Dark Heart – Out of the Shadows (Battlegod Productions)
We all have certain pockets of metal that are worthy of deep dive exploration – especially when you want to look at specific artists that may have had the talent and songwriting to go...
Aina Suzuki – initium (Lantis)
Most famously known for her role as Mari in Aqours (Love Live Sunshine), Aina Suzuki has built up a large following of idol fans. She began releasing solo material back in 2020 with Ring...
Laceration – Go For the Throat
Photo: Bill Batchalor
Extreme metal has been on an upswing in underground respect over the past few years – especially coming out of the pandemic. Bay Area act Laceration have been an active participant in...
Death Racer – From Gravel to Grave (Dying Victims Productions)
Inspired by a Razor song for their moniker, Austria’s Death Racer live for a sound that is speedy, raw, and as primal as it can get. Releasing their debut demo Qualifying in 2020, the...
Metal Church – The Final Sermon (Reaper Entertainment)
Sadly we lost the great Mike Howe on July 26, 2021, a tremendous talent as lead vocalist for Metal Church during two eras of the group from 1988-1995 and 2015 to 2021, a part...
Category 7 – Deliver the Knock Out Punch
Photo: Rob Shotwell
When it comes to excitement, there’s nothing more surprising than a set of established musicians getting together to issue a strong debut album worthy of praise across all metal platforms quite like...
Shun – Dismantle (Small Stone Recordings)
So I decided to check out this here band Shun and their new album Dismantle, their second full-length for Small Stone Recordings. You can expect a potent power trio who embrace elements of psychedelic,...
Then Comes the Night – Start the Change (Metalapolis Records)
This record Start the Change from German melodic metal band Then Comes the Night originally came out in the fall of 2023 independently. Singer/ songwriter Selin Schönbeck is familiar to the Metalapolis roster through...
Dream Evil – Metal Gods (Century Media)
Certain musicians ooze the right attitude in a specific style upon the first note played. Such is the case for Swedish band Dream Evil – as Metal Gods continues their crusade to keep the...
Sable Hills – A Musical Odyssey
Japanese metalcore act Sable Hills formed back in 2015, but the musical bond between brothers Rict and Takuya Mishima started much sooner than that. Both had been in a band together that they started...
Summoning the Lich – Under the Reviled Throne (Prosthetic)
With 2021's United in Chaos, Summoning the Lich began with some very grand ambitions. Taking a more fantasy-driven approach to their frantic death metal laced with plenty of melodies, one of their strongest elements...
I, Cursed – Death Holograms (Inverse Records/ Meara Music)
A two-piece outfit with experience across other Finnish acts like Oceanwake, Atlases, and Verso, what we have here in I, Cursed is a definite diversion from the previous units. Choosing to combine the deadly...
Dream Evil – Evoke the Metal Gods
When it comes to the pure passion of the genre, there’s nothing quite like creating anthems that make listeners want to stand at attention, screaming their hearts out to every lyric holding fists high...
How We End – How We End (Ward Records)
Having announced the birth of How We End over a year ago, it's shocking that there hasn't been more buzz about the admittedly star-powered act. Featuring guitarist Jen Mujura (ex-Evanescence), Jake E (Cyhra/ex-Amaranthe), Diva...
Tracheotomy – Fixated Propensity for Destruction (1126 Records)
A new deathcore act from Florida, Tracheotomy bring much more to the table than a simple label description might provide. Certainly when using the term deathcore as a genre tag. What makes the fresh...