SLEEPING WITH THE WITCH Acid Bender Self-released (2025) Rating: 6/10 This looks like an annoying stoner album, but it’s not. Acid Bender is the second full-length from Tuscon, Arizona-based groove metallers Sleeping With The Witch. Thrash overtones are present, especially on the infectious title track with its hasty start. Vocally, there’s a deathly grunt style […]
MALFORMED Confinement Of Flesh Extremely Rotten Productions / Dark Descent (2025) Rating: 8/10 Three years after forming from the catacombs of Helsinki in Finland, death metal ensemble Malformed spits out its debut full-length album, Confinement Of Flesh. Eetu Hyvönen (lead vocals and guitar), Akseli Lindroos (guitar), Pauli Niemi (bass and vocals) and Jani Seppi (drums) […]
DEHUMAN REIGN Dawn Of A Malefic Dominion F.D.A. (2025) Rating: 8/10 Half a decade has passed since the last album by Berlin, Germany-based death mongers Dehuman Reign. Dawn Of A Malefic Dominion will be very much welcomed by the community, descending upon us like a rabid swarm of whichever insect you fear the most. Thankfully, […]
KONTUSION Insatiable Lust For Death Profound Lore (2025) Rating: 8/10 As soon as I discovered that Chris Moore of Repulsion fame was involved in this I just had to jump on it. Moore, who brings drums and synths, has teamed up with Coffin Dust’s Mark Bronzino (vocals, guitar and bass) for this debut full-length album […]
ATOMIC WITCH Death Etiquette Redefining Darkness (2025) Rating: 7.5/10 Cleveland, Ohio-based thrashers Atomic Witch return for another adventure into the world of aggression. Three years after debut full-length Crypt Of Sleepless Malice, the combo strikes hard with 27 minutes of metal that tears your face off. The vocals alone will melt your face, a mix […]
ALICE COOPER The Revenge Of Alice Cooper earMUSIC (2025) Rating: 7/10 Now that the prince of darkness Ozzy Osbourne (R.I.P.) has shuffled from this mortal realm, the onus must surely be on fellow theatrical shock rocker Alice Cooper to keep the fires burning. With a line-up featuring the surviving members of the original Alice Cooper […]
IRON SPELL From The Grave Dying Victims Productions (2025) Rating: 6.5/10 When I first slapped the new Iron Spell album on I thought there was something wrong with my ears. I played it again and then began to question my stereo system, although it had never let me down before. So, I played From The […]
EXAUST Abysmal Earth EP Self-released (2025) Rating: 6/10 Some seriously heavy thrash is on the agenda with the new EP from Welsh act Exaust. Abysmal Earth looks more like a death metal composition and it’s a serious step forward from 2023 EP Thrash Is Back. There’s a new vocalist on board in the form of […]
PHANTOM SPELL Heather & Hearth Wizard Tower / Cruz Del Sur Music (2025) Rating: 9/10 Still meddling with all things vintage, Brit rocker Kyle McNeill (Seven Sisters) returns with Phantom Spell, three years after their impressive debut full-length album, Immortal’s Requiem. As stuffy as those moth-ridden flares you picked up at that stinky charity shop, […]
ENTRAILS Grip Of Ancient Evil Hammerheart (2025) Rating: 7/10 Sweden’s Entrails is one of those reliable death metal bands that never let you down. Thrills are rare, but if you like steady meat n’ potatoes grunting then Grip Of Ancient Evil, just like the band’s previous seven albums, is worthy of your time. Even so, […]
