published July 2010

Death Angel - Relentless Retribution (Nuclear Blast/Riot)

Always overshadowed by the Big 4, Death Angel stick to their guns and come out swinging with their new album Relentless Retribution that thrashes from start to finish.
Release Date: 
6 Sep 2010 (All day)

In today's metal scene, thrash metal is having somewhat of a resurgence with new bands such as Warbringer and Evile proudly waving and flag, and, of course, the ol

Grand Magus - Hammer of the North (Roadrunner)

Iron-willed Swedes pile into the Dragon Ships again for another assault on our ears...

Black Label Society - Order Of The Black (Riot/Warner)

Strength. Determination. Merciless. Forever. Never have those words been any truer, Zakk Wylde has delivered the new Black Label Society release in Order Of The Black - a motivated and driven album that can kick your ass and also can mellow you out.
Release Date: 
9 Aug 2010 (All day)

There is an old saying: "What doesn't kill you makes you stronger".

Fleshwrought - Dementia/Dyslexia (Metal Blade/Riot)

Fleshwrought is the brainchild of the exceptionally talented Navene Kopperweis, who plays each instrument on Demetia/Dyslexia, with vocals supplied by Job For a Cowboy frontman Jonny Davy. There is no doubting that Kopperweis is a phenomenal musician and with vocals from one of metals most 'current' frontmen. This album was destined for greatness.

But by god it falls short.

Maniacal – Buried In Hell (Independent)

Port Pirie in South Australia isn’t a town that’s known for much. Mining, drinking, fighting, lead poisoning… oh yeah, and a leader of the opposition came from up that way too but not much else. And musically, well you could count the bands on one hand and still have four fingers and a thumb left. Until now, that is.

Maniacal have defied all logic, all sense of place, all boundaries of sensibility and formed in the middle of shithole country SA, back of nowhere with nowhere all around, and what

Skyforger - Kurbads (Metal Blade/Riot)

Latvian music is known to be one of the most peculiar forms of ethnic music in the world. The Latvian group Skyforger was known for being the standard bearers of this culture. Is their new album able to carry on this tradition?

After seven years since the release of their last studio album Zobena Dziesma, a milestone in folk music in the vein of the most traditional folkloric  groups from Latvia, Sky

Limbonic Art - Phantasmagoria (Candlelight/Earsplit)

One of the most prominent names of the so-called Norwegian Black Metal is back with another opus. Phantasmagoria is what black metallers pompously like to call True Norwegian Black Art. Indeed, it is. But if you’re awaiting another Moon in The Scorpio, you’ll not find it here.

Limbonic Art, a name so recognized amongst the admirers of Norwegian scene, came to the forefront of Black Metal in the 1990s, with a mix of melodic dark mu

Empires Of Eden - Reborn In Fire (7Hard Records)

When Australian guitar virtuoso Stu Marshall (Paindivision, ex-Dungeon) unleashed the first Empires Of Eden album Songs Of War And Vengeance in 2009, it was an epic power metal / prog collaboration featuring some of the best metal talents that Australia has to offer. It seemed like it would be hard to top. Well, flash forward a year later, the newest chapter in the Empires Of Eden musical book has written in Reborn In Fire.

In comparison to the debut, Reborn In Fire is a completely different ball game. Everything has been knocked up a notch and it seems that there has been an international approach taken.

Netherbird – Monument Black Colossal (Soundpollution/Riot)

Dark, gothic and extremely melodic. This is an album that could have you slashing your wrists whilst bopping around the room.

Extreme, dark, black – all words that are thrown around to describe the sort of sound Swedish Metallers Netherbird are creating, but what about melodic, powerful, melancholic

Watain: Sworn to the Lark

Is Watain for real? Do they have a sense of humour? We'll soon find out.

When it comes to black metal, there’s always a certain element of wondering just how seriously the musicians who partake in this purportedly most nihilistic and misanthropic of genres take th