Tony MacAlpine’s self-titled "Tony MacAlpine" feels like a seasoned virtuoso settling into comfort rather than pushing forward. The musicianship is, predictably, exceptional—his fluid legato runs, precise sweep work, and seamless guitar-keyboard interplay remain as sharp as ever. Technically, there’s little to criticize.

But the songwriting doesn’t carry the same intrigue as his earlier work. Where albums like Chromaticity felt dynamic and exploratory, this ... read more

Blind Guardian’s "Imaginations from the Other Side" captures a band sharpening its identity, balancing speed metal roots with the emerging grandeur that would define their legacy. The centerpiece is Hansi Kürsch—his vocals are the axis everything turns on. Gritty yet soaring, he threads a needle between raw metal aggression and theatrical lift, elevating even the more straightforward passages into something memorable.

Musically, the album thrives on variety. Riffs ... read more

Brutal Death Metal the way only Immolation can do it. Great riffs and ultra-heavy songs. Songs are always over the top insane and unique. Album feels oppressive and uniquely melodic at the same time, which has been their trademark over the decades. The breakdowns on this platter may be the best they've ever done as they change the direction of the songs in unexpected ways. The songs are performed with an intensity that belies the intricacy going on at times. Great album.

Fans of Thrash will find a lot to like, but nothing too unique. These paths have been trodden many times before and if you're looking for meat-and-potatoes, this is the Cattlemens of Thrash. The musicianship is pretty good, and the riffs are headbanging. The songs are largely typical and somewhat forgettable, which is too bad considering these So Cal dudes are as ready to play as they are. Production is about average and neither enhances nor detracts from the album as a whole. The songs ... read more

Gotta say, while I love me some Poison Ruïn, this is my least favorite of their albums. The songs lack the dynamic songwriting of the earlier albums. They all stay in the same tempo, it seems, and after a full album it all feels too samey. This is not usually the case with these guys. Their musicianship is always excellent, but on here I just don't feel that they went that distance. This has the feel more of a quasi-tribute to the old school, rather than a logical progression for the ... read more

Another absolutely blast-beating isanity fest of Death Metal from 2026. This is a relatively new band from some veterans of the Edmonton, Alberta DM scene. Leaning more toward Black / Death than strict DM, this is a non-stop, in your face with napalm blast-o-rama. All the tunes on this EP are a billion miles an hour. Played with ferocity, this is wildly energetic. The songs are very samey, and the production is murky at best so nothing quite stands out (excpet for the guitars during the ... read more

So... Many folks here won't either know of or remember old school Sacto band Hella. Well, here we have the logical great-grandchild of Hella: Angine de Poitrine. I, like many others, stumbled across them after the now-legendary KEXP live performance that went Youtube viral. Musicianship of the highest caliber (and I won't brook no detractors that complain about loop-use. You try it before you knock how freaking difficult it is to keep track of all that). These two dudes fucking rip. ... read more

A lot to unpack here from these French Death Metal crazies. Metal Archives says Death Metal. I'm hearing at LEAST equal parts Black Metal, so Black / Death is probably more appropriate. A lot of this could be likened to Ulcerate as they have similar melodic sensibilities. What Towering does with this, though, is turn the intensity up to 1,000,000. Every song is played at blazing, break-neck speed. It's one of the more intense albums I've heard since last year's Barren Path ... read more

So... I enjoyed this album. Quite a bit, actually. Songwriting on this is the strong point. Songs are dynamic, varied, but continue to maintain CoC's signature sound and heft without getting samey or boring. The rest isn't anything amazing, but it continues a legendary career without being a stain on it. Love the guitar tone - equal parts grimy and hazy. Not much else to say, to be honest. It's a CoC album; folks familiar with them will know what to expect and will get that. ... read more

Lithuanian Black / Death that doesn't really do anything new or advance the subgenre. Most of this is stuff fans of the style have heard many times. While it is competently played, most of it is entirely forgettable. Riffs come and go anonymously, vocals are identical to most vocals in the style (they remind one of Nacthmystium), so nothing to see there. It is played with a certain vigor which keeps the listener awake, but that is about all. Production is average and a bit stuffy, so it ... read more

Killer Shred album from this crazy Greek dude. Great guitar work, obviously, throughout. Solos are killer and he has some nice histrionics tossed in all over the place. For a shredder, Gus' playing is very soulful. He's not just playing notes, he's creating moods. The songs could have been a bit more varied and dynamic - they are very samey over a full album. The production is average for the subgenre and neither enhances nor detracts from the music. This is a fun and pretty ... read more

So.... I guess I get it. I simply don't like it. From what I hear, it's an attempt at old school Joy Division / Bauhaus. The musicianship, from what I can tell, is simplistic at best. Now, if they are going for that OG Post Punk vibe, I get it, but they are just not good. The bass and guitars are doing anything someone who picked up the instrument on the first day could do. Often, it's not even really in time. The drums are simply average Post Punk style programmed drums. The ... read more

This is a tough one to review. Some very avant-garde stuff going on in here at times keeps this Black Metal album from ever getting boring. The musicianship on here is decent, and at times very compelling. The very angular moves in the songs - extended quasi-ambient sections, lengthy confusing avant-garde excursions, etc. - lend a quality I can't quite put my finger on. Call it pretense, perhaps? These sections don't feel like they belong, and in the end it makes the whole feel ... read more

This group of Brits released their debut album in 1984... Fast forward 37 YEARS and they released their 2nd album. Here we are, now 42 years on, and Dark Heart have arrived with their 3rd full-length. And I'd be remiss if I didn't say they sound great. The production on this album is crystal clear, pretty impressive for a self-released album. The musicianship is obvious but not flashy. The vocalist is great. The songs, unfortunately, don't stand up. It comes off as typical Hard ... read more

I hate that I'm giving this album a relatively low rating. It has all the elements that I look for in Black Metal. The musicianship is good and the riffs are compelling. The songs are dynamic and unique. The production is excellent and crisp. I just found it to be, well... boring. The tunes simply never held my interest past the first thirty seconds or so and I kept reminding myself that the album was still playing. Not sure what it is about the whole that just didn't resonate with ... read more

Dutch metalheads that have been around since 2012. This new EP is actually really good. The musicianship is good and these guys have clearly been playing together a while. The songs are really tight and focused. The songwriting here is excellent. These songs (apart from the closer which is a Sepultura cover) are all unique and have some dynamics that most average bands lack. These parts are very angular and unexpected and really keep the tunes refreshing. Production is fairly typical and ... read more

These guys really try hard. No, really, they do. This is decent Heavy Metal that leans Thrash / Speed Metal. It's pretty raw on the production side, so that hides some of the dynamics on this platter. The musicianship is decent but it won't wow anybody. The songwriting is fairly typical and, again, you've probably heard this before. Would love them to get a little more unique in their songwriting. They do excel, though, and performing these tunes with fire and authenticity. ... read more

Blazing, blistering, blast-beating Black / Death from Germany. This is very typical for the subgenre, so the songs aren't going to really bring anything new to the table. Would have loved something a bit more unique. The production is precisely where it needs to be for the style, which is to say it's a veritable wall of chaotic sound. Great for the style, but not great for someone wanting to hear what's going on, lol. The real selling point of this EP is the intensity with which ... read more

Ultra-Prolific Andrew Lee (best known for his raging Death Metal band Ripped to Shreds) brings to us lucky Metalheads his throwbackk Hair Metal band Heavy Metal Shrapnel and their 2nd full-length "Heavy Metal Hairspray". With long-time Metal legend Mark Boals (longtime Yngwie vocalist) helming the microphone, this is destined to be an OG Hair Metal lovefest. And it certainly is that. All the tunes are dripping with nostalgia. Andrew Lee, for those not in the know, is a great freaking ... read more

As usual, a polarizing release from one of Black Metal's most unique figures. Most will point to the production as the aspect most polarizing. I love it, to be honest. There is a certain effect he's going for and he hits it perfectly. This is purposely lo-fi but the instrumentation stands out, so the atmosphere is there. The songs aren't as strong on this as his first two albums. They get a bit samey, but still hit the emotional peaks he's hoping for. He's never going ... read more