Ch’ahom “Anthropic Rites of Sublimation”

    For their sophomore album, “Anthropic Rites of Sublimation,” Ch’ahom returns to the ominous ruins where lost civilizations practiced ritualistic sacrifice and dabbled in dark mysticism to appease wrathful deities. Although the band is from Essen, Germany, the music that they conjure up heavily explores lyrical themes referencing ancient Central and South American cultures, thus telling these vivid tales of terror and sheer brutality. 

    The band’s debut album, “Knots of Abhorrence,” which was released via Sentient Ruin is 2023 was an astonishing extreme metal release mixing death metal and black metal as well as incorporating some progressive rock elements. I will say that instead of just hammering out bloodthirsty riffs and singing about the same blasphemous topics you hear in most extreme metal band’s lyrics, Ch’ahom really stands out by creating their own unique extreme metal identity. “Anthropic Rites of Sublimation,” which is being released by 20 Buck Spin, definitely picks up where the band left off on “Knots of Abhorrence,” but seems to push the music into an even more savage direction. Just like the jungles of Central America, or the green inferno of the Amazon, Ch’ahom’s music exhumes this violent and unapologetic nature to where the jungle does not come across as a place where the little animals harmoniously get along, but instead establishes a domain where evil is lurking around every corner waiting to consume your soul. 

    The opening song on this album, “Cult of Xaman,” begins with these terrifying tribal noise that make you feel as though you are being carried upon a wooden blank towards a sacrificial altar atop a ancient pyramid. After the noises cease, the band unleashes a violent assault of blackened death destruction containing some utterly heart crushing rhythms and hellacious sounding riffs. I personally think the band’s vocalist has one of the strongest death growls around and the way he delivers the lyrics injects an unforgivingly bestial presence into the mix. On this opening track the band really offers up some dynamic extreme metal arrangements that keep you hooked until the very. For their second song, “Reign of Nohol,” the band pushes the listener further into the esoteric madness by crafting these frantically devastating guitar parts. Some of the riff sections are almost cinematic in nature and create these surrealistic noises to complement the entropic soundscape. 

    Ch’ahom is definitely a band that desires to bring the most abhorrent elements of old school death metal with putrid punishing black metal, and tracks such as “Priests of Lik’in” and “Chosen of Chk’in,” are fearsome offerings with a plethora of extreme creative moments. There were some riffs like on, “Chosen of Chk’in,” that were truly mesmerizing while at the same time haunting as if the notes from the guitar were casting some dark spell upon your mind. Plus, the drumming on this entire album was unfathomably ferocious and the drummer’s cataclysmic style was perfectly captured on each song. The final song on the album, “Insemination,” is a sinister sendoff and feels like the conclusion of ritualist nightmare, but then the track also leaves this lingering malevolent presence imbedded in your ears. 

Overall, Ch’ahom’s, “Anthropic Rites of Sublimation,” is a yet another profound offering of extreme metal music that would appease even the most ruthless and might ancient deity. I think their musicianship along with how they arranged the tracks on this album, were taken to an even greater level on this release, which is saying something given how much I enjoyed their deubt album. If you are a fan of extreme metal and you want to hear an album where the moment the music starts you cannot turn yourself away, then I would highly recommend Ch’ahom’s, “Anthropic Rites of Sublimation.” Once you hear the first song on the album, you will become lost in a jungle of pure inhuman hostility frantically looking for an escape from the relentless darkness pursuing you. 

Check out the entire album below:

Links to where you can purchase the album:

https://www.20buckspin.com/collections/chahom

https://20buckspin.bandcamp.com/album/anthropic-rites-of-sublimation

Cardinal “Nocturne”

    Invoking the malevolent dark spiritual energy from 90’s symphonic black metal, Cardinal has emerged from the shadows of the Bay Area as an undeniably sinister force. The band’s debut album, “Nocturne,” demonstrates their profane creativity which draws heavily from certain old school black metal acts that incorporated haunting symphonic elements to give the music a vividly nightmarish aurora. 

    I have seen Cardinal live two times over the last couple of years, and from their live shows I could tell that these guys were not just another occult themed old school black metal act. There was definitely certain elements in their sound which stood out and I think having a keyboardist who was able to give the music that ghastly symphonic black metal atmosphere caught my attention right away. Also, unlike the bands who have incorporated keyboards and churned out more of a romantic post-black metal sound in an attempt to chase an obnoxious trend, Cardinal really conjures up some merciless compositions which completely decimates and defiles those clownish romantic black metal acts. In Cardinal's sound there are definitely elements of raw Finnish black metal mixed with more of the symphonic black metal influences, which fuses together harsh aggression with mesmerizing keyboard layers. 

    “Nocturne,” contains eight tracks of grim and hellish symphonic black metal, and features some extremely solid arrangements. The opening song, “As Silence Dies,” is a very intense sounding piece of music where the keyboard provides a spectral background whereas the drum parts and guitar riffs add a more abrasive quality to the composition. During the middle of the song the band transitions to a slower tempo featuring some really vivid chord progressions to match the sinister keyboard noises. After the first song ends, I would say that Cardinal keeps the peddle down and comes up with more captivating tracks. “Eternal Flames of Hate,” starts out with a more savage riff attack, but also has a moment during the song where the keyboard takes over before the guitarist throws on a ravenous sounding riff to return to the raw savagery heard at the beginning of the song. On the third track, “Infernal Worship,” I could definitely hear the influence of 90’s Norwegian black metal as the arrangements convey that very hateful and authentically unapologetic quality. 

    One song that took me by surprise was, “Beyond the Iron Gate,” because the song is an ambient instrumental that features some dissonant and sanity shredding noises as if they are coming from a demonic realm sealed off from the human world. Actually, the song turned out to be a decent break before the band launched into the next track, “Duskfang.” One area of this release that I believe deserves some recognition is the bass playing, which you don't hear often on black metal releases. I like how the bass parts add to the band’s overall sound by giving the a deafening boost when needed and on "Duskfang" I thought the bass riffs were very noticeable. 

     I think the keyboard plays an extremely important role in terms of Cardinal’s sonic footprint, and you can really hear it’s presence on song’s like, “Cardinal Sin” and “Northern Winds Blow.” Also, I really like the guitar riffs on “Northern Winds Blow,” and how the singer’s voice matches the brutal distorted chord arrangements. Now, I will say that the final song on the album, “The Deceiver's Mark,” was an interesting way to end to the album with more ambient noises as like an evil cinematic finale. However, I thought the track would have been more optimal as an intro track to a song, but I can understand the band wanting to finish on this note instead of ending with maybe "Northern Winds Blow," as the ambient noise do standout and present a unique atmosphere. 

    Right now, if you were to ask me what are some of the best up and coming extreme metal bands in the Bay Area, I think Cardinal is without question going to be one of my recommendations. Before even hearing, “Nocturne,” I was extremely interested in what this group of musicians was working on, and the debut album really showcases a band full of raw and sinister talent that should not go unnoticed if you are a fan of hellish symphonic black metal. These aren’t some schmucks wearing Party City vampire capes and taking photos rolling around in roses. Also, if this is what Cardinal is capable of delivering on their debut album, just wait until the next diabolical offering comes around! 

Checkout the full release below:

Cardinal Bandcamp:

https://c666.bandcamp.com/music

Marca Diaboli “Labyrintomb”

    If there is some movie director out there looking for music during a graveyard ritual scene, then I would hesitate to recommend Marca Diaboli’s debut EP, “Labyrintomb.” The music conjured up by this Chilean​/Austria​n​ post-punk/death rock outfit sounds like it was recorded in some underground crypt where ghouls and goblins dwell. 

    Working with Sentient Ruin, Marca Diaboli is going to be releasing their 2025 EP on vinyl for the first time with a release date of September 11th, 2026. I think Marca Diaboli is a perfect addition to the Sentient Ruin family, especially considering how the music takes on a variety of different sounding elements. The band’s sound builds heavily off of this catchy horror themed rock/post-punk style, but also incorporates some hardcore punk and slight black metal touches. Some might also hear a fair amount of deathrock influence, but I think Marca Diaboli does a solid job breaking away from being just another run of the mill deathrock band by coming up with some diverse sounding riff arrangements. 

    Overall, the five songs on this album sound tremendously solid and I do not think there was one weak track out of them. From the opening song, “Digging Graves,” the band offers up these morbidly catchy sounding rock riffs. I thought the guitar tone throughout the song vividly stood out and the guitars parts even have this haunting surf rock sound at times. The band offers up a more classic post-punk fueled sounding with the second track, “Nightfalls,” but still hammers out these insanely hypnotic rhythms. Also, I think singer’s voice perfectly fits the music and adds to the occult horror lyrical themes that almost feel like they could be used in a Hammer Horror film. 

    The third track, “Arsonists,” starts out with a blazing riff that eventually transitions into a slower and more sinister direction. To add to the catacomb dwelling sonic landscape, there are some spooky organ noises thrown into the arrangement, thus creating a truly nightmarish sounding musical realm. On the fourth song, “Manifest,” I could hear more of a raw hardcore punk style at first, yet when the vocals kick in the music takes on a more ghastly blackened post-punk vibe. The finally track, "The Last Nail," is a surrealistic ending with a variety of haunting and chaotic sounds to put the final touches on this horrifying sonic epitaph. Once again, the hypnotic riffs provide this utterly captivating quality that casts a spell over you as the music marches on toward the darkened oblivion. 

    For anyone who happens to be a fan of post-punk, deathrock and fiendish sounding rock music, I’d recommend checking out Marca Diaboli’s debut EP, “Labyrintomb.” The overall sound and production of this release is extremely solid with my only complaint being that I wish there were a couple more songs. At times, I wanted to keep hearing more of the riffs because they were hands down insanely catchy. Also, huge shoutout to Sentient Ruin for bringing more attention to this act as well as putting out the EP on vinyl. I would definitely welcome Marca Diaboli and Sentient Ruin working together on more releases in the future. So for all you people out there that are into this type of music, make sure to go order yourself a copy as you’d rather give your money to hard working creative artists like Marca Diaboli than some nitwit cosplaying as a goth doing TikTok videos and selling photos of their feet. 

Check out the full release below:

Link to where you can order the album:

https://sentientruin.bandcamp.com/album/labyrintomb

Sin Offering “Guilty”

    When I saw that Sin Offering had just put out a new release, I immediately turned all my attention to listening to the new material. I mean, a hatchet wielding maniac could be running down my street chasing a group teens, or a massive alien invasion could be happening outside my window, and I would completely ignore both of those scenarios just so I could listen to Sin Offering’s new EP titled, “Guilty.” 

    Before this EP the band had released a fantastic demo in 2023 called “Charnel House,” which I still consider to be one of the best death rock/post-punk releases to have come out within the past few years. There are a lot of bands playing this style of music, but in my opinion few really have the depth as songwriters whereas with Sin Offering the songs they compose really capture your attention from start to finish. Plus, the band has one extremely unique and distinct sound which mixes haunting beauty with gritty raw distortion. I would say that “Guilty” is definitely the next step in the band’s evolution, however, they even did more in terms of execution and the musical talent that they displayed on each of the new songs. 

    The opening track, “Like a Dog,” begins just as one would expect given this band’s dark gothic horror sounding aesthetic with ghastly organ music. Right after the organ fades, the guitarist unleashes a wicked riff containing a fistful of distorted fury to then make way for the other band members to start adding their contributions. I can say that there are elements very similar to that of early Christian Death, although I would argue that Sin Offering really breaks out of the simple Christian Death worship mold by coming up with a variety of unique touches that one can hear if they pay close attention. Personally, the band's singer has one of the best voices for this type of music, because her tone which is haunting yet so sonically stunning, is the perfect contrast to the coffin crushing guitar riffs and gloomy post-punk/death rock rhythms. 

    Also, throughout the album the guitarist comes up with some very striking riffs like on the song “Without Sanctuary,” where between the palm muted main riff you hear these utterly vivid harmonic squeals. The bassist and drummer lay down a strong backbone and I would say the tightness of the band’s rhythm section really allows for the guitarist to have this sort of wild freedom to explore and add these distinct sound guitar parts.  Actually, the bass player started off the third song on the album, “Ingenue,” with an extremely brilliant sounding bass riff that reminded me of classic post-punk style bass parts that grab your attention right away. Throughout the release I noticed these slight touches that stood out more compared to the band’s debut demo, and I could definitely hear how the band has raised the bar from when they first started. 

    The final two songs on the release, “Perfect Hem” and “In the Sepulchre,” are tremendously well written and well recorded songs. On “Perfect Hem,” I started to really notice how the drummer provides such a solid foundation for the other instruments. The guitars definitely standout, but there are times where I feel the drum parts provide a critical pulse for how the songs sort of develop to where the simple primitive beats get stuck in your head. Out of the five tracks, the last one “In the Sepulchre,” is in my opinion the best song off of the release. The song starts out with a sample of the main theme from John Carpenter’s “Assault of Precinct 13,” but Sin Offering puts their spin on the composition with a more gothic vibe. After the intro part the band comes up with a catchy main verse section, but when the chorus sections comes around that is where I think the band really conjures up something special. That chorus section is truly mesmerizing, especially how the singer’s voice presents the lyrics and creates this emotional rush. If you were to ask me, “In the Sepulchre,” is one of the best songs to come out in 2026, and each band member is deserving of credit for their contributions. 

    In the end, if you do not listen to this new release from Sin Offering then you are guilty of depriving yourself from hearing a tremendously talented band who has really taken the next step in terms of their songwriting talents as well as how they sounded in this recording. On the demo I could hear the elements that made them stand out and I very much enjoy those songs, but what they were able to accomplish on, “Guilty,” is definitely stepping into a whole different realm. I’m telling you right now, if they keep this up, by the time they record a new album I will literally fight an army of the undead just to hear it. Now that is when you know an artist is worth checking out! 

Check out the full release from No Deal's Youtube Channel (Great channel with tons of killer releases) :

Buy the album from Beach Impediment Records records: 

https://beachimpedimentrecords.bandcamp.com/album/guilty

Pale Cremation “Alta Stranezza”

 

    The mastermind behind Pale Cremation, Matt Lasserre, is never one to simply hit repeat and put out the same monotonous sounding album. I would say that Matt is very driven on delivering music that features a variety of his musical influences. Also, his exploration into these thought provoking science fiction themes has really become a captivating quality on his most recent releases.  

    “Alta Stranezza,” might be one of his most bizarre and creative creations to date with its variety of musical styles blended together to paint an entropically futuristic vision. You could say that this album is like a Federico Fellini movie, but with a surreal science fiction twist that explores a dystopian world where humanity seems to be completely spiraling into insanity. Overall, Matt delivers a plethora of influences ranging from hard hitting doom riffs, to some new wave and synth driven sections, to even some 90’s industrial arrangements. I thought on Pale Cremation’s album, “Communion,” that Matt was really infusing more post-punk and new wave elements into the music, however, on “Alta Stranezza” he really takes it to a new level. 

There are five songs on the album with the opening song being close to twenty minutes long, which feels like a tip of the cap to his prog rock influences such as Rush and King Crimson. The first sounds you hear on the song are air raid sirens blaring to sound out a warning of what is to come. Right after the air raid sirens cease, Matt unleashes a crushing prog rock jam to take listeners on a rollercoaster of galactic musical chaos. Throughout the track I thought Matt added some really solid guitar leads and melodies to complement the heavy yet spacey sounding arrangements. Handling the drumming on the album is Anders V. Wienerholden who has worked with Matt before on past Pale Cremation releases. I think the production and recording of the drums is very well done and allows Matt to lay down some killer guitar work amongst the bombastic rhythms. Also, during the track Matt deviates from the slamming hard rock parts to offer listeners some out of this world synth compositions that make you feel like you are drifting into majestic cosmic realms deep in space. 

The second song on the album, “Termination Of Bio-Spheric Extremity,” contains a really HEAVY bass riff that I felt was a high point during the track, and reaffirms why Matt is known as the Bass Wizard. The third track, “Beyond the Dark Side of Science,” starts out with this very profound synth arrangement that almost sounds like it could be used at the beginning of a John Carpenter film with Kurt Russell walking down the street looking ready to kick some ass. During the song I liked when Matt started using a distorted vocal effect to deliver the lyrics as the music took on a very sinister industrial sound which was appropriate given the haunting lyrical content. 

On the fourth song, “Soul Wound (Phase V),” the music heads more into a synth heavy direction along with some other different sounding compositions. Actually, one of the arrangements reminded of something that you might have heard from The Police, which goes to show how this album is utterly diverse in terms of Matt’s musical influences. The last song on the album, “The Great Deluge of the Final Earth,” is a cataclysmic finale and starts off with a very heavy sounding guitar part. I felt as though the bombastic drum parts were extremely solid sounding and towards the end of there song the music begins to transition into a more trippy celestial style to conclude the mind-altering listening experience. 

Overall, what stood out the most for me on Pale Cremation’s “Alta Stranezza,” is that Matt has really become a master at incorporating all his different influences. Having followed Pale Cremation from the very first release as well as knowing Matt since his days as the bassist in bands like Scrape the Earth and Mournful Cries, I really do believe he has become a strong composer and his opened mindedness to different types of music can appeal to wide range of music fans. Also, unlike those bands and artists that are creating music to chase trends, Matt is a passionate fan going against the grain and bringing together all the different styles of music he enjoys to create his own unique sounding compositions which seems to sound more profound on each new album. 

Check out the entire album below : 

Pale Cremation Bandcamp:

https://palecremation.bandcamp.com/

Empty Chalice “Majesty of Sin”

    For the fans of extreme metal music who are tired of seeing all this romantic black metal and experimental post-pussy nonsense coming out, the savage horde in Empty Chalice unleashes a deathly sounding strike to all those insanely atrocious and utterly ridiculous acts. The debut full-length album from Empty Chalice, “Majesty of Sin,” is without question one of the most intense and profanely devastating release to come out this year. 

    Hailing from the cold and shadowy parts of Victoria, British Columbia, the band seeks out those passionate fanatics of extreme metal music, especially those who desire to hear a style of raw and utterly punishing black metal with some primate death metal elements added into the mix. I have reviewed a couple of the band's demos in the past and I could tell that they were really crafting some insidious material, however, the songs of this new album come with an even fiercer and unforgiving edge. You can hear influences ranging from Bathory to Blasphemy as well as classic South American black metal. Personally, I thought the band really drew certain elements from Marduk, particularly the band's album,“Panzer Division,” because the music’s intensity is very profound and leaves an deniable impact. 

    The album contains 17 tracks, and even though most of them are rather short, the band hammers out plenty go merciless sounding riffs and unholy hymns of blasphemous celebration. “Upon the Throne,’ which is the first song off of the album, is a gruesome sounding intro into the starless black abyss where the low demonic vocals are accompanied by haunting guitar parts. On the second track, “Into a Dark Age,” the band maliciously opens up an aural assault with a burst of raw rhythmic intensity. The vocals paint a hellish picture as the band continues to deal out punishing arrangements with some ear crushing drum parts. There are some songs on this album like, “Slave Master,” where you can hear a mix of black metal vocals with more abrasive death metal like vocals, which I think gives the music an even more sinister feel at times.  

Another part of this album that really stood out and in my opinion and sort of helps Empty Chalice break away from a lot your modern extreme metal acts, was that there are some truly solid lead guitar parts throughout this album. Unlike some metal acts where the solos sound either out of place, or drag on for way too long, the leads on this album add a touch of agonizing explosiveness when needed. One of the best solos I thought was towards the end of the song, "Majesty of Sin,” where the lead really adds to the horrifying atmosphere. There are some songs that do slow down such as “From Thy Chalice,” and creates a very dark sounding atmosphere, which almost takes on Mercyful Fate vibe in terms of how the music is arranged to create a feeling of pure evil. Overall, the band really delivers in terms of the execution of their songs, and I would say that the production vividly captures the relentless aggression which Empty Chalice looks to convey on this release. From start to finish the album does not hold back and shows no lack of venomous creativity. 

In the end, I consider Empty Chalice, “Majesty of Sin,” to be one of the most deafening and purely sinister black metal releases to come out so far this year. The bestial bludgeoning that these musicians unleashed on each composition is truly impressive. I highly recommend this album for fans of extreme black metal and death metal, because unlike those generic bands who spend more time taking Instagram photos instead of practicing their instruments, Empty Chalice is truly dedicated to the dark musical arts. If anyone claims to be a fans of underground music, this album is a must listen, or else you must be one of them romantic black metal high heel wearing goofs who does black metal yoga and parties with Furries. 

Listen to the entire album below:

Empty Chalice Bandcamp:

https://emptychalicebm.bandcamp.com/

Diabolic Oath “Unholy Barbaric Hymns”

 

    Twisting, tormenting and utterly agonizing riffs can be heard throughout Diabolic Oath's newest sonically extreme occult offering titled, ““Unholy Barbaric Hymns.” The sadistic blackened death metal horde from Portland, OR has definitely established themselves as a profane force with their punishing style of unorthodox brutality 

    Teaming up with Sentient Ruin for the release of this four song EP, the band continues to push the boundaries by hammering out some insanely dynamic and decimating arrangements. As much as you can hear a variety of influences from the abhorrent atmospheres of savage 90's black metal with the bestial riffage of gruesome death metal, the band has truly achieved a unique and almost inhuman sound. I personally was a huge fan of their debut album, “Profane Death Exodus,” and feel as though the band has not disappointed with their following releases ever since putting that album out. 

    Although there are only four songs, the music is extremely enthralling by pulling you into this entropic soundscape of insidious proportions. Arguably some of the most intense riffs and drumming can be heard from Diabolic Oath on this release, especially once the opening song “Emblazoned Upon Ebony Winds,” kicks into full gear. The drumming on this album really hits hard to compliment the monstrous riffs as well as the demonic vocals. I really like the mix of low death growls with the more black metal style cries, because the contrast created a very pestilent atmosphere. The second track, “Radiant Mars, Reveal the Spear of War,” is a insanely deafening song with a cataclysmic introduction composition to make you feel as though you are being violently are thrown into a barbaric battlefield. At the end of the song, the music takes on a very haunting turn, and the transition from the extreme sounding punishment to a surrealistic atmosphere really strengthens the band’s mind altering approach to crafting songs. 

    The third song, “Within the Jaws of Lecherous Fire,” once again delves into the blackened death madness with more sanity shredding riffs. I thought the bombastically primitive sounding drum parts towards the end of the song added a profound touch to the track. On the final song, “Vomiting Flames in Rapturous Conflagration,” the band starts out with a more doom like style, but eventually jumps into the dissonant fires of hell by conjuring up more gruesome blackened death arrangements . In terms of the production, I think all the four songs were recorded extremely well, and really whoever mixed the release vividly captured the band’s uncompromising and unorthodox style. I don’t think there was one weak moment on this release, and the musicianship definitely played a part as to why the tracks sounded undeniably solid. 

    “Unholy Barbaric Hymns” from Diabolic Oath is definitely a release that fans of blackened death metal should checkout, especially if you enjoy a band that knows how to craft ritualistic like atmospheres with some sadistic arrangements. I looked to when this album is release via Sentient Ruin on June 5ht, as the label has always been a champion for extremely talented underground acts. After hearing this new EP, I am highly anticipating a full-length from Diabolic Oath given the level of musicianship and malevolent creatively that they were able to capture on this release. 

Check out the track "Emblazoned Upon Ebony Winds" below:

Sentient Ruin Bandcamp:

https://sentientruin.bandcamp.com/

Diabolic Oath Bandcamp:

https://diabolicoath.bandcamp.com/album/unholy-barbaric-hymns

The True None "Supreme Dedication to the Craft Is Forever"

    After 11 years of vehement dedication and unyielding artistic creativity, The True One unleashes upon the world an offering titled, “Supreme Dedication to the Craft Is Forever.” Nicholas Mendiola, the heart and soul behind The True None, has been working on this since 2015 and over the years he has put together a very raw and emotionally driven release that transcends the pressuring confines of a falling into specific sub-genre of music. 

    The True None is not an act that seems to concern itself with labels, or is trying to chase a local musical trends. There is a very unique fusion of sounds that can be heard throughout this album with elements that pull out the raw and savage primitive aura of black metal with the spiritualistic tranquility of dark acoustic folk. Using an acoustic guitar to primarily hammer out his mix of captivating riffs, Nicholas seems to a be a keen composer who seems possessed when he shouts out his profound lyrics. 

    The album's opening song “Stories” begins with a haunting piano arrangement which Nicholas speaks over with an unapologetic and very serious tone. The acoustic guitar comes crashing into the sonic landscape just as his vocals become even more aggressive to match the rush of entropic emotion. Throughout the album I do believe listeners will notice how music constantly changes tone from very calm almost transcendental sounds to a more intense burst of raw expression. The second song “Desert Skyline” was a really good example of a track where at one moment I was really captivated by the vibrant acoustic chords being played to all of a sudden getting thrown into a chaotic surge of sounds. The vocal style he uses it very unique and fits the music extremely well. His words seem to highlight his inner ethos, which he presents with a profoundly passionate tone. 

    “Dusk Skies Over The Dreaming Forests,” is one song off of the album that I found to be very strong in terms of the main riff and how the music came relentlessly flowing out as if he was pouring every ounce of energy he could muster into striking the chords while confidently shouting over the cataclysmic noises. Another song which caught my attention was “Burial Transcendence,” which I think took a lot of elements from atmospheric black as well as the acoustic arrangement which be heard in some of Bathory’s music like on "Twilight of the Gods." The music felt almost cinematic at certain parts of the song and really created this awe-inspiring atmosphere. 

    When you look at the entire album and listen to each of the twelve songs, you can definitely feel that not one second was wasted and that each song is an important part of the overall vision. The title track for example, really dives into the primitive instrumental themes utilized throughout the album, but goes even deeper into the mindset which challenges the modern world's suffocating confinements and pushes this resilient mindset. Also, I think that some of the acoustic riffs on this album are extremely heavy in the sense that they provide a impactful punch to compliment the meaningful lyrical content. The way in which the acoustic guitar parts were recorded and how everything was mixed together is definitely an important reason as to why I think the songs on this album leave such an impact. 

    In the end, I would highly recommend people checkout "Supreme Dedication to the Craft Is Forever “ by The True None, especially if you want to hear an album that goes against the grain and features a plethora of raw acoustic riffs with even rawer vocals to highlight powerful words on each song. After years of commitment I think what Nicholas was able to accomplish is very impressive, but what stands out the most is how he does not compromise,  or deludes his musical vision. On each song I can confidently say that he is dedicated to his craft, so I hope people take the chance to hear what he has to offer. 

Check out the full album on Youtube below: 

The True None Bandcamp:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uyJusjPBpNA&t=2475s

Coroner and Heathen - Live at The Ritz in San Jose, CA 2/9/2026

 

    Many people would not believe that a metal show on a Monday night would draw a large crowd, however, they might not realize how passionate Bay Area metal fans can be if given the opportunity to see some killer bands. With a line-up featuring Swiss tech thrashers Coroner who have not played the Bay Area in about three decades, along with the mighty Bay Area thrash warriors in Heathen, this was a show that people would drive hours through agonizing traffic and poorly maintained roads to see. Plus, the show was in downtown San Jose at the Ritz, so this was a night to remember! Well, let’s just say that a lot happened throughout the night, so I will always remember this show… 

    After putting a crushing comeback album last year, Coroner was finally making their way back to the US, so I definitely wanted to check them out. I have always appreciated this band’s blend of progressive rock influences with thrash metal, as they really do have some brilliant compositions featuring a refined edge of technically mixed with explosive aggression. Of course being from the Bay Area I was equally as excited to see Heathen, especially since not only are those first two full-length albums phenomenal and iconic thrash albums, but the band continues to put out solid recordings. Overall, this was a show that passionate metal fans are going to show-up no matter what day of the week it was booked. 

    The moment I entered the venue, I could already start to sense that people were really excited for this show. You had a good amount of people already staking their claim to the front of the stage with their battle vest covered in patches getting ready to bang their heads to some dynamically devastating riffs. Another point to bring up was that this was an all ages show, so you had metal fans of all ages in attendance, yet all of them connected through their enjoyment of metal music. Now, this being an all ages show will come up later as it did factor into a situation later in the night. More on that later....

    Heathen walked onto the stage to massive roar from the crowd and tore into their first song wasting little time getting the adrenaline flowing and heads violently banging. David White is a tremendously talented frontman and he was going around the stage during the first song fist bumping fans in the front row while delivering some epic high soaring vocals. The two guitar attack of Kragen Lum and Kyle Edissi was insanely vicious as both guitarists know how to hammer out some wicked riffs and scorching leads. Throughout the set bassist Jason Mirza and drummer Blake Anderson proved to be a strong rhythm section adding a mighty boost of juggernaut sized devastation. Actually, Jason was not only playing some killer bass riffs during their set, but he was maniacally running around the stage and seemed to be having a blast. I really liked getting to hear them perform, “Open the Grave,” because that song contains some HEAVY riffs to get the audience moving. Also, I must say that the band’s new song which they just released, “Never a God,” is sounds extremely solid and the fans seemed to be very receptive to the new music. After seeing Heathen perform I am looking forward to a new album from them, and I definitely would like to see them perform live again. 


HEATHEN

    Once Heathen exited the stage with devil horns raised high and the audience showing their appreciation for the band’s performance, the roadies in Coroner began setting up for the band’s set. When the members in Coroner stepped out from the side of the stage and took their positions, the metal maniacs went full flown savage and made enough noise to be heard all the way in Santa Cruz. The band’s bassist and singer Ron Royce had a big grin on his face as he stepped up to the mic and they launched into the first song. 

    Now, I did not notice it at first, but as the band kept playing something seemed a bit off in terms of the sound coming from a speaker/monitor to where I noticed a roadie kept flashing a light at it for the sound engineer to be made aware of. Shortly after this the statement most concert attendees and band members hate hearing was uttered as the sound engineer came up on the stage and told the crows that due to technical issues they had to restart the system. Little did the crowd know that this would take over an hour to finally resolved, during which time some people started to maybe drinking more than they should have. As someone who worked at a concert venue in college and experienced first hand an unruly audience waiting around for a performance due to a drunk country star deciding to show up late that night, I started to have concerns that the crowd would become restless and the situation might turn ugly. 

CORONER

    Luckily the people working the sound seemed to be more motived than workers at a record store, and they eventually solved the issue. Only problem was San Jose has an ordinance, to where minors cannot be out past 11:30pm, so since this was an all ages show the venue had to take this into account. At first I saw an employee tell people that they were shutting it down right after the sound guy seemed to solve the issue, but then Coroner came back on the stage and began playing. I guess you could say that for those who stuck around we were treated to a brief, yet still very killer performance from Coroner. For me, I was super stoked to hear the song “Serpent Moves” from the album Grin, which I think is a very underrated release and one of my favorites from them. Tommy Baron is an insanely talent guitarist who utilizes these mind altering chord progressions that hit you with such fearsome force. They also played “Masked Jackal” which the crowd was passionately getting into as that track is definitely one that seems to be timeless in terms of the song’s lyrical themes. Just as the band was unleashing a progressive flurry of technical metal wizardry, the sound was cut and that was the end of their set. I was disappointed as I would have liked to have heard more songs, but in the end I think the band being able to give the audience even that shortened performance after waiting around for over an hour, was still something you can walk away remembering. Coroner seems to be a very talented act and the album that they released last year seems to be proof that they still have some insanely brilliant musical ideas. 

    Instead of pointing fingers and focusing on the negatives, I am going to say that even with the technical issues and waiting around, the diehard metal fans still seemed to be in good spirits as there is strong appreciation for the music. In the end, people can only do so much in certain situations and I applaud Coroner for not throwing a tantrum and just leaving with an angry audience potentially turning into an angry mob like the villagers in a Frankenstein movie. Now, I know Coroner is playing in Berkeley as they had two shows scheduled in the Bay Area, so maybe they will be able to play a full set without issues. For me though, I am glad I went to this show and still feel like I was able to see two tremendously talented bands that have decades many years to providing metal fans with some great music. 

Chaos Over Cosmos “The Hypercosmic Paradox"

 

    Mixing together progressive metal and mind altering technical death metal, the international metal project known as Chaos Over Cosmos composes dynamically brutal technical compositions to highlight their science fiction themed lyrics. Led by Polish guitarist and primary composer, Rafal Bowman, Chaos Over Cosmos is an act that seems driven to present listeners with an album featuring intense technicality, star exploding brutality, as well as some melodic atmospheric touches to really make you feel lost in the vast void of an unexplored frontier. 

    On the latest release from Chaos Over Cosmos, “The Hypercosmic Paradox,” Rafal teams up with Pakistani vocalist, Taha Mohsin, for five new explosively technical fueled tracks. Although I have not been a massive fan of current progressive metal and technically death metal trends where I feel the music becomes like a tsunami of self-indulgent solos and chaotic arrangements, I will admit the creativity that gets poured into making the music is worth much respect. In the case of Chaos Over Cosmos, I think what made this project standout from the very beginning was the strong emphasis placed on the album’s theme through the various sounds and versatile arrangements. The solos are very impressive sounding, but the moments where the music slows down and you can hear those epic synth arrangements really adds to the album's science fiction theme. 

    The opening song on the album, “Nostalgia for Something that Never Happened,” is an instrumental piece which introduces the listener to Chaos Over Cosmos progressive, yet heavy style of metal. There is a plethora of fluid lead guitar playing featuring some intense scale runs along with some utterly crushing riffs. For the second track, “When the Void Laughs,” Taha is given his first opportunity to lay down some monstrous sounding vocals to inject a boost of unapologetic rage, which definitely compliments the entropic guitar playing. I thought the guitar arrangements on this track were very precise sounding and delivered a mighty impact when needed, especially the solo toward the end of the song. 

    The third track off of the album, “Event Horizon,” was probably my favorite song because I felt as though the music sounded more emotionally driven and the guitar playing perfectly captured Taha’s fearsome growls. There were even more progressive/atmospheric elements thrown into the song that served as contrast against the more fragmented sounding riff structures. I will say that following song, “The Cosmo-Agony Requiem,” continues with more of the blistering lead guitar playing, which seems to be the main focus throughout the album. At times, I do feel like the slower moments on the album allow for the listener to take in more of what is going on, but I can understand the desire to present these more intense shredding moments which does fit with the feeling of complete cosmic chaos. The last song, “The Fractal Mechanism,” is a trippy conclusion and almost sounds like something you would have heard in a science fiction video game from the early 2000’s. However, the track was very appropriate in terms of sticking with the science fiction concepts explored throughout the release, so I can see why this was used as the final composition to have on the album. 

    In the end, I feel like Chaos Over Cosmos is a project that really focuses on crafting technically brutal arrangements allowing Rafal the freedom to explore his dynamic and very progressive metal inspired guitar skills. Even if you are not a fan of this style of music, the main take away is how everything on this album was executed and how the production was extremely solid sounding. I think fans of blazing progressive metal and technical death metal will want to check out this release, as the creativity and talent level is undeniable. Going forward I think Chaos Over Cosmos has a strong blue-print, and I would be interested to see how the project evolves on future releases given the passionate artistic mindset. 

Check out the full album below:

Link to Chaos Over Cosmos Bandcamp: 

https://chaosovercosmos.bandcamp.com/album/the-hypercosmic-paradox

Top Ten Albums of 2025 / Rob "The Metal Guy" Awards

 

   Well everyone, 2025 was a totally nutty year with plenty of moments that made me just wanted to throw my hands up the in air and scream, "Get me the hell off of this crazy planet!" From the constant talk about AI taking over to my city becoming insanely overdeveloped to where every single piece of land is being used to build overpriced condos that like look something out of a George Orwell novel, 2025 really felt like massive pile of feces floating in a toilet. Luckily music seemed to be the best medicine, as there were some extremely strong releases that came out this year. Also, the future of the Bay Area underground metal scene looks very promising with bands like Cardinal, Bezaliel and Varulf leading the way. Plus, Sentient Ruin showed up by continuing to release more uncompromising extreme metal albums this year. Although I must give Hells Headbangers major credit for the work that they did this year whether it be new releases, or re-issues of extreme metal classics like the Goreaphobia picture disc. In the end, 2025 may not have been a cake walk of a year, but then again, when is life ever completely without chaos...Alright enough rambling like a washed-up pro-wrestler from the 80's doing a shoot interview, here are my top ten albums from 2025...

10. Gawthrop - “Kuboa”

This South Korean sludge act sure unleashed a gruesome sounding album with the release of “Kuboa.” Definitely could hear influences like Noothgrush and Grief which is probably what drew me to the album right away after hearing the first preview song. Glad to see Sentient Ruin was the label working with the band for the album’s release as Gawthrop perfectly compliments the label’s diabolical and unapologetic extreme ethos. There are plenty of agonizing slow crushing riffs throughout the album painting a bleak and dystopian landscape where piles of bones lay across a desolate wasteland. 

9. Prophetic Suffering - “Rivalry of Thyself” 

The bestial death metal horde from Canada known as Prophetic Suffering unleashed a sickening decibel defiling onslaught with the release of "Rivalry of Thyself." From start to finish this album was utterly devastating and featured some savage guitar work to go along with the cataclysmic drumming. These sadistic maniacs don't experiment or try to go off the extreme metal script, which is why the album comes across as an unforgivingly raw and brutal assault without any remorse. Definitely a band to keep an eye on if you are a fan of monstrous sounding death metal. 

8. Phantom - “Tyrants Wrath” 

The maniac thrashers from Mexico are an insanely relentless force and have gained a solid international following over the years. I personally really enjoyed their debut album, “Handed to Execution,” a lot when I first heard that album. “Tyrants of Wrath,” is another solid release that features more merciless old school speed/thrash riffs, but even has more classic melodic metal touches which draws influence from the NWOBHM and early 80’s speed metal. Still, they know how to bring the intensity when it comes to heavy sounding palm muted riffs that can conjure up a mosh pit within seconds. Plus, they seem to be working extremely hard as I see them constantly sharing videos of their wicked live shows. 

7. Perdition Temple "Malign Apotheosis"

The new album from Perdition Temple was definitely a strong extreme release to come out towards the end of this year. For their fifth full-length album the band yet again demonstrated their vicious talents by hammering out some juggernaut sized death metal riffs. The album really invokes that old school sound which is great given how modern death has really become sterile sounding and seems to have lost that pestilent vibe that you heard coming out in the late 80's and early 90's. Perdition Temple knows how to come up with vile sounding tracks like "Kingdoms of the Bloodstained" and "Death Insurrection" to give the listener a chaotically deafening listening experience. 

6. Moonlight Haze - “Beyond” 

The epic power metal outfit known as Moonlight Haze once again created a truly impressive release. I tend to be extremely picky with my power metal as I have found the sub-genre to be getting a bit gimmicky with too many bands starting to become very forgettable. However, Moonlight Haze knows how to construct these triumphant sounding compositions to grab your attention. Also, the band’s singer has an amazing voice along with a tremendous vocal range. In think if you are into power metal then Moonlight Haze is a band to be checking out and I hope they come to the US for a tour. 

5. Matt Lasserre - “Jungian House Dreams” 

The mastermind behind Pale Cremation never seems to slow down and continues to create some killer releases. His new solo album that came out this year was a bit of a departure from his more doom and hard rock past, but he still found a way to captive listeners with some really impressive prog rock/post-punk influenced compositions. “Jungian House Dreams,” contains some ethereal synth arrangements, which gives the release a very dreamlike quality. Matt recorded plenty of fascinating compositions on this album that mixed all these different types of musical influences of his to make a very creative release. Having known Matt since his days playing bass in the band Scrape the Earth, I've really come to respect how much work he has put in over the years recording new music and furthering to explore his various musical interests. 

4. Uranium - “Corrosion of Existence”

Probably one of the most insane and down right mind altering extreme albums to come out this year. The one-man blackened industrial act behind Uranium has been conjuring up some real radioactively decimating releases in recent years with this one being surrealistically brutal from start to finish. Uranium combines all the abhorrent musical elements together to offer listener's a glimpse into an apocalyptic nightmare where humanity has become devastated by nuclear destruction. Sentient Ruin also did a great job with the album's release by offering a cool vinyl variant as well as printing some badass shirts/hoodies/long sleeve shirts (Still some available on Sentient Ruin's website). 

3. Demonsmoke - “Resin Wrought” 

Demonsmoke’s second full-length album and the follow-up to their monumental 2017 debut album “Morphine Moonshine,”is without question one of the heaviest albums that came out this year. The band increases the vile sludge and doom dose to an even more diabolically sinister level with “Resin Wrought.” The riffs on this album are vicious while the vocals add a venomous touch of pure unapologetic disgust. Definitely draws influence from Southern sludge metal, but has such a profoundly dark doom vibe that hooks you from the first suffocatingly distorted riff. Also, shoutout to the artist who did the album cover as it perfectly compliments the band's primordial demonically doom like sound. 

2. Lathe of Heaven - “Aurora” 

Lathe of Heaven's sophomore full-length album "Aurora" had to be one of the album's I was most looking forward to in 2025. The band's debut album "Bound by Naked Skies" is one of my favorite albums to be released within the last few and I still listen to it quite frequently. "Aurora," is a tremendous follow-up that shows the band's growth as songwriters, as well as their ability to compose these haunting and fierce post-punk atmospheres. The lyrical content is inspired by science fiction along with other topics that are extremely relatable to the current state of our world. I personally think Gage Allison is one of the best singers currently in the world of rock/punk/metal music, and he always seems to delivers the lyrics with such profound conviction to where you remember every word. "Just Beyond the Reach of Light," is a powerful song that I would consider to be the best song off of the album. 

1. The Chameleons - “Arctic Moon” 

I can already hear the elitist extreme metal fans reading this number one pick and saying, "You're number one pick is yet again a non-metal band?!" Well in the end, I am unapologetic about what I enjoy and in my opinion the best album to come out in 2025 was The Chameleons "Arctic Moon." For those not familiar with The Chameleons, they are a tremendously talented post-punk/new wave act from the 80's that I strongly believe deserves more credit for their work. The band's first three albums are utterly phenomenal and even though they did not sell millions of records, I believe they have established a profoundly loyal cult following that deeply treasures the band's recordings. "Arctic Moon" is a bit of a comeback album since they had not put out a new album since 2001. Even after all those years of not making new material, the band did not seem to miss a beat as the new song's a truly astonishing. Reg Smithies is a brilliant guitarist who constructs these mesmerizing landscapes featuring some very tranquil sounding guitar compositions. The song on the album that steals the show is "David Bowie Takes my Hand," which contains some powerful lyrical moments along with these very inspiring dynamic arrangements. Even if you are not a fan of this style of music, I really do recommend checking this album out given how well music was recorded and how meaningful the lyrics come across. 

The Rob “The Metal Guy” Awards

EP of the Year: Samiarus “Reign Destroyer” 

Best Live Performance of the Year: The Chameleons in Roseville, CA

Most Brutal Album Cover of the Year: Demonsmoke “Resin Wrought”

Label of the Year: Hells Headbangers (The Goreaphobia picture disc turned out great! So glad I ordered it!). 

Up and Coming Artist of the Year: Cardinal (A black metal band that is extremely talented and hopefully working on a full-length album). 

Intercontinental Metal Champions: Empty Chalice (Created this new category for bands who come to the Bay Area from another country and put on a killer show, which Empty Chalice did on May 31st of this year). 

Biggest Douche of the Year: Sleep Token 

Ectovoid “In Unreality’s Coffin”

    The swirling and sonically devastating chaos from Ectovoid’s new album transports you into a nightmare world where you become completely overwhelmed by the unfathomable amounts of hideous brutality. Titled, “In Unreality’ Coffin,” the album is the band’s third full-length album to date with the last full-length album having been released in 2015. Even after some years of being dormant, the band reemerges with a confidently decimating extreme sounding creation. 

    when I first saw the promo and announcement for the upcoming album from Everlasting Spew Records, I thought the name Ectovoid sounded very familiar. Sure enough, I had reviewed a split that they had been a part of called, “4 Doors to Death," which came out in 2016 through Unspeakable Axe Records. I do remember the tracks that they contributed to the split were insanely savage offerings of sinister old school sounding death metal, so seeing them return with a full-length album goes to show how these musicians are still driven to unleash some catastrophic death metal upon the metal world. 

    “In Unreality’s Coffin,” is a proudly vicious and unfathomably deafening release from the very start until the gory end. Once this band gets locked in and starts laying down some juggernaut sized death metal riffs and pulverizing rhythms, the music comes rushing at you like an unspeakably grotesque entity from beyond looking to violently rip you apart. The album’s opening track, “Dissonance Corporeum,” starts with a bone crushing guitar riff followed-up by some bombastic drum parts to eventually welcome the utterly horrendous vocals. I knew right away that these musicians did not lose a step and have continued to craft a solid old school sound that does not fail to deliver a mighty dose of sadistic brutality. The singer’s growls hauntingly echo over the cataclysmic compositions to paint hellish landscape in the listener's mind.  

    The album’s second track, “Collapsing Spiritual Nebula," definitely invokes that soul crushing 90’s death metal sound and even conveys a savage Swedish death metal vibe at times. Throughout the song the band’s drummer unleashes a flurry of punishing beats to go along with the insidious sounding guitar work. One the third track, “Intrusive Illusions (Echoes from a Distant Planet),” the band does not deviate much from the first two songs and I would say that they maintain a consistent level of malevolence in terms of fiendish creativity. 

    Towards the middle of the album songs like, “Formless Seeking Form,” and “Irradiated Self,” feature even more abhorrently distorted aggression. The bass playing on, “Formless Seeking Form,” was extremely explosive sounding and reminded me of early Pestilence release where the bass injects an extra burst of low end hostility. Also, the band’s vocalist has one of the most vile sounding death growls around which I think is easily one of the album's strengths. 

    One track off of the album that really caught me by surprise was the instrumental track, “It is Without Shape.” During the track the band incorporates these cosmic atmospheric like touches as well as this extremely catchy and almost hypnotic sounding main guitar riff. For the last song on the album, “In Anguished Levitation,” I thought that the band added some more dynamic sounding arrangements and even slowed the tempo down at times to vividly emphasize certain riff sections. In terms of the production and how the riffs sounded throughout the album sounded, I do not believe fans will be disappointment because the music utterly destroys with a profane old school death metal edge. 

    In the end, Ectovoid maliciously tears through the starless void with the release of, “In Unreality’s Coffin,” to spread forth a sickening sound that pays homage to the mighty old school death metal masters, but also does not end up becoming yet another generic worship band to forget about after hearing just two songs. From the way the guitars and drums were recorded to how well the vocals came across over the mix, the band seemed extremely locked in when recording this album. I just hope we don’t have to wait another 10 years for them to record a follow-up album, because when a band has this level of inhumanely brutal talent, you really want them to keep the hammering out more cuts of death metal carnage. 

Check out the track "Collapsing Spiritual Nebula" below:

Link to where you can order the album from Everlasting Spew Records (Album comes out January 9th, 2026): 

https://everlastingspew.bandcamp.com/album/in-unrealitys-coffin 

Uranium “Corrosion of Existence”

    There are some bands that can easily write songs detailing the end of the world, although very few can mastermind a true nightmarish wasteland like Uranium. The one-man blackened industrial act has definitely captured my attention in the past with prior releases which featured some inhumanely insidious arrangements. This new offering titled, “Corrosion of Existence,” maintains an entropically surrealistic overall sound of sonic savagery and harrowing industrial noises, but pushes even further into the abysmal black void of humanity’s ultimate doom.  

    Teaming up once again with the mighty Sentient Ruin, a label known for promoting some of the most extremely unapologetic underground acts around, Uranium does not fail to deliver an album that compliments the label’s malevolent vision. Actually, I would say that Uranium is one of Sentient Ruin’s most diabolical and downright sadistic artistic visionaries, which is saying something as the label has put out a countless number of profoundly extreme sounding releases in the past. I would say that Uranium’s sound might be an acquired taste for some, but if anyone is looking of punishing industrial arrangements with bleak atmospheres clouded in the distorted ashes of nuclear fallout, then you will become instantly hooked by this latest release. 

    “Corrosion of Existence,” is an exploration into some utterly dark soundscapes and the opening track, “Bliss and Void,” marks the beginning of the aural annihilation. After hearing someone countdown as if getting ready to launch a nuclear missile to bring about apocalyptic destruction upon the world, you feel completely torn and twisted by all the dissonant sounds. Like with most industrial acts, the music creates a very harsh and sinisterly adrenaline pumping environment where one can become overwhelmed by the tsunami of agonizing noises. The vocals are completely grotesque which adds to the catastrophic mixture of vile distortion and frantic machine like sounds bursting through the storm of hellish noises. I thought the album’s second track, “Traffic Warden,” was more explosive, especially pertaining to the constant rush of tormenting aggression heard throughout the track which I would say is very similar to that of a band such as Godflesh. 

    There is no denying that Uranium is focused on creating these unconventional sounding landscapes where everything is in utter disarray, yet still manages to capture your attention in a hypnotically ruthless manner. “Descent Into Entropic Death,” contains some ear piercing sounds, while also throwing down plenty of monumental industrial rhythms. The overall composition with all these different abhorrent sounds thrown together achieves a very horrifying theme. Speaking of horrifying themes, “Concrete Tombs,” is probably the most effectively haunting and downright terrifying tracks off of the album. The atmosphere literally is void of all light as you begin to see miles of endless destruction and mounds of rubble from all the unspeakable devastation. I thought that the album could have ended right there, but Uranium decided to pile on more profoundly extreme arrangements with the final song, “Corrosion of Existence.” The song is appropriately title because you find your sanity begin to slip away as the music violently transitions from one suffocating direction to the next. 

    Uranium is an act that people can try and compared to other past extreme industrial and blackened death noises acts from all around the world, however, I would say that Uranium has definitely solidified their own unapologetically decimating artistic persona, especially on this new release. “Corrosion of Existence,” serves as another surrealistic exploration into the atrocities that shall befall humanity if we become victim to nuclear armageddon, which is why I would recommend checking out this album out if you are interested in such a serious and consequential topic. Musically, the album's overall sound is such that you'll either find it to be vividly enthralling, or sadistically overwhelming to the ears. Either way, I guarantee it will leave an impact on you, which seems to happen with a lot of artists on Sentient Ruin. 

Check out the track "Descent Into Entropic Death" below:

Sentient Ruin Bandcamp:

https://sentientruin.bandcamp.com/album/corrosion-of-existence

The Chameleons “Arctic Moon”

    When people think of the 80's new wave and post-punk music scene, there are definitely certain bands that seem to get a majority of attention, which is unfortunate because there are a significant amount of underrated acts that deserve some much more credit. In the case of The Chameleons, they are an enigmatic gem in the world of music that may not get the some amount of recognition as their fellow post-punk/new wave contemporaries, however, their profound songwriter skills along with their captivating musicianship has established them as an everlasting presence amongst those who hold them in high regard. 

    The Chameleons return after not having put out a full-length album since their 2001 release, “Why Call It Anything,” with one extremely deeply inspiring new album titled, “Arctic Moon.” Even though this is only the band’s fifth full-length album to date, their first three albums released in the 80’s remain some of the most well recorded and timeless albums from that period with my favorite being, "Strange Times." It comes with no surprise that this band does not comprise their artist values, or drastically deviates from their musical ethos on, “Arctic Moon.” Once again, Vox’s lyrics are very powerful and his ability to write such vivid self-reflective songs strongly resonates with the fans. The band’s sound is extremely welcoming, while also creating a sense of caution as society drifts into a very entropic future. 

    The first song on the album, “Where Are You?,” is a brilliant opening track featuring a vibrant sounding opening riff to welcome the listener into this euphorically sonic wonderland. Also, I really enjoyed hearing the full chords used throughout the track which injects into the band’s sound a mighty burst of radiant energy. The second song on the album, “Lady Strange,” is a very calming and catchy tune with more warm sounding chord progressions to complement Vox’s comforting vocal delivery. Throughout the entire track I felt at peace as the song’s overall atmosphere is guided by a profound synergy. 

    One area of this album that I thought really stood out was the stellar production and orchestral arrangements. Pete Whitfield who is credited for the orchestral arrangements as well as performing on, “Feels Like the End of the World” and “David Bowie Takes My Hand,” provides an extra touch of brilliance two unbelievably moving tracks. “Feels Like the End of the World” begins as a very up beat sounding instrumental arrangement that eventually transitions into a more haunting direction towards the end of the song. Very similar to songs on the first three Chameleons albums, Reg Smithies dynamic style is able to pivot down a variety of musical path, thus offering listener’s a plethora of strikingly memorable and emotionally charged guitar parts. “Free Me,” and “Magnolia” are also two very creative pieces of music that once gain demonstrate the band’s tremendously tight songwriting skills. “Free Me,” has you hooked from the beginning of the track with its monumental acoustic chords which eventually grows into a phenomenal chorus section to lift you up. 

    The song thought that really steals the show and is probably the track that I would say represents this band’s undeniable prowess as songwriters is “David Bowie Takes My Hand.” Every single second of this song you are drawn into every sound and lyric, which is achieved by the exceptional production and inspiring instrumental arrangements. When you hear Vox sing the lyrics during the chorus section, one can vividly feel the raw emotional tone coming from his voice as you listen to each word over the epic instrumental arrangement. The final song on the album, “Saviors Are a Dangerous Thing,” was released as a single in May of this year, and really addresses a lot of what has been happening the world for years when pertaining to the idea of a leader coming and making grandiose promises. As I always say, never trust someone who comes up and says that they are here to help, especially if they drive a white van and are dressed up like a clown claiming to offer free candy. 

    Overall, The Chameleons “Arctic Moon” is an album that is desperately needing for 2025, but in the end can hopefully be a timeless inspiration for many years to come just like the band's other full-length albums. Compared to some old washed up mummified looking artists who write pretentious protest songs and sound like drunk constipated goats, The Chameleons genuine act that listeners can relate to with true appreciation and respect for their talents. I would highly recommend checking this album out, and if you have never heard of the Chameleons, then you shall hopefully become hooked after hearing this release which will then get you to listen to the band’s previous works. Even though the times right now feel chaotic and confusing, the music from The Chameleons can be a guiding light to lift one's self out of the murky suffocating darkness and into a state of much needed tranquility. 

Check out the music video for "Where Are You?" below via Metropolis Records: