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Review by Sandre the Giant Released: 21st March 2026 The debut demo/EP from Swedish atmospheric black metal newcomers Vassal State, ‘The Withering Wreath’, is out now and features David Nilsson of death metallers Feral on vocals. Now, you’d think that would be an interesting choice for an atmospheric black metal band, but Vassal State don’t […]
Review by Sandre the Giant Released: 20th February 2026 French avantgarde death metallers Aabode have released their second record, ‘Hyper-Death’, two years after their debut album ‘Neo-Age’. Their debut was an interesting mix of avantgarde elements, industrial and electronic, alongside proggy and dissonant death metal that I really didn’t spend enough time with. Their new […]
Review by Sandre the Giant Released: 27th April 2026 I know we go on and on about Chile on this blog, but to be honest Costa Rica might be our next big obsession, given the glut of excellent bands appearing from this tropical little paradise of death. The latest offering is the debut full length […]
Scribed by Sandre the Giant Released: 19th June 2006 When the ball finally dropped with me and black metal, I devoured every classic band’s discography as quickly as I could find them, but when new stuff appeared, I was as voracious too. Gorgoroth were one of those bands whose new material led me to their […]
Review by Sandre the Giant Released: 31st July 2026 It has been a long five years since the last record, 2021’s ‘Deconsecrate’, from Portland Oregon’s progressive black/death metal kingpins Aenigmatum. Well, kingpins when they are actually around! That’s pretty unfair I admit, but it was more than a pleasant surprise to see the venerable 20 […]
Scribed by Sandre the Giant Released: 19th June 2006 I had recently read an article on Loudwire about bands who had peaked on their last records, and was pleasantly surprised to find Swedish technical death metal legends Anata on there, and their 2006 classic ‘The Conductor’s Departure’, an album I hold very dear. I was […]
Review by Sandre the Giant Released: 12th January 2026 The newest EP from atmospheric funeral doom project Man of Sorrows was actually released all the way back in January, but I missed it then because I get a hundred emails a day. But, in my sweaty, heat enraged state of mind recently I have been […]
Review by Sandre the Giant Released: 6th March 2026 If there was ever a country with the history and mythological inspiration for true heavy metal, it would be Greece. But let’s be honest, it is better know for its particular brand of melodic black metal than most other genres. Vanity’s Disciple are looking to change […]
Review by Sandre the Giant Released: 15th May 2026 I reviewed the last record from Norwegian mindbenders Defect Designer here, and ‘Chitin’ had begun to experiment outside of the usual progressive death metal circles but it is Obituary-like compared to the band’s newest effort, ‘Depressants’, an album that seems determined to have something for literally […]
Review by Sandre the Giant Released: 19th June 2026 Ireland’s Cutthroat are not one of the many other ones out there on the Metal Archives, not the hardcore band who have also released something new this year, but the new deaththrash one who released a couple of demos in the past few years. But more […]
Scribed by Sandre the Giant Released: 13th June 1996 One of 1996’s most fascinating bands and debut albums, the four classical musicians that came together at a prestigious Finnish Performing Arts school to play Metallica songs on their cellos for a bit of fun probably never expected to become a worldwide phenomenon, but for Max […]
