Full Length Review: Distorted Reflection "Doom Zone" (Iron Shield Records) by Dave Wolff

Band: Distorted Reflection

Location: Athens

Country: Greece

Genre: Epic doom metal

Full length: Doom Zone

Format: Digital, CD

Label: Iron Shield Records

Release date: February 27, 2026

If members of Candlemass and Celtic Frost recorded an album in 1986 or 1987, it might have sounded something like this. These bands were given inspiration from Tony Iommi's contribution to Black Sabbath, exploring new ways to express it in death and doom metal’s early years.

By a gradual, continual transformation process, Distorted Reflection offers a reinterpretation of the visions Candlemass and Celtic Frost pioneered. The journey they embarked on with “Doom Rules Eternally,” continuing with “Doom Zone,” is marked by transformation leading to self-discovery and liberation from religious concepts.

From the Biblical tale of the serpent of temptation to a dystopian future (3000 A.D. to be exact), disillusionment with imposed authority fuels a quest for individualism and authentic spirituality. Introspective and defiant, "Doom Zone" embodies the resolve to seek truth within oneself. Ringing of traditional metal with a healthy touch of dinge, an equally healthy prog-metal presence and an operatic motif in the vocals, “Doom Zone” is heavy, grimy, plodding in many places and skilled at hammering the listener.

But make no mistake, this heaviness is accompanied by harmonious and innovative characteristics. There are times the songs become surprisingly buoyant and optimistic, for all the dark themes infused into it. Indicating traces of St. Vitus and Cathedral, it also holds discernible eccentric indications you wouldn’t anticipate from a band aiming for doom and stoner rock’s target audiences.

At times a progression or vocal will sound a little off when juxtaposed with the rest of the song. The band’s dichotomy takes thorough form in the lyrics, personifying the struggle between disenchantment with supposed truth and thirst for knowledge and actuality. Each song is replete with dualism: gratitude and deep respect mixed with loss and grief, longing for spiritual strength and desire for vengeance, turmoil and the hope for renewal, idolization and self-respect, acceptance of mortality and despair, guidance and betrayal, dreams and nightmares.

The album seems to become more bizarre as it progresses, but for each reference to the darker sides of existence, there are hints of resilience and philosophical awakening. Again, loss and grief becoming nightmare and madness lead to existential reflection in its own way, as the last few tracks seem to indicate. What’s most important to remember is in the end, the overall message, the big picture, is about aspiring toward higher ideals. –Dave Wolff

Lineup:

Kostas Sal: Guitar, vocals

Vangelis Yal: Bass, synth, backing vocals

Thomas Zen: Drums

Jack Starr: Guitar solo on “3000 A.D.”

Track list:

1. 3000 A.D.

2. My Second Father

3. Gates Of Paranoia

4. Love On Earth

5. Asphyxiating

6. Certain Death

7. Diminished

8. Tower Of Dreams

9. Forecourt To Death

10. The Final Attempt

11. Morbid Reality

Full Length Review: Messa "The Spin" (Metal Blade) by Dave Wolff

Band: Messa

Country: Italy

Genre: Doom metal

Full length: The Spin

Format: Digital, LP, CD (see Bandcamp link for more information)

Label: Metal Blade

Release date: April 11, 2025

Recorded in a centuries old villa (about five hundred years) near their hometown of Bassano del Grappa, “The Spin” is indeed a spin metal, post-punk, new wave, and other genres. Working in separate locations and at different times, over the course of six weeks, Messa embraced spontaneity and inner focus throughout the process.

Unlike their previous album “Close,” which the band recorded together in the same room, they chose to record “The Spin” in isolation. This approach alleviated the pressure of synchronization, allowing the band to focus on refining their musicianship. Starting with minimal structure and emphasizing variety, they deliberately avoided repetition to keep the songs engaging. The result boasts sharper contrasts between genres, with each instrument creating dynamics with distinct personality.

Personality and an identity independent of any “scene” is core to this band. Drawing inspiration from early eighties goth rock, before it became a “scene,” they explore it freely, not merely referencing it but integrating its essence into their evolving musical palette. With the essence of dark ambient, black metal, punk, prog, blues and jazz, the incorporation of goth rock gives greater depth to something that doesn't directly compare to Sisters Of Mercy, Killing Joke, Mercyful Fate, Jimmy Page, Journey and Vangelis but synthesizes elements of all these artists with a massive and unpredictable sonic landscape.

From capturing heights of joy to depths of despair, Messa is known for a relentless work ethic bordering on obsession, constantly challenging themselves to craft music with a magical appeal. Their approach to diversity surprised me in many ways, proving to be far more immersive and impactful than I initially expected it to be. As I hinted, their method of songwriting makes a point of offering something new with each album, as each album reveals multiple shades of itself.

At first “The Spin” sounds like it may be typical electronica or industrial. However, it gradually shifts, subtly but markedly, first toward new wave, then toward doom metal. Throughout, lovely and soulful vocals emerge organically, blossoming from within and filling every space as they explore these constantly shifting soundscapes.

What makes Messa’s dark elements unique is that they’re not presented in a menacing or hostile way. Instead, they’re integrated thoughtfully, creating an atmosphere that invites curiosity and reflection, appealing to listeners with divergent tastes. The contrasts I mentioned can be likened to a spiderweb with threads woven together in irregular patterns, or a tapestry where each space equally emphasizes color and meaning, creating a rich, intricate fabric of scenery, or in this case sound and emotion.

The interplay of genre and mood, ranging from rough and smooth, bombastic and reflective, progressive and aggressive, angelic and feral, more or less reflects upon the complexities of being a human being. This interplay feels more profound than bands that depict good and evil as equal opposing forces. Angels and devils are not separate aspects of humanity; each person is both deep within. One side doesn't require the other to exist; both are the same complex entity.

To illustrate this, the drums, bass, guitars, and vocals work in tandem, allowing each shift in influence to flow organically. While they integrate, building on the themes they devised working separately, each band member retains their own distinguishable character, emphasizing the fluid complexity of the music and, metaphorically, of human nature itself. Together they create a breakthrough in doom metal that is diverse, compelling and inspirational. –Dave Wolff

Lineup:

Sara: Vocals

Marco: Guitars, bass

Alberto: Guitars

Rocco: Drums

Track list:

1. Void Meridian

2. At Races

3. Fire on the Roof 

4. Immolation

5. The Dress

6. Reveal

7. Thicker Blood   

Demo Review: Lord of Horns "Beneath a Broken Cross" (Independent) by Dave Wolff

Band: Lord of Horns

Location: Lodi, New Jersey

Country: USA

Genre: Black metal

Demo: Beneath a Broken Cross

Format: Digital

Label: Independent

Release date: May 14, 2026

Despite the continuous progress and refinement of black metal, marked by evolving styles and new interpretations, it’s always refreshing to see a band return to the basics and draw inspiration from early Darkthrone, Burzum, Emperor and obscure black metal bands like Belkètre, Countess, Vlad Tepes and Nåstrond.

What’s being referred to the classic sound here is intensely raw, featuring atmosphere-rich guitars evoking a foggy moor you can barely navigate, tremolo picking and bass like bladed weapons, frigid keyboards with airs like the thickening mist obscuring your eyesight, severe, jarring percussion and rasping, grating vocals that scrape at your consciousness.

I've talked extensively about black metal bands taking me back to a time when music was cult without the need to be kvlt or to rely on labels like Kvit to define themselves. When what they composed seemed to be invocations of all things dismal, unlit, and fascinating. When songs were less like traditional songs and more like mediums for channeling mysterious, hidden truths, bringing the secret stuff of mystery, secret depths of the unknown, or an apparition with illicit revelation about the future, into actuality to dispel the mundane.

The rawer and more aged the music sounded, the more it carried those mysteries from obscurity to conjoin with the listener's spiritual inclinations and sense of self. Demonic possession? Or another state of being, one long untouched from deep inside? Maybe a little of both is to be found in “Beneath a Broken Cross,” three demo tracks of songs planned for inclusion on Lord of Horns’ next full length “Cursed by the Horned Moon.”

The tracks released on this preview of the new album are designed to tear open the shroud between reality and an inscrutable supernatural world where the devil himself dwells, waiting to be invited into our world, if even for a brief period of time. Beyond that veil is a universe of delirium, turmoil and hysteria, almost beyond comprehension.

While I listened to these songs I kept thinking of John Carpenter’s Apocalypse Trilogy, especially “Prince of Darkness” and “In the Mouth of Madness.” I kept sensing a transformative vibe emerging from the combination of elements the band blended their sound with. I sensed this most strongly with the blend of atmosphere and a rigid industrial-black metal sound similar to Mysticum and Thorns. Exceptionally forceful, a lot like the dark force unleashed in “Prince of Darkness” and the altered perception of reality shown in “In the Mouth of Madness.”

In typical black metal fashion perceptions are skewed and transposed, and disparate modes of awareness emerge. With the band we journey through exile, carving a new path in desolation, separated from the world and divine grace. We start to see spiritual corruption within that grace, broken crosses suggesting disillusionment with classical religion, rotting decay and pestilence hidden beneath.

We hear invocations to darkness, ancient occult practices leading to transformation, reverence and power. When the devil appears it’s like a distortion, or maybe even a shredding, of the line between illusion and reality. From there comes the inevitable confrontation between good and evil, this time a conflict between institutional power trying to impose spiritual cleansing and a refusal to relinquish the self-awareness achieved through dark rites.

This is symbolized by traditional exorcism rites and demonic hordes, possibly raising the question: which side is the overwhelming evil seeking dominance? Which side emerges triumphant? For the answers, you should experience these tracks for yourself. –Dave Wolff

Track list:

1. Beneath a Broken Cross

2. I Conjured the Devil

3. Exorcism Denied

Interview with Vin Varg of Lord Of Horns by Dave Wolff

Review of "The Forest at Dusk" (MossCorpse Records) by Dave Wolff

Review of "Few Ever Survive The Night…" (Independent) by Corban Skipwith

Full Length Review: S.C.R.A.M. "Coma Filament" (Independent) by Dave Wolff

Project: S.C.R.A.M.

Location: Oakland, California

Country: USA

Genre: Synthwave

Full length: Coma Filament

Format: Digital

Label: Independent

Release date: September 23, 2026

Pranjal Tiwari who has been cutting his teeth on hardcore, doom metal and psychotropic techno, began the solo project S.C.R.A.M. (Safety Control Rod Axe Man) in 2020, writing instrumental pieces in isolation, taking enough time and space to manifest his imagination through ambient, electronic, cinematic experimentalism with immersive tension and vibes of horror and science fiction.

The isolation Tiwari worked in gave him enough room to envision entire movies and consider soundtracks that would most effectively work. In one of these sessions of thought he found a place where horror and science fiction met: light years beyond where mankind had traveled the cosmos. There he found an abandoned spaceship, just floating out there where no abandoned spaceship should be. No reason, no explanation of how it reached that far. An unexpected find that gripped his mind, becoming evocative and terrifying to where it became the inspiration for “Coma Filament.”

The idea he had sounds like a movie you’d have to exercise infinite patience to watch in its entirety. But it may also have elements of pure horror that would keep you fixated on the screen all throughout. Where constant hard-hitting action that seeks to grab you right from the beginning may be absent in such a movie, there’s existential alarm and dread stemming from the possibility that what’s floating in the farthest reaches of space may be a ghost ship of some kind. This sensation was inspired by the mystery and potential danger that was present in Andrei Tarkovsky’s sci fi film from 1972, “Solaris.”

Tiwari has a history of brainwaving through slow-moving, tension-building sci-fi and horror, inspired by films like “Blade Runner,” “The Terminator” and the works of John Carpenter and David Lynch. Drawing from “Solaris” for “Coma Filament” represents another step in his pursuit of the quintessential soundtrack. Also stimulated by composers Vangelis, David Horner, Brad Fiedel, and Eduard Artemyev, each of Tiwari’s releases has its own distinct sound and mood. The most bizarre of these is 2025’s “Desolation Radio: A Found-Footage Broadcast” which features instrumental pieces of varying durations. Lo-fi ambient and electronic tracks arranged so randomly, classification is impossible.

Named after a galaxy filament forming part of the galactic superstructure known as the Coma Wall, "Coma Filament" features songs named after actual planets, constellations, and galaxy clusters, likely to evoke a sense of realism on top of awe and dread. Seeming to borrow from each release over the past six years, the soundtrack composed for it unfolds scene by scene. The overall effect could also lie somewhere between the soundtracks of Spielberg's "Close Encounters of the Third Kind" and Fulci's "Zombie."

A disembodied, mesmeric voice (contributed by artist/author Zeena Schreck) calls out across an insurmountable distance in the universe, beckoning across millennia until it finally reaches us. And a lone traveler follows this voice, signal, or whatever it is, toward whatever may be waiting. Tiwan records his material in a way that evokes both the mystery and the potential danger he intends you to feel. Finally reaching the ghost ship after what seems an eternity, he begins to make contact, or experience hauntings. As the soundtrack progresses, it becomes increasingly clear that Tiwari masterfully crafts tension and suspense, carefully selecting instruments and effects to heighten these feelings during recording sessions.

As you continue to listen, certain parts of the songs make you start slightly. It's not a jump scare reaction, but something more subtle, more implied, as if you're being watched by an invisible something from an unknown place. "Coma Filament" has a chilling effect very similar to that of darkwave, dark ambient, and dungeon synth art displayed in the 1990s, multiplied by a factor of ten or higher. Resulting from an infinite amount of thought and planning, "Coma Filament" is an album that Tiwari professes to be quite proud of. –Dave Wolff

Track list:

1. Forgotten Language

2. Derelict Spacecraft

3. The Hunter

4. UR.IDIM

5. Seven Mansions Of The Black Tortoise

6. Great Dragon Rouses

7. Haris al-Sama (The Keeper Of Heaven)

8. Flight Of The Vermillion Bird

Full Length Review: The Night Eternal "Cold Velvet" (Metal Blade) by Dave Wolff

Band: The Night Eternal

Location: Essen

Country: Germany

Genre: Heavy metal

Full length: Cold Velvet

Format: Digipak CD, digital, vinyl [180g black (US) Clear Purple w/ Black Smoke (EU – Ltd. 1000; includes 7”, slipmat, velvet bag, gas lighter) “Storm Cloud” Violet Blue Marbled (EU – Ltd. 700) Steel Grey Blue Marble (EU – Ltd. 500) Light Grey Blue Splatter (EU – Ltd. 300) “Black Dust” Crystal Clear (EU – Ltd. 200)]

Label: Metal Blade

Release date: August 21, 2026

Somewhere between classic power metal and The Sisters of Mercy lies The Night Eternal’s “Cold Velvet.” Or Queensrÿche and The Cure? Iron Maiden and Souxsie and the Banshees? I remember when those juxtapositions seemed irreconcilable, but today any of them seem more than plausible. Especially considering the appeal The Night Eternal had with audiences while sharing stages with Angel Witch, Michael Schenker and Blind Guardian.

They’ve achieved that appeal on their own terms, drawing not only from music of the ’70s and ’80s but also from qualities largely absent from mainstream metal of the 80s: drama and profound feeling. Finding the places where the twain meets, where classic metal shares something with gothic music and post punk, is much less of a stretch now that Moonspell, Lacuna Coil and Sirenia are well known underground and aboveground. Expanses of pitch-darkness far below the surface, the shared displeasure and despondency between genres, are found or pieced together, enlarged and driven outwards.

The result is a distinctly dark, captivating sound rooted in self-reflection, melancholia, apprehension and phantasmagoria, anchored by a ceremonial backbone, expressed through passion and sorrow. On “Cold Velvet,” The Night Eternal compels reflection through their songwriting and musicianship, channeling emotional weight into every instrument and vocal track. It’s like they rediscovered a time when music first communicated with them on an impassioned level.

Some say the band earned a reputation by inventing their own subgenre: melancholic metal. That may not be far from the truth as their vision becomes a musical opiate that projects persistent waves of gloom and shadow. The veil separating our world and the vast realms beyond is lifted again, again restating the idea that anything’s possible and there are no rules or standards when it comes to writing music.

To demonstrate this further The Night Eternal made a promotional video for the first track of “Cold Velvet,” “Where the World Ends” with nothing more than an eighties post-punk/new wave vibe and a shaded atmosphere. No overdone, overexaggerated close ups, no additional accoutrements, just the band playing in a dusky setting surrounded by fog. The point is to showcase the song, the thoughts and conceptions written into it, and the moving way they’re revealed. It’s purely portraying the band as serious musicians rather than attractive merchandising tools.

In doing so the band return to the basics of building songs, something that thrash bands reminded us of when music was becoming too commercial and image oriented. The Night Eternal’s image takes a back seat to the identity they establish after years of ripening their melodies, the way they harmonize sensitivity with guitar harmonies and vocal sections encouraging mass audience participation. The band has three more videos, "Eurydice (Don't Look Back)," “Caught in a Spell” and “The Veins of Time,” that pay close attention to their storytelling.

Michael Zech of Secrets of the Moon knew how to help achieve the band’s sound after working with Triptykon, The Ruins Of Beverast and Sulphur Aeon, and I wouldn’t be surprised if they keep finding new ways to build narratives of their material and appeal to more listeners when touring with more bands and making more festival appearances. –Dave Wolff

Lineup:

Ricardo Baum: Vocals

Robert Richter: Guitar

Henry Käseberg: Guitar

Aleister Präkelt: Drums

Track list:

1. Where This World Ends

2. Eurydice (Don’t Look Back)

3. Caught In A Spell

4. When The Last Candle Dies

5. The Veins Of Time

6. The Watcher Of The Burning Veil

7. Shape Of Sorrow

8. Dance On Crimson Ground

Full Length Review: Krallice "Scour Order" (Profound Lore Records) by Dave Wolff

Band: Krallice

Location: New York

Country: USA

Genre: Black metal

Full length: Scour Order

Format: CD, LP, digital

Label: Profound Lore Records

Release date: September 18th 2026

It’s taken a significant amount of time since their inception in 2007, but Krallice has gone from playing black metal to playing long, beguiling compositions of progressive-experimental black metal, with compact harmonics reeking of peculiarities.

Starting as a two-guitar partnership and expanding into a full band over time, they shifted toward perfecting their abstruse perception of the genre. Their long succession of full-length albums shows the extensive time they dedicated to practice, experimentation and trial-and-error, always stepping back and focusing more on composing and recording rather than touring.

What ensues from this on “Scour Order” is partially comparable to atmospheric/avant garde bands like Blut Aus Nord and The Ruins of Beverast, only thriving on complicated bass lines and perplexing drum patterns as much as curious guitar harmonies and riffs; that is to say when guitars were required. With a traditional lineup sticking to basics, Krallice exhibit interaction that propels their professionalism toward standards of skillful art rock and acid jazz bands, all with the potency and unceasing vehemence of black metal bands.

For all this, nothing the band thought up is set in stone, and they’ve remained open to recording with different method. At one point Krallice switched from dual guitars to guitar and synth, deciding synths would better help remold and reshape themselves, and communicate with the complex bass and drum tracks, making their sound both dense and expansive. Some of the songs on past albums were even recorded without guitars as synths were more than sufficient to take center stage.

Borrowing occasionally from NWOBHM, sci-fi metal, and classic thrash, the band not only integrates but absorbs raw abrasiveness with intricate musicianship and odd time signatures, guiding the listener through turn after turn. “Agonal Shining” begins with a few moments of crunch before shifting to harmonies layered with a bizarre combination of rawness and electronic sounds, supported by thunderous drums that grow more intricate as the song slowly progresses into a progressive landscape. Blast beats often break up their intensity mid-blast, transitioning into slower beats and time changes accompanied by tangled bass lines and (again) dual guitars. These layered combinations with guitars and caterwauled vocals become more pronounced and striking, regardless of how frequently a new rhythm shift ripples and floods from the previous shift. As the first track, it lays the foundation for everything we can expect from the following tracks.

These rhythm shifts include measures that add extra beats, creating space for the instruments to embellish as if offering afterthoughts to the statements they’re making. Sometimes they build a little more gradually; other times they shift abruptly, fade into somber atmosphere, or become more intense when needed. The volatile appeal of “Scour Order” lies in an unstable, uncertain changeability that’s kept uniform by its simplistic lo-fi production. It’s a dichotomy that sustains your interest in exploring the unknown with Krallice even as they blaze new trails through the unknown themselves. –Dave Wolff

Lineup:

Mick Barr: Guitar, vocals

Colin Marston: Guitar, vocals

Nicholas McMaster: Bass, vocals

Lev Weinstein: Drums

Track list:

1. Agonal Shining

2. Grievous Corrector

3. Kill The Guardian

4. Unceasing Path

5. Living Useless Ritual

6. Indecipherable Divinities

7. Her Green Arms

8. Scour Order

Full Length Review: Shabti "Haze, Cacophony, And White Light" (Contemn Light) by Dave Wolff

Band: Shabti

Location: Portland, Maine

Country: USA

Genre: Death/black metal

Full length: Haze, Cacophony, And White Light

Format: Digital album, limited edition cassette (100 copies)

Label: Contemn Light

Release date: August 21, 2026

Although seven years passed between "Trembling and Shorn" and "Haze, Cacophony, And White Light," Shabti has taken as long to refine their technicality into something as infectious as it’s deadly. During this time they’ve remained a stable live act, appealing to fans of bands from Today Is The Day to Immolation.

The band is named after an Egyptian funerary figurine, also known as a ushabti, dating from ancient times. Believing the afterlife required manual labor, these figurines were called upon to answer the gods’ call to perform such work for the deceased. Inscribed with spells from the Egyptian Book of the Dead, shabtis were commonly used from the 21st Dynasty onward.

Shabti’s magnetism, beyond their supernatural connotations, lies in their technical skill and their ability to craft detailed, complex songs free of gimmicks or trendy hooks. While death metal customarily relies on low, bass-heavy sounds, Shabti combines intricate death metal songwriting with higher-pitched tremolo sounds associated with black metal, featuring bludgeoning riffs and irregular, disharmonic notes, drawing no clear lines between genres.

As the three members of Shabti have played in various black metal and doom/death metal bands, "Haze, Cacophony, And White Light" sounds like they easily interacted with each other, finding a middle ground where they could compose freely and build upon each other's ideas. Their songs often shift direction and evoke different moods; they piece their own puzzles together, creating multilayered soundscapes bending nature itself while ultimately making sense.

Rob Cook (vocals, guitar) explains that most of the songs carry multiple meanings and can be interpreted in various ways, though some are rooted in personal experiences, crafted precisely as he envisioned them to make sense of those feelings. The band operates in no comfort zone, driven by a relentless desire to impose order on chaos and to navigate life’s experiences. Their lyrics subtly convey themes of alienation, grief, and longing; these are often intertwined with spiritual, mythological, and religious imagery, elements that listeners may empathize with as much as they respond to the band’s songwriting ingenuity.

The band's writing process produced intricate notes that, while not strictly prog, doom, or classic metal, seem to incorporate elements of all three within the death/black metal framework they initially explored. The percussion does more than simply guide the songs through time and mood changes; they accommodate the varying tempos and different frames of mind they evoke each time the band shifts direction. The bass tracks do the same to complement the guitar and vocal layers, adorning the multifaceted riffs and shifts between low and high-pitched vocals.

Moving and blending together in that familiar linear flow, the band members collaborate under principles similar to those of jazz fusion bands. Cook stated that the way this album turned out made him eager to start writing the next one. That it could reinforce his passion that much shows evolution doesn't necesarily have to be overt or demand attention. A band can evolve by building on what they have organically. –Dave Wolff

Lineup:

Rob Cook: Vocals, guitars

Brendan Hayter: Bass

Ray Capizzo: Drums

Track list:

1. Ambrosia And Lamb’s Blood

2. A Weary Creation

3. Blood For A Blessing

4. Haze, Cacophony, And White Light

5. Sojourner

6. Rise Of The Shabti

Full Length Review: Shrineburner "Hymns of Despair" (Independent) by Dave Wolff

Band: Shrineburner

Location: Chicago, Illinois

Country: USA

Genre: Doom/sludge metal

Full length: Hymns of Despair

Format: Digital, CD, vinyl

Label: Independent

Release date: September 11, 2026

In 2023 Peter Norman started Shrineburner with Brent Favala, aiming to make an impact on Chicago’s metal scene by crafting wall of sound doom metal infused with sludge and a repetitive, mantra-like feel designed to slide into listeners’ heads. The three songs on their debut EP “Solitude” initially seemed to contrast the tranquil cover artwork. A closer look revealed the lone black-hooded figure beside the stream, hinting at something deeply ominous entering the serenity. His presence added an unsettling edge to the wooded shadows in the background.

The tracks appearing on “Solitude” felt designed to guide the mind into deep meditation. Subtle yet persistent, a certain roughness in the guitars and bass, like minerals grinding together, created a friction that intensified the listening experience. The constant rumble, even showing itself during the songs’ somber parts, was habitual of doom and sludge but took on an invocational quality, transforming their wall of sound into a conduit for transmutation. This magnified their trance-like effect, blending their doom/sludge roots with trance-inducing undertones.

In June 2024, Shrineburner released “The Burden,” pushing their sound to a louder, heavier level. The track incorporated some more time changes, cosmic psychedelia, and black metal elements. Norman, handling guitars and vocals, expertly filled in the lyrical space, driving his voice deeper and more booming, more commanding while Favala’s percussion further enhanced the inherent rumble of the guitar and bass lines. The grey-toned cover art, featuring an isolated figure lost in thought made more of an effort to reflect the single’s introspective nature.

By the time they recorded their first full-length “Hymns of Despair,” the band had expanded from a duo to a power trio. CJ Johnson, who helped record their EP and single, contributed bass while Edward Hamel stepped in to fill the shoes of Favala, whose other projects demanded more of his time. This new lineup marked a significant evolution to where they sounded like a different band, which arguably, they were. With fresh input from the two new members, Norman expanded on the slow, meditative foundation of “Solitude,” furnishing his rhythmic litanies with labyrinthine songwriting. His gravelly roughness and booming voice are more conspicuous, bleeding into the heightened psychedelia, atmospheric layers and black metal elements.

Placid introduction pieces like incantations to the controlled chaos that follows, sudden violent bursts of rawness and aggression introducing hypnotic excursions, fluctuating time durations from song to song, songs with drastically divergent temperaments and auras, hints of old doom-death metal and refined solemnity are new directions taken here, all pushed exponentially by minimalistic fills and abundant crash cymbals in the drums, all reflected by the languid painting Joshua Hondros contributed for the cover art: a surreal depiction of hell with nightmarish creatures and somber colors.

For a band that started as a creative outlet and became what is described as monolithic and earthquake inducing, Shrineburner has fulfilled a lot of their potential in a short time, expanding their wall of sound and creating the ideal outlet for when they head out onto the road to present it to their steadily built fan base. –Dave Wolff

Lineup:

Peter Norman: Vocals, guitar

CJ Johnson: Bass

Edward Hamel: Drums

Track list:

1. Void Of Guilt

2. Spectral Cataclysm

3. Bodies Dragged To Sunlight

4. Slow Death Chant

5. An Ocean Of Broken Hope

6. Hymn Of Despair

Single/Full Length Review: Spike Poilte and Sewage "A.I. Apocalypse" (Sewer Lid Music LLC) by Dave Wolff

Band: Spike Polite and Sewage

Location: New York City, New York

Country: USA

Genre: Punk

Single/full length: A.I. Apocalypse

Format: CD, digiral

Label: Sewer Lid Music LLC

Release date: December 31, 2025

These were my first thoughts while listening to “A.I. Apocalypse,” the latest single and full-length album by Spike Polite and Sewage. Throughout their career, they’ve maintained relevance by consistently writing and performing new material as an actual band, despite the rise of AI-generated music and the trend of digital shortcuts.

Recently, artists have been using AI not only to compose music but also to create entire punk and metal bands streamed online. There are even ongoing copyright disputes over AI-generated work. It’s becoming increasingly difficult to distinguish human musicians from computer-generated bands, a growing concern among artists worldwide. For example, just ask podcaster Rick Beato or visit his YouTube channel. If there was ever a need for a rock ’n’ roll revolution, AI-generated music is a compelling reason for one.

Sewage’s raw, authentic sound serves as a reminder of the importance of organic music, no percussion samples, autotune, or compression to thin the sound or mask nuance. “Real music, real time,” says Spike. Staying connected with New York City’s punk scene while reaching out to punk communities elsewhere, the band remains committed to challenging industry norms.

Spike has assembled a strong lineup for this single and the accompanying live tracks, most of which were written years ago and practiced countless times with various lineups. Known for calling for upheaval and renewal, these songs advocate replacing superficial music with the rebellious spirit that fuels both punk art and literature. This rebellious attitude has gained recognition through documentaries about punk culture.

Recorded at Brooklyn’s Lucky 13 Saloon in 2025, tracks like “Rock & Roll Revolution,” “Police Brutality,” “Subway Surfing,” “What Happened to the Punk Rock,” and “Punk Religion” are delivered with taut precision and energy, reflecting the spirit in which they were written. Newer songs like “Big O” and “Credit” sit naturally with the older ones, connecting with the fire dwelling in the soul of anyone who has been stirred by punk in their lives. The bond between New York and English punk has likewise strengthened through years of live practice, drawing more attention to their shared energy.

“Credit” exemplifies Sewage’s lyrical growth as much as their musicianship, offering a sharp critique of corporate greed, consumerism, and materialism. It emphasizes how the pressure to keep up with societal expectations leads to debt and job loss, illustrating the decline of American manufacturing and the increasing reliance on other countries. The song portrays this cycle as reducing the average consumer to an economic pawn of large corporations, highlighting the societal cost of unchecked capitalism.

As for the single/title song, AI and computer-generated music are one thing, but it addresses facial and voice recognition as surveillance tools and highlights how humans are losing their jobs to robots and AI, leading to rising unemployment and inflation that mostly benefit the upper classes. Consumerism and corporate greed are again central themes, with some subtle allusions to Orwell’s “1984.”

Metal and industrial bands have discussed the "cyborg military-industrial complex" that could result from mass surveillance and technological control as symbolism and metaphor; Sewage does so in a very literal sense, highlighting societal decay while managing to avoid sounding like conspiracy theorists. While I still like the older songs I mentioned and always will, it would be interesting to see if Sewage pushes the sociopolitical edge of their single further to see where it leads. –Dave Wolff

Lineup:

Spike Polite: Vocals

Lue Ann Librera: Backing vocals

Heide Miklitz: Bass

Jon Pannikar: Drums

Antonio Romano: Guitar, backing vocals

Randall Steffes: Mix editor

Track list:

1. Big O – live

2. Credit – live

3. Subway Surfing – live

4. Police Brutality – live

5. Florida – live

6. Rock & Roll Revolution – live

7. Facebook sUcks – live

8. What Happened To The Punk Rock? – live

9. Punk Religion – live

10. Pandemonium – live

11. A.I. Apocalypse

Review of "Punk Not DeAd" (Solid Bass Records) by Dave Wolff

Review of "Pandemonium" (Rotten Bastards Records) by Dave Wolff

Review of "The Italian Sessions" (Independent) by Dave Wolff

Full Length Review: Harlott "Exsequiis" (Metal Blade) by Dave Wolff

Band: Harlott

Location: Melbourne

Country: Australia

Genre: Thrash metal

Full length: Exsequiis

Format: CD, digital, vinyl ("Coagulation" ASideBSide: EU – Limited to 500 copies)

Label: Metal Blade

Release date: September 11, 2026

Whenever I listen to Australian thrash, I feel the energy and liveliness you'd expect from bands like Bestial Warlust or Sadistik Execution. The Melbourne band Harlott embodies Australia’s self-sustaining thrash movement in every way, pouring everything into their upcoming album “Exsequiis:” the fast pace, potency, and independent spirit of thrash that changed the face of music in the eighties.

Since watching the independent documentary series “Thrash or Fuck Off,” I can't find a down-under band that doesn’t meticulously channel technical efficiency, power, and endurance into every riff and progression. I have always sensed a strong determination among Australian thrash bands to gain global recognition and stand alongside their counterparts from Germany, Brazil, England, and the U.S.

Made and released in 2019, “Thrash or Fuck Off” highlights how committed the scene is to thriving on its terms, fueled by zeal and the musical roots shared with bands on our side of the Pacific Ocean (Black Sabbath, Led Zeppelin, Queen, Kiss, NWOBHM). This series is an extensive examination into a grassroots industry with the cutting edge vibe that spread from the U.K. to Germany and the States so long ago. It offers no apologies showing Australian thrash bands perceive their influences more profoundly than usual; taking the idea that nothing’s sacred from the garage to the stage.

As another example, Hobbs Angel of Death, originally a solo project and the first Australian band to make a name outside their borders, released a self-titled debut through Steamhammer that sold surprisingly well in Europe and gained some attention in the U.S. Though subsequent albums didn’t generate the same buzz, their debut still became a cult classic and something about their “virgin metal” suggested you can be as fast, heavy, proficient, coarse and explosive as you’re inspired to be and compete with the more prominent likes of Dark Angel, Sacrifice and Sadus.

Having released two EPs and four full-length albums since 2006, the Melbourne band Harlott takes that idea and accelerates it, so to speak. Set to be released in a month, “Exsequiis” not only recaptures thrash’s classic spirit but surpasses it in ways most retro-thrash or thrash revival bands haven’t yet touched. Their secret lies in eschewing terms like “retro” or “revivalist” and treating the genre’s true nature as if it never went out of vogue. For them it never did when it comes to the genre’s unruly, defiant spirit and classic punk’s attitude into their song structure, vocals and lyrics.

Already incisive and high-tensile on their early EPs and debut full-length “Origin,” they’ve sharpened their skills over the years, taking time to become faster, tighter, and to harness the density they captured in the studio, steering it toward greater dynamism and melodic invention.Patiently cultivating their identity across three albums from 2015 and 2020 and taking a six-year rest, they evolved into an unstoppable force of precision, crunch, and dissonance. Featuring varying meters, tempo shifts, inventive lead harmonies, occasional blast and scalding guitar solos, their sound is characterized by embittered vocal outbursts condemning societal polarization. Acerbic critiques of a world that is far from the ideals envisioned by the counter cultures of days gone by.

If Testament, Dark Angel, Kreator, and old Sepultura hold a special place in your darkened heart; if you have fond memories of singing along with hardcore bands when you and your friends were handed the mike in the front row; if pop punk feels too commercial for your taste; and if you miss a time when bands prioritized being cutting-edge, swift, shredding, and aggressive over having commercial appeal, Harlott is a prime example of the Australian industry and the genre as a whole. The boldness the band approached this album with produced an album confirming Australian thrash deserves to be recognized as a reputable foundation of high grade thrash bands. –Dave Wolff

Lineup:

Andrew Hudson: Guitar, vocals

Tom Richards: Bass, vocals

Leigh Bartley: Guitar

Glen Trayhern: Drums

Track list:

1. Incipiam

2. Void

3. Messiah Simplex

4. Trial By Liar

5. The God That Knows No Name

6. Kleptogenesis

7. A Still More Glorious Dawn Awaits

8. The Joyful Stain

9. Endling

10. Vice Borne

11. Exsequiis