Unleashing their signature electrifying Power/Heavy Metal, today we have legendary HammerFall and their latest opus “Avenge the Fallen”. Featuring ten superbly catchy tracks and nearly 50 minutes of music, this release reinstates the fact that the band shows no signs of slowing down and they can still put out some killer songs and create epic headbanging moments.

Coming out of the gates with guns blazing, the album title track creates a very Epic vibe with crafty vocal arrangements perfectly supporting Pontus Norgren’s classic guitars and Joacim Cans signature vocals. With a very stripped down and ‘old-school’ sound, the band continues to deliver hits like “Freedom” and “Hail to the King”. We love that they don’t rely on synths or gimmicks to create their engaging and timeless music.

Returning after a 10 year hiatus, Axamenta is a very unique Belgian band that combines cinematic elements with a well polished dose of Melodic Death/Black Metal. In this return EP, the band delivers a 23-minute track that is divided in seven acts, creating a very immersive and engaging experience. Recommended for fans of Fleshgod Apocalypse and Septicflesh, this release is both explosive and bombastic.

Just like clockwork, The Bay Area’s Mountaineer returns after 2 years with their latest opus in melancholy titled “Dawn and All That Follows”. Not on LifeForce records this time, the band unleashes a hefty 50-minute release split into eight highly engaging and very dreamy tracks. For the uninitiated, the band’s mellow sound combines elements of Post-Rock/Post-Metal with some shoegazey influences and highly melancholic clean vocals, creating a very crafty and highly atmospheric release.

Opening with the devastating “Cradlesong”, the band quickly unleashes their powerful riffs alongside a thick and demoralizing atmosphere, perfectly paced to inflict maximum pain as the mopey clean vocals of Miguel Meza come into play. There are definitely some crafty Doom/Sludge influences in the band’s sound, as tracks like “Hypnos” and “Prism” continue to develop the crushingly melancholic atmosphere, similar to Katatonia, but more ‘alternative’.

As one of our favorite albums of all time, “Tales From The Thousand Lakes” was the release that turned us more into Melodic Death Metal and the use of keyboards in Metal music. Fast-forward 30 years, yes, it has been that long, Amorphis has decided to release a live version of this release, recorded at the legendary Tavastia club in Helsinki, Finland. While not just a carbon copy of the original release, this version has some subtle enhancements and also features Tomi Joutsen handling the vocal duties.

Starting from “Thousand Lakes” and “Into Hiding”, we quickly noticed some slight differences in the keyboards. Santeri Kallio has come a long way and his style has evolved and some of this seeps into the older songs. Our all-time favorite track, “Black Winter Day” is flawlessly delivered, luckily we have seen the band play the track here and there in the live setting, but it is still nice to have it on disc with a very crisp and clear mix.

Dramatically moving away from their original Atmospheric Black/Post-Black Metal sound, today we have enigmatic Dutch outfit Vuur & Zijde and their debut full-length “Boezem”. Featuring members from bands like Laster, Terzij de Horde, and Grey Aura, there is no surprise that the music presented in this release is captivating and truly unique, with seven tracks and nearly 46 minutes of hypnotic music. This release is for fans of bands like Beastmilk/Grave Pleasures with some Wave influences and featuring sultry female vocals.

Opening with the mysterious “Onbemind”, the band sets a very unique Post-Punk vibe that quickly escalates into fierce guitar riffing and pummeling drumming. One would think that the harsh vocals would follow, but they never really do, instead we get the dreamy clean voice of Famke. This gives the band’s sound a very unique proposition, with heavier passages with more restrained drumming and a very organic and catchy vibe, perfect examples of this are songs like “Zusterzon”, “Omheind”, and “Us”.

Unleashing all-out war, today we have Kommandant and their latest EP “Exhibition of Conquest”. Continuing the piercing onslaughts of their 2023 full-length “Titan Hammer”, this North American outfit delivers five tracks and over 27 minutes of swift destruction. Perfectly blending rawness with incisiveness, this release is full of fury and hatred, making it a top notch Black/Death Metal offering.

Unleashing an early candidate for Black Metal album of the year, today we have Seth and their engaging Symphonic/Melodic BM style delivering eight tracks and over 46 minutes of highly immersive crushing music. Riding the momentum of the brilliant “La morsure du Christ”, the band wasted almost no time in unraveling their latest opus, filled with extreme craftiness and a swift dose of brutality alongside lush atmospherics.

Setting a very hectic and riveting tone with the opener “Paris des Maléfices”, the band quickly unleashes their fury with pummeling drumming, incisive riffing and the hellish vocals of Saint Vincent. The band’s current line-up is probably the best they ever had, as tracks like “Et que vive le diable !”, “La destruction des reliques”, and “Dans le cœur un poignard” perfectly blend melody with aggression and crafty atmospherics creating a fine aural assault.

Taking their nightmare inducing sound to a whole new level, today we have Akhlys and their latest opus “House of the Black Germinus”. With an Industrial edge to their already piercing Ambient Black Metal sound, this release delivers six tracks and over 50-minutes of some of the most hellish soundscapes you will ever witness.

Opening with the Blut Aus Nord-esque “The Mask of Night-speaking”, the band sets a very intimidating atmosphere flanked by crafty synths, crushing drumming, and pummeling Black Metal onslaughts. Naas Alcameth is a master in creating unsettling atmospherics with excruciating tempo changes, with tracks like “Maze of Phobetor” and “Through the Abyssal Door” being perfect examples of this.

Being huge fans of Amorphis, we always wondered what would they sound like now if they would have kept the core style behind “Tales from the Thousand Lakes” and just made refinements over time. Luckily for us, Olli-Pekka Laine, former and again current bassist from the band, unleashes Octoploid and their debut release “Beyond the Aeons”. For eight tracks and around 45-minutes, this release delivers excellent proggy Melodic Death Metal music with a very familiar style and a whole lot of catchiness.

Opening with “The Dawn in Nothingness”, we are quickly treated to playful riffs, enthralling keyboards and Mikko Kotamäki handling the vocal duties. “Coast of the Drowned Sailors” and the opening track will quickly bring back the days of early Amorphis as it has a mixture of elements from “The Karelian Isthmus”, “Tales..”, and “Elegy”, particularly because Tomi Koivusaari handles the growls on this second song.

Hailing from the Faroe Islands, today we have Eivør with her major label debut “Enn”, released under Season of Mist. Featuring a very dreamy and upbeat sound, this release delivers eight tracks and over 40 minutes of highly addictive music. While not the usual stuff we review, there is a certain magic to Eivør’s ethereal vocals and style that we got hooked on, and hence reviewing for you.

Setting a very dreamy vibe, the opening track “Ein Klóta” unleashes waves of hypnotic electronics and sweet angelic vocals. With “Jadartra” we get a nice droney melody with a mysterious edge, reminding us a bit of Kari Rueslåtten’s “Pilot” days. Just like something out of an Eurovision contest, “Hugsi Bert Um Teg” is a catchy track that quickly grabs your attention thanks to the masterfully crafted beat and dreamy electronics.