Lam – Liber K (Review)

Lam - Liber KLam are an international alternative metal band and this is their debut EP.

Featuring the very capable singer of Herod, (ex-The Ocean), Lam are a relatively new band that nonetheless appear to be fully formed already and ready to challenge listener’s everywhere. There’s only 11 minutes of material here, but it makes a good impression. Continue reading “Lam – Liber K (Review)”

Aborym – Hostile (Review)

Aborym - HostileAborym are an Italian industrial metal band and this is their eighth album.

The follow up to 2017’s Shifting.negativeHostile contains 66 minutes of new material that finds the band incorporating elements of industrial, electronica, and metal/rock into a very solid album. Continue reading “Aborym – Hostile (Review)”

Arcaeon – Cascadence (Review)

Arcaeon - CascadenceArcaeon are a technical/progressive metal band from the UK and this is their debut album.

Cascadence contains 49 minutes of modern metal that takes from the technical/progressive metal/metalcore and djent genres to craft an engaging, well-rounded album. The promo blurb recommends this for fans of bands such as Periphery, Monuments, Devin Townsend, Intervals, and Architects, and it’s hard to disagree. Continue reading “Arcaeon – Cascadence (Review)”

Oceana – The Pattern (Review)

Oceana - The PatternOceana are a progressive metal band from Italy and this is their debut album.

As an introductory description of The Pattern, I’m just going to be lazy and quite the promo blurb – “The intent was to mix progressive metal elements with European-style death doom. Influences, from a musical point of view, range from Edge of Sanity to Katatonia, from Paradise Lost to Duran Duran, from Metallica to Dream Theater, in a Continue reading “Oceana – The Pattern (Review)”

Therion – Leviathan (Review)

Therion - LeviathanTherion 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 “Therion – Leviathan (Review)”

Ruins of Elysium – Amphitrite: Ancient Sanctuary in the Sea (Review)

Ruins of Elysium - Amphitrite Ancient Sanctuary in the SeaRuins 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 “Ruins of Elysium – Amphitrite: Ancient Sanctuary in the Sea (Review)”

Shuulak – Rubedo (Review)

Shuulak - RubedoThis 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 “Shuulak – Rubedo (Review)”

Ilsa – Preyer (Review)

Ilsa - PreyerIlsa 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 “Ilsa – Preyer (Review)”

Demoniac – So It Goes (Review)

Demoniac - So It GoesThis 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 “Demoniac – So It Goes (Review)”

Leviathan – Words Waging War (Review)

Leviathan - Words Waging WarThis 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 “Leviathan – Words Waging War (Review)”