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Dexter Ward – III
Despite the band taking its name from a Lovecraft character, there isn’t much in the way of doom and gloom on the latest release from Dexter Ward. III, their uncreatively named third album, is loaded with triumphant, rousing anthems sure to get you singing along. Dexter Ward proudly waves the banner of traditional metal throughout III, delivering enough pomp and bombast to keep any old school metal fan entertained through the energetic barn burners and slower epics alike.
Heaven Shall Burn – Of Truth & Sacrifice
When Heaven Shall Burn started gaining attention, at least here in the USA, in the mid 2000’s I admit I never thought they’d be a band I wold anticipate so highly. At first they’re take on the genre wasn’t really doing too much for me. However as I listened to them more and more I realized they had a lot to offer. Their subsequent albums all seemed to be increasing in quality, though they began to feel stagnant around the 2010’s. With Wanderer in 2016, the band grabbed my attention all over again and never let go. I would not have expected 15 years ago that I’d be so highly awaiting a new album from these guys, but this double record was exactly what I wanted. Heavy as hell, but throwing in some nice melodies and really sharp social commentary. Each track actually feels important, and despite the run time, does not suffer from a ton of filler. Their musicianship and songwriting is perhaps the best it’s ever been, and Heaven Shall Burn have yet again made an album sure to be near the top (if not the top) of my personal year end list when the time comes. Definitely worth checking out.
Lethal Steel – Running From The Dawn
Lethal Steel have released a four-song EP as a follow up to their full-length debut. A feisty and compact release, it plays like a miniature tribute to Iron Maiden, complete with a soft acoustic intro, galloping riffs, and lots of catchy hooks. May not be quite as good as their LP, but definitely worth checking out.
Dawn Of Ouroboros – The Art Of Morphology
Oakland, California’s Dawn of Ouroboros have made their existence known with a bang, dropping their beautifully beastly debut album The Art of Morphology. Fusing elements of post black and progressive death metal, the band has developed a new form of extreme metal, one that is relentlessly punishing yet refreshing and pure in its emotional delivery. From blistering blast beats and abrasive riffs to epic melodies and delicate sample effects, a symphony of contrasting energies is formed, painting a unique musical palette on which vocalist Chelsea Murphy can deliver both visceral screaming and soothing clean vocals in a superbly passionate performance. Welcome to a new level of catharsis!
Grindpad – Violence
After finding their footing and identity on their 4th and most recent EP (2017’s brilliant Sharkbite!), Dutch thrashers Grindpad FINALLY launch their debut full-length album: Violence. While the title might be generic, the artwork (by the legendary Ed Repka) is incredible and the music is even better. With a stunningly tight mix and the biggest bag of riffs that ever riffed, Grindpad prove they deserve to be at the forefront of the European thrash revival. There are moshed up anthems for every kind of thrasher here: from the crossover madness of “My Name Is Violence” to the fist-pumping “To Those About To Die”. Prepare for your neck to hurt.
Omega Infinity – Solar Spectre
Solar Spectre is the brainchild of Tentakel P. (Todtgelichter) with Xenoyr (Ne Obliviscaris), both stepping out of their main acts to explore darker creative dimensions under the name of Omega Infinity. A cold and unforgiving, yet equally immersive journey through our solar system, this record is filled to the brim with top level black metal, yet combined with well fitted hints of industrial and electronic. The album’s space theme makes it stand-out from pretty much anything made on Earth, and hence conjures strong ominous atmospherics and a foundation of stillness beneath the chaotic massacre of their sound. There’s no shortage of relentless drums and riffs, Xen’s vocals are at their most unhuman, and the performance of guest vocalists adds just enough variety to seal the deal. Dare to venture into The Deep Dark Void!
Temple Of Void – The World That Was
The World that Was is another stunning accomplishment for Temple of Void. It has tracks that nail the straightforward doom/death style of their debut (“A Beast Among Us,” “Self-Schism”) and tracks that double down on adding to the expansiveness of their sophomore album, Lords of Death, including haunting clean vocals, somber doom passages, and gnarled trad influences. As such, it’s essentially a hybrid of the best parts of their previous albums. The World that Was delivered on its promise as one of my most anticipated death metal albums of the year and is another brilliant album from a band that has produced nothing but quality since its inception.
Dead Crown – Tales From The Frozen Lands: Part I
One-man projects are a dime a dozen in black metal and its ambient sub-genre, yet Dead Crown are not your usual suspect. The brainchild of Spanish multi-instrumentalist Fausto does draw some elements from both of these genres, but at the same time transcends the mere “let’s put some plush synth with cold black metal” and shows surprising depth on this 4-track EP. From the atmospheric opener “Before the Rain” over the tremolo-picked, doomy epicness of “Far Beyond the Oceans” and the double-bass driven “Tundra” to the beautiful instrumental “Aurora Eterna”, Tales from the Frozen Lands Part I is a beautiful, atmospheric and epic ride, taking in elements from black, doom, ambient and a little gothic and amalgamates them into a whole that makes one yearn for Part II already.
Wolf – Feeding The Machine
Silence can prove to be deadly when it is prolonged, and with 6 years of studio silence many feared that one of the New Wave Of Traditional Heavy Metal progenitors, namely Sweden’s Wolf, had gone the way of the previous wave. However, these Nordic lycanthropes are far from done with us, and with a new rhythm section in tow and all the power that has made them a go-to band for old school goodness since 1999 still front and center. Functioning as a brilliant bridge between the vintage sounds of Cloven Hoof, Hell and Satan and the flashier USPM vibes of early Omen and Helstar, 2020’s Feeding The Machine proves to be yet another chapter in a brilliant metallic novel where surprises may be few, but consistency is the rule.
Solothus – Realm Of Ash And Blood
Staring into the irradiating darkness as the world around you burns, the only comfort you could hope for comes upon being swallowed by the crumbling earth. Thankfully, the devastating heaviness wrenching from the heart of Realm of Ash and Blood grants you your solace; a tirade of despair and soul-crushing atmosphere befalls those whose ears fall upon this death/doom gem from Finland’s Solothus as its furiously melancholic solos rip out whatever the bone-breaking riffs and skin-pounding leaves behind. In today’s current climate this IS the only long-lasting solace you’ll come to crave – and we’ll be damned if it couldn’t get any more grandiose!
Criptadel – The Goblin Market
A self-described dungeon synth project that explores the underground world, Criptadel is a relative newcomer to the dungeon synth scene. The project’s second full length album, The Goblin Market, takes the listener through the catacombs, corridors, and tunnels and into the thriving, yet cryptic markets of the underground denizens. Evocation and flowing, the music flows forward with a wash of narratives and voices. It’s dungeon synth at its heart, with those haunting keys and passages, but there is something vibrant and very full of life in Criptadel’s music. Highly recommended to dungeon synth fans, but don’t expect the normal cathedral vaults and transilvanian forests.
My Dying Bride – The Ghost Of Orion
Until The Ghost of Orion, grief and its accompanying slow-motion depression were primarily metaphorical and musical attributes of My Dying Bride. However, the 4 and a half year interval since Feel the Misery saw the departure of a couple of long-term comrades and a nail-biting fight with cancer for the daughter of vocalist Aaron Stainthorpe. The resulting 12th full-length is melodic and accessible on “Tired of Tears”, grimly old-school on “The Old Earth”, and even swooningly experimental on the drumless “The Solace”. Overall, it’s a magnificent achievement of triumph over adversity.
