Back catalogue: Metal

Review: Formed in 1995, Belgian death metal icons Aborted have become renowned for their dizzying technicality and seamless fusion of the more brutal and melodic aspects of the genre, all the while harbouring a major predilection towards grindcore. Signing to highly revered metal label Nuclear Blast for their 12th full-length Vault Of Horrors, the project takes an old school approach to lyrical inspiration with each of the cuts based off of specific, classic horror films, from The Texas Chainsaw Massacre ('Death Cult') to Halloween ('The Shape of Hate') to Hellraiser ('Hellbound') to later morbid entries such as The Mist ('Malevolent Haze'). That's before even mentioning the ludicrous array of guest vocal features across the album, appearing more like a hip-hop record at first glance with practically every track offering room to the likes of Alex Erian (Despised Icon), Matt McGachy (Cryptopsy), and Jason Evans (Ingested) to name but a small handful.

Review: The second full-length from Los Angeles crust-punk/powerviolence mob ACxDC (Antichrist Demoncore) arrived in 2020, six years after their venomous self-titled debut made good on the promise of over a decade's worth of demos, EPs and splits. Satan Is King (a nod to Kanye West's 'Jesus Is King' released the year prior) is another caustic batch of pummelling d-beat punk funnelled through a rusted scuzzy decanter of hardcore fury and satanic worship, featuring feel good hits of the summer such as 'Copsucker'. In all seriousness, if you find your current hardcore lacking in the blasphemy department or just a tad too sanitised, then look no further than this crushing collection of audible violence from true cavern crawlers of the underground.

Review: Los Angeles based self-described "ecstatic black metal" outfit Agriculture are slowly becoming one the most talked about acts in the extreme metal underground, with near hysteric levels of hype growing for their self-titled debut full-length. Signing to The Flenser, a label known for its championing of the leftfield extremity of artists such as Chat Pile and Mamaleek, it's no real surprise that so many in the scene are gravitating toward the group's euphoric and uplifting re-interpretation of black metal motifs. With tremolo picking, blast beats and howling vocal shrieks all angled in such a sonic manner to feel enveloping and warm as opposed to the traditional frosted machinations of the genre, as well as the vulnerable poetics on display, Agriculture make a strong case for the Venn Diagram intersections which can often occur between the realms of black metal, screamo and post-rock, but they do so in such a nuanced manner as for it to feel blissfully cohesive and utterly natural.

Review: For people of a certain age, their teenage years were defined by the edgy grunge, alt and punk rock sounds of bands like Alice in Chains. Three decades later their seminal sophomore effort, Dirt sounds as good as it ever did and gets an anniversary reissue to mark the occasion. It comes with plenty of powerful drums and big-ass basslines as well as yelping vocals and fuzzy textures that take in a range of emotions and even bigger riffs. This issue features a special insert and comes across four sides of vinyl so it's nice and loud, just as intended.

Review: One of the key releases of the first wave of the New Wave of British heavy metal, the self-titled Angel Witch debut full-length, has long been heralded, praised, analysed and remembered as a vital contribution to the world of metallic machinations since its initial 1980 release. Inspiring waves of black metal, thrash, death and almost any other form of sonic extremity one can lay their ears upon, the work was misunderstood by many not prepared for the monumental surge in popularity the metal scene would ride over the ensuing decades. That being said, the project had those who would fight its corner, with its credence eventually leading to the same regard as say, Iron Maiden's self-titled affair, yet channelling far darker avenues of influence. Chalk most of the genre's expansion throughout the 80s, and you'll always circle back to this monumental classic.

Review: The third full-length from Canada's greatest thrash metal act, Annihilator, was met with initial puzzlement upon its release in 1993. 'Set The World On Fire' saw the band straw away from the more metallic route of albums such as 'Alice In Hell', in favour of a more radio-friendly approach. Time working its nostalgic magic has led to cuts like, 'Knight Jumps Queen', and, 'Brain Dance', becoming live staples since, while many have grown to appreciate the expansive and accessible scope the project exuded. The final full-length to feature bassist Wayne Darley, as well as their final work with renowned metal label Roadrunner, this reissue comes at a retrospective time where artists can cherish their once misunderstood works, and offer them up to new legions of eager, less judgemental fans.

Review: Since the unveiling of their decrepit debut EP Granular Transformation at the end of 2020, Californian doom-tinged tech-death brutalists Apparition have become a hushed name and recommended extremity amongst the caverns of audible ugliness. Following on from 2021's insidious and unsettling full-length LP Feel, the band return with Disgraced Emanations From A Tranquil State; a monolithic opus set to eclipse any of the muted hope of their previous material. Dissecting forms of early psychedelic proto-doom, but with the sole intention of re-channelling those fuzzed out sonics into abyssal swathes of complex, heaving dread, this isn't your beer-chugging, whiplash-headbanging gross out death metal (while there's always a place for that). Rather, this is a cosmic realm of Lovecraftian variety, designed to enthral, impress, touch, harrow, and haunt in equal measure. Arriving courtesy of Canadian extreme metal peddlers Profound Lore, no refunds will be offered for those lost to the abyss.

Review: Originally released in Japan in 2001 but taking a further year before landing in US and European territories, the fourth full-length from Swedish melodic death metal giants Arch Enemy marked their first creative endeavour with longtime and most notable vocalist Angela Gossow, following the departure of founding frontman Johan Liiva. Furthering the vision of 1999's Burning Bridges with a balanced dichotomy between brutal riffage and complexly layered melodious passages, elevated by Gossow's shrieking range; Wages Of Sin is often regarded as the devastating arrival of the Arch Enemy most know and adore so deeply.