NECROSEXUAL Road To Rubble Black Metal Archives (2026) Rating: 7/10 It’s time to return to Weirdsville, otherwise known as the band Necrosexual. With artists such as Night Of The Vampire making headway with their unorthodox brand of black metal n’ synth, the return of Philadelphia’s Necrosexual is welcomed. Having released their debut full-length platter Grim-1 […]
TEMPLAR Conquering Swords Jawbreaker (2026) Rating: 8/10 If you’re going to wear a leather waistcoat over your bare n’ sweaty chest then you must be a member of Swedish clan Templar. With the look and sound of 1984, this quartet has been channelling the spirit of Heavy Load and the likes since 2023. After a […]
CRYPTIC SHIFT Overspace & Supertime Metal Blade (2026) Rating: 9/10 If legendary science fiction writer Isaac Asimov had been an extreme metal fan then Leeds, England-based adventurers Cryptic Shift would have been on his radar. Emphatically emblazoning the ears is Overspace & Supertime, a scintillating fusion of tech thrash n’ death that beams you up […]
AVALON Astral Claw EP High Roller (2026) Rating: 5/10 Obviously these German rockers didn’t check to see if any other bands, past or present, had the same moniker. I found at least ten other bands called Avalon, but this clan has certainly done its best to suggest they’ve been around a lot longer than 2019. […]
LEAD INJECTOR Witching Attack High Roller (2026) Rating: 8/10 Lead Injector is a trio of rowdy rascals from Germany hellbent on keeping the black speed metal flag burning. Leo (vocals and bass) Jason (guitar) and Justus (drums) make a hell of a racket, brandishing brash barbaric sounds straight from the cauldron of early Sodom. No […]
ZEPTER Zepter High Roller (2026) Rating: 8/10 Here’s another band channelling a traditional metal aesthetic and actually succeeding. I’m often commenting on how the metal genre is getting clogged with throwback sound-alike’s, bands aping the New Wave Of British Heavy Metal vibe in look and groove, but so many just look contrived. Zepter, meanwhile, are […]
LEATHERHEAD Violent Horror Stories No Remorse (2026) Rating: 8/10 Probably not named after a town situated within the English county of Surrey, this Leatherhead is a Greek metal act that’s been on the scene for just a few years. Formed in 2022, Leatherhead released their self-titled debut album in 2024 and now returns with this […]
TEMPLE BALLS Temple Balls Frontiers Music (2026) Rating: 8/10 I can’t take the band moniker seriously – I never have – but once I’ve managed to overlook it, I’ve become endeared by this Finnish melodic band that has existed in some form since 2009. This self-titled offering is the fifth full-length album by this Oulu […]
WORM Necropalace Century Media (2026) Rating: 9/10 The ever evolving Worm has shifted from its blackened death-doom style to a 90s second wave of black metal worship with this, the North American band’s fourth full-length trip. With cover art that nods towards Necromantia’s 1993 classic, Crossing The Fiery Path, Worm circa 2026 takes inspiration from […]
GREYHAWK Warriors Of Greyhawk Cruz Del Sur Music (2026) Rating: 8.5/10 The cover art of this album takes me back to the glorious 80s when, as a young metalhead, I became obsessed with J.R.R. Tolkien and all things pertaining to goblins, elves, orcs and wizards. In the heavy metal domain such subjects remain predominant as […]
