SAXONHell, Fire And Damnation Silver Lining Music (2024)Rating: 8.5/10 And here they are again, one of Britain’s longest standing bastions of metal, the mighty Saxon. Just like fellow Englishmen Motörhead, Biff Byford and company have ploughed through the decades, batting away trends and maintaining high levels of robust steel musically. Rarely do I read other […]

KONTACTFull Contact Dying Victims Productions / Jawbreaker (2024)Rating: 8/10 I just adore the strong cover art colours of this, the debut full-length album from Canadian quartet Kontact. One cannot overlook the cosmic mysticism of this opus, a record that has been created by the rather mysteriously named The Alien (vocals and bass), Matt B1257+12Z (guitar), […]

SOVEREIGNAltered Realities Dark Descent (2024)Rating: 9/10 Over the last 40 years a lot of bands have used the moniker Sovereign and this Oslo, Norway-based bunch is the latest combo to adopt the name. The band features lead guitarist Tommy Jacobsen and fellow axeman Vidar Fineidet, both of who formerly featured for Nocturnal Breed, and they […]

DAISY CUTTERDaisy Cutter Self-released (2024)Rating: 7/10 These Munich, Germany-based monsters formed a decade ago, so it comes as quite the surprise that the debut release from the band should emerge now. Deriving their name from a destructive bomb, I somewhat expected this combo to act as a rather colourless Teutonic force, but instead what you […]

PERISHING Lutum (2024) When the opening chords of ‘Tenebrous Resurrection’ hit one feels as though they are being dragged into a swamp of rust while methodically being struck on the head by a bag of cement. This is some seriously heavyweight material from San José, Costa Rica-based Perishing that is about as deft as a […]

MASTERSaints Dispelled Hammerheart (2024)Rating: 8/10 With new drummer Peter Bajci on board, the newest platter from the legendary Paul Speckmann-led Master sounds like a band invigorated. Saints Dispelled is still very much classic Master which drips with Speckmann’s ferocious spits and the general serrated death-thrash belligerence. From the opening chords of ‘Destruction In June’ it’s […]

COBRAKILLSerpent’s Kiss Frontiers (2024)Rating: 8/10 These impressive German headbangers have yet to master the art of a decent album cover but the style is certainly eye catching if somewhat hideous. Thankfully, the music contained herein, just like the band’s 2022 debut full-length opus Cobratör, is a striking, scorching smorgasbord of 80s nostalgia blessed with fiery […]

LUCIFER PRIESTUnexpected Presence Self-released (2024)Rating: 7/10 After two singles new Brazilian act Lucifer Priest issues its debut full-length album that comes with some striking cover artwork. When I see strong art I always hope that the music within matches and in this instance it’s not bad. The vocals of drummer John Naza may take a […]

RANCID CADAVERMass Of Gore EP Self-released (2024)Rating: 8/10 It’s a shame that this release so short but one of Scotland’s finest death metal bands has returned with a brace of brain mangling tunes. It seems a lot longer than two years since Rancid Cadaver issued its Flesh Monstrosity EP. That was a deliciously deathly five-track […]

RUTHLESSThe Fallen Fireflash (2024)Rating: 8/10 Los Angeles, California-based metallers Ruthless may not be familiar to everyone but their 1985 debut EP Metal Without Mercy, followed a year later by full-length album Discipline Of Steel, were cult gems. The band formed in 1982 and original frontman Sammy DeJohn remains. The combo has certainly had its ups […]