Blacktoothed – Headway (Arising Empire)
In this modern metal world, there's a number of bands that aren't afraid to move in directions that buck tradition. Germany's Blacktoothed is exactly one of those bands. While their newest album, Headway, is...
Fleshbore – Painted Paradise (Transcending Obscurity)
2021's first full-length from Indiana's Fleshbore, Embers Gathering, offered up a combination of technicality balanced by melody and grit. In comparison to the increasingly sterile sound of bands going too hard on the musicianship...
The Night Flight Orchestra – The Sky is (Not) the Limit
A consistent force in the rock/metal world, The Night Flight Orchestra made a name for themselves for creating a nostalgic '70s/'80s AOR sound that was full of fun and bringing in other elements, such...
Elyose – Évidence (Self-Released)
Continuing on from the two-piece iteration that Elyose formed for 2023's Déviante, Évidence is the fifth full-length from the French act. The interesting combination of djent/nu-sounding mechanical riffing and vocalist Justine Daaé's more melodic...
The Halo Effect – March of the Unheard (Nuclear Blast)
The Halo Effect caught a ton of buzz given it's Gothenburg pedigree and concept of delivering some of the ole 'In Flames magic' to a new generation. For long time fans of In Flames...
Kawaii Screams and (Alt) Idol Dreams: A Second Helping of Fascinating Musical Groups from the East
It's been over a year since I originally wrote a similar piece about the Eastern metal (and idol) scene, mostly focusing on Japan (An Introductory Guide to the Burgeoning Kawaii Metal and Alt Idol...
Sacred – Fire To Ice (Stormspell Records)
Smiles abound when getting the chance to be on the ground floor of a newer act from Sweden with strong pedigree for classic heavy metal. Sacred is a quintet with musicians that have past...
Beriedir – Liminal Spaces (Rockshots Records)
Previously impressed with the diverse approach to power/progressive metal along melodic death and atmospheric nuances on their last album AQVA, Beriedir returns ready to continue that great cross-section of influences in this third full-length...
Grave Digger – Kings of the Graveyard
Photo: Jens Howorka
When it comes to pure Teutonic heavy metal, there’s been a consistency that’s hard to resist when looking at the history of Grave Digger. Although not always on the radar stateside due...
Katoaja – What We Witness (Self-Released)
Active since 2020 Katoaja is a Finnish band that sit in a progressive metal landscape which has expanded horizons in terms of atmosphere and influences over the years. Releasing three previous singles to the...