NIGHT OF THE VAMPIRE The Enchanting Winds Of The Dreamweaving Masquerade Profound Lore (2026) Rating: 6.5/10 Often ignored by the metal press due to their veering towards dark wave and synth, Texas outfit Night Of The Vampire still deserves your attention due to its black metal streaks. Created by the mysterious Astral Shadow, Night Of […]

MAYHEM Liturgy Of Death Century Media (2026) Rating: 8.5/10 To fully understand and appreciate the truly mesmeric quality of the legendary Mayhem one must ignore the cold mists of their past. While the Norwegian band’s classic 1994 opus De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas remains embedded in folklore, the Mayhem of today, and the last few decades, […]

TAILGUNNER Midnight Blitz Napalm (2026) Rating: 6.5/10 UK metalheads Tailgunner have been somewhat underwhelming when it comes to their releases. Debut 2022 EP Crashdive garnered a cult following, but in my opinion it did little outside of its bar room brawn. Admittedly, the combo upped their game slightly for 2023 full-length Guns For Hire, but […]

MÄDÄTYS Kuoleman Ulottuvuudet Iron Corpse / Caligari (2026) Rating: 8/10 Vying for space among Finland’s unearthly death metal hordes is Mädätys, a foursome which formed in 2021 out of Oulu. The mob merges death n’ doom, the result being eight tracks which spiral into the cavernous regions of old Incantation. From fast cold blasts of […]

WICKED SMILE When Night Falls No Dust (2026) Rating: 8.5/10 When Night Falls is the second full-length platter from Melbourne, Australia-based combo Wicked Smile. Lead by vocalist Danny Cecati, the line-up also features the tag team axe attack of Stevie Janevski and Dave Graham, while bass duties are carried out by Tom Nugara and percussion […]