Devin Townsend – Wonderbox Metal

Changeling – Changeling (Review)

This is the debut album from German progressive death metal band Changeling.

Changeling is brought to us by current/ex-members of Alkaloid, Belphegor, Defeated Sanity, Fear Factory, Obscura, Vipassi, and Virvum. It’s supported by an army of guests, who perform everything from guest solos, vocals, and choirs, to cello, flutes, horns, piano, tuba, violins, viola, and much, much more. The music combines progressive and technical death metal, with jazz fusion, progressive rock, and world music. It’s a lot, and it’s all packed into 60 minutes of compelling material. Continue reading “Changeling – Changeling (Review)”

Múr – Múr (Review)

This is the debut album from Icelandic progressive/post-metal band Múr.

Across 54 minutes Múr have crafted a multifaceted record that takes liberally from the progressive and post-metal styles, resulting in a journey that’s very satisfying. Múr should appeal to fans of bands such as Ihsahn, Gojira, Alcest, Devin Townsend, Iotunn, Opeth, The Ocean, and Enslaved, as it touches all of these bands and more in different places over the course of the album. Importantly though, Múr never sound like they’re plagiarising, and instead have managed to forge a personality of their own remarkably quickly. Continue reading “Múr – Múr (Review)”

Devin Townsend – PowerNerd (Review)

Devin Townsend is a prolific Canadian artist who has a vast and intimidating discography. Whatever he touches though is always individual and interesting, and frequently brilliant.

PowerNerd is a 44-minute progressive rock album that has apparently been born out of a desire by the artist to simplify his approach to songwriting. Continue reading “Devin Townsend – PowerNerd (Review)”

Exocrine – Legend (Review)

This is the sixth album from French death metallers Exocrine.

A new Exocrine album is always a thing to be celebrated. 2018’s Molten Giant and 2020’s Maelstrom were both notable records, but then 2022’s The Hybrid Suns saw the band shift up a level once more. Now, hot on the heels of that last release, comes Legend, featuring 45 minutes of music, (40 without the bonus track). So what does Legend have to offer the discerning extreme metal fan in 2024? Continue reading “Exocrine – Legend (Review)”

Oblivion Protocol – The Fall of the Shires (Review)

This is the debut album from international progressive rock band Oblivion Protocol.

The Fall of the Shires is an interesting record in that it’s a sequel to Threshold’s 2017’s album Legends of the Shires, born from a desire by Oblivion Protocol founder/vocalist/keyboardist Richard West, (also keyboardist in Threshold), to continue that album’s themes and worldbuilding. Continue reading “Oblivion Protocol – The Fall of the Shires (Review)”

Rannoch – Conflagrations (Review)

Rannoch are a progressive death metal band from the UK and this is their third album.

Conflagrations offers a 52-minute journey into multifaceted music that falls somewhere between progressive death metal foundations and more ambitious extreme progressive metal proclivities. Bolstered by the percussive skills of the drummer of Ne Obliviscaris, Rannoch are a skilled band that have a clear vision for their brand of extreme music. Continue reading “Rannoch – Conflagrations (Review)”

They Watch Us from the Moon – Cosmic Chronicles, Act I: The Ascension (Review)

They Watch Us from the Moon are a doom/stoner metal band from the US and this is their debut album.

Cosmic Chronicles, Act I: The Ascension provides us with a feast of progressive stoner doom. Across 45 minutes – five meaty songs – They Watch Us from the Moon impress with their charismatic take on a notoriously bland style. Spoiler alert: bland, this is not. Continue reading “They Watch Us from the Moon – Cosmic Chronicles, Act I: The Ascension (Review)”

Ritual Dictates – No Great Loss (Review)

This is the second album from Canadian metallers Ritual Dictates.

Featuring current and ex-members of 3 Inches of Blood and Revocation, this is an atypical album that probably doesn’t sound like you’re expecting it to. It certainly took me by surprise, in a very pleasant way. Continue reading “Ritual Dictates – No Great Loss (Review)”

Spiralist – Eternal Recurrence (Review)

This is the second album from Spiralist, a solo post-metal act from Portugal.

Eternal Recurrence is an interesting album that’s hard to easily pin down when it comes to genre. Post-metal is probably the most obvious tag, but then there’s also a blackened aspect to parts of it. It has a pretty blatant progressive side too, sometimes, very 70s sci-fi in feel. There are also elements of doom and industrial that can be heard in places. I’m going to stick to the post-metal appellation and be done with it, but just know that the artist behind Spiralist cares not for producing easily categorised music. Continue reading “Spiralist – Eternal Recurrence (Review)”

Astronoid – Radiant Bloom (Review)

This is the third album from US post-metal band Astronoid.

Combining post-rock, shoegaze, ambient, and progressive metal into a compelling and contemporary post-metal framework. Radiant Bloom is a 46-minute journey through mysterious cosmic realms, where unusual and awe-inspiring sights and plentiful. Continue reading “Astronoid – Radiant Bloom (Review)”