PENTAGRAMLightning In A Bottle Heavy Psych Sounds (2025)Rating: 7.5/10 Rising from his coffin like Nosferatu reborn, grand ghoul master Bobby Liebling assembles a new line-up and behold, Pentagram is back with a tenth full-length opus, the first for a decade. Liebling conducts his orchestra of doom like a man possessed; guitarist Tony Reed, bassist Scooter […]
SHRIEKING DEMONSThe Festering Dwellers Transcending Obscurity (2025)Rating: 8.5/10 In 2021 this Italian death metal mob unleashed their debut EP Diabolical Regurgitations and then seemingly vanished. I don’t know where the band has been hiding out – although each member does feature for other bands – but they’ve crawled out of the tomb and hit us […]
BLACKSLASHHeroes, Saints & Fools Iron Shield / Fucking Kill (2025)Rating: 7/10 These German dudes have been loitering about since 2007, so if you missed them then you’ve got some catching up to do. Heroes, Saints & Fools is the fifth full-length instalment from the combo and it’s indicative of today’s heavy metal scene. I say […]
LARVAEArousal Of The Crawling Creature EP Self-released (2025)Rating: 9/10 For the last year or so I’ve been bothered by a strange crackling noise in my ear canal. I considered it an infection of sorts or maybe some blocked wax, but then I received an email from guitarist Lucilia Sericata, formidable frontwoman of Rome, Italy-based band […]
CENTURYSign Of The Storm Dying Victims Productions / Electric Assault (2025)Rating: 8.5/10 Swedish duo Century have been on a lot of people’s lips since impressing five years ago with their 2020 four-song demo, but where Staffan Tengnér and Leo Ekström Sollenmo really hit the spot was with debut full-length The Conquest Of Time in 2023. […]
SACRIFICEVolume Six High Roller / Cursed Blessings (2025)Rating: 7/10 With all members from the classic line-up assembled, Canadian thrash maniacs Sacrifice open their doors once again and invite you into the eye of their storm. Now, I have fond memories of Sacrifice because up until 1990 they released a trio of fine assaults. My battered […]
RINGLORNTales Of War And Magic Steel Gallery (2025)Rating: 5.5/10 Here’s one of those albums that bristles with nostalgia for me, simply because of its warm fantasy nature. There are yarns spun within this arena that take me back to my teenage years, more specifically the 80s when listening to heavy metal music meant adorning my […]
PUTREDMegalit al Putrefacției Memento Mori / Iron Fortress (2025)Rating: 8/10 Scabbier than a rat-ravaged decomposing corpse, Transylvanian madmen Putred claw through the crumbling rib-cage once again and shower their unsuspecting audience in maggots. Megalit al Putrefacției is the second full-length from this deathly foursome that, since 2020, has burst many a pus-filled boil in the […]
GRAVE DIGGERBone Collector RPM-ROAR (2025)Rating: 8/10 Forty-five years after forming, Teutonic titans Grave Digger unleash their 21st full-length studio album. Once again it’s a solid reminder of how consistent this posse has been and so with more striking artwork in tow, Bone Collector kicks off with the title track, and what strikes me immediately is […]
AXETASYWithering Tides Dying Victims Productions (2025)Rating: 7/10 Originating from Germany, a country known for its efficiency and precision, Axetasy are a surprisingly rough sounding combo I’ve been following since their 2021 two-song demo Slicing Dreams. This is Axetasy’s debut full-length album and the Stuttgart-based outfit have been bestowed a rather muddy production which actually benefits […]
