Therion are a Swedish symphonic/operatic metal band and this is their seventeenth album.
Where do you go after a three-hour metal opera marathon such as 2018’s Beloved Antichrist? Well, in Therion’s case, you condense, you prioritise arena-friendly catchiness, and you produce 46 minutes of thoroughly enjoyable material. Continue reading
Ruins of Elysium are an international symphonic metal band and this is their second album.
Containing 73 minutes of symphonic power metal, Amphitrite: Ancient Sanctuary in the Sea is an epic work that covers a range of different aspects of power and heavy metal, all lusciously prepared with a rich symphonic and operatic coating. Continue reading
This is the latest EP from Shuulak, a heavy metal band from the Netherlands.
I’m a big fan of Shuulak, and have been looking forward to hearing some new material from them since 2019’s Citrinitas. Containing 5 tracks and with a duration of 17 minutes, it’s enough to satisfy, and demonstrates once more just how good Shuulak are. Continue reading
Ilsa are a sludge metal band from the US and this is their sixth album.
Ever since I first heard – and loved – 2012’s Intoxicantations, I’ve been a big fan of Ilsa. Across another two full-lengths – 2015’s The Felon’s Claw and 2018’s Corpse Fortress they haven’t let me down, and they don’t seem to have done so Continue reading
This is the second album from thrash metal band Demoniac, from Chile.
The core of what Demoniac do on So It Goes is razor-sharp hyper-aggressive thrash metal. Bursting with jagged riffs, pierced with molten leads and solos, and crowned with barbed vocals, it’s clear that Demoniac know a thing or two about this sort of music. Continue reading
This is the seventh album form US progressive metallers Leviathan.
Having enjoyed 2014’s Beholden to Nothing, Braver Since Then and 2018’s Can’t Be Seen by Looking: Blurring the Lines, Clouding the Truth, I was looking forward to this. Now that it’s here, Words Waging War provides 68 minutes of progressive metal that’s well-written and well-performed. Continue reading
Intervals are a Canadian progressive metal band and this is their fourth album.
Following on from 2017’s The Way Forward, Circadian delivers high quality modern progressive metal. This is essentially a solo album, only with guests and session musicians. It’s an instrumental release, which is a style I normally shy away from, but Intervals is Continue reading
This is the second album from Countless Skies, a melodic/progressive metal band from the UK.
Glow contains 46 minutes of Scandinavian-influenced melodic death metal that has been merged with a progressive metal approach, which has resulted in a high-quality album being produced. Think of a charismatic mixture of Devin Townsend, Wilderun, Insomnium, Amorphis, Opeth, etc. Continue reading
Jaded Star are based in Greece and play melodic heavy metal. This is their second album.
Jaded Star play a mix of melodic heavy metal and power metal, and they do this very well. Realign is the follow up to 2015’s Memories from the Future, which I enjoyed as a particularly good example of the style. Continue reading
Raging Speedhorn are a sludge metal band from the UK. This is their sixth album.
Hard to Kill is the follow up to 2016’s Lost Ritual, and it’s a beast of an album. Revitalised with a new lineup, including a new vocalist, (the band have two if you’re unfamiliar with them), the album is 33 Continue reading
