I feel like this huge, cinematic slab of old-school Death Metal is primed to hit a lot of listeners sideways this month as Angerot solidify even further their melody tinged blackened death metal on this third outing. The Profound Recreant is full of memorable songs, bleak sonics and enormous atmosphere and should satisfy even the most sceptical listener. (Thomas Carne)
March has been an exceptional month for fans of progressive metal, as prominent names like Haken, Redemption, Ihsahn, and Ne Obliviscaris have all released strong albums. If you had asked me a few weeks ago, I would have predicted that one of these artists would be on this list. However, my nomination goes to the relatively lesser-known yet utterly captivating French band Asylum Pyre. Their latest album, Call Me Inhuman, completely blew me away. In my review, I describe their music as “…the kind of brilliant musical mayhem you would expect to hear if Devin Townsend teamed up with the guys from Bent Knee or Atomic Guava to produce a modern power/pop metal album”. What’s even better is that the said mayhem is so incredibly catchy and infectious! I don’t know what your plans are for today, but if you’re a prog metal fan, they should definitely include giving Call Me Inhuman a spin. (Daniele Nosenzo)
I’m gonna start a campaign to have Excalion imbued as Finland’s second favourite power metal band. Stratovarius are the undisputed kings, and Sonata Arctica have left their post decidedly abandoned, paving the way for these under-the-radar veterans to step in and take their place. Excalion have no bad albums, and I thought I was hearing the pinnacle of their achievements back in 2019 with Emotions. Little did I know they were about to expand in both quantity and quality with Once Upon A Time – a mammoth journey through many different landscapes that manages to be stylistically loyal to the coldness of Finnish power metal. This is, by far, their heaviest album – with plenty of gritty riffage shining through the inevitable soaring choruses. Tempos are varied ensuring the record never stagnates; Marcus Lang’s vocals are still pure gold; and the progressively-tinged songwriting is reaching next-level standard. Once Upon A Time has made me more excited about this band than Waterlines did back in the 00s. (Larry Best)
Canada’s Gatekeeper return in 2023 in great glory and splendour with From Western Shores, their latest slab of epic heavy metal. This is a massive album filled with tales of battle, betrayal, and bloodshed. From the very beginning, it is abundantly clear the direction the album is going to go: the power chords and clashing cymabls come in hard and heavy followed by a magnificent battle cry sounding in your ear and drawing you into the fray. Just imagine the mighty bombast of the Bathory’s “A Fine Day to Die”, along with the powerful vocals of Manowar’s “Revelation”, and yet all executed with the melodic pace of England’s Dark Forest. If you have not given this band a chance yet – or perhaps have been nonplussed by their previous efforts – listen to this album now, from start to finish. (Dave Hodges)
Djent most certainly is a genre and Periphery are its lord and masters. Periphery have been living in the shadow of their Clear EP, however they have also improved greatly with each studio album. PIV was excellent, but this album takes things to a whole new level. “Wax Wings” might have the best hook the band has ever written and generally I think their songwriting has matured. It no longer feels as much like the songs are segregated between heavy and light sections. All of the sounds and styles blend together in a way I’ve been waiting for since Periphery II. On top of everything they ended the album with a beautiful tribute to Nobuo Uematsu the famous composer for the classic Final Fantasy games. This is the first Periphery album I’ve thought was solid from start to finish and I can’t wait to share a full review. (Ian Yeara)
Surprises come in all shapes and sizes, and Spirit Temple is shaped like a half hour EP of nerdy doomy shit. Inspired by games like Skyrim and Dungeons & Dragons, you don’t need to care about any of that to extract the dark ore of this basement crawl, which is by turns atmospheric, funereal, and ambient, even including a healthy orchestral supplement. Connoisseurs of slow stuff will be in their element as Spirit Temple moves through all kinds of gloomy landscapes, always with a mysterious quest in view. It’s definitely a journey, and of course there’s a Part 1 to track down as well. (Edmund Morton)
[bandcamp width=100% height=120 album=4230570791 size=large bgcol=ffffff linkcol=0687f5 tracklist=false artwork=small track=3679746099]
