DEFENDERDying To Live Metalapolis (2025)Rating: 6/10 For fans of this German act this debut full-length outing has been a long time coming. Defender formed in 2016 and an EP, Rising High, emerged two years later, but when a compilation was issued in 2020 I assumed that was it for the Balingen-based band. Fast forward four […]
RANCID CADAVERMortality Denied Cavernous / Iron Fortress (2025)Rating: 7.5/10 With releases his year from Trench Foot, Chestcrush, Caustic Phlegm, Seven Doors and now Rancid Cadaver, it’s looking like the UK death metal juggernaut is showing no signs of slowing down. Mortality Denied is the full-length debut from this impressive Scottish clan who so far has […]
AWAKEN THE NIGHTTotal Kommando Metal Coffin (2025)Rating: 7/10 The artwork for this album is surely a contender for the cheesiest of the year, but don’t judge a record by its cover. Total Kommando may look like some lame mid-80s throwback but musically it’s quite the assault. Like some fiery hot pot of Kreator, Midnight, Toxic […]
PREDATORUnsafe Space Fighter (2025)Rating: 7/10 Way back in 1986 a relatively unknown band named Predator released their debut full-length album Easy Prey. It would turn out to be the only thing the California-based outfit would release during that period, but it certainly made its mark as a cult opus, mainly due to the cover and […]
NITECult Of The Serpent Sun Season Of Mist (2025)Rating: 7/10 Nite’s sophomore album Voices Of The Kronian Moon was, in my opinion, one of the best releases of 2022 so I’m glad to see that the Californian cult has re-emerged from their basement. Cult Of The Serpent Sun once again fuses, and successfully too, a […]
ACETONELeft To Rot EP Self-released (2025)Rating: 7/10 “Terror, torture, fear… Terror, torture, pain… Terror, torture, death!…” and repeat and repeat. And so Canadian death metal mob Acetone announces itself to the metal world with their debut EP, Left To Rot; five tracks of unapologetic no frills death metal that plods and scurries without a care […]
WARBRINGERWrath And Ruin Napalm (2025)Rating: 5.5/10 US metallers Warbringer, who originally formed back in 2004 (rather bizarrely as Onslaught) were one of the best thrash acts to emerge during the resurgence of the genre. Wrath And Ruin is the seventh full-length album from the quintet and as expected it’s another bombardment that’ll send audiences reeling. […]
DEPRAVERNecrocryptic Obliteration Iron Fortress (2025)Rating: 7.5/10 Some scary unseen force has been causing menacing rumbles beneath the streets of California, but now the cause has an identity – Depraver. After a batch of EPs and a split with Vrenth, Depraver unleashes a hellish full-length album that stains the clouds with a toxic, black hue. For […]
TRENCH FOOTCavernous Necrophagy EP Iron Fortress / Cavernous / Macho (2025)Rating: 8/10 A lot of extreme metal acts around are the creation of a sole member who records everything their self. Case in point is Liverpool, England-based one man band Trench Foot, who was created by vocalist / lead guitarist Joe Bradley in 2021. However, […]
WHIPSTRIKERCry Of Extinction Hells Headbangers (2025)Rating: 6/10 When this Rio de Janeiro, Brazil-based act emerged as a one man band in 2010 with debut album Crude Rock N’ Roll there was something refreshing about the brand of rusty speed metal. However, since then I’ve somewhat lost track of Whipstriker’s output. Involved in an obscene amount […]
