I had a pretty good online relationship with founder and drummer Rikard Wermen, and interviewed him a few times for other publications. But while listening to those albums, I thought to myself, “No one has really recreated that sound since”; That utterly savage but clean blend of brutal death metal and grindcore.

But here comes Denmark’s Genocide Doctrine, comprised of veterans of the Danish scene (Dreadlord,  Dysgnostic, Serpent’s Lair, Abscission, Carbon Tomb, Urkraft, to name a few), and the second opener, “Cesspit”, ripped into my ears; Deranged instantly came to mind.

It’s a nasty, blistering, unrelenting mix of brutal and technical death metal and Napalm Death/Nasum-y grindcore. But it’s got a sharp guitar tone, some nasty, demonic vocals, and a dense low end.

With 18 songs in 27 minutes, the grindcore brevity is condensed into a vicious death metal sound, with the longest songs at just under three minutes (“The Totalitarian” and “Bottom Dweller”). It blasts by with a complete disregard for memorability, just sheer teeth-shattering velocity and power cords as heard on “The Filth of Man”, “A Stain Upon Existence”, “Inside” and the 24-second “Sic Semper Tyrannis””

A couple of more throbbing, slower tracks like “Just Meat”, “Bottom Dweller”, “Iron Lung”, the groovy “Punishment Revoked” add a little reprieve, but not much, as the album will leave you reeling and concussed from start to finish.

I don’t even know where to start. I picked this one fine promo day, and unfortunately it has sat here waiting for me to listen to it. Today is the day, and I’m here to tell you, constant reader: you need to hear this. Especially if you are/were a fan of those odd Norwegian bands that came out in the 90s like Ved Buens Ende and Fleurety. This is definitely not your Impaled Nazarene or Horna or anything like that. This is a different beast altogether.

Back in 2021, Shadowy Peripherals was released and then… nothing. But over the course of those lost years, they grew from a trio to a quartet, which is where we are now. The production is stellar, the artwork is killer, and most importantly, the music is absolutely fabulous.

Starting with “Culprit Sunsets (To Chew on Darkness)” proves that this corpse has risen. There’s actually emotion in there that gives me the willies. It’s not all just blast and repeat; there are tempo changes galore, and it’s easy to get caught up in it all. There’s some Folk Metal, some Power Metal, plenty of Black Metal all pulled off with artistic flourish.

“Purple Storms (The Desert Unites and Cloaks the World)” is next and right away I can tell this is going to be a mind-scraping ride. This is nine tracks in forty-one minutes and fifty-one seconds, and I can cheerfully report that no song sounds like the other. This is what I’m talking about: balance. It’s a force of nature on Melas Khole; I want to absorb this album like a sponge. It balances the brutal with the beautiful, and takes you on an ethereal journey across time.

“Twinhearts (Fall from Grace Again)” is, at the beginning, an atmospheric stomper. Every note is given a singular purpose; the build-up to the last few brutal moments of this song is fantastic, and when it happens, it comes on deadly riffs and earthshaking blasting. “Melankolia (The Silent Acceptance)” slows things down considerably; it’s an emotionally charged bit of somber that washes over your mind and crushes your soul with its gravitas.

“The Redeemer (Smudged Flesh Withers)” ventures into Arcturus territory circa Sham Mirrors with angular riffs and a drum pattern that’s out of this world. “Revelations (Gone in Remembrance)” rages with elemental fury, demanding your full attention, and it grabs you and throws you into the wall.

“Echoes (At the End of the Rainbow)” has Arcturus on speed dial with this one; the off-kilter feeling pulls at your sense of equilibrium, while closing track “Hollow Minds Collide (In Ominous Wellbeing)” moves through space and time to open up the gateway to your mind’s eye, then gouges it out with pliers.

At the end of the day, you really need this album in your life, especially if you enjoy that period when Arcturus and Ved Buens Ende were introducing themselves to the unsuspecting world as a whole. Don’t sleep on this one!

As with the debut, the band writes shorter songs, and it makes the music more impactful. With a thirty-minute runtime, the band jumps right into “Dhukha” (rough meaning is a type of Buddhist philosophy). I cannot remember the last time I heard an opening song with an isolated bass guitar moment. Regardless, it’s pretty darn cool; then the song gets into a NY stylized blast beat, then slows down, then speeds up. The pinch harmonics scream 1992, and if you liked Suffocation’s earlier efforts, you will most certainly enjoy this. As with the debut album, Nick can toss those gravity blasts around and alongside the crawling slams and guitar harmonies; this is an excellent opening song.

“Summers of Hate” is up next, and this does not have to be a hateful summer, as long as you have some great NY pizza. My fave is King Umberto in Elmont, LINY, in case you give a shit. The double pounding blast beats definitely have Mike Smith’s ears ringing over and over again. Plenty of tasty drum fills and madness towards the end of this brief two-minute scorcher.

The title track begins with a monster slam, and honestly, I would open with this song in a live environment. It fuckin hits hard AF, especially with the pinch harmonics, and the pit would be ruthless with bodies flying all over the place. The main slam riff repeats multiple times throughout the song and is excellent. The technical aspect of the bass plucking and harmonics adds an air of excellence. Cory lets loose with some killer growls on this track. He’s a monster….wait, that’s his last name. Cory-is this really your last name?? Like what is the experience in a professional setting if someone was to refer you, “Good morning, Mr. Monster”??

“Digital Locusts” closes the album and, at five minutes, is the longest song on the album. Starting with gravity blasts, this song takes no prisoners in its approach. Excellent throaty, guttural vocals and some time signature changes during the fast moments, which is controlled chaos. The double pounding blast, at the 1.25 section, will have you thinking Suffo’s Breeding the Spawn album, which there are plenty of nods towards that album, on this release. Killer growls, over the fast moments, and the band even tosses in some jazzy moments towards the end of the song.

The Irredeemable Age is a great album from Thætas. They have upped their songwriting, musicianship, and brutal technical prowess. The band cannot just be lumped in with other NY brutal slam death metal bands. Thætas is doing something different. Yes, the slams are there and yes, the NY style is ever present. But this band is weird, and I mean that in a good way. With their non-linear approach to this death metal style, to their oft-kilter time changes, at times, Thætas has a lot in common with Brooklyn, NY’s Pyrrhon – another sick and twisted band. Nice organic production, warm and inviting. Thætas should be pleased with this kick-ass record!

The trio, comprised of Vollicide, Logan Mayhem, and Nemesis, don’t have much information out there about their background (except bassist /vocalist Vollicide, who has  The Design Abstract, Ut Interficias Inanis, and Violent Goat Rot under his credits), but deliver a very impressive style of chunky and technical death metal.

The focus is definitely on the ‘chunky’ aspect, as the production and the songwriting lend themselves to a very nice, hefty, stammering presence, bolstered by some solid, head-bopping songwriting and an authoritative bellow.

The promotional email references ‘groove metal’ and the likes of Gojira, Septicflesh, and Meshuggah, and that’s not a stretch; I’d throw in Decapitated’s more modern, chunkier moments (the main riff and guitar tone in “Primitive Voices I” gave me “Day 69” vibes), and maybe the Danish scene like Illdisposed and Dawn of Demise.

There’s also a tribal, sometimes industrial pulse and throb aspect to some of the material that adds just a little something I can’t quite put my finger on (i.e.,  “Atavistic Anarchy”, the intro/ interludes “Incipient Aeternam”, “Paleopraxia”).

The trio breaks out a blast beat or faster moment here and there, like the still-beefy “Primitive Voices I and II” and “Sequential Lifeblood” and even a little atmosphere to start and end “Primitive Voices III”. But it’s tracks like “Moulded By Emptiness”, the trundling “The Lifeless Black”, and “Sequential Lifeblood”, “Chaos Transcendent” and closer “Writhe” that will have you failing the ‘don’t head bang’ challenge pretty quickly.

Ethereal Void and Primordial Dissonance aren’t doing anything particularly new or exciting, but there is something here that keeps bringing me back to it.

Not Your Kingdom is the band’s 10th full-length and first one in eight years, their last being For the Cause, in 2018. Joining Freddy is: Paul Delaney – bass, Mike Gurnari – guitars, and Mike Justian – drums.

The band has remained intact for quite a while, and Freddy sounds absolutely maddening on this album. 14 songs in 30 minutes, the band wastes no time, ripping right into “Tethered”. You can feel a NYHC pit starting immediately as this song opens with a killer groove. The band opted to have the album produced in Nashville, TN, and Andrew Baylis really helped to get the best Madball sound possible. Lee Rouse did a stunning mix/mastering job, as this ensures Madball sounds as relevant as they did when first starting out as a bunch of kids.

“Flammable” is next and is ferocious. Blistering speed opens the song, and then out of nowhere, a fuckin blast beat. At 59 seconds, this song swoops in and levels the playing field. Intense NYHC!

“Rebel Kids” is a nod to the band, former members, the NYHC scene, and the philosophy of growing up in NY, back then and how kids thought and felt. One of the catchiest songs the band has ever written, it’s only a matter of time before the entire crowd is singing along live to ‘Let me hear your voices say I’ve been led astray, been led astray’. The grooving and hoppy moments go along with the emotive nature of what the lyrical content is meant to convey. I love this song, and this will be an excellent connection between the band and the live audience.

“Don’t Misstep” was a song selected to be one of their singles, and the speedy opening hardcore attack eventually simmers down to allow that excellent groove to hit, then back into the hardcore galloping attack. This will be a great circle pit song. The song has nods to the band’s earliest material as well as Agnostic Front, no surprise there.

“Life’s a Mural” is a great song, with true NYHC lyrics talking about hypocritical people. If you’re gonna talk the talk, you’d better walk the walk and be true to your values and not be a chameleon. Always improving oneself and basically don’t talk outta your ass. Some excellent guitar moments with an excellent breakdown showcasing the strong rhythm section. The song gets into a rather nice gallop, then slows back down, and once again his track screams, play me live!!

“Chase a Dream” closes out this terrific NYHC album, with some phenomenal drumming as the galloping takes us on a speedy opening path. Awesome and aggressive vocals help move the song along. The song slows down, and we get a nice little isolated bass guitar that is rooted in classic 80’s NYHC, as well as on the west coast, D.R.I. hardcore bangers. The song speaks about staying true, following a good path, and not allowing naysayers to try and tear you down. Excellent album closer.

Before I finish up this review, I must mention the passing of legendary NYHC singer, Lou Koller, from NY’s Sick of It All. He recently passed away from cancer, after it returned last year. Fuck cancer! Lou was a purveyor and staple in the NYHC movement, and the band is taking the time to mourn and some time for themselves. RIP NYHC Brother!

Not Your Kingdom is a ferocious and fun hardcore album from Madball. The band is hellbent to come outta the starting gates swinging and slamming, and that is exactly what they do. Releasing one of their strongest and most intense albums with terrific lyrical content and meaning. You all need to run out and get this scorcher asap!!

Enough of my blathering. You want to know what this band has to offer, and I am here to deliver the news. I must mention the batshit crazy cover design. It’s sick and twisted, and not only does it need to be on a shirt, pronto, but it also goes perfectly with the music.

Seven songs in 21 minutes, and the band opens with the title track. There are some space-sounding atmospheric parts, which will remind you of certain intros from bands like Wormed, Wormhole, Abominable Putridity, on the true real song “Orgy in the Vomitorium”. The music comes in with some awesome bass-plucking guitars and progressive technical death metal qualities. Excellent deep guttural-style vocals as well as some higher, raspier tones. The drum rolls and double bass are excellent. Excellent riffing and there is a really nice slamming groove at the 2.29 section so you can start going fisticuffs. Intermittent blasting and a penchant for the technical, progressive, stop-on-a-dime moments make this a very awesome way to open your debut release.

“Violence Is Virtue” opens with killer blasting and frenzied bass plucking moments. The technical wizardry on display from the guitars shows these skillful bastids know how to write some creative riffs. Excellent vocals and the time changes are flip-flopping all over the place. The 1.09 slower section showcases some of the wild rhythmic and at times, polyrhythms the band tosses in. The lead-up to the two-minute mark is most excellent. Some bashing of the instruments to signal a Holy Shit moment with a growl and going right into the blast. Crafty and nifty, at the same time. The song slows down with powerful vocals, and the musicianship truly shines, alongside some guitar soloing. The solo is catchy.

“Death Cult Liturgy” closes out the ep, opening with a nice, isolated guitar riff. The mid-paced double pounding keeps up until the slower pace enters into the picture. Blasting takes over, and more of that mid-paced super swift double bass action rears its head to slaughter your body into the pit time and time again. This would be a great time to break out that circle pit. During this moment, I believe the band has dubbed it “The Kulczycki Shuffle”. The song slows, and some killer growls, and the music gets softer until it ends.

There you have it, folks. The Enmity Offensive has released a particularly impressive debut EP. Inducing Oblivion showcases skill and finesse in a display of technical brutality. You would expect this type of cohesiveness in a band that has had several releases under their belt, not on a debut EP. This is enough to have Don “Lord Stomache” Decker, rise from the dead. Impressive, brutal, highly skilled, and you must check this band out now!

I missed the last full-length, 2023’s Global Worming, but I enjoyed the last album I heard, 2021’s Mount Carcass. The band was always one of the better Dismember clones around, and that is the same for this 5 song EP.

The four original songs cover the expected mid-era Dismember hues with aplomb. The guitar tone is spot on, and the focus on the more groovy Massive Killing Capacity-styled riffs is competently done, as it has been their whole career. Moments like the huge groove in the last third of “Enemies of Peace”, and the opening/closing riff of “Life Breeds Death” all nail the chosen and obvious inspiration perfectly.

Like most of the band’s efforts, there is a cover song here (the band has covered everything from Bolt Thrower and Megadeth to the Escape from New York movie theme); this time it’s David Hasselhoff’s “True Survivor”. Yep, you read that right, and it’s a hoot.

Godspeed Endseeker. Have you have indeed found the end you sought.

Where the traditional metal Black Sites plays needs to shine is in the guitar playing/solos and catchy refrains. There’s rarely innovation, so you must write quality songs. Fortunately, For Eternity kicks off with “When It Calls,” Martin employs cleans exclusively, and it’s not long before a catchy chorus hits. The dissonant picking on top of the chugging main riff gives the song a brooding feel, which becomes common throughout the rest of the album.

Honestly, it’s very difficult to pick out tracks to highlight because there are many remarkable ones. The last one, “Unanswered for Eternity,” would not be out of place in the “hair metal” heyday. The main riff is far from what I’d call heavy, at least in the traditional sense, but it allows the vocals to carry the track. It’s basically a ballad, although a seven-minute one. The instrumental section that ends near the five-minute mark is as brutal as it gets here, but it does lead the way into a darker guitar solo section. At over 40 minutes, it’s right at the sweet spot before I get bored.

Luckily, there are even better tracks before the end. I would rarely call an album “middle heavy,” but when the best tracks tend to be there, I think it applies. Take, for instance, tracks four and five: “Giving Up the Ghost,” and “Blades (For the Chosen Ones),” respectively. The former has a bass-heavy, driving riff. Of course it has a good hook, but so does the latter. This tune has far more of a bounce to it than “Giving Up the Ghost,” and one could argue that the chorus is better, but almost every one is a fist-pumper.

If you’ve been following along, congratulations, you’re literate, but you’ve also probably figured out this is the album that finally made Black Sites click for me. This is without a doubt the pinnacle of their recorded output. In my eyes, their previous work doesn’t measure up. When I heard those albums, I wasn’t quite over the loss of Trials, so it’s probably not a bad idea to go back and listen to them again. Maybe time has forgotten, or For Eternity just hit me at the right moment, but if they keep releasing heavy hitters, then I’ll continue to pay attention.

You should, too, especially because the new album is self-released. That’s always a strong indication of being in it for the right reasons, including their own artistic expression.

Now here we are in 2026 with Swollen, In Flux, and it’s my first exposure to their weird brand of Blackened Death Metal. It’s a good thing I like off-the-wall shit, because these crazy Idahoans are here to wreak sonic mayhem, and I’m all here for it.

I’m just going to jump in the deep end and try to keep from drowning. “Intro…” comes and goes after 2:16, and then the best song on the album comes bursting out in pit-creating fury.

“Whence Blood No Longer Flows” breaks out these bad-ass sort of late 80s, early 90s riffs that grab the money and run. Around the four-minute mark there’s some nice solo blasting with intermittent atmospheric melodies that are fucking deadly. It’s something newer, and I think it’s pretty spiffy.

Seven songs in 35:22 minutes, and next up on the altar is “Every Flame Structured, Every Face Ablaze”, and it’s a fucking whopper, as well. It’s more of a Death Metal track than the previous, and the way Seven Chains weave their blasphemy between genres is fantastic to behold. The production is also nice and in your face. The drums are dual-wielded AK-47s, and the guitars have a vicious bite to them.

“A Declaration of Vengeance” is to the point, a beating from beginning to end. When Seven Chains lock into a groove they’re absolutely sublime, and this track is a pitch-black slab of Midwestern-style Blackened Death Metal.

There’s another “Intro…” not sure completely why, but whatever; “Gestating Ash (The Thickest Darkness)” is a late 90s Black Metal fever dream and it’s followed by the 10-minute “The Earth’s Tentacular Cross”. The perfect closer for Swollen, In Flux, it moves through tempos like a turbulent storm. I’ll be going back to check out their previous albums when I get the chance for sure.

I didn’t mention any sound-alike bands, and that’s because Seven Chains come to the table with their own set of tricks up their sleeves. Sure, I hear some Furze and a bit of Portal, and definitely Ved Buens Ende add in some True Mayhem here and there, ya go.

Swollen, In Flux is a fucking odd album, but it’s also refreshing to hear something that’s fairly original. So I’m recommending it; you know what to do.

Then I thought that was doing a disservice to France’s Hrothgar, and also that if a reader has clicked on this link, they already know who the band is.

So, I’ll get right to it and tell you about Hrothgar’s second album, Tales of Valhöll.

It’s like Amon Amarth shadow dropped a new album.

Fuck.

So there are plenty of unashamed, spot-on homages, odes and borderline rip-offs littered all over the place in metal; Wizardthrone (Bal Sagoth), Forlorn Citadel and Urdôl Ur (Summoning), the countless Dismember clones, and of late, the Lorna Shore wanna bes. And the line between homage and rip-off is very thin. And it’s a line Hrothgar often comes close to, and blasts right over.

Along with the bands I mentioned above, Hrothgar is easily one of the more…… mimicking? Seriously, if one of these songs came on, and you were not paying attention, you could easily just assume it’s a song from any Amon Amarth album, old or new. Quentin Peyrouse is a dead ringer for Johan Hegg, and I mean a dead fucking ringer. The riffs are that rousing, chunky but melodic, Viking-tinged style, and the production is beefy but clear. Hell, even the album cover art.

The thing is…. I dig it. It’s as good as, if not better than, some of Amon Amarth‘s more recent efforts over the years, and certainly better than Amon Amarth‘s lazier efforts.  The riffs are absolutely on point in capturing that epic, rousing, beer hall or ‘Viking long ship ploughing through the waves’ mood. I mean, just listen to opener “Jörmungandr”, “Face to Face”, “Fight You Like a Beast”, “Ulfhednar”, and that’s just in the album’s first half…The second half has the likes of “Fenrir’s Tale”, but the overtly idolizing formula is the same. But also still enjoyable.

The album’s back end has more of that beefy melancholy similar to “As Loke Falls” or “Cry of the Black Birds” on songs like “Hræsvelgr”, “Giant”, “Blazing Shores”, “The Voyager”, and closer “The Kraken”, which actually kinda kills. Amon Amarth might wish they could have penned some of these riffs, as they are more entertainingly Amon Amarth than Amon Amarth can be at times.

They say imitation is the greatest form of flattery, well if that’s the case, Amon Amarth should be flattered into fucking oblivion by what Hrothgar has kicked out on Tales of Valhöll.

And if there’s any band in the world of metal that can truly be broken down and so clearly defined by eras of their work, Moonspell certainly deserves a deep dive.

Portugal’s most famous and prolific metal export, Moonspell have made no bones about the fact that the band is in the twilight of their careers. While they’ve given themselves no specific expiration date, knowing that an inevitable end is in the near future makes every new release an even more fascinating listen – especially when you consider how the band has progressed and altered their sound through the years (I won’t waste time breaking down the band’s whole catalog AGAIN, just go here for the basics).

Appropriately, 2021’s Hermitage saw the band present a much more sobering, introspective sound that really did seem like a band coming to terms with their own mortality after years of some of their most bombastic and epic work (and also spawned an amazing live recording of the album from a show literally underground in a Portuguese cave – tell me that doesn’t fucking rule). It was a clear shift in the band’s approach, seeming to mark yet another new era in the band’s sound.

As it turns out, Hermitage was not necessarily setting the stage for a new era, but perhaps instead clearing it altogether to let the band cook with a whole new blank canvas. While the album’s first note on “Cross Your Heart” does indeed feature some of the bluesy, slide guitar flavors leftover from their last album, things quickly go completely vintage Moonspell. The Irreligious and Sin/Pecado vibes? OFF THE FRIGGIN CHARTS. I’m instantly thrown back to the first time I heard “Opium” and fell in love with this band. Everything from guitar tone to those dramatic synths to Fernando Ribeiro’s moody-as-fuck vocal approach just SCREAM a certain era of the band’s sound that we haven’t heard in about 25 years, and while I adore Moonspell’s more epic contemporary work, I’m tickled pink to hear this version of the band again in 2026. Chalk it up to nostalgia or whatever you’d like, it’s a fucking VIBE.

And it’s a vibe that only kicks into higher gear on “Far From God,” what with its whispered-word and synth-backed intro that makes me want to throw on some white foundation and heavy eyeliner and go dance around an abandoned warehouse with a bunch of other black-clad antisocials. It’s the unmistakably catchy sound of 90s and 2000s Goth Metal that made bands like Tiamat, The Kovenant and Theatre of Tragedy all the rage during that time. Even the production seems to be trying to cull some of that yesteryear magic. Yes, this sounds more polished, per se, than a release from earlier time periods may have, but the mix itself is spot-on for that era, with Fernando’s vocals coming in clean and clear, and given just enough effect to create an even more ominous, creepy atmosphere. The track is an absolute goth rock/metal anthem that should quickly become a fan favorite. Hell, throw “Promise of Light,” “For the Love of Mortals”, and closer “Reconquista” on your spooky Halloween Dance playlist too, each giving superb melodrama and theatrical panache.

But Far From God is far more fulfilling than just “vibes.” This is a thoroughly engaging and fulfilling record, with lush atmospheres and super solid songwriting that begs repeat listening. “Biblical,” the album’s first track to bring Fernando’s excellent harsh vocals into the mix, bears all the hallmarks of Moonspell‘s sound that you could ever really hope for, with building, earworm melodies that crescendo into a burst of energy that offer a cathartic release. And the song FUUUUUCKS in every sense of the word – speaking to a love so intense and forbidden that it becomes its own mix of ecstasy and tragedy. It oozes with tension and desire, and I’ll just say it – give this one a shot next time it’s go time with your, uh, special friend. Thank me later. Really, this entire album would make for an INTENSE night in the bedroom. Like, it’s not horny, per se, but every track just oozes with a kind of anxious desire and passion that should get you, uh, going, regardless.

Then there’s the superb “The Great Wolf in the Sky,” featuring some beautiful string work from Spanish composer Alicia Nuhro – it culls every bit of spiritual and mystical energy you’d expect from a track with such a name, and pulls in some of the more epic drama you’d expect on albums like Extinct and 1755, making for an intoxicating and immersive listen. It’s really everything you could want from a Moonspell track – drama, emotion, bombast in spades – it’s the kind of track that only a band with so much experience and confidence in their craft could pull off, and we’re all lucky enough to be around to see a band like this, after so long, continue to really shine. Ditto for “Our Freedom to Fall,” the album’s heaviest and, perhaps best track (honestly I think this is the best song Moonspell have made in a long time, which is certainly saying something given their pedigree). It’s just so perfectly crafted and put together, with infectious, doomy riffs and synths that just won’t relent, and Fernando deploying all his various vocal tricks and talents to create the album’s most dynamic offering.

I honestly didn’t know what to expect after Hermitage, and I certainly don’t think it was THIS, but you’re gonna get zero complaints from me. It’s not just a well-performed throwback, it’s a celebration of Moonspell through the years that any fan of the band should be able to fully appreciate and enjoy. Whenever Moonspell does call it quits for good, it’s gonna be a sad day – but I feel confident and content in knowing that the band will go out the same way the band always existed – on their own terms, and with their own unique voice. Far From God is easily one of my favorite albums so far this year, and I think over time could prove to be a classic, even for a band as decorated and beloved as this.

But never have I felt so vehemently bullish or confident about what I am about to say…

If you like Scotland’s Celtic black act Soar, you absolutely must check out Italy’s Duir, and their second album, Catarsi.

While Duir is Celtic for “oak”, the album, rather than about Celtic legends and lore, is actually about a soldier’s struggles during WWI. However, the music itself, especially when rendered with a pretty constant Hurdy-Gurdy and bagpipe presence, courtesy of Thomas Zonato, is where Soar fans will no doubt have their interest not just piqued, but shattered into smithereens.

The rangy 6 songs in 46 minutes don’t quite have the epic scale and scope of Soar, nor some of the cleaner moments and vocals, as Duir focuses far more on the more intense, galloping 6/8 tremolo-picked moments. However, there are still a few reflective, introspective slowdowns and mid-paced moments (i.e. start of “Del Giorno”).

It takes a couple of minutes for the Soar sound to jump out from the opener “Manifesto”, but when it does, the album never looks back as Zonato and cohorts deliver some top notch melodic/atmospheric black metal riffs and structures that have that Winterfylleth, Wolves in the Throne Room, Agalloch or recent Inherits the Void backbone, but the bagpipes and hurdy gurdy cement the Celtic tones with confidence and ease. The production is crisp and clean, and the vocals stay in a higher register rasp throughout.

As a concept album, it needs to be listened to as a whole, and while the songs sort of carry shifts in the concept and story,  unless you understand Italian lyrics to follow along with our protagonist, you’d be hard-pressed to follow along musically. That said, I could at least fathom something coming to an end for the album closer “Oltre l’alba”.

But riff-wise, songs like “Di nessuno”, “Impeto” (which does have a little musical pathos), “Della Notte” (with its exquisite flute work), and the closer “Oltre l’alba” are all top-notch, enthralling songs that make for one of 2026’s better albums in the style.

8 songs where Shane does it all on this album. Who knew this UK specialist in Grindcore had this in him, even the vocals. 8 songs in 42 minutes, and if this album does not embed in your mind for years to come, then I am unsure what type of music will. With leanings towards 80’s industrial and new wave alternative, this is a special album. Think Ministry’s first two albums, The Cure, Depeche Mode, and Sisters of Mercy.

“Spasm Prayer” opens the album with industrial and ambient noises, and I am like, ‘please don’t be like their debut’. The drums come in with industrial noises, synths, bass, guitars, and Shane’s washed-out, shoe gazy stylized vocals. And it’s friggin’ terrific. If this album was released in like 1983, who knows where Shane would have ended up. So catchy, so emotive, and the song moves pretty swiftly. No grind blasts with his signature distorted bass guitar…no, but as an alternative industrialized, new wave song it’s pretty fast and dreamlike.

“The Dreaming Abyss” has fuzzy bass guitar and some distorted vocals, taking on a sinister tone, until Shane’s regular vocals, like the previous song, come on in. There are some atmospheric and melancholic moments on this song. Shane has some very catchy tones as his vocals soar and the instrumentation, some of which is programmed, accompany his vocals perfectly. There are some isolated vocal moments, and the song takes on some of the goth aspects that some new wave/industrial bands incorporated later in the 80’s/early 90’s.

The title track sounds like a nursery rhyme is being counted down with the opening musical arrangement. The song is on more of the softer and slower side with more distorted vocal elements, where Shane begins to sound like a computer, until his vocals are intertwined within. Atmospheric, melancholic, and I sense a cathartic unleashing from Mr. Embury, as you can tell he has put his heart and soul into this project.

“Illusion Guillotine” is a creatively named tune. Some programmed synths/keys start things off, and I feel like I am floating in outer space. Shane’s washed-out vocals, drenched in reverb, enter into the picture and tap into your heartstrings. It’s impossible to listen to this title track and not feel something, as well as a fresh take on the various genres I previously mentioned above. There are some ethereal female vocals in the background, adding to the emotion.

“The Gift of Shame Wrapped in Guilt” ends the album, at over seven minutes, starting with some piano elements and noises. Soft vocals sweep in and out of this dreamlike song, with the variety of noises and sounds throughout. I sense sadness, despair, and grief are all part of the setup Shane has crafted for this album closer. The musical elements gradually become louder and more epic, with Shane’s vocals getting pumped louder in the mix, before the album ends on the softer side. By the way, if you really liked the project, Host, a few of the Paradise Lost members put together a few years ago, you will love this album.

Bridge To Resolution is a fascinating album from one of the pioneers in Grindcore, Shane Embury. Please look at the references above to see the type of genre this is, because if you just like brutal music, this will not be to your liking. Shane is a creative force, and from his vocals to the variety of sounds that are programmed and organic in nature, this is a top album for me in 2026. Was not expecting something so moving and so terrific. The Apple Music full-motion album cover, when playing the album, is brilliant. What a forward-thinking album; truly excellent!!

I wasn’t even sure if I was going to like it. It’s ugly, it’s abrasive, and that was after the first spin.

Many hours later…

Song titles are very useful to help convey the context of the album, so it’s no surprise that Nirriti have ridiculously long song titles. Esoctrilihum have some competition here. Take the first track “Mandukya, The Primordial Toad Croaks At The Outer Edge Of Sushupti”. First of all, I want a primordial toad; second of all, I want my voice to echo as Bhasma’s does. At first it annoyed the absolute shit out of me. Have you ever looked at your phone like it doesn’t have your best interest at heart? That’s how I looked at mine throughout the course of my listening… like what the fuck did I get myself into? But what ended up happening was I started to like it. Those drums are the battering ram of the gods, JFC!

This is what would happen if Teitanblood and Deathspell Omega were to sound like if they assimilated each other. Even Furze is probably thinking ‘goddamn, I thought my lyrics were indecipherable and obnoxious as fuck’! Not even close, buddy.

Dhrupad Anutpada (ধপদ অন$ৎপ&দ): Apophatic Ragas Of Non- Origination will kill you if given the chance. “In The Hallways Of Pure Existence, Freewill And Determinism Play Their Futile Game Of Chess” is absolutely nun-fucking insane. Blasting so savage that you’ll lose feeling in your arms and legs from swinging them around like a fucking idiot; you might end up in a coma, who the fuck knows? More importantly, who fucking cares? Nirriti don’t.

“One Foot On Samsara And The Other On Nirvana” is about as crazy as the title sounds. The amount of reverb that is used on the vocals is like an instrument in itself; that’s what almost sunk this battleship for me. They might do the same for you, I don’t know, I don’t control your life choices… You do you, buckaroo.

“Glissando Of Ever-Fleeting Moments As The Ephemeral Wheels That Carrieth The Chariot Of Perpetuity”… I had to look up what a Glissando is: ‘Glissando (from the Italian glisciare, meaning “to glide”) is a musical technique of sliding continuously or rapidly up or down a musical scale from one pitch to another’. Okay, that’s interesting. How that translates into the literal wall of sound that is spewing from my speakers, I have no idea, but there it is. These songs are endurance tests; thinking of them as weights for your ears to lift and get stronger is a pretty accurate way to describe the feeling.

“Golden Yolk of a Black Egg of a Multicolored Peacock” and “Vilambit Laya of Vitanda Mridangam Forewarns a Pan-Philosophical Defeat (Symphony No. 0 in Doom Minor)” are the last two tracks, and this is where the Indian music comes out proper. Below the howling wind vocals, there are Sitars and other crazy noises that bring the haunted sands to your living room.

To say that Dhrupad Anutpada (ধ্রুপদ অনুৎপাদ): Apophatic Ragas of Non-Origination is a challenging album might be an understatement. It’s decidedly not something you listen to if you want to chill out. I’ll admit that I was ready to hate it after that first listen. I stuck with it, and am I better off? That remains to be seen. However, I’m more inclined to recommend this than I was, which is saying a lot about my musical tastes.

Fuck it. Go get this slab of raging noise and blistering Black Metal if you like Deathspell Omega, Furze, Teitanblood and Thou Shalt Suffer… or some of the other spaced-out, cosmic devotees that make psychotic music like this. You’ll love yourself in the morning. Trust me.

Well, with Man Must Die and the short-lived Cerebral Bore calling it quits, the mantle of Scotland’s best death band was wide open, and some bands like Coffin Mulch, Party Cannon, Tyrannus, Penny Coffin,  and ChestCrush, have tried to take up that mantle, but Scordatura seems to be the logical choice (unless Korpse reunite?).

So with album number 4 and a shiny new, befitting label in Everlasting Spew, how would Scordatura rise to meet the challenge? Quite well, I’m happy to report, even if I’m not completely blown away.

Still playing a very American/Floridian version of brutal death metal, the band’s consistency shows up on this brisk and burly 28-minute beatdown. The fact that 3/4 of the members have been in the band since 2007 also shows (the only change is bassist Liam McCafferty joining the fray in 2024), with an album that continues the same sound as the prior three.

From opener “Doomed to Fate” to closer “Begging to Die”, you get repeated headbutts to the nose and mouth, leaving a shattered mess of teeth and bones. The pinch harmonic blasts deliver classic Suffocation-y, Cannibal Corpse-y, and Brutality-ish riffs with just a hint of The Code is Red... era era Napalm Death.

When not blasting your face in with the likes of “When the Red Moon hangs Low” or “Retali(hate)”, a few grooves kick in, but don’t expect breakdowns per se, just a few short pummelling bars of slower, more measured headbutting, as heard on the title track, “Existential Termination”, “Oppressed Repressed” or  “Maw of the Void”.

This is no frills brutal death metal that would have fit on Comatose Music stylistically, but is also an excellent fit on Everlasting Spew now.

The first track, “Ashes of a New Dawn”, while good, sounds like a B-Side from 2022’s Divine Council. It’s safe to say they have stumbled into their sound, which is not necessarily a bad thing, if they know what to do with it. If you’re unfamiliar, their brand of tech death is based on actual song structures, instead of just cool parts. Before three minutes pass, the slower section breaks up the speedy aggression, but only too briefly.

Many of the gripes I hear regarding Psycroptic are that many people don’t like Jason Peppiatt’s vocals. If you agree, it won’t change with The Pulse of Annihilation. I want to clarify that I don’t think there’s a need for change. He’s unique, and it’s difficult to mistake him for someone else. My issues fall in line with, yes, everything sounds similar. If you’ve heard the last few Psycroptic albums, you’ve heard the new one.

Are there times when they stray from the path? Well, maybe a little. Take for instance, the first two minutes of “Our Pillars Fall,” which begins with an acoustic guitar intro that builds into the main riff. There’s also a splash of keyboards, but if you close your ears (however the fuck one may do that) for just a moment, you’ll miss it. Howevvverrrrrrrr, that main riff from Joe Haley sounds like nothing, if not familiar.

Guys, I’m trying my best here to list standouts and great moments, so maybe “Annihilation Pulse,” the de facto title track, will have them. I do enjoy the fretboard wizardry that makes up the main riff. It stands out because everything sounds so clean that it’s almost sterile. I guess if you want to know how the rest of the album sounds, you’ll know immediately after it.

I hedged my bets on some experimentation to happen on the final track, “Forging the Crown.” It does have a cool intro where one can hear the tension building into the main riff, which is another scorcher. Taken in isolation, perhaps on a playlist, I can see this one standing above the rest. At first, I thought there were keys in the background, which pop up for a quick “hello” on occasion, laying the atmospheric, darker groundwork. However, after time with it, I found it’s just the guitars ringing out a bit too long. Just like that, in a stout 39 minutes, the album is over.

Ughhhhh! I didn’t want to do this but felt I had no choice. While I still love Psycroptic, The Pulse of Annihilation has done nothing for me. The nearly 40 minutes go by without even thinking about it, wondering what happened. Perhaps it’s the combo of the “too clean” production, along with the same style of riffs I’ve heard from them for years, but I just can’t recommend it heartily. If you want a better representation of what the band is capable, check out their early stuff with Chalky, as well as ObServant, The Inherited Repression, and Divine Council. Perhaps their previous work spoiled me.

Unfortunately, I’m not sure The Pulse of Annihilation grabs me. It just kind of exists.

Seeing that Sickbay had been garnering some underground attention Brian, was like, we are getting this free agent to bring on over to our roster. What a fucking score this is. Lineup-wise, we get Jim Sinon on guitars, John Devito on bass, AJ DeCeile is drumming on the first seven tracks while Chris Puletz drums on “Unholy Incantation”, and Alex Valdez is the new vocalist and crushes it.

I will say this: even with their super-strong Permanent Solution EP, in 2024, Time to Die is Sickbay’s strongest and best release to date. To categorize them as yet another brutal NY slam band, would be a bit of a disservice to the band. They inject something different to their brutality – Doom! The slams are a bit slower at times, than other slam bands, and Sickbay injects a creepy, crawly type of doom to their sound. It is most paramount on this release and damn, this album does slay, way to go Sickbay.

8 songs in half an hour, “Deathly Impulse”, sets things off. A doomy, yet heavy guitar riff gets piped in, then the slam hits at the 27-second marker, and it is ruthless. Alex has a killer set of growly vocals with varying tones. They go perfectly with the slam, and this opening slam may be the best opening slam riff I have heard in quite some time. The song picks up the pace, then right into that doomy, pounding slam. The way the slam is constructed has me thinking The Acacia Strain’s newer stuff. Doomy, sludgy, and pounding.

“Impending Doom” is up next, and the song title is perfecto. A monstrously heavy, slamtastic, doomy punch to the face, gut, and solar plexus. Simple, yet catchy riffing, to embed in your head for days on end. The speed and then groove speed get things going pretty quickly, then back to the doomy, crawly groove. This is so damn catchy, and the double bass, over the riff, is amazing. This song better be in their live set. The song gets into a slower downbeat groove that screams death/doom metal, actually, but done in a NY sort of way. Whatever the case may be, this is an amazing song and it all fits and gels.

You cannot be a NY death metal band and not have the word suffer as a song title or lyric. “Suffer” has some very cool parts with a variety of vocal tones shifting from raspy, almost black metalish screams, to gruff growls and twisted putrid vomitrocious, lower than whale shit type of gutturals. It’s terrific. The groove picks up the pace, once again with a strong drum section. Once the two-minute slam erupts, I am telling you, if played live, this slobberknocker of a section will knock people’s heads off from here all the way to the outer realms of space. Amazing growls and gross burps and belches as the crawling, stomping, doom slam hits some more. Suffocating in its heaviness, this song owns.

I really don’t wanna review anymore ‘cause I want you to head over to Ossuary Industries and get yourself this release and a shirt, but I’ll do one more song for ya. The last song, “Unholy Incantation”, has an amazingly heavy opening slam and a catchy riff. More of those gross, triple flusher toilet vocals, and I am loving the hell outta this track. Super slow. Super doomy. Yet it moves and grooves for you to shake that booty to. Once the metal ends, the song gets into a tribal type of jam. This goes on for a few minutes and is super catchy, as it mimics the earlier part of the song, just with some tribal injection. What a super fun way to end the album.

Yo Sickbay…pull up your bootstraps and get ready mofos. Get on tours and play live as much as possible all over N. America. Get your name out. Time to Die is a special slamming, brutal release. Injecting the doom elements and crafting slams that are not typical for this style, is original, forward thinking, and separates the band from a large amount of bands doing the brutal slam thing. What a fucking monster of an album, JFC!!

Snowbound Horror is for fans of bands who spend their off time throwing bolts. For the most part, and I mean perhaps all but 1% of the album, it’s full speed ahead, sack to the sand, death fucking metal. However, if you take the first track, “Vengeance in Fur”, as an example, it’s difficult not to think of Dying Fetus in the stomp. The guitars have heft, and the production is cleaner than I anticipated, but it doesn’t take away from the blistering beatdown that enters your earholes mostly uninvited.

A few tracks further lies another example, “As Fangs Go Deep,” which is the fantasy of every alternative person, or so I’ve heard. The riffs are of that signature churning variety. This one’s not going to win any awards for originality, but at just over three minutes, much like the rest of the album, it doesn’t stay around long enough for you to consider such an abominable opinion.

To end the album is the “Land of the Ice and Snow,” which is unfortunately not a cover of “Immigrant Song” by Led Zeppelin. The riff immediately howls from the speakers and buries your face in the frozen tundra. While it’s heavy and played with a sense of urgency, it perfectly encapsulates the entire album. All the tracks indeed sound mostly the same, despite slight deviations that are barely noticeable.

Before you discard Ravaged by the Yeti as nothing more than a clone, Snowbound Horror is a fun time, drive with your windows down, a rollicking, shit-kicking romp through snow-capped mountains. It’s short, snappy, and doesn’t reinvent the genre. It doesn’t have to, though.

There is a substantial amount more happening here than your typical, run-of-the-mill Bolt Thrower ripoff, which is what those who have likely barely listened to the album believe. The blast beats and components of slam help it stand above many of their peers. It’s a fine example of modern old-school death metal, and while I never wanted to get ravaged by a yeti, at this point, fuck it, I’ll give it a go.

The result is a pretty darn killer melodic black metal album that reminds me of fellow French solo artist Sühnopfer, but slightly less… ‘busy’, but certainly in that same super layered, shrill, but melodic wheelhouse, or a less medieval Passéisme.

I have not heard the prior three efforts, but I certainly will check them out, as Scholtès knows his way around a searing tremolo-picked melodic riff. That becomes abundantly clear towards the climactic ending of the opening track “The Sepulcher of Time”, where a gorgeously rendered arpeggio surfaces, and I’m fully vested in what the rest of the album offers.

Every track offers something to remember or go back to and relisten to. The layered riffs, subtle keys, as well as some cleverly layered vocal fx and clean singing, all deliver something brilliantly melodic and bitingly elegant. Whether it’s the blistering title track, or the familiar Immortal/ Abbath stomp that arises in the otherwise shimmering “Into the Shadow of the Falling Star”, the more moody, but still intricately layered moments of “The Last Cry of the Cosmos” (the riff at 4:40 is just perfect).

A sultry saxophone appears in “Wrath of the Endless Sea” and the almost nine-minute, varied and perfectly placed and structured closing track, “Inherits the Void”, just to keep you interested and throw a little curveball into the salvo of gorgeous, yet sharp riffs and structures.

The album sounds perfect for this style of music with a master from Spain’s Simon Da Silva, who has worked with everyone from Aversio Humanitas to Avulsed. And with all those thigns together, this is a must hear for fans of the style, and I will certainly be checking out the prior efforts.

Vomepotro is a band that, if you told me they were from Indonesia, I would not have batted an eye. There last album Liturgy of Dissection, dropped in 2009; then the band broke up, only to reform last year with Cristiano Martinez returning on vocals and guitar to bring in David Ferreira on guitars/vocals, Rodolfo Menezes on bass/backing vox, and Kalle Lindfors on drums. What is even more intriguing is Cristiano was not even a band member when the band was created, which was in 1998. So technically, there is not one original member in this band.

Suffice it to say we get 8 songs and the last one, “Festering Degradation”, is a brutal death metal instrumental, which should have had vocals on it. Ending the album like they did, after being away for a while, makes little sense to me. Like toss some lyrics on there, give some growls, the song sounds naked.

Anyway, the album opens with “Fall into Decay”, which is terrifically brutal with TAF (triggered as fuck) double-bass drums and some excellent guitar work. The riffs are well thought out, with the music coming across as somewhat Suffocation, Deicide, and Dying Fetus inspired. Vocals are mid-range to super guttural and are well done. I do enjoy the mix in the bass guitar tone, and it is audible. The plethora of tempo shifts, with the blasts and mid-paced bludgeoning heaviness, is great. The band also tosses in several guitar solos that run the gamut of the tempo shifts. A most excellent opening song.

“Beaten to Death” is kind of what just happened to that old dude at Yellowstone National Park, getting tossed in the air by that angry Bison. The Bison did not want his picture taken, and he sure as shit showed gramps. The 1.15 section has a gravity blast aspect with the bass-plucking madness, and the Brain Drill influence is all over this song from the bass, gravity blasting, and super-swift guitar riffing.

“Abyss of Lunacy” has a most excellent stop-and-start signature time change at the beginning. The song then gets into full throttle blasting with a killer fucking growl over this section. The song briefly slows down, then shifts to the blasting again. The slower part screamed for it to go on for much longer, for a pit, but there is no chance for the pit to start. The technical aspect, on display, is pretty impressive and is definitely a high point in this band. That is their strength, a sick rhythm section.

“Insect Spawning” has an opening clip, setting up the lyrical inspiration. This opening is the best part of the album and my favorite song. It grooves, then gets into a galloping death metal attack. The brutal drum rolls take things to blasting territory before the tempo shifts to a mid-paced onslaught. More guitar solos and swirling blasting too.

Welcome back, Vomepotro. Fall into Decay is a damn fun album and an above-average reformation album. The band has a strong rhythm section and really good musicianship, and they may want to lean on some of the slower, groovier moments on the next album. You have to give riffs and tempos a little more breathing room, rather than out brutalizing your opponents. If you become a one-trick pony, the staying power of your albums will be lost on the audience. I am not saying the band is a one-trick pony, however, there are sections within that need the slower moments to carry on longer, because that creates brutality, actually. Overall, I am digging this album and the brutal factor.

I covered their split EP with the mighty Fluids in these hallowed pages back in 2023. That came hot on the heels of Red is the Color of Ripping Death (2021), which just so happens to be their last full-length until now, and their brand-spanking-new album, Satanic Chaos Legions.

I was recently asked if there’s any album I don’t like; it does feel like I like most of the albums I have covered (including this one). I didn’t like the new Sepultura… there’s that. I don’t know, but it’s a true story that this album kills, and the only reason I didn’t mind it being a streaming promo is that my device is out of memory, so I don’t have any choice in the matter.

So yeah, this is another one of those maturation albums. If the new Darkthrone is their Black Album, as I opined in my review for THAT album in these pages as well, then Satanic Chaos Legions is Nunslaughter’s finest hour and their most mature album to date.

So from the title track, you already have a baseline for how things are going to go down. It’s a blistering Death/Thrash number that’ll get your head rattling right away. The production is on point with the move to BLKIIBLK, and this being Nunslaughter’s debut on the label, it had to be good, right?

“Jesus Fucking Dies” is track numero dos, and it is just as brutal as a song bearing that title should be. It’s a short track too, running 1:20. Which is perfectly fine; the whole album has a runtime of 34:11 and so it shows up, metes out some blasphemy and moves on. “Unsacrament” scoots along pretty fucking quickly as well. A slice of diabolical Death Thrash, it’s an intense bloodbath taking place in just a few minutes.

Bands like Nunslaughter get the fucking job done right away. No niceties for you here, only bludgeoning OSDM, and isn’t that what should be expected? By now, yes. These guys are legends in the Pittsburgh/Ohio area, and it’s easy to see why. They’re consistently good whether it’s a full-length or a split EP.

”Christian Ruse” is the most Slayer song on the album that’s also balls-to-the-wall Death Thrash in sort of a Malevolent Creation sort of manner, so think of those two bands having a bastard offspring; there’s a tasty blast section near the end of the track as well. Meanwhile, “Die Your Own Death” comes barging in like a drunken rhino with an attitude.

Satanic Chaos Legions checks all the boxes for what makes a great OSDM release in 2026. “Rotten Messiah”, “Peukharist” and “In the Flames of Inferno” form the guts of the album, ripping open gates to Hell and dancing with demons. Each track on this record seethes with rage and hatred for the Christian Church.

“Heavenless” is a knuckle-dragging spectacle of neck-snapping destruction, while “Lucifer the Light” is a Slayer-esque thrasher that’s got a slew of killer riffing going on in its short runtime. “Cathedral of Stench” brings some crazy time changes: first, it’s mid-paced and almost friendly until the middle of the song, and it’s blasting drums twisting and turning, smashing into a hypnotic blast of doom before cranking it up again.

Rounding out the end of the album, it’s “Listen to the Lies” for the fastest track. From the count-in to the abrupt stop, it’s a Death Grind, rude sonofabitch. I eat shit like that up; it’s like being hit by a train, in the ears…

“Infernal Reign” is a fucking Punk waiting to stab you and take your money or your life. It’s followed by “The Spear of Satan”, the last track, and it’s a shredder. There’s this cool skanky beat before the track ends. There’s your money gone.

Satanic Chaos Legions is a solid OSDM album from a band who have been spreading their Satanic devotion for years. Nunslaughter doesn’t have to prove a fucking thing; they’ve stayed true to themselves and the scene as a whole. Their videos on Facebook are interesting as hell, so if you don’t follow them, you’re missing out.

By now if you love bands like Mortician, Deeds of Flesh, Fleshgrind and of course… Slayer. Always Slayer. Get this apocalyptic beast and be scorched by Hell’s flames.

If you’re into bands like Sadus, Warbringer, Cynic/latter Death, you will really dig Inscribed. When you’re thinking of the Sadus inspiration, refer to A Vision of Misery, when the band went into a more progressive/thrash phase. Lucas has a definite John Kevill (Warbringer) vibe to his vocal delivery, immediately heard on the album opener, “Inquisition for Hatred”. Frantic in its pace, the song does slow down, for some well-timed guitar soloing, and excellent bass guitar strumming from Evie. Evie posts a lot of reels of bass guitar play-throughs on some classic death and thrash metal songs – (still waiting for your reel of playing our “Languish in Despair” bass lines).

With an album cover that looks like it came out of 1985, especially with the awesome band logo, the band does not sound dated. Very cool album opener, which is bested by the next song, “Machinery of War”. Awesome bass guitar lines and a really ripping blast beat, equipped with isolated bass guitar moments and a rather intense galloping thrash metal attack. If you are also into newer death/thrash metal bands, like my buddy Vivek’s band, Desolus, you will want to hop on this album in 0.0 seconds. The song slows back down for some progressive moments, taking us to classic tech eras of Cynic/Death/ Pestilence. More guitar solos and the bass guitar is ever present, in the mix, moving that rhythm section along quite nicely.

“On the Stage of Death” starts with the progressive moments of Death. A ripping isolated guitar solo begins before the thrash metal attack. With an organic production to boot, it’s nice to hear drums, which sound real and do not sound like a typewriter. Lucas lets out some deeper vocal tones and has a varying display of vocal tones. He is most comfortable with the Warbringer style of thrash metal vocals. This track slows down to atmospherics and ambience, with an abundance of progressive qualities. During this instrumental section, you can’t help but wonder: where is album #2 going to take us? More excellent bass guitar moments, which have some Maiden/Rush qualities to it.

“Oracle of Chaos”, which was on the EP, is a bit better here, with the improved production and tightness of the instruments. The intensity, especially with the blast, is on full display. Galloping fist-banging mania – baby!! “Formed Through Control” ends the album, beginning with the sounds of ocean waves. Maybe the band recorded some Miami waves for this part. The galloping moments erupt, then slow down, with some very good deeper register vocals. A varying of their tempo shifts, coinciding with their aggression, is how you close out an album properly.

Inscribed is an exciting young and up-and-coming death/thrash metal band. Upon the Twisted Throne is a fun and thrashing debut album. If the band can continue on this course, play live as much as possible, maybe even tour, they could have a bright future. I am enjoying this album immensely!

Their last album, Mourninghoul, was back in 2024, which I never got around to hearing despite being familiar with and owning most of the band’s 5 efforts.

So here we are with album number 6, with the lineup largely intact except for the addition of Phillip Borg replacing Jonas Soder, but the result is the same- damn top-notch 90s era Swedish melodic black/death metal.

The 8-song, 50-minute affair gets right the Fuck to it with opener “Essence of Existence”; no intro, no atmospheric build-up or lead-in, just searing, razor-sharp riffs which deliver black metal frost and death metal fire into one tone, and harsh black metal rasps from OG member Heval Bozarslan.

Second track, “Altering the Perception”, might be even better with a perfect balance of melodic black metal and death metal savagery that recalls Grief of Emerald‘s It All Turns to Ashes, Necrophobic’s Bloodhymns, and Naglfar’s Diabolic, with the sheer blistering but melodic fury contained.

The rest of the 6 tracks follow suit (other than a couple of acoustic parts here and there and the more restrained, keyboard filled track, “A Concept Older Than Time”) with downright scorching effectiveness, whether it’s “Crumbling Mind Edifice”, where about 30 seconds in, it takes skin flesh from bone, “Plunged into a Paradox” with its more menacing lurching last third, or shredding lead filled closer “Empirical Life Metaphysical”. It’s all killer stuff.

As he did on Mourninghoul, Lawrence Mackrory’s (Aeternus, Baest, Darkane, Lik, In Pain, etc) delivers a mix/master that is as sharp as the riffs, making Lifeforce Omnibound another killer addition to the band’s fine catalog.

9 songs in 45 minutes, “Alt/Space” gets things started with an atmospheric buildup, with voices in the background, and the intro works well until “Cryptic Site” starts. Beginning with a crushing groove, Mike’s spoken-word-type raspy vocals are accompanied well by his bludgeoning distorted bass. The excellent main guitar riff and bass hitting at the 2.30 mark will bring you back to Pure era Godflesh with the heavy, hoppy, thumping sounds. The thumping continues, and that catchy riff is most excellent.

“Swamp Flesh” is exactly how I am feeling today. It’s over 90 degrees, and I need to get into the pool. Vocals are piped in higher, excellent, doomy, growly, and menacing vocals. This song actually is pit-worthy with the pounding groove and catchy pinch harmonics. Vocals are enunciated terrifically, and lyrics are understandable. If you’re gonna spend time writing lyrics, you might as well make them audible so we all can test your genius level. Like a lumbering sloth, this song has heaviness all over it. When the main part hits and repeats, such as the 3.44 mark, you cannot help but headbang in unison to the beat. Crafty bastids!

“The Cell Inside” starts softly, and if you ain’t holding up your lighter like it’s 1985, then get the hell outta here. The music hits at the minute mark and is more of a somber, melancholic tone. Depressive, emotive, and you can feel the pain when words/phrases like ‘Worthless, Voices Crying, Never Forgive ‘ are spewed out by Mike. It adds more weight with the lyrics enunciated so well. There are some slow guitar harmonies around the 4.10 mark that have me feeling Iron Maiden. A short time later, the isolated bludgeoning bass guitar rumbles by itself until the music comes back and hits ever so heavily. This is one of the best moments Red Vinter has ever created.

The title track opens with that dirty ass, distorted bass guitar. Drums enter into the picture next. Guitars slowly build up, and the music morphs into a lumbering, crawling speed that is pure Winter worship. Toss in more of that Godflesh Pure sound, more during the depressive moments. The song is not drawn out to 10 frickin’ minutes and is around the five-minute mark, perfect length. Catchy vocal patterns to coincide with the guitar melodies, and the song picks up to a monstrous groove that hits at the 3.13 part. This plodding groove has a bludgeoning beat that calls for beatdowns. Luckily, this part again repeats towards the end. Terrific way to end the album, as well.

If Ghost in the Fog were a drink, it would go down smoooove, like a stick of butter. But due to it being so heavy, depressive, and abrasive, at times, it would be a sonofabitch coming outta you. Tear your insides right out! Ghost in the Fog is the best release from Red Vinter. Catchy, memorable, heavy, and well played. The band is coming into its own and is playing some live shows to boot. Maybe they can try to book MDF for next year. Get this album now!

But occasionally I’ll throw on Liquid Metal just to see what’s going on, or listen to Ian Christie’s ‘Roots’ show, and I have, every so often, I have heard a new band or song I have dug, which has led to checking the band out further. One such example is Arizona’s  Wyrmhaven. I thought the name was cool, and the song was “Unrelenting Storms”. I found the song on Spotify, added it to my liked songs playlist on Spotify, and followed the band on social media.

Lo and behold, a few weeks later, the full album shows up in my mailbox, so I had to check it out. And what we have here in this confident, solid debut is a modern metal mix that does a little 00s metalcore, a little melodic death metal, a little black metal, a little death metal, a solid production and master ( from Zach Ohren), and some decent songwriting that ties it all together.

When listening to the album’s brisk 35 minutes, with all those elements, I get hints of The Black Dahlia Murder, Revocation, Darkest Hour, All Shall Perish, Uphill Battle, early Poison The Well, and other 00s metalcore pioneers. It’s not quite the pure homage as say, Victim of Fire from last year, as it’s cleaner and more solo-filled.  And while they do all of those genres quite well, it’s a ‘Jack of all trades, master of none’ sort of situation.

Vocalist Steve Naemark has a higher register rasp, with the occasional bellow, and the two guitarists, Travis Skye and Nick Cown (Gravecarver), have listened to plenty of the above genres, and the songs are rife with solos, and as I mentioned above, Zach Ohren’s mastering sounds crisp and sharp, as all his 00s and 10s albums were.

The lead single “Unrelenting Storms” and “Beneath the Pale”  succinctly sum up the band’s many influences, while other songs like “Violent Afterglow” and the more balladic closing duo of “Lifeless Oceans” and “Obsidian Gold” lean a little more blatantly into the 00s metalcore sound, or the more technical, melodic death sounding “Nightshade’s Embrace” stomping “Morning Star”, and burly, dommier “Pendulum faces”.

A solid debut, and I look for marked improvement on album number 2 should they stick together and keep making music.