe and wonder escapes the gloom.

Lacking groove, bombast or anything excitable in the rhythm guitar department, The Red Jewel ends up feeling like a one-trick pony. Its eerie b-movie horror synths whirl a nightly terror in singular tone. Practically every track ends up dominated by this by this animated, repetitive presence that swiftly becomes more bothersome than gratifying.

The overall atmosphere is ripe with mystique, a darkly obscure plane of existence. Shrouded in mystery and menace, it conjures the spooky, satanic and even occult. One can love the vision but dread a dreary execution as its musical ideas fail to punch through, to make themselves felt, alongside its dated recording. Even cranking up the volume doesn't save it of low end rumble and clashing instrument tones. 

The title track gets merits for going a little off course, throwing in a howling lead guitar to emphasize a momentum shift. Dropping the synths, utilizing sway and momentum shapes the song and sets it on a path for curious direction changes. The returning lead guitar over a stompy riff yields a rare moment of gratification. Sadly though, the record is mostly a slog weighed down by amateurish writing and recording. There's some brilliance in here, but it simply wasn't guided to execution. 

Rating: 5/10

Haken "In A Fever Dream" (2026)

Returning on an EP, modern Prog Metal titans Haken bestow a gorgeous run of five tracks to compliment one another like a single entity. Toning down technicalities, the band shift to the simpler pleasures, focused on swooning melody and tempered groove. Rocking in at a slower tempo, its pacing never hurries itself, even as Delirium whips up intensity with its rapid hit-hat and mammoth Djent riffs. Jennings vocals soar above the frenzied track, maintaining that cool head bangers half-time nod.

Eclipsed By You explores a gentler yet experimental side. Harmonizing voices gel under tone tweaking electronics techniques that lure us from an acoustic guitar intro, subtlety drifting towards Downtempo adjacent territory. That's as far as they push the envelope, the rest of the music resides within a crooning powerhouse of intense Djent groove and luminous melody. In A Fever Dream's power resides in beautifully crafted sways between intensities. A natural flow from power to colour illustrating its lyrical underpinning, amassing its conclusion as the final moments of Lotus sings its name.

A mightily impressive band, putting out a leaner release that feels as if its ambition was reached. Ending on such a dramatic note, It concludes the questions proposed in tensions heard earlier in the record. As previously mentioned, it's like a single twenty six minute track to be appreciated in one sitting. The opening and closing numbers feel deeply linked, while the three snug between explore their creativities. 

Rating: 6/10

Motionless In White "Decades" (2026)

As part of my passing musical diet these past two weeks, Motionless In White return for another cheesy romp of unoriginal modern Metal. Executed with grinning competency, Decades passes the sniff test as far as entertainment goes. I was unsurprised to hear shades of classic Nu Metal hallmark their songwriting. From the battering frustration of Slipknot to pop sensibilities of Linkin Park, Djent guitars lay aggressive foundations. Industrial Metal has its moments, strong whiffs of BMTH suffocates it crowd pleaser tracks. Other numbers attempt to bridge the Argent Metal motif with trancey electronic tones, even a flash of Dubstep gets some limelight.

Love At First Bite champions the crown of tackiest tune, a Synthwave Goth Horror anthem hinged on its overt lyrical pun. Blood Pact reeks of slowed Tetrarch groove. Afraid Of The Dark rides the classic Metalcore gallop into a ridiculously dull and predictable breakdown. Its reminiscent of the albums opening title track, rocking a classless cry of "Fuck a tombstone" to drop in with more cookie cutter brutality. These may seem like critiques but its all fair game. The band wear their influences bold and proudly, yet lack a sense of uniqueness emerging from styles explored. Their merits lay in an audacity to give anything a try and somehow make it flow fluently.

    A shock to myself, personal highlights were lyrical. "log_in//crash_out" and Playing God with Corey Taylor tackled key concerns of our times. Internet ecosystems of algorithmic influence, worldview shaping and device addiction. Somehow, these cheesy plain face lyrics channeling anger at such digital concepts resonated strongly. When you think about it, some of these terms are quite awkward to sing about poetically. Its tone isn't perfect but I adore the message they put across. The other highlight had to be sunglasses at night. A final song, pivoting to indulge in a full on dose of luminous eighty's Synthwave nostalgia. With soothing nightlight melodies, the singing finds a soothing peak on this one. A standout track to close upon.

All in all, Decades is a fair attempt. Another collection of broad influences converging from across the Metal spectrum with a healthy amount of electronic synths weaving there way in. It lacks sparks of originality, yet serves up a good dose of spirited modern Metal fit for festival stage energy. Decent but far from greatness.

Rating: 6/10

Scarve "The Undercurrent" (2007)

 
Embarking on their third yet final chapter, a darkly chromatic landscape of desolate unease awaits. Refined by elevated production fidelity, extreme outfit Scarve squander an opportunity to dazzle. Their twisted inhuman musicality fumbles as moments of magic birthed through dizzying frenzies and alien guitar leads get bogged down by mediocrities found between. Imperceptible Armageddon and The Plundered manage to hold ground with swells of metallic dissonance frothing under shimmers of illusive melody and disruptive groove. In these magnetic strides, curiosity charms.

Its many aggressive stints lack that flair, slipping into lengthy mechanical grinds, exploring an unconventional meandering riff style. A technical nature lures it towards impressive techniques that yield little without melodic inflections from vocals or leads. Thus the music sways in its own estranged landscape, unable to evolve its songs into truly memorable cuts. Given the shorter record life, it does feel as if the band lacked ideas. Somewhat of a whimper to end on, given how much potential they showed. Sadly, songwriting falls short. After a fair few spins, its left me with little to remark on. 

Rating: 5/10

Periphery "A Pale White Dot" (2026)

 
Now eight records deep into their career, A Pale White Dot marks a djentleman's competency within expectancy, a harder to love record in the shadow of familiarity that ran before it. Periphery have firmly established their dexterous identity, leaving little here to shock and awe. That doesn't mean one can't enjoy this latest chapter of low end technical brutality but its sticking power feels diminished in the wake of anthems like Marigold, Remain Indoors or the sludgy barbarian assault of Reptile.

For reasons well known, Spencer's silvery soaring singing, I've always considered Periphery to be a band on trajectory to more accessible leanings. Heaven On High catches limelight with catchy hooks and melodic lines, despite a brief blasphemously brutal breakdown. My ears seem most expectant when their lighter side gets expressed. Despite this, A Pale White Dot shook me with its roaring intensity. A reminder of their commitment to heaviness, written on their lowest tuning yet!

That limelight doesn't stick, leaving the exploration of djent laden aggressive antics as a key takeaway. Most its delights emerge from the stunning production, inching more aesthetic charm from such abrasive noise. Subhuman highlights this, as Will Ramos of Lorna Shore lends his devastating voice on a barrage of dense brutality. Proceeded by the electronic Blackwall interlude, this shift highlights a range much of the record swings from. Often rigid in execution, with little of the middle ground explored.

That speaks to the first half of the record. Three or so tracks in the backend explore this terrain. Switching to dense power chord strumming, Spencer explores the intense cleans, that space between strained screams and smoother singing. The yield is minimal, entertaining but unable to get its claws in. A Pale White Dot is a fine record lacking an evolutionary step to distinguish it from all they have done before.

Rating: 7/10

Tartaros "The Grand Psychotic Castle" (1997)

This musical traveller is always keen to unearth hidden gems. Debut extended play The Grand Psychotic Castle is almost such a blasphemous treasure. Hailing from its musical homeland, Norway, Tartaros delivers the Symphonic Black Metal I adore. Released in 97 its at the prime infancy of this symphonic offshoot, I was shocked by a lack of Spotify or YouTube plays. It seems they never got swept up into the usual crop of classic bands people talk about. This truly feels like a forgotten artifact of sorts.

Its closest neighbour is clearly Arcturus, specifically Aspera Hiems Symfonia. Sharing similar temperament for harshness balanced with astral symphonic wonder, The Grand Psychotic Castle revels in ghoulish dusk. The horror synths muster an Adams Family cheese, yet only in aesthetic, churning suggestive Halloween tropes into devilish melodies. Alongside fiendish voices both guttural howls and throaty screams, they are the main elements striking up a terror educing chemistry of theatric fright.

The vision is striking, a macabre spectacle led by its keyboard melodies. The guitars drums and bass follow lead, fleshing out the ebbs and flows through extremity and relief. Its various arrangements fit the genre's characteristics. Often swinging from blast beats to half tempo grooves. It's four songs never stray far from the path initially laid out, offering quite basic song structures. One could say it's not adventurous, but the musicianship and way these instruments come together is well executed.

My final remark is that of production, It actually took me quite some time to get into this record. Somethings off about the tone of each instrument. They seem distant from one another at first. An amateurish lack of cohesion that took many repetitions to overcome. It no longer spoils the listening experience but certainly made it harder to enjoy. Well worth a listen for fans of the genre. This one is cut of the classic era.

Rating: 6/10

Kaosis "Mate. Feed. Kill. Repeat." (2024)

 
Yesterday I laid the groundwork for discussing this record by talking about Slitknot s debut demo album Mate Feed Kill Repeat.. Recorded by original vocalist Anders Colsefni and Aussie band Kaosis, I'll make the assumption that it was a test run for getting back into this material. In recent weeks, Anders has been playing the whole (original) record live in Australia, coinciding with the record's thirtieth anniversary. There is however a twist, this version of MFKR was released without Ander's blessing.

Despite that, it's been a fun listening experience, however, the record does take some creative liberties. It starts off as a faithful recreation of the original material, updating aesthetics with modern production and clearer tone. Either an embellishment or for audible clarity, the more discrete elements of sampling, synth and noises that play under the traditional instruments can be heard. The bomb sirens of Slipknot feel apt, yet synths chime in on its melodies. I didn't get a sense that was originally buried.

Gently continues on similar footing, the acoustic guitar tones sound particularly gorgeous. As we get into Do Nothing/Bitchslap, the songs ambition really comes to life. The chemistry of its Funk Metal groove blooms in this aesthetic romp where we hear samples, baselines and synths gel. Only One and Tattered & Torn are pretty hard hitting, direct ragers which mostly maintain that stern brutality. These little Synth embellishments really start to add up at this point. These numbers definitely didn't have those elements buried in the mix somewhere. It softens the harsh vibes a touch.

On Confessions, the creative liberties heighten. Now the keys are really fleshing out the spaces between they can occupy, adding a different flavor to the track. Musically, it's clever, apt, well executed. But in terms of being faithful to the original material, it's veering off course. Additional melodies and chords feel unnecessary despite fitting in. Some Feel doesn't receive this level of attention, yet it's just enough to steer the track away from that darker identity. Killers Are Quiet claws it back. The dark ambient samples within play far more audible. A real delight but with no hidden Dogfish Rising.

All in all, this re-recording is such a fun indulgence. Hearing the additional, rather colorful, musicality is fun throughout. At times it illuminates the eclectic side of an experimental embryonic Slipknot, giving you a sense of what might have been. In other moments, it derails. These musicians get caught up in their own additions. This unsanctioned version doesn't feel as close to the original intention. It was still a blast! I'm glad this exists, It helps illuminate how brilliant the original demo album was.

Rating: 7/10

Slipknot "Mate. Feed. Kill. Repeat." (1996)

  
Once their debut album, now retroactively labeled a demo album. Slipknot's original incarnation was a curious machination of Death Metal and the emerging Nu Metal groove. If their masked avatars weren't wild enough, the band periodically burst into bizarre tangents of Funk Metal and Disco. Echo's of the early 90s Alternative linger but MFKR is mostly a dark mysterious beast born of loose experimentation.

With original bandmates Shawn Crahan, Joey Jordison, Paul Gray and Craig Jones all present, its an interesting observation that so much of the identity defining guitar work is present. Josh Brainard and Donnie Steele deserve much credit for laying down those darkly brutal riffs. A lot of their material ends up spread over Slipknot's next three albums, often reshaped, the self titled number sped up for the classic Sic.

Yet to find Corey Taylor, the band have a fine frontman in Anders Colsefni, who introduces those little Rap Metal verses, alongside barrages of brutal guttural vocals and raw throaty screams. His cheesy opening lyrics vent frustrations around the game Ultima Online But beyond this silly oddity, the themes get dark and serious swiftly. Gently, heard later on Iowa, has its meditative catharsis, swaying between calm and unease on the march to its grandiose riff that marks a peak as the song closes.

Do Nothing Bitchslap Is the first song to really test the limits. Dropping into a sly Lounge Jazz Funk groove, the song plays a game of pivoting between Death Metal and this easier temperament which gradually shifts into a disco groove. So too does its heavier end sway into manic guitar discordance and feverish grinding intensities. It plays like a bad acid trip walking among the halls of a carnival house of horrors.

Only One and Tattered & Torn are much like on the self titled record. Both fully written, here they just have a rawer edge which Anders does justice too. Confessions has to be my favorite song. Me and a friend used to listen to its, joking about these masked villains would wear their masks, dressed up in with fancy suits, dancing like it's MJ's smooth criminal video. The song beautifully transitions from woeful expressions to a dancey emotive number with spirited singing and a very 80s guitar solo.

The affair ends with Killers Are Quiet and the hidden track Dogfish Rising. Nineteen minutes of brutal downtrodden Metal that ventures into bizarre realms of experimental Industrial Noise. Atmosphere is the key word. This song really showcases Slipknot's unique yet deranged spirit. It's that side of the band we hear in its rawest form, yet to become the mainstream Metal juggernaut that would dominate this alternate culture.

For me, MFKR was a peculiar entity. A band I adored had sequestered a mysterious history. Back then, it was difficult to learn about and get your hands on. Now it's very accessible. But that mystique I experienced really let me connect with this album's strange character and appreciate its experimental approach. What Slipknot would become to be is genius in its own right, but so too is this alternative universe record where the band could of headed on a different trajectory. A cult like, underground act.

Rating: 8/10

Scarve "Luminiferous" (2002)

 
Stepping back from the exciting discovery of Irradiant, we unsurprisingly encounter perceived familiarities of the musical journey. Decreased production fidelity, unrefined identity, a vague rawness. These initially hold back the music but it only takes a few spins. With Luminiferous we have another intriguing exploration of the early djent influenced European metal scene. Labeled Technical Death Metal, yet experimental, progressive and showing similarities to the "Future Fusion Metal" label yet to emerge.

A far cry from where the extended guitar range sound has landed today, Scarve explored low end discordance, rhythmic treachery and sporadic shifts of blasting drums with a agitated stride. Exchanging guttural roars and raw heathen singing, a dualistic vocal dynamic emerges. Together they traverse an ever unsettled metallic construct beneath, taking a burley limelight, brooding within the ceaseless chaos.

Toying with trading tensions and dances of dissonance is a tricky game. Somehow, these bumpy rides converge onto peculiar gratifications. The ever violent percussion channels their artistic extremity through its Grindcore akin patterns, shuffling them consistently. Its the guitar leads that provides relief from this unending frenzy. Usually in intriguing arrangements, a melodic resolution ties up these unusual soundscapes.

On the other hand, the rhythm guitars stand out too, deploying dated polyrhythmic power chord chugging reminiscent of old school Meshuggah. On Luminiferious' ever animated journey, the ceaseless nature of its energetic lashings make it hard to determine where one is among the wretched, mangled metallic landscape. That is at least the vibe often similar to Mnemic yet not exploring the bombast they offer.

The record evades a sense of peaks or valleys, just a continual unravel of curiosity one moment to the next. Somehow, despite my many spins, its riffs and motifs haven't embedded a solid identity, one it clearly has. Futile resilient and The Day After stand out for their acoustic leaning soundscapes. As do brash moments of punk influences when the band venture into simpler drum drives and power chord strumming. Between the obvious influences, a tangled web of ideas that entertains. All in all, a great listen!

Rating: 6/10

Dance With The Dead "Malombra" (2026)

As a listener for whom lyrics can often fly over ones head, it may seem ironic that my main critique of Malombra is its lack of oral presence. Although this duo flesh out their upbeat numbers with interchanging lead expressions and melodic focal points, the verse-chorus structure sets a limelight for a personality to shine who never emerges.

Armed with lush, oozing nightly synths and rounded Industrial Metal guitar grooves, neither musical mechanism manages to fill that vocal void. These instruments are, however, aesthetically sublime. United with crisp punchy drums executing tight attack tones, a mastery blueprint returns for yet another ghoulish forty minute party.

Despite the excellence, I'm left with little to say given a lack of stylistic divergence from Driven To Madness. Dance With The Dead keep pumping out their nocturnal inspired Synthwave but with a lack of new ideas or progressive song writing it feels like a return to a familiar mood. Malombra is simply a good fun for a fair few spins.

Rating: 6/10

Sungazer "Against The Hall Of Night" (2024)

Late to the party but happy to have finally arrived, my years spent following Adam Neely's explainer videos and showcasing of prodigy percussionist bandmate Shawn Crowder seem unforgivable in the wake of such a delightfully warm and musically riveting record. Perhaps its this latest chapter of bright, cheery Jazz Fusion that lured me in. Armed with an arsenal of well educated professional musicians, Against The Hall Of Night sails through vibrant excellence, a gorgeous aesthetic production, dazzling one with a snug fit of crisp instruments expressing emotions boldly.

Earmarked by intravenous illuminations from lead solos, song directions house these expressive delights through intriguing foundations. Experimenting with odd grooves, time signatures and an adventurous opposition to popular convention, song structures bustle from their power house rhythm section, gushing forth with stellar musical ideas. Crowder's crisp and clean drumming a continuous pleasure, as no beat ever seems to rest on its laurels, always finding a angle from which to spice up the pizzazz. 

On the journey of its nine chapters, familiar themes of bold, cheesy 80s gameshow Jazz "done right" frequently emerge, alongside other motifs within a broader Jazz Fusion landscape. Always seeking to expand horizons, much of the music has room for modern Electronic key tones, delving on occasion into the Synthwave style, retro Chiptune 8bit melody and in another realm of the spectrum, crunches of Metal groove. All classy and well executed, every idea feels fully fleshed out, expressive, matured, yet most of all, emotionally entertaining, gratifying and endearing.

To layer on at least some critique in the wake of my applause, the record does feel somewhat front loaded. Its opening half feels a grade above what proceeds but that could be personal preference. The latter songs seem to lean more into the Jazz side of the project. Lead instruments dance out melodies with less personal resonance. Even so, I like these numbers very much. What a cracking record, Bravo!

Rating: 8/10

Scarve "Irradiant" (2004)

Browsing the depths of the metal scene, with the blink of an eye this album cover threw me back to my youthful years. Perhaps it once adorned my Nuclear Blast Records magazine? I was exposed to so much great music through that free mail-in mag. Scarve also happen to fit right into the European scene of that era. Perhaps best labeled as the "Future Fusion Metal" genre that never quite took hold, they sound like a soft fusion of early Mnemic and Meshuggah with touches of classic Darkane in their melodic musicality. All these bands I adore, Its no surprise I had little trouble taking a liking to Irradiant, the second album a brief existence that ended a few years later.

Pulling from the power and menace of Metal in its extreme forms, French musicians Scarve stretch apart those frays, extrapolating melody and dissonance through shifts in momentum. Thus its songs explore the ridges of aggression, flirting with rhythmic experimentation and quite often retreating into calmer spells to introduce metallic acoustic guitar melodies or unusual lurches of "the riff". In some instances they go hard, like the Death Metal inspired pummel and pound of a vicious Molten Scars. On the following Fireproven, we unseemingly drift into an Industrial atmospheric break to showcase some lead guitar flair before flashes of color erupt in a magnetic closing riff.

These complexities and technical nature delight but have a simplistic appeal on the surface. The best songs deal with the collapse of aggression they march from the relentless into curious expanses of atmosphere. Asphyxiate plays a highlight, starting off with a meaty Meshuggah chug riff and eventually featuring a solo from the legend Fredrik Thordendal himself. Irradiant is an all round excellent showcase of boundary pushing songwriting, at least for the time. A delightful discovery slipping into my nostalgic sweet spot. Highly recommended for fans of the early "Djent" frontier.

Rating: 7/10

Poppy "Empty Hands" (2026)

Keeping up the impressive pace, Poppy swiftly returns with her seventh full length album. Empty Hands is another amalgamation of Alternative Metal, Pop Metal and Djent, emulating the modern scene, still struggling to surface an originality to call her own. Consistency strikes well in the album's opening half, a firm grip on bombastic guitar tones paint dense atmospheres for her singing to cut through. The opener Public Domain chops this up with a blatant ohmage to Manson's 90s Industrial style.

Diversification unravels in its second half, Eat The Hate delves into revival Grunge. A well executed song that cant quite escape her presence. The Wait, Blink and Ribs toy with Electro Pop beats and dreamy Synths, a vibe switch up I can't help but feel is closer to Poppy's voice as an artist. This is my gripe with her persona in the music, the instrumental influences of Metal and Alternative don't meld with her expressions.

On the vocal front, she is certainly working on the aggressive intensity of her shouts and screams, amping up the energy with crude throaty roars on brutality tracks Dying To Forget and Empty Hands. The latter plays a vibrant meaty Metalcore number spliced with a Pop Metal chorus. Empty Hands containing throwbacks to the late 00s Deathcore scene, peaking with an ever cringy and hilarious bree pig squeal.

Most likely thanks to switching songwriters, Empty Hands has been the easiest of her records to get into. Despite that, I still don't feel a strong connection between voice and instrumental that has been a continual pain point across her records. Its the same issue that lets these songs fade from memory, so I'm left with a familiar sense of enjoyment in the moment, but no idea which tracks will stick over time.

Rating: 7/10

Irreversible Mechanism "Graviant" (2025)

My excitement for this album was met with swift shock as Polish outfit Irreversible Mechanism depart from their Symphonic Black Metal foundations. Having released two fine records under Blood Music in the decade prior, the band go it alone with this self released effort. A lack of budget and experience tarnishes Graviant's aesthetics as the muddy production consistently rumbles on the low end. A steadily murky mess but fortunately its emotive musical merits punch through this amateurish recording.

At its offset, one can clearly hear the leftovers of their previous guitar tone. Slowed jabbing riffs and big metallic distortions hold some prior characteristics but as the songs churn by, the influences of Tool and Maynard's vocal style become the dominant theme. Its very much a series of Progressive, Alternative Metal tangents, lingering on emotional pains and exploring them through instrumental ruminations.

Gradual shifts, psychedelic repetitions, rhythmic brooding and percussive excursions forge a tapestry of intriguing songwriting. Armed with time signatures and inspired experimentation, the band take once unusual directions to climaxes that play mildly blunted by the shadow of giants that walked the path before. Its atmospherically intense, a darkly meditation leaving no stone unturned. Hurling itself from the calm before the storm, directly into its eye as aggressive plundering serves its peaks.

Despite this obvious display of excellence, the record is routinely blemished by that muddy production. Blunting its charm and muffling its clarity. A lot of the intricate instrumentation requires a fair bit of focus, thus breaking its spell. Fifth Wall and Croc Hunter served as my favorite tracks, peaks that just about overcome this hurdle with angered intensities illuminating peak progressions within both songs. The band have much to offer with this new direction, its just a shame the budget couldn't support it.

Rating: 6/10

Howling Giant "Crucible & Ruin" (2025)

Its been a while since I last checked in with Howling Giant. Turning an ear back to The Space Between Worlds, an evolution in song craft and aesthetic balance becomes undeniable. As part of the nostalgia revivalist Metal scene, Crucible & Ruin sees the band downplay imitations and embark on a tale steeped in inspired vision. Best expressed over its two part Beholder songs, all tropes and characteristic of the genre blend serve an expressive purpose that easily lulls one into the albums flow.

 

Capable of toning down its heavy moments without loosing momentum, these songs intertwine melody and groove together for an inviting froth of naturalistic scenery. Expressed through the lens of Rock and Progressive Metal, touches of Sludge, Doom and Psychedelic worm their way into this colorful brew. Subtle melodies weave around the rhythmic section, forging a gentle power. Heavy yet smooth, bright but hazy.

 

Only on Scepter And Scythe do the band overplay their hand. The chorus borrows a familiar cadence from Ghost's Papa Emeritus. Its a stark reminder of the bold vocal influence. The rest of the record navigates its lyrical delivery wonderfully, but once you hear this track it blemishes the spell somewhat. Otherwise, Crucible & Ruin is a fine record, not quite to my personal preferences but one can appreciate how well crafted its mood is, playing strong front to back with every spin.

 

Rating: 6/10

Trivium "Struck Dead" (2025)

In this age of drip feeding album hype cycles with a growing string of singles, its unclear if Struck Dead is a standalone EP, or the lead in to a full length. Unable to find mention of a new record, I thought these three tracks deserved a few kind words. Balancing punishing monotone grooves with melodic inflections, an act of swaying between the two plays a prominent theme. More so on its first two cuts are we treated to impressive stomps of guitar brutality that build tensions to be unleashed as Heathy rocks in with crooning guitar leads dripping with lavish color and his ascending voice.

 

 Its closer, Six Walls, blurs boundaries as harsher tones meld with choppy melodies echoing classic Metalcore guitar riffs. Its a more ambitious song, seeking an epic structure as gleaming guitar solos amp up the energy for a closing chorus repeating to a fade out. Impressive but often leaning on the lessons learned by a seasoned song writer, it lacked a vibrancy I heard bold and loud on Struck Dead with its ferocious guitar solos making quite the impression given how little room for originality there is in this performative art form. A short, welcome listen reigniting my curiosity in Trivium.

 

Rating: 4/10

Sabaton "Legends" (2025)

Sabaton peaked my interest with two mighty world war one themed records, Great War and The War To End All Wars. New and naive to their sound, it was an enthralling introduction to their militarist take on Symphonic Power Metal. With this newest chapter, Sabaton's stylistic depth reveals itself, that warm welcome wearing itself thin. Lacking fresh ideas, Legends feels by the numbers, a cookie cutter, cut and paste approach to songwriting that has numbers like Hordes Of Khan conjuring Deja-Vu.

The broad historical theme delving into eras and figures doesn't steer the band in to new territory. On all fronts, the exact same approach is undertaken, assembling the range of intensities, melodic forays and vocal cadences for a soft, mildly entertaining eleven songs. Its all to familiar, fun, generally upbeat, fitting for history nerds but as a now seasoned listener, the lack of novelty or progression dulls its presence.

Rating: 4/10 

Slaughter To Prevail "Grizzly" (2025)

 

Despite the impressive talents of vocalist Alex Terrible, I've suffered the misfortune of writing off these masked menaces as another "race to the bottom" Post-Deathcore band. Their recent collaboration with BABYMETAL lured me in, Song 3 that appears again here, a fiery grind of brutality armed by slams of low end guitar and spurioys manic fretboard noises. On that track and throughout Grizzly, strong echo's of Slipknot characteristics, a total turn on when executed with class, as Slaughter To Prevail do.

Russian Grizzly In America drops in partially lifted lyrics from the iconic opener Sic. That motif and other inspirations occasionally rear an overt head. My linguistically challenged mind initially mistook Rodina for a cover of Rammstein's Mutter. So to does Behelit's massive slams of guitar melded with strings have an uncanny ring to it.

With a knack for decent song writing, this all works in their favor. A shared generation of influential bands rippling echo's through Slaughter's DNA, most notably aesthetics and rhythms Slipknot's Iowa album. Howling pinch harmonics, stomping grooves and a battering percussion to make the late Joey Jordison proud. Woven in between their own ideas, it bridges the gap into this "over the top" Post-Deathcore territory.

Thus Grizzly plays a romp, a wild blast of fun chaotic aggression with the sensibilities of a now classic era of 00s Metal reigning in the extreme impulses. The balance is ripe, ideas fresh. Plenty of headbanging goodness. At a meaty fifty minutes, it rarely tires to entertain. I'm left struggling to figure out my favorites from the bunch, a great sign of a record asking to be played front to back at each turn. A cracking introduction.

Rating: 7/10

Seotaiji "Seotaiji VI" (2000)

 

Having scraped the barrel of Nu Metal treasures from my youth, this recent surge of revivalist bands like Tetrarch, Ocean Grove and Narrow Head has brought about nostalgia tinged fun. Nothing will ever capture the tone and texture of that millennial moment quite like the original artists. Thus its a blessing to find such an authentic and fresh take of those times. Hailing from the other side of the globe, Korea, this platinum selling record remained a complete unknown if not for one peculiarity. Tank and a couple other tacks gave me the tremors, a sudden transformation to my teenage self. A dormant part of my mind activated again, I wondered where had I heard this before?

When Napster first emerged there was a trend to rename obscure artists with similarities as "rare tracks" or "b sides". Over the years, I'd eventually learn who the original bands were. Tank, probably renamed as Korn, was one of those. Although it feels uncanny now, this is a reflection of our ever connected, ever available world of culture, shrinking rapidly, as algorithms figure us out, resurfacing these lost gems.

Reveling in the Nu Metal spirit, producer and songwriter Seo Taiji captures the essence of a predominantly American scene with little suggestion to cultural or geographic distance. Only his Korean words create a distinction. Even on that front, his throaty screams and bursts of Rap and rhyme snuggly fit the manic texture and angered cadence of the scene. With an arsenal of bouncy riffs and well written songs, he delivers an all killer, no filler record clocking in at a "to the point" thirty minutes.

Where this record excels is with its textures. So often do these songs revel in the atypical aesthetics of Nu Metal. Estranged sampling, sporadic vinyl scratches, effects laden guitars and quirky vocal effects. With a touch of Alternative Metal it all shapes up to an exciting yet fresh familiarity. Even its shameless plundering of early Korn-alike riffs play with charm. Seotaiji VI is a work of love and inspiration for the times.

Rating: 7/10