Darkest Hour are a US metal band and this is their tenth album.
It’s been a long time since 2017’s Godless Prophets & the Migrant Flora, but now Darkest Hour have returned. They’ve brought with them 41 minutes of scorching material in the shape of Perpetual | Terminal, and make no mistake, this has been worth the wait. Continue reading “Darkest Hour – Perpetual | Terminal (Review)”
This is the tenth album from Greek heavy/power metal band Firewind.
Brought to us be current and ex-members of bands such as Dream Evil, Kamelot, Nightrage, Ozzy Osbourne, Firewind bring a lot of talent and experience to the party. Across 43 minutes they deliver ten tracks of classic metallic songcraft, (one of which is a cover song). Continue reading “Firewind – Stand United (Review)”
This is the eighth album from Ihsahn, a legendary black, progressive, and avant-garde metal artist.
Ihsahn has never lacked talent or ambition, but on this latest release he has really outdone himself. Ihsahn offers up two album’s worth of material. Each is 49 minutes in length – one is a progressive metal album with orchestral layering, while the other is a fully orchestral version. Continue reading “Ihsahn – Ihsahn (Review)”
This is the second album from international blackened post-metal band Bipolar Architecture.
Metaphysicize contains 41 minutes of progressive/post-metal material that brings together elements of djent, blackgaze, hardcore, and post-rock. This mix of styles is more coherent than it sounds on paper though, presenting as a well-realised whole. Continue reading “Bipolar Architecture – Metaphysicize (Review)”
This is the second album from UK progressive/post-metal band Mountain Caller.
Chronicle II: Hypergenesis is (mostly) instrumental, which is normally a style I avoid, although I’m not really sure why. Mountain Caller know what they’re doing though, and their appealing sound pulled me right in. Continue reading “Mountain Caller – Chronicle II: Hypergenesis (Review)”
This is the eighth album from Norwegian progressive metal band Madder Mortem.
Old Eyes, New Heart contains 48 minutes of charismatic and professionally rendered progressive metal, with doom and post-metal elements. Madder Mortem have carved a distinct and individual sound for themselves over them years, and on this new record they sound just as striking and vital as ever. Continue reading “Madder Mortem – Old Eyes, New Heart (Review)”
This is the second album from Serbian thrash metal band Jenner.
Prove Them Wrong contains 45 minutes of classic thrashing metal the likes of which you don’t commonly encounter in 2023. It’s very endearing and top fun – Jenner know how to play this sort of thing that’s for sure. Continue reading “Jenner – Prove Them Wrong (Review)”
Distances are a post-metal band from the US and this is their fifth album, (assuming you count 2016’s covers album Rip Offs).
Eagerly awaited after 2018’s hugely impressive Diableries, which rightfully made it into the top 3 of my album of the year list for that year, its follow up is finally here. Abstruse contains 41 minutes of new material, and finds the band altered, but full of fire and creative passion. Continue reading “Distances – Abstruse (Review)”
This is the fourth album from Lord Dying, a sludge metal band from the US.
I absolutely loved 2019’s Mysterium Tremendum, (it ended up in fourth position in that year’s best of list), so I was thrilled when the 59-minute Clandestine Transcendence appeared. Well, it’s five years later and the band have a new lineup, (current/ex-Eight Bells/Tithe), so what does Clandestine Transcendence have to offer discerning metal fans in 2024? Continue reading “Lord Dying – Clandestine Transcendence (Review)”
Yersin are from the UK and play crust/metal. This is their second album.
Yersin play a hybrid style that combines grindcore, crust, death metal, black metal, and thrash metal into 25 minutes of sludgy filth and fury. This may be a short album, but it packs a punch. Continue reading “Yersin – The Scythe Is Remorseless (Review)”
Wonderbox Metal 