• IN BRIEF… • This latest short review column focuses on releases will arrive a few times a month, or, roughly every two weeks covering new releases depending on the current month’s release schedule. In an attempt to be more conversational these are more easygoing and casual than longform reviews, so relax and think for yourself as I attempt to find something, anything to say about multitudes of new releases relevant to my interests. — If you find something you dig go tell the band on social media and support them with a purchase. If you’d like your music reviewed, read the FAQ and send promos to: grizzlybutts@hotmail.com

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“More than machinery we need humanity…” when technology culls great minds away from civic duty, and just as quickly pulls art from the creator’s pockets without pay, so looms a fully generational psychosis among the low-born majority of the polis. Dismantling the tech-bolstered false majority of corporatism (and associated military interests) is inevitably a matter of documentation and steadfast organization. Fuck right off of Spotify already, get rid of it you fuckin’ casual, and keep a close eye on the many-handed exchanges of Bandcamp too. With that said sure man, there is no quick escape from the handout hungry laze of corporate control, so here’s a few million new albums with Bandcamp and YouTube links applied ~for your “convenience.”

Paradise Lost are still a great gothic metal band after seventeen albums, eighteen if you could the pretty damned decent re-recording of ‘Icon‘ a couple of years ago. If you’ve read that this is their “best album since ‘Draconian Times’” in reviews or comments it is probably because Side A of this 50+ and twelve song affair begins with a few nods to their mid-90’s sound which I suppose most of the fandom back then (myself included) saw as a more serious alternative to the goofin’ Type-o-Negative and halfway-there experiments from former death metal noveau-goths of the day. I have to admit that the 1988-1993 version of the band, what they’d developed across those first three demos and four albums, still carries its own magick and demeanor though I’ve never been able to cling to any of the thirteen albums since and no matter how often they lovingly resurrect traits of auld.

‘Ascension‘ could be left at this sort of sacrificial face-value stance and still be an effective listen, though it is admittedly overlong and features a few gluts of cloyingly alt-rock addled songcraft. The sparking crybaby wah pedal railing of their post-‘Gothic‘ groove n’ doom records (“Serpent on the Cross”) manifests first alongside a hot hit of ‘Draconian Times‘ via “Tyrants Serenade” as these nostalgic tipples are downed up front for the sake of throwing the Paradise Lost fandom a hit of the good stuff. From there it seems we’re following the band through their own perceived oeuvre since. I’m not sure the “Black Album ah via Dark Tranquillity” bop of “Silence Like a Grave” screams of the band’s signature but this song alongside the very similar trucking groove-doom crunch of “Sirens” at least lends the full listen some tonal cohesion. As more of an old fuck nostalgia solely drives my interest in their work anymore but I wouldn’t say this album brutally misses its mark as a gothic metal listening experience, its just a bit overlong.

Chicago, Illinois-based dark metal quintet NOVEMBERS DOOM‘ve been around nearly as long as Paradise Lost if we consider their late 80’s borne precursor Laceration though their evolution has been markedly different, more consistently aligned with their melodic death/doom metal beginnings overall but no less willing to access inspiration from popular rock and alternative metal sounds. The way they’d wielded this dichotomy into surprisingly accessible extremes on ‘Nephilim Grove‘ back in 2019 translates directly to this memorable but (again) somewhat overlong release. This time around they appear more spirited, more inspired than a lot of their perceived peers wherein the quality of the album experience is just as important as the tour. However you feel about their more accessible side none of ‘Major Arcana’ sounds phoned in.

This time around the flow of their work is far more steadied, the songs a bit more uniform and the integration of big vocal hooks and chunking rock-built rhythms into a melodic, groove-driven form of dark-death metal rings as all the more cohesive. This is especially true on Side A where the ride from “Major Arcana” through “The Dance” bring a different set of melodic device to each with tonal consistency. Sure, “The Dance” is a bit of a bopping goth metal song compared to its surroundings and reads sort of generic but no less than anything happening in popular “legacy” melodic metal at present. Much as this album will likely not appeal to the canon obsessed underground I do think vocal harmonies (re: “Bleed Static”) and hints of progressive rock/metal inspiration have helped to push Novembers Doom into their own signature space and with obviate high capability.

During the height of my obsession with pagan black metal in the late 90’s/early 2000’s I’d found Skellefteå, Sweden-borne project VINTERSORG set a higher standard for melodicism and Scandinavian folken arrange compared to most anything else that’d faced similar levels of success. Their relation to the forward-looking estrangement of Borknagar later that decade helped set their name in mind but it wasn’t until the 2010’s where the trio of ‘Jordpuls‘, ‘Orkan‘ and ‘Naturbål‘ solidified my own fandom. If your interest in the band follows suit I’d suggest that ‘Vattenkrafternas Spel‘, the trio’s long-awaited return after eight years, does nothing to betray the signature sound or energy of past releases. They’ve not recycled old habits entirely, some newly inventive vocal melodies and sounds crop up frequently, but there is a sense of great familiarity which is a welcoming greeting as a fan. In this sense I’d praise this album much like I would the latest book in a long-running series where this newest tome is well in the spirit of the past with a strong sense of self intact yet no less inspired. Though I still maybe know ten words of Swedish I’m no less willing to hang with their latest adventure.

Finnish arena metal troupe AMORPHIS have been remarkably consistent since finding stability with vocalist Tomi Joutsen back in 2004 creating anthemic melodic metal and bounding prog-rock tinged balladry since… and that is to say that if you’ve been on board since then no doubt album number fifteen, ‘Borderlands‘, will continue to speak loudly to that same general ever-glowing thread. Though the orchestrated croon n’ growling traversal they’re known for took a slower, gloomier step on their two previous LPs this one is a shade heavier, slightly more uptempo without interrupting their mystic music box melodicism. Otherwise songs like opener “The Circle” and “Light and Shadow” explore sounds which hail back to both the ‘Elegy‘ and ‘Am Universum‘ days particularly in terms of their guitar technique and arrangements. In some sense ‘Borderlands‘ feels overly familiar, more variations on a theme, and I’m not a fan of their use of AI for some of their promotional clips etc. but I’ll suggest the same thing I have for the last two decades… they’re still a far superior alternative to insincere pop-metal the world over. Otherwise their lyrics continue to evolve towards more personal wisdom while retaining a strong Finnish identity. Best song here is “Lantern” for my own taste.

So, with our well-known 90’s ’til ~eternity melodic metal quota out of the way we land upon Brooklyn, New York-based retro heavy rock act CASTLE RAT who’d conjured plenty of hype out of thin air last year thanks to a bare midriff and nerd-ass fantasy themes. If we set aside the “female performer” assigned to on-stage antics alongside the amount of simp commentary declaring vocalist/guitarist Riley Pinkerton their queen online… we are left with a refinement of the bland, mildly Sabbath-grooved trod found on their debut (‘Into the Realm‘, 2024). That is to say that ‘The Bestiary‘ is a much better heavy rock record overall, less plagued by interruptive interludes and muffled faux-ancient sound design, yet this clarity afforded by strong production values reveal an initially uneventful performance from the vocalist.

Things heat up a bit with the serpentine waltzing turns of “Siren” but by the time the sleepy, disengaged tone of the record never clicked with me. “Serpent” stands out for its stomped out energy but the arrangement lacks any structural interest or performative nuance alongside most of ‘The Bestiary‘. “Dragon” builds up some decent vocal harmonies further down the road but at that point no meaningful connection had arrived on my end and wouldn’t after several spins through. Without the retro-doom rock/heavy psych side of the band being retained through sound design, and without anything all that substantive striking out here in general, I’d found Castle Rat‘s second record even less entertaining than the first.

Bietigheim-Bissingen, Germany-based doom metal quartet NAEVUS didn’t make it on my monthly run of full sized reviews but not for lack of interest as their history is almost equally compelling as their current state here nearly ten years beyond their last LP. Formed as a (likely) Cathedral inspired death/doom metal band on their first demo in the early 90’s they’d basically follow Dorian and crew’s transformation into Trouble and Sabbath spiked stoner metal by the late 90’s. Disbanded after their first album in 1998 and reformed in 2012 they’d return with the sound we generally find today on ‘Back Home‘ where the oft too narrowly focused traditional doom metal crowd may not pick up on the classic 90’s stoner rock/metal edged soar of their signature. Anyone who knows and appreciates both realms should enjoy this album, particularly if you’re big on the old standard set by Rise Above and similar imprints in the early 90’s. Much as I’d enjoyed this record and certain standouts (“Angels Never Come”, “The Dead Don’t Sleep”, “Free the Ravens Fly” etc.) the focus wasn’t squarely upon the riff often enough to really hit for my own taste.

Grand Est, France-based heavy/speed metal quintet PALANTYR released this debut EP earlier this May via notable Swedish label Jawbreaker Records and now this month it finds its way to vinyl via Dying Victims. If you’re struck by how loud and kinda pro these folks sound hey, they’d been around for a decade under the name Destruktor as their evolution shifted from thrashing speed metal towards something akin to epic heavy/speed metal today. While that might not seem like a big deal on paper this record constitutes at least some substantial change in their approach, a worthy rebranding either way. The six songs found here feature overly processed vocals and a not-so dynamic sound but their style carries some of the magic you mind find on a Chevalier record sans any of their grittier aspect and jettisoned at a considerable clip. The best stuff here hits between opener “Shan E Sorkh” and “Son of the White Mare”.

Pesaro, Italy-based doom metal trio WARCOE return for a third full-length album in the space of just a few years and they’ve managed to top the awful cover art of their previous album with an even worse image for ‘Upon Tall Thrones‘. In terms of their music no wild evolution has taken place as 70’s cum 80’s traditional doom metal tromping still defines their gait and this is still the main reason to check them out. Heavy, dark, and focused on spinning tales of woe their work does well to embody heavy rock as a conduit for 80’s doom severity and this leaves their major points of development centering around hook-laden guitar work and deadpan dread. I’m not sure Warcoe always get it right, “Flame in Your Hand” hits like a halfway borrowed Electric Wizard riff and little else, but for the most part continues to bring some grit and admirable simplicity to their psychedelic doom tainted craft.

Though I don’t know all that much about Sydney, Australia-based sludge/doom metal quartet OLD HEATHENS this debut full-length album, ‘Celestial Decay‘, from ’em made a strong first impression per opener “Kepler 186F” as its big-swinging stoney grooves and post-metallic lustre made for satisfying existential brood. Not every song beyond that point hits but there is a notable enough foundation built here as they’re obviously coming to this one all-around skilled in terms of performance and some expressive vocals from guitarist/vocalist Ben. Some of the vocal melodies are a shade too sentimental for the bludgeon that surrounds them and a couple of these songs could use some breathing room in their compositions to allow certain ideas to flow better but overall this is a pretty pro first move from these folks. Otherwise the album art on this one is great but the layout went too hard on that bright-ass red for contrasting color on the logo.

I don’t have a ton of black/speed metal to talk about this month but I am glad to see Brazilian crew EVILCULT returning for another round of evil heavy metal with ‘Triumph of Evil‘. Up front the thing I’d point out first is that on the album artwork Satan’s nipples aren’t placed well considering his musculature, this makes them look like tits. Otherwise this record sports an improved general production value, more clarity for the bass guitar and such without losing their sinister echoic vocals with their intermittent shrieks. If you’re a fan of some of the “fun” aspects of bands like Midnight but have more vested interest in traditional heavy metal strokes there is a sort of ‘true metal’ stamp to some of these songs (“Triumph of Evil” esp.) which might carry on auld tropes but do so in a way that I’d appreciated. Probably nothing you’ve not heard before but still a fine example of ‘old school’ ancient speed metal per a ~newer generation.

Portland, Oregon-based trio TITHE return for a third full-length album plumbing the depths of their cavernous take on black/death metal incensed sludge and grindcore with ‘Communion in Anguish‘. Riffs are bigger, grind moments still stand out as their best, and the vocal interplay between the two styles is all the more dialed in. Overall an improvement over the previous record and a big part of that comes from clarified production values alongside a few hardcorish rants hitting up front. Longer pieces “At the Altar of Starving Children” and “Shallow Grave of Karmic Retribution” pull together all of the disparate points of sub-genre interest Tithe bring to their sound, the more sprawling their environs the easier all comes into focus. Though I didn’t find the experience all that memorable it’d been entertaining each time I’d picked it up.

Though many have suggested 2025 as a banner year for sludge/post-metal I’ve not been so convinced beyond a few experimental records and one or two familiar names thus far. With that said I believe Turku, Finland-based quartet SUNNIVA bring a believable hearkening back to the atmospheric sludge/early post-metal days with this debut LP. ‘Hypostasis‘ bears a familiar enough obsessive rhythmic hand which veers between slow plodding doom and nigh industrial metal grooves to achieve a hissed and obscured tirade of surreal, menacing statements. Extra bitter vocals and hi-fi production values help to secure a sense of both classic and modern traits, a rare enough sensation in the sludge-adjacent realm which is most noticeable on simpler and slow burning pieces (“Opening the Key”) where we get a clear sense of the spaced, eerie atmosphere they’ve aimed for. The longer the album carries on the more post-metal shines through and by the endpoint songs like “Sun Funeral” go through the motions compared to their surroundings and pale next to the haunting mid-paced momentum of closer “Hung From the Sky”. I’m not sure this is the biggest personae served just yet but these folks have an impressive handle upon this sound and present a well-fleshed vision overall on ‘Hypostasis‘.

Representing the violent canon of their region’s Satanic death metal for over two decades and now seven full-length albums Płock, Poland based quartet KINGDOM return ablaze, blackened and unmercifully whipping on ‘Primeval Cult of Strength in the Womb of Suffer‘. Since I’d missed the band’s previous LP after reviewing the two prior this one lands as a pretty damned class act in terms of blasting, infernally brutal death metal with an Angelcorpse-esque verve to its movements. These songs are circuitous to some extent and definitely pound on riffs throughout but most of them are about ~3.5 minutes each and cut out about as quickly as they deliver their hardest blows. Though I’ve always enjoyed the more feral, buried alive side of the band this more practiced, cleanly cut record has thus far stuck in mind better than their ‘Rotting Carcass Arise upon the Burial Mound‘ album had back in 2019 when I’d reviewed it. From acoustic guitar interludes, shredded up leads, and some unique movement on “Ruiny Ludzkości” the full listen comes full ranged in showing all that Kingdom can do while keeping the momentum burning. Great cover of “Lunatic of Gods Creation” tacked on at the end too.

Massachusetts-based trio CRUENTATION is a blackened death metal prospect from folks involved in Witch Tomb and Cemetery Lights among various other local hordes. Their approach to bestial death sounds recalls a specific ’88-’92 type of sound with some loose-necked riffcraft (re: “Prayers and Piss”) which speaks to grind as often as it does Deicide or Profanatica. Though their messy leads and filler riffs lend a sort of slopped-up feel to the whole thing there are some serious riffs worth digging out of this thing with and the vocals are particularly obscene in their guttural frothing. Biggest standout here for my own taste is probably “Presbyter” and solely for its thread of riffs being one of the better arrangements of the lot even if the actual riff count is lax compared to a few other songs. It ends up being a solid debut in an amorphous style, only thing I’d change here beyond the flubbed lead guitars is the cheesy GG Allin cover at the end, it was a good idea but they ended up making it sound weak and campy.

Raw atmospheric black metal act CONSUMMATIO comes via an unnamed wraith from Portugal who has thus far focused on lo-fi, distanced and heavily melancholic sounds spanning two albums thus far. This sophomore LP, ‘Circulus‘, once again centers its spin around a series of longform pieces which are developed with extreme patience and sans any doomed affect. I used to receive promos for this type of thing weekly but after talking such heavy shit on most of it they hit less often these days and with that distance I can appreciate the harp-like formality of these compositions, entangled guitar work which is arguably pretty damned typical but presented in a satisfyingly thumped-out yet melodramatic fashion with lung-taxing exhaled rasps firing off in irregular spats throughout to add coloration to repetitious introspective movement. The best song here, or, the one piece which is delivered with the most compelling conviction is “Eterno” for my own taste though I suppose opener “Silêncio” is more varied and connective overall.

Inicio

Returning with surprising quickness for a second LP Basel, Switzerland-based black metal troupe VÍGLJÓS have cleaned up their act a bit for ‘Tome II: Ignis Sacer‘ as their general render brightens and the overall trip of their work is emphasized for this ergot chewing second wind. Probably best known as some random black metal band “singing about beekeeping” these folks are essentially a pagan black metal troupe with some manner of germinal interest in early Peste Noire if I had to guess. The vocals are cartoonishly over the top, snarling and yowling loudly throughout the album to the point of annoying me enough to skip out on a full album review. Much as I didn’t enjoy the vocals beyond a single listen the guitar work only becomes more slick with each release and in this case their tone is perfectly set for their roots-up take on melodious, at-times ceremonial black metal tromping. I’d probably reach for a band like Ungfell instead when looking for this type of feel but there is clearly a vision here which they’ve put some work into realizing the sound, style and aesthetic of.

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