Back catalogue: All genres

Review: Mayhem marks their 40th anniversary with a special Record Store Day vinyl release capturing their cult April 1985 performance in Ski, Norway. This raw, early live set sees the black metal pioneers tearing through covers of Venom and Celtic Frost, which are both bands that shaped their now-legendary sound. Long before becoming icons of extremity and infamy, this recording reveals Mayhem in their formative chaos when they were laying the groundwork for the genre they helped define. Featuring the original lineup in its earliest form, this limited edition pressing is a wonderful bit of black metal history

Review: Perth based Aussie progressive metalcore outfit Make Them Suffer return with their follow up to 2020's venomous yet audacious How To Survive A Funeral. Their fifth full-length and first to feature newly enlisted keyboardist Alex Reade, who stepped in to replace Booka Nile following his departure in 2022, serves as a self-titled declaration of intent, fusing almost every sonic maelstrom the band have weathered to this point. Elements of blackened death metal from their earliest formation clash with the djent-inflected prog deathcore grooves that have now become their sonic staple, while swathes of symphonic death metal motifs underpin the frenetic breakdowns with ethereal keys. Having left Rise to sign with SharpTone Records to deliver their most cohesive and definitive statement yet, it appears the suffering may have only just begun.

Review: US rock demon and counter-cultural musical star Marilyn Manson returned with his bold, provocative album on vinyl last year and now it arrives on CD. Known for pushing boundaries across his long career, Manson delivers another dark, gripping collection of industrial rock here that is full of haunting melodies and intense vocals that brim with menace. The album explores themes of power, corruption and rebellion all wrapped in his signature shock value and unique expression. With unsettling lyrics and atmospheric sounds, Manson creates a twisted, dystopian world that pulls listeners deep into his confrontational style and is sure to win over fans old and new once more.

Review: Returning with his redemption attempt follow up to 2020's We Are Chaos, industrial metal shock-rock provocateur Marilyn Manson seeks to skirt the numerous controversies and accusations accrued in the last few years with his most potent musical statement in decades. Signing with Nuclear Blast and enlisting the likes of Chelsea Wolfe collaborator/producer Tyler Bates to helm the project, his 12th full-length One Assassination Under God: Chapter 1 (indicating that more is sure to follow), offers up some of the heaviest and introspective material of his career to date, with cuts such as 'Nod If You Understand' harking back to the unhinged angst of Antichrist Superstar, whereas 'As Sick As The Secrets Within' breathes with the same mercurial synth-gloom as the strongest moments on Mechanical Animals. A cynical attempt to regain fan adoration, or the sound of a tortured artist finally coming to terms with his own demons and attempting to rediscover former glory and prowess, the interpretation is entirely your own to consider.

Review: The somewhat surprising return and attempt at redemption from the industrial metal shock-rocker Marilyn Manson has been a bold pill to swallow, with the once iconic provocateur seeking to avoid the many allegations and numerous controversies he has garnered over the last decade. Attending rehab and becoming fully sober over the past few years has seen dramatic weight loss, a notably more lowkey public demeanour and a newly signed record deal with Nuclear Blast (having been dropped by Loma Vista not long after 2020's We Are Chaos) turn a few heads, simultaneously cautious and curious as to the authenticity of this humble arc. With lawsuits recently thrown out, the court of public opinion appears to be the only form of due process that shall occur, leaving it to individual listeners to make up their mind as to the merit of the artist as a person. As to the art itself, One Assassination Under God: Chapter 1 is the 12th album to adorn the name Marilyn Manson, and it's his best since 2000's Holy Wood. Tapping Chelsea Wolfe collaborator/producer Tyler Bates to oversee the entire project has helped to create a generational bridge between how out of sync Manson himself had become with his own artistic strengths and audience desire, and Bates' insider knowledge as a younger fan first, collaborator second. Together they rediscover the core industrialist menace, gothic romanticism and hedonistic nihilism that kept listeners hooked after the initial shock of aesthetic would cease, but for the first time in decades, it feels earnest and earned rather than forced. Boasting Antichrist Superstar style buzzsaw synths and chug-heavy breakdowns on cuts such as 'Nod If You Understand', while the self-deprecating admission of using drugs to hide behind monstrous flaws on the gloomy balladry of 'As Sick As The Secrets Within' harks back to the most fragile moments of Mechanical Albums. Be it a cynical cashgrab or attempt to regain fan adoration, or the genuine musings of a tortured artist finally learning to face his own demons head on, there's simply no denying that this is Manson at his most potent, intimate and focused, begging the question of how different of a career trajectory and latter day output might we have had if the man had learned to look inward long before hitting the bottom.

Review: Argentinian crowds are probably the most exciting to play to in the world. And Marilyn Manson at this time had just released his Trent Reznor-produced masterpiece LP Antichrist Superstar and was at the peak of his game, so to say a ticket to this show at the Velez Sarsfield stadium in Buenos Aires was hot property is an understatement. This is about as good as heavy metal rock n' roll gets and not many will come close to the thrills that a 90s Marilyn Manson show brought. The setlist is monumental, with singles from Antichrist Superstar such as industrial metal banger 'The Beautiful People' and 'Tourniquet', which sounds like the blueprint to the nu-metal boom that was to come, among the highlights. Unusually for a live album, it's taut, with the track list limited to 11 songs, but this is for good reason. In a moment of Spinal Tap-esque horror, shortly after the final track you hear on the album, the band's drummer Ginger Fish received an electric shock whilst playing and the show ended abruptly. Putting his body on the line like that to deliver this blistering set is an heroic deed and it's a fantastic consolation to have this show fossilised onto vinyl.