ACID REIGN Daze Of The Week Back On Black (2026) Rating: 8/10 Upon reflection, my 9/10 grading for Acid Reign’s 2019 return album The Age Of Entitlement was one of the most ridiculous I’ve ever written! I overhyped the opus to say the least, and believe that a 7/10 would have been a more accurate […]

LOUDER Devil’s Night Fighter (2026) Rating: 7/10 With names like Hellgröwler (vocals and guitar), Deathströker (bass) and Nekrö (drums) I expected this Columbian trio to cough up some unhealthy speed metal, and that’s exactly what happened. With song titles such as ‘Speed Junkie’, ‘Satan’s Bitch’ and ‘Hellish Rock ‘N’ Roll’, these scurrying warlocks don’t leave […]

DARKTHRONE Pre-Historic Metal Peaceville (2026) Rating: 8.5/10 Darkthrone, unholy Darkthrone… the boys are back in town with more vintage vigour and leathery nostalgia than you can shake an inverted crucifix at. With their silliest album cover since 2022 opus Astral Fortress, the Norwegian tag team of Ted “Nocturno Culto” Skejellum and Gylve “Fenriz” Nagell embark […]

FROZEN SOUL No Place Of Warmth Century Media (2026) Rating: 8.5/10 Still as chilly as ever, Fort Worth, Texas-based death metal combo Frozen Soul thaws out and issues a third full-length that once again channels a permafrost Bolt Thrower. Colossal riffs abound as each and every song operates like a snow bulldozer, grinding with heft […]

VENOM Into Oblivion Noise (2026) Rating: 7.5/10 If ever there was a band that should’ve mysteriously disappeared after releasing its initial batch of classic albums, it’s Venom. Back in the early 80s, this British mob were the drunken uncles you never knew you had. Clad in leather and spouting alcohol influenced satanic nonsense, the trio […]

SPELL Wretched Heart Bad Omen (2026) Rating: 7.5/10 Canadian band Spell is an outfit I’ve followed since their debut album, The Full Moon Sessions, emerged in 2014. Since then they’ve remained consistent in their ability to craft engaging heavy rock and Wretched Heart is the fifth full-length from the Vancouver-based quartet. With another ten bouts […]