Stormhunter – Best Before: Death (MDD Records)
Germany has always been a steady force in the heavy/power metal category – never wavering for the style when other countries sought out extreme or alternative forms of musical expression. Stormhunter live for this...
Holler – Reborn (Scarlet Records)
Singer/ songwriter Terence Holler is probably best known through the metal community for his 31-year stint in the outfit he co-founded Eldritch – a power/progressive metal outfit of which classic albums like El Niño...
Sylvaine – Eg Er Framand (Season of Mist)
Sylvaine's Kathrine Shepard has always been one to take listeners on a deep journey with her music. Unafraid to stick to a simply metal formatting, Sylvaine has provided expressive outlets and a multi-faceted approach...
Song Premiere: Destroyer of Light’s ‘Waiting for the End’
Texas based Destroyer of Light have created an impressive discography since 2012's self-titled debut, releasing a total of four full-length efforts while making their mark within the landscape of the methodical soundscapes that doom...
BRAT – Social Grace (Prosthetic)
Given the vast display of colorful band descriptions, BRAT's 'barbiegrind' and 'bimboviolence' still managed to stand out and provide some quick context of what the band is going for. Combine it with a press...
Critical Defiance – The Search Won’t Fall… (Unspeakable Axe Records)
Noteworthy as a South American band who literally push the pedal to the metal when it comes to thrash, Critical Defiance waste no time capitalizing on 2022’s No Life Forms album through this third...
Inner Axis – Midnight Forces (Fastball Music)
Hailing from Kiel, Germany, Inner Axis represents the marriage of classic heavy metal influences channeled through some modern touches. Since their start in 2008, they’ve released two albums Into the Storm and We Live...
BRAT – Welcome to Bimboviolence
Photo: Greta Gerstner
A whirlwind of grindcore, powerviolence, and death metal, BRAT hail from the incredible New Orleans heavy music scene – as a result developing a sound that is quite explosive as it is...
Wounds – Ruin (Everlasting Spew Records)
It's still pretty early in 2024, but the death metal has been flowing like a fine wine. I for one am not complaining, far from it. As long as I have a steady feeding...
Lutharo – Chasing Euphoria (Atomic Fire Records)
Slow, gradual movement in the underground can often pay huge dividends when opportunity strikes to make a major move from DIY, self-released offerings to a burgeoning label deal with well-respected people at the helm....
Miehala – Sons of Alaheim (Inverse Records)
Thrash metal continues to survive due to the influx of veteran bands continually recording/touring as well as a series of newer artists willing to put their own stake in the game. Finnish act Miehala...
Leather Lung – Emerging From the Ashes
Photo: Raz Asraai
When it comes to gritty stoner doom metal that also takes into account aspects of the DIY punk, hardcore, and heavy music scene, there seems to be no better breeding ground for...
Cave – Out of the Cave (Metalapolis Records)
A newer band consisting of seasoned musicians across Germany and the United States, Cave combines elements of melodic hard rock and dramatic heavy metal influences for this debut album Out of the Cave. Originator...
Defying – Wadera (These Hands Melt)
Always with an ear to the ground for the unusual, my musical explorations over the years have led down all kinds of wacky rabbit holes. Within those many discoveries, we’ve become more drawn to...
Dragonforce – Warp Speed Warriors (Napalm)
Hard to believe it's been five years since we've gotten new material from Dragonforce, the band that was unfortunately saddled with 'that band from Guitar Hero' tag that seemed to follow them everywhere for...