An art form called death metal can’t possibly be expected to warm hearts and minds and give the listener the energy needed to conquer the day. It’s easy to walk away disillusioned with life, overcome with gore and horror, and bludgeoned by the harshest elements of existence that we cannot do a single thing to avoid. It’s OK. I think we all knew this when cracking open the subgenre’s gates.

That brings us to Los Angeles death crushers Kommand whose second record “Death Age” jumps into the cesspool and makes things even more poisonous, which I didn’t realize was possible. Over six tracks and an economical 26 minutes, the band—vocalist Jesse Sanes, guitarists Ian Logan and Sam Shriver, bassist Tim Shriver, drummer Sam Bosson—taps into the most devious elements of our world and exposes it for the diseased terrain that it is. This is unadulterated misery, a collection that wallows in the filth and makes no apologies, hoping only to amplify the guttural, miserable horrors.

“Final Virus” tears open as the death assault immediately gets under way, chugging through infernal destruction, the menace heavy and oppressive. The playing scorches as the pummeling increases, the guitars boiling before blazing out. “Chimera Soldiers” heats up with the leads churning, the fury amplified as the trail continues into hell. Sooty playing coats your lungs, furious punishment barrels its way toward you, and a thunderous attack is mounted, bringing things to a burly finish. “Global Death” is ominous and humid, the growls scraping and the pace disrupting. The playing blisters as the tempo suddenly switches, jerking your head violently, the growls destroying, and the final moments of the madness disintegrating.

“Polar Holdout” strikes from the gates and lets the temperature get hotter, the tempo going dangerously fast, the growls leaving bruising on your face. The playing mashes bones, and then the guitars go into an atypical hypnotic spell before breaking out and burying everything deep in the soil. “Fleeing Western Territories” arrives amid storming guitars and raw speed, the storm encircling and increasing the pressure. Thrashy flattening becomes a bigger factor, the guitars splatter, and the final moments crush wills beyond identification. Closer “Collapse Metropolis” is delirious, making the ground quake and teeth grind, total demolition having its way. Growls deface as the guitars sound like they’re being slaughtered in a blender, tornadic horrors bleeding, the assault coming to a neck-breaking, abrupt end.

Kommand dig into your most animalistic inhibitions on “Death Age,” a record that’s over in a flash but leaves you properly battered in its rearview mirror. There’s no concern for safety or physical well-being when these tracks strike, as this is death metal as its most savage. If relentless and unforgiving is what you’re seeking, Kommand find a way to jam it down your throat and make you savor the horrifying aftertaste.

For more on the band, go here: https://www.kommand.band/

To buy the album, go here: https://www.20buckspin.com/kommand

For more on the label, go here: https://www.20buckspin.com/

The black metal world is awash in negativity, which might be the most obvious sentence I’ve ever written, here or anywhere. It’s a cold, callous place, and there are segments that are even more poisonous politically that aren’t even worth getting into right now. Basically, it’s not a place where one should go for solace, as it simply doesn’t exist.

That said, Ole Luk isn’t a typical black metal musician, and his Afsky project isn’t one that does things based on any rules, written or unwritten. For Afsky’s third record “Om hundrede år” (translated means in 100 years), he decided to eschew negativity and cynicism and instead tried to celebrate life and the more positive aspects of existence. That’s a bold move in this day and age when so much of our lives feel heavy and oppressive, but hearing these six tracks and 43 minutes does make you think differently. It explodes with an exuberance not often heard in black metal, and if you walk from “Om hundrede år” still obscured in darkness, you might want to consider the path you’re on.

“Stormfulde hav” is the 7:51-long opener, and the lush acoustics that greet you soon are bombarded by heavy melodies and a wealth of riffs, cascading and swimming, the harsh cries carving into your mind. The playing gushes hard, spilling emotion and energy generously, the guitars rising into a gazey fire, shrieks raining down before everything ends in calm. “Frosne vind” sparks with storming riffs and vocals that make your brain go into overdrive, overwhelming all of your senses. Drums crunch as wild wails spill over, doubling the force, infectious playing making everything seem that much more exciting. Raucous fire begins to rush, howls pierce the sky,  and a clobbering tempo becomes more prominent, fading off into the distance. “Tak for alt” opens in clean guitars flowing before anguished wails strike, and the pace bleeds back and forth from forceful to calm and back again. The riffs engorge as massive hazy power swells, crushing boundaries and gushing openly, flooding hearts and minds with energy.

“Det der var” delivers stinging guitars and pummeling force, howls striking with precision, later turning to sharpened shrieks. The piercing vocals remain and work with guitars that continue to bloom anew, gut-wrenching quaking that tears you apart, and finally spacious coldness that freezes your cells. “Tid” dawns with a chambery feel before the riffs kick in, and it’s not long before everything erupts. Shrieks storm around bends as a gloomier pace arrives, and the guitars explode with splintering strength, hammering and disappearing over the horizon. Closer “Fred være med støvet” quivers as it enters, and then riffs unload, the vocals crushing with equal force. A brief calm comes in and sets your mind at ease, but it’s temporary as lightning is boiling in the sky. The guitars explode as the vocals gush, the toll is emotionally draining, and things finally relent, washing away and leaving a beaten path behind.

You likely can count on one hand the amount of black metal records that feel positive and don’t dwell in the worst possible elements of society, but most bands aren’t Afsky. “Om hundrede år” is another powerful statement from Luk and this project, and there’s nary of moment on this record that doesn’t lift you up and help you feel something good for a change. This is music we could use a little but more of, and in such a dark and foreboding terrain as black metal, Afsky stand out as a force showing a different way to do things.

For more on the band, go here: https://www.facebook.com/afskymusic/

To buy the album, go here: https://vendettarecords.bigcartel.com/

For more on the label, go here: https://vendetta-records.com/

There long has been an argument—a silly one at that—about what constitutes black metal and which bands are allowed to accept that tag. I wasn’t aware a constitution had been produced, though you’d think these rules, something that really shouldn’t belong in a chaotic art form, are passed down on ancient scrolls. It’s never not ridiculous to have this conversation.

Somewhere along the way, it was decided progressive politics, anarchism, and left-wing ideologies flew in the face of black metal, though that message never made it to Dawn Ray’d, one of the most ferocious and thought-provoking bands in that subgenre over the last decade. On their excellent third record “To Know the Light” the trio finds ways to be even more thunderous than their past (2017’s “The Unlawful Assembly” and 2019’s “Behold Sedition Plainsong”), and while their belief remains bleeding on their sleeves, they also add more personal touches to these 10 songs. The band—vocalist/violinist/synth player Simon Barr, guitarist/vocalist Fabian Devlin, drummer/percussionist Matthew Broadley (he also adds harmonium and piano)—sounds channeled and alive as ever, burning down power structures, intertwining passionate folk passages into the mix, and delivering blistering black metal delirium.

“The Battle of Sudden Flame” opens by directly addressing police violence, something just as prevalent on our shores, the eruption of black metal force stunning. The playing rampages and wrenches guts, and Barr howls, “Fuck every copper that ever took a wage, every blue bastard with his baton raised, a beast that even his master hates, only a coward fights for the state.” “Ancient Light” brings a melodic rush, the violin lines slicing through muscle, the fiery assault taking on the form of an endless torch. “We the ones of burning light, we are strength unquantifiable,” Barr wails as the playing utterly destroys, sending shrapnel flying as the final call of, “But fear all us now who fight for ourselves,” landing blows. “Inferno” is moody as it starts, eventually setting fires, jolting with stinging fury, barging through barricades. The track depicts hell actually existing on Earth, a theory that’s hard to deny, and the stirring strings and delirious energy flood to the surface. “Requital” has the band singing a capella throughout the track, getting into your mind and persuading through the emotion. “And if am going to burn, then you are going to burn, for the wasting of all the world is a punishment you have earned,” makes your blood surge amid their protest anthem. “Sepulchre (Don’t Vote)” ignites out of the gates, savagery coming with them with a vengeance. The strings scrape and cause the room to spin, the shrieks leave enemies quivering, and everything ends in a solemn pall.

“Cruel Optimism” is rustic with acoustics and the violin streaking, defiant speaking jabbing in the message. “Joy through destruction, we can spite them and live free in the spite, defiance as purpose, lack of purpose as defiance,” Barr says before the final moments attack with a black grind assault. “In the Shadow of the Past” is somber at the start, strings bending, the playing slowly trudging, dripping blood in the mud. Things sweep up as the shrieks tear down walls, the guitars storm, and the pressure gets more intense, the carnage ending in strings and calm. “Freedom in Retrograde” is another folkish track, one with uniting force and undeniable energy, Barr flexing his clean singing that is incredibly strong. “At our darkest moments, with our detractors circling, I just believe in freedom for every living thing,” Barr calls, rallying forces behind him, slamming that point home with his final call: “If you still sing, then I’ll still sing.” “Wild Fire” brings horns blowing, the speed tearing through the center, and crushing, vibrant playing lights up everything. A brief speaking part fires up, and then the playing rips forcefully, the drumming ruptures, and a group singing howl of, “There is nothing in these songs of which to be ashamed, everything we sing about I would just as plainly say,” makes your nerves react. Closer “Go As Free Companions” sweeps in like as storm, the playing bubbling over, the shrieks crushing wills. “You the still unafraid to love, a demand for the end of demands,” Barr calls as the playing gets hazier yet direct, eventually calming before the emotions run high again. Group singing paves the way for the final moments, the band declaring, “The sun still shines, and it would be a waste to not only lose tomorrow, but also lose today.”

Dawn Ray’d’s belief system and politics remains as strong as ever, though “To Know the Light” shows a bit of a different side in as violent a manner possible. The themes of solidarity and strength rush as hard as the lashing back at power and the drive to gut capitalism, and combining those two worlds make this an even more powerful experience than their previous records. This is conviction, actions placed behind their words, and they’ll burn everything down before they let the common people, their friends and families, succumb to the blades of the enemies. That’s black fucking metal.

For more on the band, go here: https://www.facebook.com/dawnrayd

To buy the album, go here: https://shop.prostheticrecords.com/products/dawn-rayd-to-know-the-light

For more on the label, go here: https://prostheticrecords.com/

There are plenty of elements in heavy metal that can get your excitement levels going, the forces that cause one to grasp the invisible oranges at a live show and let yourself get lost in the spirit. That can be something different for everyone, as it really depends on how the energy strikes you and where it takes you mentally. For me, epic power metal, when done right, nails me every time.

Canadian power Gatekeeper is a band that always finds a way to get the adrenaline flowing, and their new, second record “From Western Shores” is a huge, surging album that will make you want to take to the streets to defend the glory of metal. Or something like that. The band—vocalist Tyler “Tex” Anderson, guitarists Adam Bergen (leads) and Jeff Black (rhythm), bassist David Messier, drummer Tommy Tro—delivers tons of massive moments on here over eight tracks and 49 minutes, and it’s just like a classic metal record from decades ago when Maiden, Priest, and Helloween were blazing trails. Gatekeeper is here to continue that mission, which they do with blazing colors.

The title track opens and immediately fires up, Anderson calling, “Into the unknown we sail for glory, to the old gods we hail for honor,” the blood absolutely surging. The chorus is a barnstormer with power soaring and blazing fires as it rambles away. “Death on Black Wings” brings charging guitars and piercing screams, layering with a heavy ’80s power metal feel. The vocals wail as the leads spill lava, unloading and taking great command, ending with raucous chaos. “Shadow and Stone” feels more even tempered as it starts, the vocals are massive, and the pace trudges before bursting with colors. The track takes on more of an epic feel, a storyteller that gets nudges with group chants, wild wails, and the playing spiraling away. “Exiled King” is about Harald Hardrada, the last Viking king of Norway, and it opens with rustic guitars before the drums rupture, and the thunder cracks in the sky. “They shall weep at my arrival, splitting skulls of every rival,” Anderson calls as things go cold and ominous, making your flesh crawl. The tempo picks up, the chorus melts through you, and everything disappears into the fog.

“Nomads” is punchy, Anderson commanding, “Ride til the end to unchartered lands,” as the energy beams off of that. Drums splatter as some gothy undertones leak, warmer guitars thaw the land, and everything rains down and brings a flood of emotions. “Twisted Towers” is the most different of all the songs on here, the drums rousing and the riffs cutting through the senses. The chorus is infectious and gets into your brain, the leads light up, and a massive finish leaves you heaving behind. “Desert Winds” starts with acoustics before thing electrify quickly, grittier singing adding a film of dirt. Guitars turn moodier, Anderson calls, “On desert winds, we ride tonight,” as the playing spirals, the chorus tearing through to the heart. Closer “Keepers of the Gate” feels like a band anthem, running 8:28 and going wild, the declaration of, “We, the keepers of the gate, guardians of steel,” jostling emotions. The pace jolts as the bass playing quivers, guitars layering with glory, mists bleeding in and obscuring. Group singing rouses, giving the track a massive feel that explodes into a smoking finish.

Gatekeeper have a stranglehold on epic power metal with “From Western Shores,” their excellent second album. They have a way of helping you get lost in their music, the adventure driving your heart rate and imagination at the same time. This is top-shelf heavy metal packed with history and explosive energy, and it can align fans who have been here for decades with ones just getting their education now.

For more on the band, go here: https://www.facebook.com/GatekeeperBand

To buy the album, go here: https://www.cruzdelsurmusic.com/store/

For more on the label, go here: https://www.cruzdelsurmusic.com/

The treacherous, unforgiving winter months finally are coming to an end here in the States, and who the fuck am I kidding? In Pittsburgh, where winter used to be brutal, it snowed like twice. We barely get that season here any longer. The climate is just fine, though. All a liberal communist socialist hoax! I think it only snows in California now. Though Minnesota was grandfathered into winter permanently.

Anyway, at hand is the arrival of “Saturnian Bloodstorm,” the new record from black metal power Lamp of Murmuur and one of the most frigid records you’re bound to hear this year. Even as the temperatures stay in a holding pattern of kind of cold and not quite warm, this six-track destroyer maintains its power and can freeze you over like you’re in the middle of a Nordic forest. Sole creator M. digs into a similar vein as classic Immortal by sending gigantic gusts of metallic winds that chap your face and make your lips bleed, but you won’t mind the pain because you’ll be overwhelmed by the grandiosity of this thing. It’s also a great sounding album, which is not to trash his previous more lo-fi recordings at all. They remain awesome records. But this one of playing on a different level altogether. It’s massive and fun.

“Conqueror Beyond the Frenzied Fog” opens with a melodic surge, feeling grim and frostbitten, the growls crushing everything. The energy melts the thick ice, spacious synth clouds freeze nerves, and the howls crumble, the playing soaring. The soloing goes off, the pace rages heavily, and everything burns to a finish. “Hymns of Death, Rays of Might” is huge when it opens, sweeping you along with its might, the guitars and synth blending and jolting nervous systems. The power ignites as creaky growls chew on bone, murky mist clouding your vision. The guitars jar and freezing strangeness runs down your back, ghostly keys illuminate the trail, and the final bursts smash into oblivion. “Seal of the Dominator” invades with riffs, ramping up the pace and increasing the electricity. Hazy leads combine with unforgiving electricity, later getting slurry and disorienting as gothic-style drama increases. The pace drills, commanding riffs do their thing, and the final notes are mashed deep in the snow.

“Descending From the Aurora” is a quick interlude with noises surrounding and synth sending a beam of light through the night sky. Warmth glows as the heat helps tear through ice blocks and into “In Communion With the Wintermoon” where guitars jostle, and howls crackle into the night. The playing congeals and thrashes, splashing various colors into the mix, the leads blistering as the elements strike. The keys glisten as a heavy fog envelopes, and then guitars explode into the atmosphere, bringing with it wintry glory exhaling. The intensity begins to pull back as the winds gets colder, dissolving into angelic synth. The closing title track delivers rupturing drums, guitars dripping, and the metallic fury whipping through and sending everything flying. Melodic waves and thunderous growls deal quaking power, and the playing is striking and urgent, picking up the speed. Devastation reigns as the guitars hit the gas pedal and plaster, slowly giving its way over to an infectious synth vortex.

“Saturnian Bloodstorm” is the most energetic and slashing of the Lamp of Murmuur catalog, a record that M. seemed to be hinting at musically and finally delivering now. The hugeness of the record fills hearts and minds of those who have dined at black metal’s lofty halls for centuries and wanted more of that goodness that dawned three decades ago. It’s an album that gets your blood rushing even if you’re in the midst of frigid terrain.

For more on the band, go here: https://lampofmurmuur.bandcamp.com/

To buy the album, go here: https://lampofmurmuur.bandcamp.com/album/saturnian-bloodstorm

Or here: https://wolvesofhades.myshopify.com/

The internet is vast and littered with people with bad opinions, so the next comment I get on a story from a right-wing chud won’t be the first. But I’ve heard before from these people about how heavy metal does not have progressive politics and flies in the face of it, almost like they’ve never heard a single song from Sabbath, Black. You can’t teach everyone.

Metal has been a strong base for protest music since the start (again, reference Sabbath, Black), and Spectral Lore and its sole creator Ayloss never have been shy about their mission to support social justice and progressive goals. The project’s latest is an EP called “11 Days,” named that for the length it time it takes people to travel the refugee sea route to Europe through the Mediterranean Sea. That trek has resulted in the deaths of about 26,000 people between 2014 and 2022 (according to the Missing Migrants Project), an incomprehensible toll for people just trying to find a better life. Not take yours. They’re trying to survive, and politics have helped cause this body count. Ayloss composed four tracks that run about 44 minutes, two of which are in the traditional black metal style while the other two play more with electronics and ambiance. Joining Ayloss here are Nate Collins (synths, electronics, vocals), Odile Aurora Strik (synth and field recordings), a member of the Yovel collective (vocals), V. and K. from VOAK (vocals, a guitar solo on Adro Onzi”), and Aris “Sadistik” Thanasoulas (vocals). All proceeds from the digital edition and an important part of later physical editions will be donated to organizations and collectives that offer direct aid and rescue refugees in distress in the Mediterranean.

“Moloch” starts things, an 11:05-long adventure that head into spiraling guitars and an immersive storm, growls scraping at vulnerable flesh. Things speed up as the drums maul, beastly wails driving the hammer, and a gothy underbelly with synth and dripping darkness immerse you in darkness. Things get thundering again as the riffs mangle, guttural stomping bruises, and the guitars loop into a shadowy darkness that zaps out and into “Fortitude/Sunrise.” This spacey, mostly instrumental piece centers on psychedelic wonders as sounds rush, and the keys make the room spin, beaming through clouds and feeling a little Pink Floyd-esque. Everything whirs as the chills increase, beats churn, and everything pulsates, spilling into 13:45-long “Adro Onzi” that tears itself apart immediately. Savagery crushes as the warped tones play with your mind, howls crush, and speedy black metal tramples. Things get uglier as the tempo increases, the storming gets more oppressive, and sounds cascading into a foggy darkness. Growls slither as the playing gets disorienting, and then monstrous howls strike, the blistering pace making balance tough to conquer, speeding and devastating into a soundscape. Closer “Tremor/Kalunga Line” starts with sounds knocking through a haze, sheets of synth raining down, and a detached voice asking, “What did you dream about?” Noise swims into calming winds, stimulating your mind and sending chills down your spine, the intensity once again rupturing and fading into the waves.

“11 Days” isn’t just an extra-large Spectral Lore EP; it’s a collection of music trying to raise awareness of something larger than heavy metal. It shows compassion for people who are trying to find a better life and lashing back against the myriad forces trying to stop safe passage. Musically, it’s one of the most daring and spacious music Ayloss has created yet, and it’s an incredible piece that hopefully can help do some good in the world.   

For more on the band, go here: https://www.facebook.com/spectral.lorebm/

To buy the album, go here: https://spectrallore.bandcamp.com/album/11-days

Every day is a battle it seems. There are so many things circulating in our lives that have an impact on who we are and our path and the way we interact, that trying to make sense of it all and make progress toward our difficulties can crush us. That story is the same with everyone, whether we’re good, bad, or something in between, there comes a time for all of us when the pressure seems too much.

“Silhouettes of Disgust,” the sixth album from German crushers Downfall of Gaia, tackles these very issues in a concept piece comprised of eight songs about eight different characters. The issues are universal and common such as pain, loss, loneliness, addiction, societal and work pressure, and many others weaving the tales of the people who live in a fictional metropolis. The band—vocalist/guitarist Dominik Goncalves dos Reis, guitarist/vocalist Peter Wolff, bassist/vocalist Anton Lisovoj, drummer Michael Kadnar—weaves atmospheric black metal, sludge, and plenty of other volatile elements into this record that’s one of their most imaginable and easy to mentally invest.

“Existence of Awe” ruptures and cascades, howls wrenching and leading toward anguish, driving the drama before things become even tempered. Wild cries rain down with somber waves and abject heaviness, guest vocalist Lulu Black’s singing adding to the thick shadows and disappearing into the mists. “The Whir of Flies” starts off feeling properly mechanical as the gears tighten, wrenching chaos following as vicious howls devastate and lead you into a brief bout of serenity. The playing gets moody and spacey as the fog thickens, and the chaos blasts out of that, raspy yells leave welts on flesh, and the finish feels like your psyche being locked into a vice. “While Bloodsprings Become Rivers” begins with the drums erupting, lurching growls meeting with the spiraling playing, guitars enveloping everything. The attack rumbles the earth as the pace rushes harder, feeling active and throttling. Somber gazing takes over, pushing the melodies into the sky, pulsating with alien blood. “Bodies as Driftwood” has a post-metal ambiance as it starts, liquified playing melting, and then the track is shredded, bringing violent storms. The tempo is pulled from cool serenity to volcanic misery, the playing ramps up, and the crushing madness becomes a major factor, flowing away toward the horizon.

“Eyes to Burning Skies” is eerie and haunting, Black’s singing adding to the coldness that makes your flesh ice over. The ominous darkness unloads, feeling both thrashing and gazey, jabbing at your ribs. Trudging playing goes into spacious skies before the track ruptures anew, raging and letting fires crush until they fade away. “Final Vows” will make you think whatever device on which you’re listening is shorting out the first time you hear it. I definitely was fooled by the start/stop that stutters over the beginning, and then the punches are thrown as shrieks and growls wrestle for control, melodic fury increasing the barometric pressure. Shrieks instill fear until a strange aura arrives, melting your mental capacities as strange noises slip into space.  “Unredeemable” drills in, letting the energy wash over everything, and then things kick into high gear. The track goes from punishing to soothing over the course of the track, the guitars liquifying into a silver river. The punishment returns as the shadows thicken, causing your anxiety to spike as everything burns off. Closer “Optograms of Disgust” lets the steam rise as guitars hang in the air, and disorientation turns up the volume. Crazed shrieks belt and leave welts behind, and the pace drops the hammer, whirring synth making you question your security. The track returns to being a crushing force, melodies flood and smash, and everything suddenly fades, soaring off into the clouds.

Downfall of Gaia always have been an inventive and thought-provoking band, yet “Silhouettes of Disgust” takes that even further than before. These eight tracks, and the characters and plights woven into them, are not alien concepts to most of us as we face our own struggles and battles, looking for ways to just stay above water. This is volcanic, emotional, and dreamy, an experience that aligns with our chaotic world and tries to find sense within the carnage.

For more on the band, go here: https://www.facebook.com/DownfallofGaia

To buy the album, go here: https://www.indiemerch.com/metalbladerecords

For more on the label, go here: https://www.metalblade.com/us/

Heavy metal has become so many different things, and the emotions it conjures is so varied that the experiences one can have with the music runs the gamut. Many of the artists who created the foundations did so with music that drive energy through your body and temporarily made you feel invincible. Or at least it increased that sense of adventure in which you could get lost.

Ardent Nova might be a newer name to many listeners, but their journey to their self-titled debut record is two decades in the making. Originally formed as Pagan Thunder, the band—vocalist/guitarist/keyboardist Mike Pardi, drummer Ryan Gallagher—later morphed into this current version/name Ardent Nova that could unite Amon Amarth and Bathory fans in a beer hall with swords raised. The nine tracks on this record are fiery and rousing, feeling like anthems here to light the fires of metallic glory in your heart just like Maiden, Priest, and Dio did decades earlier.

“Intro” feels like the first strains toward storming a castle, synth glazing, the suspicion an army of orcs might be around the corner, and then it’s into “Rise From the Ashes” that just unloads. Vicious howls  and melodic fire gasp, the choruses rush by with dramatic power and wrenching madness. The energy never quits as the guitars fire away , the playing sprawls, and you’re left gasping for air. “Pagan Thunder” charges and pumps blood, raucous energy exploding and racing toward the battle. The chorus is simple but effective, and later when the band gang shouts, “Hey!” it feels like you want to grab your sword and do some damage. “Stronger Than Time” trudges through devastation, bleeding power and bringing the fire with it. “Warriors, we ride! Rise! Rise!” Pardi howls as the playing gets more electric, and the smoke from the carnage coats your lungs. “Sound the Horns” has synth rising, and then the lid rips open, the track catching incredible spirit that carries it along. The chorus easily can raise your blood pressure, and from there the blistering playing and infectious melodies drive this thing home.

“Chieftain” starts off like an Iron Maiden song, the playing galloping hard on the plains with reckless abandon. The growls are gnarly as the guitars speed along, the chorus making things more reflective but still heavy as hell. The riffs continue the race, and the final moments add to the adrenaline surge. “In Darkest Ages” punches open as the playing hits hard, storming and creating a mass of chaos. The band hits on all cylinders here, the soloing blazing with multiple colors, the chugging insanity digging deep into your chest, surging blood as everything comes to a fiery end. “Ardent Nova,” the band’s instrumental anthem, jumps in with rushing guitars, a thrashing feel, and the leads knifing through the center point. The power continues to amplify its strength, and the final moments explode with the proper amount of savagery and glory. “Eternal Liberty” is listed as a bonus track, and you should get whatever version this song is on because it’s awesome. Strong riffs and glistening synth unite, Pardi wailing, “Raise the pillars of tomorrow!” Vicious and catchy, the soloing burns through worlds, the playing crushes, and the record ends on a devastating note.

Two decades in the making, Ardent Nova’s debut full-length offering finally seeing the light of day is another boost to those who want high-energy death and thrash metal. These songs sound huge, and live they could whip up a fervor in their audience that could be really fun and infectious. This is awesome stuff, and hopefully Ardent Nova get another serving up to us sooner than later.

For more on the band, go here: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100087978697755

To buy the album, go here: https://wisebloodrecords.8merch.us/

For more on the label, go here: https://wisebloodrecords.com/

A lot of times I talk about records being experiences, and if you’re sick of that angle, I guess I apologize. Not every album has to be this way, mind you, but when it happens, it elevates the music to a different level, as well as my mentality. When this happens, though, it make the experience that much more intense, that much psychologically heavier.

Heolstor, the sole creator of At the Altar of the Horned God who handles vocals, guitars, bass, synths, drums, djembe, and tambourine, sinks deep into your psyche on the project’s second record “Heart of Silence.” Also the sole member of Mystagos, Heolstor covers a ton of ground here, and it’s not just metal. A lot of it is, but if you try on the gothy sides and the alluringly dark melodies, you’ll find a record that’s plenty heavy enough but also explores corners a lot of metal artists don’t visit.

“Guardian of the Threshold” thunders with noise as the keys layer in, the djembe playing feeling like spirits are on the rise. The atmosphere lures you into a vortex, synth waves feel like light beams off of clouds, and drawling singing and vicious growls leave your brains scrambled. “Anointed with Fire” bludgeons and lurches, and guitars layer in drama and wildness, shrieks maiming psyches. Animalistic carnage overflows, pounding with menace, twisting with agony and madness that burrows into your brain. “God Is in the Rain” is a cover of the Suicide Commando song, and it’s done with acidic sharpness, strangling with keys and mutilating with a strange electronic vibe that feels dark as its core. Closer “Severing Light” is noisy at the outset, unloading and using glazing melodies to keep your brain iced over. “A powerful shadow rests upon me, and I hear the sound of light,” Heolstor howls as thorny playing draws blood, the pace jostles, and raucous energy trudges and slowly fades away.

“Listen” opens the record and turns into one of the most rhythmically infectious songs of the entire year so far, a piece that slowly builds in intensity and power, Heolstor continually chanting, “Stone, leaf, bone, shadow, listen to the trees, listen to the hollow.” The playing churns, swirling around your head, making you grip for balance, echoing and leaving you gripping the walls. “Closing Circle” is murky as the drumming pierces, clean calls mixing with guttural growls. Things turn gothy and engorge, the singing is a repetitive (in a good way) cadence, and the atmosphere buzzes as guitars churn. “Heart of Silence” rushes in with black metal-style melodies and warping shrieks, clean bellowing balancing the carnage. Ugliness flattens as the tempo hypnotizes and bolts, bring alluring darkness that gets into your bloodstream and rips out your guts. “Chthonic Summoning” has a driving pace with numbing singing teaming with lurching growls, a spiritual feeling glimmering and creating brightness. The pace splatters as spoken passages haunt, melting as the hammers drop.

Psychedelically striking and ritualistic at its core, “Heart of Silence” is one of those records you won’t forget for some time after it’s over, and that’s a massive compliment to Heolstor and his At the Altar of the Horned God project. It took me a while with this to really open my mind and understand what’s going on here, and my journey with the album will continue and likely evolve. That’s an exciting path to be on, and every trip with this record has been rewarding and riveting.    

For more on the band, go here: https://www.facebook.com/atthealtarofthehornedgod/

To buy the album (U.S.), go here: https://metalodyssey.8merch.us/

Or here (Europe): https://metalodyssey.8merch.com/

For more on the label, go here: https://i-voidhangerrecords.bandcamp.com/

Pain and anguish are two things no one wants to experience, and when you’re in the midst of it, it feels like that state will last forever. When you couple those elements with stormy conditions in personal relationships or the frustrations of everyday life, everything can be amplified, and being able to release all of that tension can become paramount.

Digging into an Isole record usually means delving in the shadows and wallowing in agony, and their excellent seventh record “Anesidora” definitely doesn’t hold back and lets out that suffering. Yet as the album and its seven song navigate choppy waters and push through bruising emotions that can scar for life, their music finds a way to soar amid so much gloom. It’s one of the melodic doom metal band’s most adventurous albums, one that’ll hook you from moment one, and the band—vocalist/guitarist Daniel Brynste, guitarist/backing vocalist Crister Olsson, bassist/vocalist (harsh) Jimmy Mattsson, drummer Victor Parri—goes all in, pouring their hearts and psyches into this collection that is powerful and impactful.

“The Songs of the Whales” opens with agitated guitars and soaring singing driving the energy. The guitars are layered with melodic darkness, rushing and making your blood surge as Brynste calls, “Listen to the songs of the whales,” later noting, “They will tell you a story from the sea.” “Forgive Me” is murky and sorrowful, feeling dank and hopeless, the playing enveloping your senses. “I tried to heal these wounds, wounds that cannot be healed,” Brynste calls as guitars rush, the emotion jars, and the begs of forgiveness are surrounded by fires melting hearts. “Monotonic Scream” swims in self-loathing, the singing bellowing, the playing slowly infecting your bloodstream. “I feed on guilt, I hate myself,” Brynste admits as organs sprawl, the goth shadows becoming more intimidating. Harsh growls mix in, burning with acidic terror and jetting off into the night.

“Twisted Games” dawns with riffs trickling and the pain multiplying, Brynste wailing, “I had a dream where we coexist.” That hope is fleeting as Brynste later admits, “You hid your dark side well,” following with, “I have to flee from you,” as Mattsson howls, “And your twisted games!” It’s wrenching and a little too raw for any comfort. “In Abundance” chugs as foggy riffs spread their wings, keys swell, and burly growls add to the ugliness. The chorus sweeps, the guitars fire up, and the playing scorches flesh, getting to a cleaner path where Mattsson growls, “There is no turning back,” as the track blasts away. “Open Your Mind” starts with clean acoustics, layered singing, and the common theme of guilt and grief layered into the story. Guitars spiral as the pace picks up, and Brynste wails, “It’s time to stop wallowing in the mire and raise yourself up and make a stand,” a boisterous declaration that ripples your chest with power. Closer “Vanity” drips with dark waters as the singing hypnotizes, organs gush, and the solemnity keeps getting heavier. The seas darken with melancholic storming, and the playing slowly dissolves, its essence sinking to the bottom of the world.

Isole’s majesty remains as strong as ever on “Anesidora,” a gem of a doom metal record that thrives with its honest human emotions, emotional failures, and guilt associated with those feelings. The album itself, even when you remove the wrenching themes, absolutely fills your chest with sadness and glory at the same time, reminding that they have still have a heavy hand for making sounds that grip your heart. This is powerful and impossible to shake, a record that storms liberally and impactfully and leaves you devastated inside.

For more on the band, go here: https://www.facebook.com/Isoleofficial

To buy the album, go here: https://hammerheartstore.com/collections/vendors?q=Isole

For more on the label, go here: https://www.hammerheart.com/