I first heard Sepultura in 1990. It was Beneath the Remains, and from that opening acoustic guitar, I was hooked. It was brutal, beautiful, and violent. Its predecessors Morbid Visions/ Beastial Devastation and Schizophrenia, were still unheard mysteries to me, and I later was able to get a hold of them. It was 1991’s Arise that cemented me as a perma-fan. Its unrelenting force has made it a gateway album for millions of fans. The original lineup that consisted of Paolo Jr., Max and Igor Cavelera and Andreas Kisser were unstoppable… until they weren’t. Enter the Roots album, following the massive Chaos AD; it divided fans, and ultimately, people started leaving the band. Max started Soulfly and Igor, and Andreas formed a new Sepultura with vocalist Derrick Greene.

That’s when I lost interest. Max isn’t the vocalist anymore. Who the fuck is this new guy?!

Part 2: Irony and the present day

Against came out in 1998, and I checked it out… nope. I hated it, maybe I was predisposed to hate it because I was angry about the breakup of the band and so that might have had something to do with it. Whatever the case, I’ve refused to listen to any Sepultura album since 1998. Rewind a couple days and El Jefe is asking if anyone wants to cover The Cloud of Unknowing , it’s their last release and all… the other guys did not; so I’m taking one for the team (so to speak).

I decided to be fair and went to my streamer of choice and checked them out. The ones with Igor are tolerable at best… I don’t know what went so sideways, but it did, and ten full-length albums later they’re taking their swansong. Another full-length? No, this is like a half-day in school… It’s an EP???.

BUT! Here’s where the irony comes storming in like an army of angry Karens. I actually like… most of it. There are parts where I experienced enjoyment, and it sort of felt like the Sepultura I love (who are now known as Cavelera. Maybe you’ve heard of them). But then there are parts where I’m like, no! What the fuck are you doing? Why are you putting a fucking Twinkle Toes piano part smack in the middle of a heavy song? “Sacred Books” is otherwise a fairly heavy song, but then right in the middle… fucking Liberace shows up and poof, you’re sidelined by that shit. Like the ballad on the latest Testament album, it just pops the wind out of the sails.

“All Souls Rising” has more of a Slayer vibe, especially the solo near the end. It’s one of the fastest on the album, so of course I like it, and yeah, it’s kind of even got a bit of an Arise feeling; not a lot mind you, but it’s there. “Beyond the Dream” has the double duty as being boring as watching paint dry and then the Metallica-ish intro compounded by the song basically sounding like Godsmack, and not even a good Godsmack song (they exist).

It all comes to a close with “The Place”. It’s not a bad song. Some cool riffs shine through, but ultimately, I was happy it was over. Of course, I had to give it a fair shake, which involved multiple listens just to see if I could tease myself into liking it. In the end I like one song, I guess that’s something considering that it’s an EP; one out of four ain’t bad, right?

Anyway, if you have liked their music without the Cavelera brothers, then you’ll eat this shit up. Goodbye Sepultura, long live Cavelera!

To be honest, watching kids grow up from afar is probably more my speed anyway – and it can be a real mind-fuck of an experience! When you’re only seeing your friends’ and families’ kids every few months (let alone years!), you miss all the subtle growth and daily changes that brought them to where they are now. Instead, you just get these big ol’ jumps where they literally become entirely different people every time you see them. Oh they used to like dinosaurs? Well now they like trains. Get ready to hear everything there is to know about the Union Pacific Big Boy articulated 4-8-8-4 locomotive,  the largest and heaviest steam locomotive ever developed. But also be ready to talk about dinosaurs because no one ever gets bored of dinosaurs.

THE POINT IS, it often takes a bit for someone to develop their actual identity – time to experience and try new things, figure out what you really like and don’t actually like at all to figure out what really makes you, you. Case and point, take a look at Scotsman James McBain and his body of work with Hellripper. The project started out in life with the basic identity of, “I’m gonna play guitar really fast and write songs about the devil and evil shit.” And it was fine! McBain has always had a knack for a really good riff, and his ability to write catchy, no-frills club bangers that encouraged crowd participation and interaction has never been in question, to the point that the growth of the “Goat Kvlt” on an international stage was no joke. Tracks like “Full Moon Witchery, “Bastard of Hades,” and the fan favorite “All Hail The Goat” were all good for a quick hit of thrashing, ripping blackened speed metal for the sake of all things \M/METAL\M/. But if I’m being honest, most earlier work was a sort of “here for a good time, not for a long time” affair. A sort of one-trick-pony that was super fun in the moment, but fairly easily moved on from and forgotten about in the long term. A band I’d gladly go see live, but wouldn’t spend a TON of time becoming invested in.

That all started to change with 2023’s Warlocks Grim & Withered Hags. The killer riffs that were always Hellripper‘s trademark were still there, of course, but McBain also started to inject a lot more substance into his music, crafting an overall sound and experience that were uniquely his. First, he really started to embrace his Scottish roots by putting creatures and entities of Scottish folklore and legend front and center in his songwriting (look no further than “The Nuckelavee” and “Mester Stoor Worm” as prime examples), and even included an awesome bagpipe cameo on the album’s title track just to bring the point home (quite literally). But even more noticeably, McBain started to expand his songwriting to become far more dynamic, going beyond the surface-level impact of fast-and-furious quick-hitters and instead offering a fully-fleshed, fully realized listening experience with a lot more lasting power. It was, and still is one of my favorite albums of that year, and indeed of this decade so far, setting quite the bar for McBain to try and match, let alone top.

As usual, I’ve beat around the bush plenty – so I’ll just say it: Coronach is Hellripper‘s finest work yet. McBain hasn’t missed a beat, and instead has set a whole new benchmark for what’s possible with this project. It fucking rips. It’s so good.

True to form, this album wastes no time getting right into action – with “Hunderprest” galloping straight out of hell’s gate with a lightning storm of excellent Blackened Thrash riffs. Where before a good Hellripper riff was, in essence, just that – McBain is continuing to up his game, offering more and more stacked, harmonized riffing for a full, rich sound that keeps you coming back to pick apart more and more layers with every listen. And the insane riffs just keep piling up one after another! In days past, “Hunderprest” would probably come to an end around the 2:30 minute mark after the song’s second reprise. Here and now, we’re met with a distorted, disturbing piano decrescendo, before McBain blasts open yet another blistering, ultra-blackened riff – this time backed by a pummeling blast beat that sounds every bit as chaotic and evil as hell’s seventh layer. This all serves as a bridge into the first of this album’s awe-inspiring solo sections, where McBain puts his full chops on display – the sort of soloing built on having had a steady diet of Kirk Hammet and Dave Mustaine in your musical development. Not that it should have been in any question, but it’s a stark reminder of the level of musicianship we’re actually working with here, even if often overlooked or underappreciated.

What strikes me most about this era of Hellripper is the sense of balance McBain is able to maintain throughout the course of the album. Tracks like “Kinchyle (Goatkraft and Granite)” and “Blakk Satanik Fvkkstorm” prove that, despite some of the maturity and growth that has taken place, the unbridled fun and sadistic joy that has been the core of the Hellripper experience is still alive and well. I’d hate to ever see a version of this band where these kinds of tracks didn’t exist, and McBain seems just as happy as ever to provide them – the latter in particular really just leaning fully into the bit with an anthemic, balls-to-the-walls Black ‘n’ Roll attack that just brings a dumb smile to your face. The former is just a straight-up Thrash heater, complete with a simple, gang vocal’d chorus that will be a huge crowd pleaser, and the kind of Maiden-inspired melodies that can’t help but get under your skin and make you wanna don your battle jacket and throw horns wildly in the air. It’s an instant Hellripper classic sure to be a staple of every live gig moving forward.

On the other end of the spectrum, the midpaced, piano-intro’d “The Art of Resurrection” provides listeners with a welcome change of pace and added depth – dripping with blackened atmosphere and more infectious, anthemic sing-along moments that show McBain really has his audience first and foremost in mind in his songwriting process. Even in it’s blackened drear, there’s an uplifting, almost triumphant air to the song that seems to show McBain flexing his muscles, expressing the sort of confidence needed to rip out yet another of his brilliant solos – this one not so much reaching virtuoso status, but instead showing a level of understanding and restraint for what works with this track, another sign of McBain’s growth as a songwriter. The complexity of this one is carried over into the next, with “Baobhan Sith (Waltz of the Damned)” featuring the kind of turn-on-a-dime time pace changes and collection of riffing and solo work that will leave you dizzied, but certainly impressed. The stretch beginning around the 2:50 mark is one of Hellripper‘s finest, featuring an attack of galloping guitars that practically snapped my neck in three places when I found myself needing to headbang along with demented glee. The track rounds out with an unusually pretty (yes, I said pretty) close with mighty, gorgeous guitars backed by the tweeting of… songbirds? McBain is painting a picture of finding one’s self in the middle of a foggy Scottish wood, and I’m absolutely here for it. It once again points to McBain’s willingness to stretch out the boundaries of what’s possible from the band, finding himself within the project and who he is as a songwriter. It’s brilliant.

This far in, I won’t bog you down any more than I already have to wax poetic about the album’s final two tracks, “Mortercheyn” and title track “Coronach.” Simply put, they’re two of the better tracks McBain has put together through the history of this project – the latter being the sort of Blackened Heavy Metal opus that should grab the attention of every self-respecting Heavy Metal fan on the planet (and we get more bagpipes! Give me all the fucking bagpipes). It’s a brilliant end to a brilliant album that has brought Hellripper‘s game to a whole new depth. I’ve considered myself a fan of this band for a long time (even if from afar), but Cornonach makes me feel like that neglectful godparent who now shows up to gigs and tells everyone in sight about how he knew them as “wee lads” and always knew they were going to blow up into the juggernaut they are today. It’d be an outright lie, but fuck it – the unearned pride I feel for this band’s development is no less real and I’m holding on to it. It’s about time the world get to see what McBain and Hellripper can do, and I hope they take over the goddamn planet.

When the band returned in 2004, after breaking up, they released possibly one of their strongest albums ever, Tempo of the Damned. I saw that tour, got their autographs, and spoke with them for a bit with my buddy Slips Jason Majinsky. That album destroys front to back. But before we could blink an eye, the band was having some issues with long-running singer, Zetro. Out was Zetro and in was Rob Dukes, a new face to us fans, and the 2005 release Shovel Headed Kill Machine actually was a killer album, and Paul Bostaph was in on drums and did a great job.

Saw them on this tour and they were all really cool. People were still screaming for Zet, however, Gary Holt was smart in having Rob emulate Zetro to a T, for the most part. Dukes sounds great on this album. Exodus then stumbled and bumbled their way through the next few albums. Saw them a bunch of times during these moments, and both Atrocity Exhibit albums were pretty good, but the band took on writing such long songs that each album was exceedingly bloated and drawn out, going over the 70-minute mark each time.

Then we all shook our heads on them re-recording their classic debut, Bonded By Blood, called Let There Be Blood. All very perplexing, and that re-recorded album is completely unnecessary. Rob’s vocals never reached the height they were on SHKM, and with each album, his power and style, for me, were just not there, and in some spots, I found his vocals to be irritating. Then Dukes is given the boot, and Zetro is back, and I saw them live on the comeback album with Zetro, Blood In, Blood Out, from 2014.

Simply put, there is no comparison between Zetro live and Dukes. Zetro blows him away in stage presence and crowd interaction. In 2021, the band followed it up with another brutal scorcher Persona Non Grata. What a heavy album that was and still is. Then Zetro is out, and Gary stated he does not like change and did not wanna have vocal try-outs, and back in is Rob Dukes. JFC!!! The comparisons and back and forth now have almost reached the heights of who is the better Cannibal Corpse singer, Barnes or Corpsegrinder.

At this point, I know Exodus had a bunch of shows lined up and knew well in advance of their Canadian tour with Megadeth and Anthrax, and I guess Gary just wanted to go back to his friend Dukes, who was familiar with the past material. Whatever the case may be, I think maybe the band should have attempted to work things out with Zetro or had vocal tryouts. Going back to the well with Dukes is a mixed bag on this album, and the music has taken a bit of a turn as well….all items I will get to, and they are not good!

10 songs in 54 minutes, and some of the songs could have still been streamlined or done away with altogether. The first single released was “3111”. Smart choice. A phenomenal opening song, and it is brutal and fast. The tempo is similar to the fast songs on SHKM. Dukes sounds awesome on this song. Very aggressive and angry. Still emulating Zetro, because that’s what Holt wants. The production is thick and chunky with a guitar tone to melt faces worldwide. This is how you open an Exodus album, son!!. “Hostis Humani Generis” is up next, and it’s another brutal and fast scorching thrash number. Over the top guitar solos…but the vocals start to shift. In parts, Dukes sounds venomous, but he winds up taking on more of a talking vocal element, which then becomes much of what he does on the rest of the songs. It’s weird, it’s not aggressive. When he is doing these talky types of tones, it’s as if he loses his power and cannot do his thrash vocals. He sounds very similar to Zetro on the higher range parts, and Tom’s drums sound bludgeoning and chest-collapsing.

“The Changing Me” is a slow number, and the song is exceedingly commercial. Like almost radio-friendly in parts and not a very good song, which is not something that has happened on the last 2 Exodus albums – all those songs were scorchers.

“Promise You This” has a lot of those talky type of vocals, and it’s just odd. A few cool thrash moments thrown in, but again, more commercialized moments, and I am like, this is starting to sound like the band members’ ages, in terms of a thrash album, played by old people for old people. The title track has grown on me quite a lot. Did not like it when it was released as another single. It is slow, doomy, heavy, but I actually love the song now. Killer guitar melodies and the vocals are pretty good.

“Beyond the Event Horizon” is a monster with thrash, great bass lines from Jack, and groove sections with a slow moment that is pure slam. It’s got tough guy vocals, slam, and tremendous double bass drums. This must be in their live set.

“Summon of the God Unknown” is a god-awful song and should have been clipped from this album. Commercialized, and the vocals are terrible with Dukes attempting to do some crooning, as he does on a few other of the weaker songs, but here it is, 10-fold. The riffs have more of a rock n roll feel to them, and this song comes across as pandering to the alternative rock/metal masses. While I will not mention the debacle that was their Force of Habit album from decades ago, this is arguably the worst song Exodus has ever written. From the vocals, to the weak riffs, to the rockin’, rolling vibe, this song blows.

“The Dirtiest of the Dozen” ends the album and is a ripper. Great opening with the guitar soloing over the fast thrashy gallops. Then the song fully kicks into gear and has a brutal rhythm section as well. The song slows down to a groove, and Dukes lays down some good vocals. The last minute of this track is ruthless.

Goliath is a disjointed Exodus album. I had my expectations set low with Dukes returning, but I am further perplexed by the vocal tones, the crooning, the loss of power, and doing more talky type of vocals – it’s not good and makes the Exodus sound weaker. When Dukes is on, he does sound damn good to great in parts, but I am wondering how this would have sounded with either Zetro or someone else who could truly belt out the thrash vocals. The decision to add in the commercialized songs, the rock and roll vibe, in sections, and some truly weak-sounding elements is puzzling to say the least.

The album cover sucks, sorry, not sorry. This weirdo demon – ummmm goliath, with the sarlac vagina hand, is just cringe. On the flip side, the production is immense, and the sound is killer. The musicianship is great, but also misdirected. I did NOT want to write this review, for many reasons, one of which is that I have been a diehard fan since Bonded By Blood dropped in 1985, and I bought it on cassette. When the band is on fire, they smoke, and the thrashy songs sound great and are fun; however, the inclusion of all those oddball things like the vocal tones and experimentation brings this album down quite a number of notches for me. Exodus can do much better than this. Disappointing!!

While it is sad to see such a legendary band call it a day, Dave has given us a heads up that the Megadeth retirement tour will, in fact, span the globe and last several years. I have reviewed the last several Megadeth albums, and the band has been on fire with their last two, 2016’s Dystopia and The Sick, the Dying… and the Dead! from 2022. That album was sans Dave Ellefson, but Steve DiGiorgio laid down some great bass guitar on that album, as if anyone should be surprised. The introduction of maniacal death metal/grindcore superstar drummer – Dirk Verbeuren (ex-Aborted, ex-Scarve, The Project Hate)  injected a ferocity to the band’s sound as Dirk went to Dave and asked if he could toss in a few blast beats here and there, and Dave said yes. Dirk’s drumming continues to be impeccable on this self-titled affair, however no blast beats this time around, so I am bummed about that. Finnish guitarist Teemu Mäntysaari is added to the mix, as is returning bassist James LoMenzo, who you may not realize is 67 years old, a full 3 years older than Mr. Mustaine.

So how does this FINAL Megadeth album stand up to past releases?? For me, it’s not as good as the last one, better than Dystopia, and a mish-mash of all their eras. If you were expecting a full-on speedy thrash metal assault, as their final hurrah, well, it’s best to temper such expectations. A few things to mention before I delve into the specifics: the musicianship is flawless. Dave’s guitar solos are not only on full display throughout the album but, honestly, are some of the best solos he has ever done. All instruments and vocals sound outstanding, even with the overly compressed pristine mix and production.

11 songs in 47 minutes, and if you get the Japanese edition, you get the instrumental version (big whoop) of the last song, and if you get the Target exclusive edition (mine is on the way), you get an extra true song called “Bloodlust”. “Tipping Point” begins with a signature, melodic, isolated guitar riff erupting with a perfect guitar solo. Then the true speedy isolated guitar riff comes in, signifying the tempo shift to a faster tempo. Great riffing and some brutally heavy drum rolls. The rhythm section, on the speed metal parts are terrific, with Mustaine’s ever-so-present snarl, to punch home his very personal lyrics, which are all over this album. These lyrics were very cathartic for him to write. Around the 3-minute mark, we are greeted with a powerful groove, which, dare I say, has a bit of a slam influence to it – that is all, Dirk folks – I am telling you. As a farewell album opener, this is a smart choice, especially with the quick, brutal thrash metal speed, ending the song.

“I Don’t Care” is a guitarist’s wet dream, as this song has solo after solo after solo. The repetitive nature of the mid-paced song, as well as the chorus, makes this song most likely to be added to their live set. It’s a fun song. After a rather dull song, “Hey, God?!”, “Let There Be Shred” returns with the thrash metal assault, however, more speed metal oriented with guitar solos all over the place, with the song title perfectly enunciated, at the right time, then right into the speed. The guitar solos continue in breathtaking fashion. A most excellent song and the strongest on the album.

After a bunch of mid-paced, dull to ok, not bad groovy numbers, “Made to Kill” erupts with a drum solo and biting guitar riff. Groove moments, kick ass thrash metal parts, wild guitar solos, and the best moment on the entire album is at the 3.46 section. This fast-paced moment is amazing. “The Last Note” may, in fact, be Mustaine’s most emotive song he has written. From the spoken word moments and entire lyrics, he talks about his accomplishments and says goodbye to us all. Being a fan of the band since the early days, seeing them live many times, to say it sparked emotion in me, is an understatement.

Am I missing anything??? Hmmm. Yeah, I was not going to mention the cover of Metallica’s “Ride the Lightning” (Dave helped write this song, when he was in Metallica), at the beginning, because some of you bastids would have just read that part..lol. Staying true to the original classic song and sound, Megadeth has made this song their own. Now Dave is 64 years old..Does he keep the rhythm of Hetfield’s voice? He most certainly does; however, Hetfield did the vocals in 1984, so the vim and vigor of those original vocals are just not there on this cover. Dave does sound very good; that said, if it recorded years earlier, when Dave was more aggressive, it would have packed more of a punch. The solos are top-notch, capturing the original solos perfectly, and the tempo of this cover is a tad speedier than the original when it comes to the guitar riffing. Boy, is Mustaine shredding on this song, and Dirk’s drumming is godly on this. Overall, a terrific cover.

Yo Mustaine…..Metallica called and asked ‘how can a band write a damn good farewell album rooted in its thrash origins, encompassing a decades-old career?’ I gave Metallica your phone number!! Honestly, as a Megadeth album, this is damn good. Yes, a bit uneven, with some of the more melodic doldrum, ho-hum slower numbers, but overall Dave and Co. bring it on this final album. Dave – thank you for your legendary impact on thrash metal as well as your impeccable guitar work.

Hey, I never met the man…Always something going on in the media with Dave….but again, I have never met him, and so without paying attention to the Blabbermouth water cooler talk, I can only comment on him as a musician, songwriter, and performer, and for that, the dude fucking rocks. As Megadeth albums go, this would be placed in their upper tier, of good – great albums with enough speedy moments to satisfy even some of the old school curmudgeons.

Kreator’s success is due to their incessant touring – never giving up. I have seen them numerous times live, and remember their first several US tours, back in the 80’s in NY. I hung out with Mille for quite a bit on their Extreme Aggression tour. The dude was beyond cool and I pleaded with him to play my favorite Kreator song, “The Pestilence” live. There I was, a young punk asking this German dude to play a song, lol. I even asked him about his friendships with other German thrash bands I loved, like Sodom and Destruction, and he explained to me they’re all good friends, and to my song reques,t he said, “Yes, “The Pestilence” is in our set tonight”. They ruled that night, and I could not believe how amazing his English was when I first started talking with him.

The man’s reputation has only grown over the years as a great person, vocalist/guitarist. And Gary from Exodus and Chuck Billy from Testament have been singing praises of Kreator for decades. So much so, they have all opened for Kreator on European tours over the last decade or so, as Kreator’s name has gone through the roof. But the band backs it up with their music.

Their 2012 album, Phantom Antichrist, saw the band incorporating some epic anthemic choruses to their sound, and that has continued since. Krushers of the World is so outstanding it even bests their last several albums, Hate über alles and Gods of Violence. The band keeps getting stronger. No duds on this album.

“Tränenpalast” was one of the singles first released and it’s an homage to the classic 1977 Italian Horror movie, Suspiria, by Dario Argento. The creepy harpsichord sounds from the movie make their way into this song. Kreator emulating the sounds, then on the guitar riffing, is a thing of beauty. The lyrics reflect the thematic horror that the movie created, and Mille shouting Suspiria several times is super catchy. Britta Görtz (Chaos Rising/Hiraes), lends her brutal set of pipes to this song, as well. As she gets into the low raspy range, she is known for being super cool. This is one of the catchiest songs Kreator has written in 40 years.

Going backwards, “Seven Serpents”, opens the album with some beautiful and epic guitar work, which reminds me of “Battery” from Metallica, then right into the thrashing madness with amazingly catchy guitar riffs. Ventor proves, time and time again, why he’s one of the greatest drummers in thrash metal, all these decades later. Check out the double bass over the fast moments and then during the slower chorus moments. Stop on a dime type o shit. And he does that live too. Sami Yli-Sirniö returns on second guitar, as does Frédéric Leclercq on bass. The chorus with gang background moments with ‘Where seven serpents crawl’ is repeated in perfection.

“Satanic Anarchy” is up next, and the mid-paced moments are powerful. Even better is the chorus: ‘Rise up, confront the enemy, Create a new reality, And bring down tyranny, This cult, a timeless synergy, A new messiah’s born among thee, The choice for you and me. Satanic Anarchy’ Beyond catchy. These moments showcase the melodic nature of the band and how they started incorporating melody, first on their killer third album, Terrible Certainty. Some well-placed guitar soloing starts happening and then back into the chorus. Beyond catchy.

“Blood of Our Blood” starts with a great drum roll, then the isolated guitar riff ushers in the Holy Shit moment. BOOM!!!!! Right into the brutal thrashing madness. Maniacal double bass over the speed parts, then the song slows down with some beautiful guitar harmonies. Then Mille is like, ok enough of that, and right back into the speed. The guitar riffing is impeccable, and with Exodus about to drop their new album this year, they had better be on high alert, because the riffing on this new Kreator album is untouchable.

“Death Scream” has a great opening scream from Mille, then right into the speed!!. The song slows down, then speeds up, then slows down even more so. The chorus moments over the brutal thrashing have Mille getting into the lower registers, in the dual vocal moments, harnessing his early death metal roots.

Kreator has brought it once again, folks, and Krushers of the World is sure to be on my best of, at the end of 2026. Since receiving the promo three days ago, I have listened to it 25 times. Whether at the gym, showering, in my vehicle, at my office, you name it. I am already singing some of the songs, because I am a nut.

The album cover is terrific and captures their album and lyrical themes, and the production is terrific. Kreator knows thrash metal, harmonies, chorus placement, catchinesss and although we get mid-paced crushers like the title track, the band thrashes hard throughout the entire album, writing fast songs. This also may be the catchiest album the band has ever written. Epic, atmospheric, brutal and over the top greatness. Kreator Krushes!!

The first thing I notice right off the bat is the amount of blast beats on this release. They have unleashed them before, on Dark Roots of Earth “Native Blood”; the entire chorus is just raging blasting, plus it was Gene fucking Hoglan doing the blasting, which made it even better.

Brotherhood of the Snake had them a bit as well, but not as pronounced. I honestly think I slept on Titans of Creation because I don’t remember any of the songs, it doesn’t matter now since I’m not reviewing that one, it came out in 2020 also… different times and whatnot.

Anyway, it’s 2025 now, and Testament is back, and that’s back with a capital B. Para Bellum is a racetrack with a speed bump (more on that later), they have a new drummer, a guy named Chris Dovas… dude is a fucking powerhouse behind the kit. He has definitely impacted the brutality contained within Parabellum.

The first track, “For the Love of Pain” is like a container truck full of blast beats rolled over and they all spilled out. It’s a mind-blowing, full-body blow that just keeps hitting your eardrums like a swinging bag. Those riffs that Eric Peterson comes up with have gotten a lot more Death Metal, and since he started Dragon Lord, he dipped into Black Metal territory as well. Alex Skolnick will always be the Thrash guitarist extraordinaire, and he pulls out the stops on this one.

Is it The Legacy and The New Order good? Ummmm… those are classic albums that bring back memories of a sound long forgotten, that 80s Thrash tone that made so many killer albums what they were. Para Bellum doesn’t grab me like those two in particular did when they came out.

“Infanticide A.I.” has so many holy shit moments to where I just sat there with my jaw hanging open, looking like a fucking idiot. That riff is just flammable, and Chuck Billy sounds like he’s angry at the world; as it should be. “Shadow People” is next,and it’s like, self-aware of what direction it needs to go. Therefore, it exists as a menacing, groove-laced Thrash track.

This is that point, that speed bump, I wish I didn’t have to mention i,t but “Meant to Be” kills the momentum like a shot of Narcan. It is an impenetrable wall of meh. Ever since the song “The Ballad” from Practice What You Preach came out, they’ve done ballads; but here you’ve got “Shadow People” which is a heavy track, and then… pfft. It’s not a bad song, and I feel like I’ve trashed the shit out of it, I guess like next to next-to-last song would have been better than right in the middle of the record. It is what it is, though.

“High Noon” is the recovery track because it bursts out with some more precision blasts that are earthshaking. Killer riffing completes the package with Steve DiGiorgio and his rock-solid performance on the Bass.

“Witch Hunt” starts with this killer riff, and it rips with some classic Thrash tempo. It’s got some badass blast fills before the haunting chorus and this solo that comes out of nowhere and blows shit up. “Nature of the Beast” is a mid-paced callback to The Ritual and Souls of Black. It’s a fun track, and quite frankly, I didn’t like those two albums as much as everyone else did, but this song takes the good from them; like “Electric Crown”, for instance, maybe it’s just me.

“Room 117” is another mid-paced steamroller that strides as bad as a motherfucker, with Skolnick and Peterson ripping out so much crushing heaviness from their guitars. “Havana Syndrome” is a bit faster; it could’ve been quite at home on Practice What You Preach.

I have to mention Chuck Billy and his powerful delivery on Parabellum. Dude’s voice sounds fantastic and strong as ever. The title track is in the position that “Meant to Be” should’ve occupied, the last song… whatever. “Parabellum” is a monster track that carries a bit of Demonic and The Gathering. The blasts that ravage the chorus, combined with some more amazing soloing, make this an album favorite for me, and the thrashy bits before the chorus hits are just sublime.

At the end of the day, Testament has unleashed a helluva brutal album. Is it better than the new Dark Angel? Well, go listen to both and make your own decisions on that. Para Bellum is a brutal Thrash album, and that’s it. Go get it!

I saw the band live, opening for Kreator in the late 80’s in NY. Coroner received such an amazing response that they returned to headline, on their own, on the Mental Vortex tour and were outstanding. I spoke to all three members, back then – all super cool. Grin went in a different direction, clipping their speed, going for a more progressive-groove approach and it was not a well-received album by the fans.

Coroner was still a pretty small band when they broke up in 1996. In 2010, they reformed with the original three members: Marquis Marky – drums, Vocals (backing), Ron Royce – bass, Vocals, and Tommy T. Baron – Guitars, Vocals (backing). In 2014, Marky was replaced by Diego Rapacchietti. Coroner’s name had gained huge popularity while they were broken up, and with their back catalog starting to get reissued/remastered in 2013, the band’s reformation has been a huge success.

The band has been writing this album for years, in between their family lives, playing festivals globally, and doing some touring. Since their reformation, I have seen them at MDF as well as several months ago on tour. The one thing about the lackluster Grin is that those songs translate much better in a live setting; therefore, I appreciate it more, however, it pales in comparison to the glorious first 4 albums.

Dissonance Theory has 10 new songs, some of which they played live on the tour I just saw them on, and the album is 47 minutes in length. As a bonus, the special edition review contains a second disc. The bonus CD contains the full 1986 Death Cult demo. Some may be unaware, but at this point Ron was still developing his vocal style but was not ready to record. Their close friend Tom G. Warrior, legend from Celtic Frost, swooped in to help his friends. Tom is the singer on the demo. And the band were originally Celtic Frost roadies. This classic demo is what landed them a record deal, with Noise Records, Celtic Frost’s label.

A year later, the Coroner’s amazing debut album R.I.P. was released, and the rest is history. My [Lmd Ed] 2 CDs of this album are delayed from Amazon, since it was an import, unfortunately, due to the tariffs in our country right now. Sucks. Amazon did not even give me an ETA on the new delivery.

After a brief intro titled “Oxymoron”, “Consequence”, the longest song on the album, opens things up. Progressive and mid-paced, and the sound is excellent. The song quickly gets into a speedy gallop with terrific double bass drums. The band is on fire, until a soft atmospheric moment comes in, showcasing some soft jazz playing, then right into an epic buildup. Eventually, the killer gallop erupts with Tommy shredding with his solo, then back into the mid-paced moment. Lots of tempo shifts on this opener, as well as some vocal sound effects, robotic in nature, if you will. Absolute killer opening song that sounds like Coroner and not some half-baked attempt at a reunion album.

One of the things noticeable on this new album is the urgency in creating speed. The classic Coroner progressive sound is evident. However, check out the song “Symmetry”. Starting with a fast gallop. A song that could have been on Grin, with its progressive nature; however, this is hard-hitting with Tommy’s fast guitar picking, and Royce continues to sound like his vocals have not aged one bit. Powerful. Gruff and understandable. The drumming is top-notch with speedy double bass. The 2-minute marker brings forth a classic Coroner guitar solo, as the song gets into a slow, dissonant, atmospheric moment, with cool vocal phaser effects. Monster drum roll,s then the speed returns. Aggressive, progressive, and a banger of a tune.

“The Law” begins slowly and softly, then the light guitar riff comes in, and this song gets rolling as a slow tune. Originally, I was like, please, don’t be a ballad. Some neat poly-rhythmic drumming and creative use of the double bass drums. The slow meandering, dreamlike moments continue until the 2.55 isolated guitar riff. One would think this would be leading into more of their slower stuff, on this song. But alas, no. What transpires is maybe the most brutal thrash moment the band has ever done. The fast speed comes in, and then Diego kicks things up a notch with the velocity becoming even more brutal. Ron is singing super aggressively with his vocals, even dropping to a lower tone before unleashing a killer scream. Wow!!! Then the song slows back down, and I’m seriously catching my breath.

“Renewal” was a single released and immediately starts fast. Classic Coroner fast, technical, speedy thrash metal. The Coroner way. Very aggressive. I love it when bands put out killer singles. Super heavy song and one of the heaviest songs the band has released, as there is no sign of letting up on the gas pedal for this one. Oh, by the way, the production and mix are spot on. Perfect and not overproduced. This sounds like Coroner, in the modern digital age folks. About mid-way into the song, we get a little Meshuggah like part, then a kick ass gallop erupts with terrific guitar solos. Then more atmospherics than BOOM, right into the fast part. Relentless and technical in its approach, this is one of the very best songs Coroner has ever written.

The elements of Grin still remain and do come out in songs such as “Trinity”, “Transparent Eye”, and “Crisium Bound”. Honestly, these moments are not my favorite on the album…surprise! However, they contain elements, such as the instrument tone, more on that below, that lessen the blow a bit for listeners who are not big Grin fans.

If Grin had never been released, Dissonance Theory, would have been the natural successor to 1991’s Mental Vortex. This album has the biting power and tone of the first four classic Coroner albums. The production is outstanding, and I will not compare it to album productions from decades ago – that is unfair. This is Coroner updated with modern-day production values and captures the band perfectly. This is all new and fresh. Dennis Russ, who does keyboards for the band, simulates organ effects, and we get an organ solo too! Most of all, the quality of the musicianship is tremendous, and plenty of thought went into crafting and developing these songs. Yes, for us long-time fans, there is enough familiarity with things such as the album cover design, the Coroner sound, and the tie-in to their prior albums, but I was not expecting nearly as great a reformation album as this is.

On the plus side there are so many younger fans and musicians and bands who will gravitate towards this release and get the chance to see them live. Great to see Coroner bring back their speedy thrash elements, as well as adding ferocity to their overall sound. Amazingly played album and a killer return to form. The best comeback album for 2025, without a shadow of a doubt!

The band is made up of Mike Dreher on bass/vocals (backing), Ryan Donato on drums, Tony Barhoum on guitars, Vocals (backing), and the band welcomes back Ryan Taylor on vocals/guitars. The band incorporates many elements of brutal thrash mixed in with some death metal moments, but by and large, this is aggressive and at times high velocity brutal thrash metal. Demolition Hammer is still the main influence here, with those crushing bone bone-shattering riffs and groove. Condition Critical is like a blast beat version of Demo Hammer. Degeneration Chamber is nine songs in 33 minutes.

With no time to spare, the band opens with “Wretched Aggression”. The Holy Shit moment is from the get-go. Isolated guitar riff, then a furious thrashing gallop before the blast beat erupts and the band is on fire!!! Vocals, music, and the rhythm section are on point. Even the slower groove early on is aggressive. Get ready for that isolated guitar riff, then the cymbal hits, and that furious thrash gallop. 1990 called and it wants that beat back mofos. Nicely crafted guitar solos over the thrashing moments. The guitar riff at the 2.55 section, with one bass drum being hit, signifies the second Holy Shit moment. The bass guitar, ever so prominent, guides the listener to a monster groove. No doubt, if the band has plans of playing live, they need to open their sets with this song. Ferocious opener!

Bring on “Deconstructive Horrors”, the next song. Starting with a monstrous groove and killer drum rolls, the song eventually picks up a nice thrash gallop pace. This is very headbang worthy of your time, then BOOM!!!!!!! Right into a blast beat, then back into the galloping. Ryan spews out his signature vocals, which are filled with a lot of anger. The song gets back into that heavy groove moment. The galloping continues into a killer guitar solo, then back into more galloping, then right into a sick blast beat. Intense ending!

“Postmortal Simulation” was a single released for this album. It has a nice opening guitar riff with prominent bass guitar mixed in. This opening groove makes me understand why the band released this song first. This song will be a staple in the band’s set for as long as they’re around. This opening will cause sinkhole slams and circle pits all damn day. After about ninety seconds of this groove, the thrash galloping erupts, equipped with a tight little blast beat placed perfectly. This song is intense, in its tempo shifts, and one minute you’re headbanging and the next you’re 2-steppin’ in the pit, picking up change! The gang vocals are present on this song and add that extra! The groove once again returns, and the pace picks up. Catchy and tasty riffs.

“Psychological Epidemic” has such a catchy main guitar riff, and the thrashing galloping attack is immediate. The blast beat soon comes in and is one of the fastest blasts on the album – o,h it’s fast AF, dear reader! Ryan spends some time screaming his head off, as if someone did him wrong. It’s great when he spews out “Slow and Brutal Death”. The guitar solo and thrashing gallop then come in perfectly timed. We are then treated to some groove, then galloping and brutal AF blasting with Ryan, then holding out a killer scream. Somehow, he called Tom Araya, from Slayer, and got some pointers on reaching those highs, as Tom used to be capable of. Think “Angel of Death”, opening scream, for reference on what Ryan is going for on this song.

The rest of Degeneration Chamber is scorching as well. The album cover is on par with their previous albums and is well done. The music is catchy, heavy, and as much as it is brutal the melodies and harmonies are ever-present. If you loved their other albums, you will love this too. This may even be a tad more aggressive than their other albums. Condition Critical is an excellent band, and I am hopeful they do some touring and perhaps I’ll catch them and do some 2-steppin’ at the show. This album is not for the faint of heart!!!

I mean that too, in no uncertain terms, this record is solid as a rock, brutal as fuck, and unapologetically METAL. Like, you can feel the iron and minerals in your body reacting to the familiar, the glorious tone of the guitars: that 80s Thrash tone that made albums by Nuclear Assault, Sacred Reich, and of course, Slayer so memorable and beloved by generations of Metal fans.

Metalithic stands as a testament to the legacy of Thrash Metal, a bludgeoning riff after blistering riff, throat grabber. From out of the gate, they’re on fire with “Usurper of Flames”, and it brings a smile to my face. It’s unrelenting, and instantly, I got that head-moving feeling. There’s killer gang vocals and enough pinched harmonies to make Cannibal Corpse blush (and these show up across the album like punctuation marks of blood). Isaiah “Cliff” Curtis is the star of “Sing the Body Electric”; his bass just walks all over the song like an angry girlfriend who feels greatly disrespected. It’s a bit of a slow burn at first, but then midpoint it blows up with menace. Then “Every Fucking Day” has this sort of punked-up flow to it. I get a hint of Obituary’s “10,000 Ways to Die” and that’s not unwelcome at all.

This album is definitely a big leap forward from Volume. This is in terms of production and musicianship from the members. The solos are fucking mind-blowing. The riffs themselves are like flying guillotines, and everything pulls together tight as a bullfrog’s ass.

“Lockdown” slaps the spit right out of your mouth from the get-go. A brisk thrasher that could’ve been on Show no Mercy right after “Final Command”. Degrave doesn’t concentrate on Death Metal too much on Metalithic. This is more of a Thrash workout than the Death Metal moments from Volume. That’s not a complaint, either. This is a ripper of an album, and I can’t help loving the nostalgia brought through the boundaries of Hell by these guys.

All killer, no filler continues with “Abort the Court”, and it’s chock full of gang vocals; it’s one of those incredibly fun Thrash songs, sort of like Anthrax on steroids. “Living In A Smokescreen” blasts by with hardly a thought as to whether it’s safe or not; a rolling death trap that leaves bodies in its wake.

A highlight for me is the bass instrumental “Ignis Accendere”. Isaiah “Cliff” Curtis runs a clinic on badass bass grooves amongst notes that crush upon hit. I fucking love this track, hell, I love this whole album. Degrave doesn’t disappoint because they know what’s up. The wandering bass soon becomes part of the Acid Bath-ish “Burn Up the Sky”, a swamp ride into despair, and the final track “Death Is” furthers that murky feeling with some killer Corrosion of Conformity riffing and a bass line that won’t quit.

With Metalithic, Degrave has created a thrashtastic album that offers you no respite from the beating from start to finish. This is a thoroughly enjoyable rip ride that will undoubtedly appeal to people who like Obituary, Anthrax, D.R.I., and Slayer. Show these guys some love and get this album!