Black Tusk are a sludge/metal /hardcore band from the US and this is their sixth album.
Following on from 2018’s TCBT comes The Way Forward, which gives us 36 minutes of material. With a new lineup comes an expanded sound, with now a second guitarist and an extra vocalist, (which brings the total to an impressive four individuals all contributing vocals). Continue reading “Black Tusk – The Way Forward (Review)”
This is the fifth album from Norwegian progressive metal band In Vain.
I really, really liked 2018’s Currents, so to my mind it has been far too long since we’ve heard from In Vain. Featuring 61 minutes of new music, Solemn is a grand affair, mixing together the band’s progressive/melodic death metal ingredients into a feast of tasty extreme metal. Continue reading “In Vain – Solemn (Review)”
This is the third album from French sludge metal band Love Sex Machine.
When the promo blurb states that this is for fans of Meshuggah, Intronaut, Amenra, LLNN, Sumac, and Herod, you know it’s gonna be a heavy one. And it is. Trve is 36 minutes of heaviness wrapped in an expressive outer coating. Continue reading “Love Sex Machine – Trve (Review)”
This is the seventh album from German Gothic metal band The Vision Bleak.
Weird Tales consists of a single 41-minute song, which is made up of twelve separate movements. It looks like on Bandcamp this will be divided into actual tracks, but thankfully the review version consists of just one track, as this is definitely a release to experience in its entirety, without interruption. Continue reading “The Vision Bleak – Weird Tales (Review)”
This is the third album from Venues, a modern metal band from Germany.
2018’s Aspire was good, but 2021’s Solace was where Venues really came into their own. The more I listened to it, the better it got, and it’s still a record that’s great when you want anthemic and catchy modern metal.
Now we have Transience, so let’s dive in. Continue reading “Venues – Transience (Review)”
This is the forth album from UK metal band Sons of Alpha Centauri.
I’ve very much enjoyed seeing the development and progression of Sons of Alpha Centauri over the years, and you never quite know what you’re going to get from them. From stoner rock to collaborative experiments, to 90s-influenced alternative metal, what do we get this time? Continue reading “Sons of Alpha Centauri – Pull (Review)”
Wormwitch are a black metal band from Canada and Sadistic Ritual are a thrash metal band from the US.
Barring a couple of singles in 2022, this is the first we’ve heard from Wormwitch since 2021’s Wolf Hex, (also make sure you check out 2019’s Heaven That Dwells Within if you haven’t already), so these three songs – 16 minutes of new material – are a welcome sight. Continue reading “Wormwitch/Sadistic Ritual – Split (Review)”
This is the sixth album from blackened speed metal solo act Midnight.
Containing 26 minutes of filthy raging mayhem, Hellish Expectations is a furious record of blackened speed/thrash metal that’s hard to dislike. It’s charismatic and nasty, which is a great combination for this sort of thing. Continue reading “Midnight – Hellish Expectations (Review)”
This is the debut album from Italian power metal band Alterium.
Brought to us be ex-members of Kalida and Kaledon, Of War and Flames contains 42 minutes of engaging and well-delivered power metal material, (including a Sabaton cover). Continue reading “Alterium – Of War and Flames (Review)”
Defocus are a German metalcore band and this is their second album.
Following on from 2021’s In the Eye of Death We Are All the Same comes There Is a Place for Me on Earth, bringing us 32 minutes of aggressive new material. Continue reading “Defocus – There Is a Place for Me on Earth (Review)”
Wonderbox Metal 