Trivium got Struck Dead on Halloween and in three songs they reminded me of how much punch this band can deliver, even in a short time frame. Three tracks with plenty of intensity and everything showcased well from solos to punchy bass and a killer drum track. Do I wish it was longer? Sure, but that doesn’t diminish how fierce this EP is with plenty of replay value in under 18 minutes. If this is Alex Bent’s last work with Trivium, then it’s a great note to go out on and ... read more

The long wait for new Deftones music resulted in another solid Deftones album. Going back to the producer who worked on Diamond Eyes and Koi No Yokan, the vibe from those albums is given in 2025. Singles like “Infinite Source” and “Milk Of The Madonna” have great guitars from Steph and Chino sounds strong. Other cuts like “cXz” and the closer “Departing The Body” leave you hypnotized. While I would not put Private Music above Koi No Yokan, that ... read more

BABYMETAL have returned with album number five and have brought a lot of friends with them. Some of the big collaborations are the standouts. Tracks over the past year plus still hold strong like “Ratatata” with Electric Callboy and “From Me To U” with Poppy. The combination of so many big names with BABYMETAL is exciting, especially the new collaboration with Spiritbox in “My Queen”. Outside of some of these big tracks, it’s definitely more of the ... read more

The deathcore resurgence that has become a big thing in the last few years has another strong entry with Imperium Delirium. The symphonic and theatrical elements are not over the top or take too much attention away from the band, and I think that’s to Shadow Of Intent’s credit because they definitely showcase a lot of skill. Ben’s vocals and growls all sound clear and ferocious. You can tell there was some time spent on perfecting that along with the technical guitar playing ... read more

Turnstile has grown from Glow On’s breakout success and made their next big step. Focusing on Never Enough as an individual album was a joy and is an early contender for best summer album of 2025. After the sweet, soft title track, you get knocked around by “Sole” and that is the best one-two punch to get you amped up for a new Turnstile release. It’s an album filled with big hits and surprises, along with a range of speed and tone all executed well. The slower, mellow ... read more

In Sleep Token’s ongoing takeover of 2025, the band make Even In Arcadia a different and unique album compared to 2023’s Take Me Back To Eden. While a song like “Caramel” shows off the struggle of dealing with fame while trying to stay anonymous and hide in the limelight, the closing tracks “Gethsemane” and “Infinite Baths” are meant to destroy you as a human. The electronic elements are ramped in quantity but still subtle. It’s never ... read more

The next chapter of Ghost relishes in the soundtrack of 80’s and classic metal. With comparisons to Yes, Journey, Dokken, and even some Blue Oyster Cult thrown in, Skeletá is much less groove filled rock tracks but instead power ballads for days. The singles, also the first three tracks on the album, are somewhat more tame compared to later in the album when solos and instrumental arrangements come out swinging. Skeletá feels like a dark arena show in 1984 and that vibe ... read more

There is a new force in punk and hardcore and alternative. Scowl combines all three into one perfectly blended green haired smoothie. Are We All Angels was boasted big time by the singles, especially “Tonight, I’m Afraid” and “Not Hell, Not Heaven”. The 33-minute run time helped prove the singles are not just one-offs. This album has strong writing and hooks, great basslines, and Kat Moss who is proving to be a force both lyrically and vocally. Through all the ... read more

The return of the growling, shrieking demon that is George Clark using his greatest talents, in what is going to be an album of the year contender. Lonely People With Power covers topics like trauma and loss in a freight train of a long album, and it’s as beautiful as it is relentless and terrifying. “Magnolia” is for the more traditional metal lovers while “The Garden Route” reflects Deafheaven’s venture to Clarke shrieking over clean shoegaze style ... read more

A Day To Remember return with a bit of a surprise album in Big Ole Album Vol. 1 and right off the bat, it’s much better than the previous You’re Welcome. You can hear the identity of Ocala’s favorite band come through in moments and the band at least sounds like they are enjoying music again. The biggest issues are the high level polish glazing over the entire album, and the lackluster lyrics and guitar writing across the board. Songs like “All My Friends” and ... read more

The tale of demons in the wild west returns, this time with vendettas, screaming, and riffs. I came into Helldorado, expecting something similar to DeathWestern in terms of intensity and volume. At times you definitely get that, but at other times the music gets more calm and sinister, and it helps with what this band of cowboys can do. “Western Stars and the Apocalypse”, “Abeline Grime”, “Oblivion”, those are the barn burners that Spiritworld do best. ... read more

The full assault of deathcore returns from one of the best bands currently making it. Hymns In Dissonance is horrifying. Phil Bozeman trapped part of his soul and is singing and screaming like a demon in the most impressive way possible. The drumming is also furious. Some of the drum tracks are endless barrages that might blow out some speakers. You have tracks like “A Visceral Wretch” and the closer “Nothing Is Coming For Any Of Us” that channel the 2000’s ... read more

In heavy music there are many gimmicks and formats, and Spiritbox clearly did not care one bit about what is trendy and did their own thing. That resolution paid off massively. Most of Tsumani Sea is an onslaught of wrath and anger. The tuning is dropped to the perfect level while Courtney Laplante shocks and hypnotizes with her vocals. “Soft Spine”, “Black Rainbow”, “No Loss, No Love” can get vicious. Some of the riffs and effects with percussion hits drive ... read more

Architect’s 11th full album, this time working with Jordan Fish, and you can definitely sense that presence in this electronic and effect amplified version of Architects. The anger from Sam Carter comes through in moments where his vocals have improved on this outing. That electronic metalcore REALLY focuses on the electronic though. To the point that songs are elongated with digital filler, and I’m not sure that shows off what Architects are best at. There are some strong tracks ... read more

This was first time since Alive Or Just Breathing that the band hashed everything out together in the same room as a combined effort. You get that vibe because this is definitely a dyed in the wool Killswitch album. “Abandon Us” kicks off with a lot of fire and great guitar work, the closing track “Requiem” also ends the album with a big statement. The writing through the album is reflective of current issues going on in the world and in our own backyard. Killswitch is ... read more

This album has rekindled my appreciation for Lacuna Coil.
The speed is fairly consistent through the runtime of Sleepless Empire and it’s the tone that shifts from bright and energetic to dark, low and horrifying. Some of the guitarwork is crushing. Salomone’s flourishes and solos add a ton to bolster the tracks. As is standard, the presence of Cristina’s amazing high singing with Andrea’s bombastic growl and low range is excellent. Adding collaborations including a ... read more

Seven years since the last All That Remains album with more new members to support Phil and it's definitely more of the same. There is some SOLID guitarwork that hasn't been heard on an All That Remains album in roughly 10-15 years thanks to Jason Richardson. That being said, Antifragile is definitely more of the outdated metalcore material with lyrics trying to sound smarter than they are, where every song is built around a radio rock chorus. Songs like "Divine" and the ... read more

The return of one of the world’s biggest bands, a new singer, and with an album that everyone will have a strong opinion on. From Zero ranges from original old-school sounding tracks like “Heavy Is The Crown”, to completely different sounding material from past Linkin Park like ‘Over Each Other”. It’s when you get to the deep cuts that you notice a few things. The instrumentals while solid, are never as catchy or striking as I’d wish. Lyrically, the ... read more

The full length debut from Better Lovers who showcase everything that is beautifully chaotic. The combination of so many great bands forming a true supergroup doesn’t lead to egos trying to outshine each other here, but rather a group of slightly sinister musicians knowing how to bring destruction in the best way. The riffs and guitar work are instantly infectious. Greg’s vocals are as powerful as ever while still sounding fresh. Shades of hardcore, mathcore, metalcore, punk, ... read more

It’s as if Motley Crue were desperate to prove how edgy and cool they used to be forty years ago, tried to remind us, but actually don’t know how embarrassing they’ve become in 2024. Putting aside a hilariously cringe filled Beastie Boys cover, The Crue try everything from complaining about TikTok, January 6th riots, and the woke crusade. The EP works around Neil’s lack of vocal prowess, the music is like YouTube’s royalty free hard rock library, and the title ... read more