Vended: Vended
Inevitably scrutinised because of its lineage, Vended’s self-titled debut owns that heritage without ever being reduced to it. The young musicians, two…
7/10 September 23, 2026
Read the review
Section
Reviews
Cane Hill: Smile
With Smile, New Orleans’ Cane Hill established themselves in 2016 as one of the spearheads of the nu metal revival. The debut…
8/10 September 23, 2026
Read the review
Sylar: Seasons
The second album from New York’s Sylar, Seasons crystallises in 2016 their brand of nu metalcore laced with rap and pop hooks.…
7/10 September 23, 2026
Read the review
Dropout Kings: AudioDope
The debut from Arizona’s Dropout Kings, AudioDope pushes the fusion of nu metal and hip-hop into trap territory in 2018. The band…
6/10 September 23, 2026
Read the review
Islander: Violence & Destruction
The debut from South Carolina’s Islander, Violence & Destruction confirmed in 2014 the potential glimpsed on their early EPs. The band plays…
7/10 September 23, 2026
Read the review
Wargasm: Venom
A British duo formed by Sam Matlock and Milkie Way, Wargasm made good in 2023 with Venom on the promise of their…
7/10 September 23, 2026
Read the review
Alpha Wolf: A Quiet Place to Die
With A Quiet Place to Die, Australia’s Alpha Wolf took a decisive step up in 2020 and lodged themselves among the reference…
8/10 September 23, 2026
Read the review
Ded: Mis-an-thrope
The debut album by American band Ded, Mis-an-thrope openly embraces its early 2000s nu metal heritage. Downtuned riffs, vocals alternating between spat…
6/10 September 23, 2026
Read the review
Gideon: Out of Control
With Out of Control, Gideon completes its transformation. The Alabama band, once rooted in Christian metalcore, fully embraces an aggressive, groovy nu…
7/10 September 23, 2026
Read the review
Bad Wolves: Disobey
Bad Wolves’ debut album, Disobey, owes its fame to its muscular cover of the Cranberries’ Zombie, an unexpected hit that launched the…
6/10 September 23, 2026
Read the review
Fire from the Gods: Narrative
With Narrative, Fire from the Gods delivers a vivid fusion of rap metal, groove and social conscience. The Texas band revives the…
7/10 September 23, 2026
Read the review
Nova Twins: Supernova
The London duo’s second album, Supernova, is a burst of energy and daring. Amy Love and Georgia South fuse punk, grime, rock…
9/10 September 23, 2026
Read the review
Dragged Under: The World Is in Your Way
The debut album by American band Dragged Under, The World Is in Your Way runs on speed and urgency. The Seattle group…
6/10 September 23, 2026
Read the review
Grave: Into the Grave
Released in 1991, Into the Grave is the debut album by Sweden’s Grave and one of the pillars of the first wave…
8/10 September 22, 2026
Read the review
Ulver: Bergtatt
Ulver’s debut, Bergtatt (1995), subtitled Et eventyr i 5 capitler (a fairy tale in five chapters), is a landmark of what would…
8.5/10 September 22, 2026
Read the review
Iced Earth: Something Wicked This Way Comes
Released in 1998, Something Wicked This Way Comes is the fifth album by the American band Iced Earth, led by guitarist and…
8.5/10 September 22, 2026
Read the review
Possessed: Seven Churches
Released in 1985, Seven Churches is very regularly cited as the very first death metal album in history, or at least as…
9/10 September 21, 2026
Read the review
Taake: Nattestid ser porten vid
Taake’s debut, Nattestid ser porten vid (1999), is the near-solitary work of Hoest, the one-man engine of Norwegian black metal. Far from…
8/10 September 21, 2026
Read the review
Destruction: Release from Agony
With Release from Agony, Destruction left behind the raw thrash of its early days for something more twisted and technical. Released in…
8/10 September 21, 2026
Read the review
Queensrÿche: Operation: Mindcrime
The third album by the American band Queensryche, Operation: Mindcrime, released in 1988, is a rock opera that left a lasting mark…
9.5/10 September 21, 2026
Read the review
Bloodbath: Resurrection Through Carnage
When Bloodbath released Resurrection Through Carnage in 2002, the project already wore the flattering supergroup label. Bringing together musicians from Opeth and…
8/10 September 21, 2026
Read the review
Rotting Christ: Theogonia
Rotting Christ’s ninth album, Theogonia (2007), marks a decisive step in the maturation of the Greek band led by Sakis Tolis. Having…
8/10 September 21, 2026
Read the review
Sodom: Agent Orange
Sodom’s third full-length, Agent Orange is where the Herne trio stopped simply bludgeoning and learned to strike with cold accuracy. Harris Johns’…
8/10 September 21, 2026
Read the review
King Diamond: Abigail
King Diamond’s second solo album, Abigail, stands in 1987 as one of the great concept albums in metal. The Danish singer, formerly…
9/10 September 21, 2026
Read the review
Vader: De Profundis
In 1995, Vader confirmed with De Profundis their status as the undisputed spearhead of Polish death metal, then fully emerging on the…
8/10 September 21, 2026
Read the review
Dark Funeral: Secrets of the Black Arts
Dark Funeral’s debut full-length, Secrets of the Black Arts, arrived in 1996 as a burst of undiluted velocity inside a Swedish scene…
8/10 September 21, 2026
Read the review
Annihilator: Alice in Hell
The first album by Canada’s Annihilator, Alice in Hell (1989), is one of the most technical debuts of late-1980s thrash. Built around…
8.5/10 September 21, 2026
Read the review
Social Distortion: Social Distortion
In 1990, Social Distortion released its self titled album, the band’s first record for a major label after more than a decade…
8.5/10 September 21, 2026
Read the review
Gamma Ray: Land of the Free
Gamma Ray’s third album, Land of the Free, marks a decisive turning point for the band founded by Kai Hansen after he…
8.5/10 September 21, 2026
Read the review
Savatage: Hall of the Mountain King
Released in 1987, Hall of the Mountain King marks a turning point for Savatage. The Florida band, led by the Oliva brothers,…
8/10 September 21, 2026
Read the review
Bolt Thrower: The IVth Crusade
By 1992 Bolt Thrower were already a pillar of the British scene, but The IVth Crusade marked a clear turn toward greater…
8.5/10 September 21, 2026
Read the review
Watain: Lawless Darkness
Released in 2010, Lawless Darkness is the fourth album by Sweden’s Watain and one of the peaks of their discography. Led by…
8.5/10 September 21, 2026
Read the review
Death Angel: The Ultra-Violence
Death Angel’s first album, The Ultra-Violence (1987), is one of the most astonishing debuts of San Francisco Bay Area thrash, all the…
8/10 September 21, 2026
Read the review
Kylesa: Static Tensions
Kylesa’s fourth album, Static Tensions, released on Season of Mist in 2009, marks a high point in the career of the band…
8/10 September 21, 2026
Read the review
Pennywise: About Time
Released on Epitaph in 1995, About Time is Pennywise’s third album and probably the one where the Hermosa Beach quartet hits top…
8/10 September 21, 2026
Read the review
Sonata Arctica: Ecliptica
The debut album by the Finnish band Sonata Arctica, Ecliptica, released in 1999, quickly established itself as a classic of melodic power…
8.5/10 September 21, 2026
Read the review