Magnum – Here Comes the Rain (Steamhammer/SPV)
Fifty years as a musician and songwriter for Magnum is quite a legacy to uphold for guitarist Tony Clarkin. The UK act continues to churn out an addictive blend of AOR-oriented melodic hard rock...
Metalite – New Expeditions
Having made a name for themselves in the modern metal community with their commitment to merging power metal glory, cinematic gravitas, and elements of electropop, Metalite have become a force to be reckoned with...
Psycho Ward – Committed (Battlegod Productions)
Although Psycho Ward may be a relative newcomer as an act, these musicians possess veteran skills that can’t be taken for granted. Spanish guitarist Miguel Angel Lopez Escamez has been a part of chart-topping...
Ribspreader – Reap Humanity (Xtreem Music)
If you check into the discography of Swedish musician Rogga Johansson on Metal-Archives, the list of bands, projects, and albums that have been released is astronomical. There’s no shortness of creativity or productivity workflow,...
Rome In Monochrome – Pushing Ego Out of the Equation
Italian sextet Rome In Monochrome embraces a wide array of influences when it comes to their style. Dubbing themselves ‘ghost metal’, listeners can expect everything from post rock, alternative to doom and dark progressive...
Bull of Apis Bull of Bronze – The Fractal Ouroboros (Fiadh Productions)
Let’s face it - the end of the year is historically known for being sparse in new album releases. Blindly following that line of thought can be a cautionary tale. In 2022, Our Loss...
Ryujin – Ryujin (Napalm)
The 'samurai metal' act Ryujin has actually been around for well over a decade at this point - if you remember the band Gyze. A shred-happy melodic death metal band from Japan, Gyze released...
Exit Eden – Femmes Fatales (Napalm)
Glancing back all the way to 2017, Exit Eden debuted as a bonafide supergroup of powerhouse female vocalists united to sing a collection of pop songs that were turned into epic heavy metal beasts....
Exit Eden – Breaking the Mold
Debuting in 2017 with an album of pop-turned-metal covers in Rhapsodies in Black, and composed of all-star vocalists from the symphonic and modern metal scenes, Exit Eden hit the ground running. But when you...
The Grandmaster – Black Sun (Frontiers Music)
Another international assembly of musicians with decades of experience under their belts, The Grandmaster returns for their sophomore outing in Black Sun. Guitarist Jens Ludwig is best known for his work in Edguy, while...
Cedric Vassal – Inner Kingdom (Self-Released)
Since the age of 12, French guitarist Cedric Vassal has been on a journey to develop his metal skills. Performing in bands such as Veil of Mist, Denied, and Morpheus, he has now set...
Daniel Barkasi Best-of 2023
Pictured above: Myself with one of our kittens, Akasha, who's absolutely mad in the best way.
Another year that blasted by very quickly, and here we are, with another year end list. What a crazy...
Chamelion – Legends & Lores (Rockshots Records)
Ah, glorious symphonic power metal with epic/fantasy elements. Sweeping the listener on a journey to far-reaching lands, that’s what will take place with Finnish quintet Chamelion on this debut album Legends & Lores. Expanding...
Alluvial – Death is But a Door (Nuclear Blast)
Moving from an instrumental act to a vocal-backed one for 2021's Sarcoma, Alluvial left a lasting impression for an intelligent death metal album that still brought plenty of aggression and melodies. Looking forward three...
Striker – Rev Up With Ultrapower
The heavy, power, and traditional melodic metal landscape is in great shape thanks to bands like Striker producing high quality songwriting year after year. These Canadians continue to explore horizons while still maintaining the...