Ruadh – 1296 (Review)

Ruadh - 1296This is the fourth album from Scottish epic black metallers Ruadh.

Oh dear, it’s taken me an obscene amount of time to finally check out Ruadh, after thoroughly enjoying them at this year’s Reaper Festival. Ah well, better late than never, and 1296 has definitely been worth the wait. Continue reading “Ruadh – 1296 (Review)”

Valdrin – Throne of the Lunar Soul (Review)

Valdrin - Throne of the Lunar SoulThis is the fourth album from US black metallers Valdrin.

It’s been a long time since 2014’s Beyond the Forest, and Valdrin have had two other full albums since then. Throne of the Lunar Soul is their latest, and boasts an imposing 73 minutes of material. What does the Valdrin of 2023 have to offer the discerning black metal fan? Continue reading “Valdrin – Throne of the Lunar Soul (Review)”

Dead Icarus – Ad infernum (Review)

Dead Icarus - Ad infernumThis is the debut EP from US metal band Dead Icarus.

What do you get when you throw together the ex-singer of Atreyu and members of Enterprise Earth? Something quite heavy and tasty, apparently. This five track EP has a duration of 23 minutes, and is pretty damn crushing. Continue reading “Dead Icarus – Ad infernum (Review)”

Rüyyn – Chapter II: The Flames, the Fallen, the Fury (Review)

Rüyyn - Chapter II The Flames, the Fallen, the FuryThis is the debut album from French solo black metal band Rüyyn.

Chapter II: The Flames, the Fallen, the Fury offers the listener 43 minutes of well-crafted black metal to absorb and digest. Rüyyn’s music is accomplished and rewarding. Continue reading “Rüyyn – Chapter II: The Flames, the Fallen, the Fury (Review)”

Walking Corpse – Our Hands, Your Throat (Review)

Walking Corpse - Our Hands, Your ThroatThis is the second album from Swedish grindcore band Walking Corpse.

A grindcore band named, (presumably at least), after a Brutal Truth song? Count me in. I instantly knew I had to check this out. Good grind is hard to come by, so I crossed by fingers and dived right in. What did I find? Continue reading “Walking Corpse – Our Hands, Your Throat (Review)”

Helfró – Tálgröf (Review)

Helfró - TálgröfHelfró are a black/death metal band from Iceland and this is their second album.

Following on from 2020’s enjoyable Helfró comes Tálgröf, which boasts 36 minutes of new material. Marginally shorter than its predecessor, despite having one track more, what does this mean for the Helfró of 2023? Continue reading “Helfró – Tálgröf (Review)”

Beyond Grace – Welcome to the New Dark Ages, Part 1 (Review)

Beyond Grace - Welcome to the New Dark Ages, Part 1This is the latest EP from Beyond Grace, a death metal band from the UK.

I always enjoy catching up with Beyond Grace, and have watched their development closely over the years. From the early promise of 2014’s Monstrous, to the debut roar of 2017’s Seekers, to 2021’s crowning achievement so far Our Kingdom Undone, Beyond Grace’s upward trajectory has been a satisfying and rewarding one. Continue reading “Beyond Grace – Welcome to the New Dark Ages, Part 1 (Review)”

Sacred Outcry – Towers of Gold (Review)

Sacred Outcry - Towers of GoldThis is the second album from Greek power metal band Sacred Outcry.

Featuring the ex-vocalist of Lost Horizon and Heed, Towers of Gold boasts 55 minutes of Grade A material. Taking a heavy metal approach to power metal, Sacred Outcry take elements from both and fuse them into something really quite special. Continue reading “Sacred Outcry – Towers of Gold (Review)”

One Master – The Names of Power (Review)

One Master - The Names of PowerOne Master are a US black metal band and this is their fourth album.

It’s been a while since 2017’s Lycanthropic Burning, (also check out 2015’s Reclusive Blasphemy), but One Master have finally returned. Boasting 55 minutes of new material, The Names of Power further cements One Master’s name in the annals of USBM. Continue reading “One Master – The Names of Power (Review)”