Tag Archives: alternative metal

The Year In Review – Top 10 Hard Rock/Heavy Metal Albums of 2025

Posted on by
Reply

“Who the fuck is Justin Bieber?” – Ozzy Osbourne

There’s not much to celebrate in rock and metal music in the same year when we lost the one and only John Michael “Ozzy” Osbourne. Nothing will ever be the same without the Prince of Darkness, the Madman, The Wizard of Ozz. There isn’t a single artist or band reviewed in the history of The Headbanging Moose that wasn’t influenced in several ways by Ozzy and, of course, by Black Sabbath. It is a very sad year indeed. However, Ozzy was always in a great mood, always happy, and I’m sure that, wherever he is now, he wants to see us all smiling and laughing, because that’s what life is all about. He also wants us to keep attending rock and metal concerts to have a good time with our loved ones, with our closest friends, just like Keith Ibbitson of Metal Paparazzi and I did so many times this year, covering incredible bands the likes of Blackbraid, Ne Obliviscaris, Cattle Decapitation, Blind Guardian, and so on. I’ve also had the utmost pleasure of seeing the mighty Judas Priest in Dalhalla, Sweden, a dream come true for this fanboy here, and I can’t wait to “run for my life” in 2026. Having said all that, let’s honor the life of Ozzy with The Headbanging Moose’s Top 10 Hard Rock/Heavy Metal Albums of 2025, excluding EP’s, best of’s and live albums, and keep on rockin’ like the Madman until our very last breath!

1. Blackbraid – Blackbraid III (REVIEW)
Behold the stunning next chapter in the musical and spiritual journey of the witch hawk of Black Metal hailing from the Adirondack Mountains.
Best song of the album: Wardrums At Dawn On The Day Of My Death

2. Werewolves – The Ugliest of All (REVIEW)
The torchbearers of “Caveman Death Metal” continuing to annihilate intellects with an unlistenable barrage of truly hideous music.
Best song of the album: The Ugliest of All

3. Testament – Para Bellum (REVIEW)
Let’s prepare for war to the sound of the breathtaking fourteenth studio album by California’s own masters of old school Thrash Metal.
Best song of the album: Para Bellum

4. Helloween – Giants & Monsters (REVIEW)
These German giants of Heavy Metal and monsters of Rock N’ Roll are back with their ass-kicking seventeenth studio album.
Best song of the album: Majestic

5. An Abstract Illusion – The Sleeping City (REVIEW)
This incredible Swedish Progressive Death and Black Metal entity returns with their heaviest and most atmospheric work to date.
Best song of the album: Like a Geyser Ever Erupting

6. Allegaeon – The Ossuary Lens (REVIEW)
World domination awaits to the sound of the striking new beast by one of the must-see bands of the current tech death scene worldwide.
Best song of the album: The Swarm

7. 1914 – Viribus Unitis (REVIEW)
Trench warfare meets blackened death and doom in 1914’s fourth onslaught of war-torn fury.
Best song of the album: 1918 Pt 3: ADE (A Duty to Escape)

8. Cryptopsy – An Insatiable Violence (REVIEW)
Canada’s own Death Metal machine returns with their ruthless ninth studio album.
Best song of the album: Until There’s Nothing Left

9. Baest – Colossal (REVIEW)
Back from the fires of Denmark, this unstoppable creature will crush you with their fourth studio album.
Best song of the album: Colossus

10. Diabolizer – Murderous Revelations (REVIEW)
The torchbearers of diabolical abomination unite once again to drag us down into the fiery abysses of Turkish Death Metal without warning.
Best song of the album: Deathmarch of the Murderous Tyrant

And here we have the runner-ups, completing the top 20 for the year:

11. Lorna Shore – I Feel The Everblack Festering Within Me (REVIEW)
12. Impureza – Alcázares (REVIEW)
13. Crimson Shadows – Whispers of War (REVIEW)
14. Primal Fear – Domination (REVIEW)
15. Serenity In Murder – Timeless Reverie (REVIEW)
16. Khôra – Ananke (REVIEW)
17. Panzerchrist – Maleficium – Part 2 (REVIEW)
18. Ominous Ruin – Requiem (REVIEW)
19. Wrath of Belial – Embers of Dead Empires (REVIEW)
20. Grima – Nightside (REVIEW)

Not only that, here’s once again our Top 10 EP’s of 2025, proving once and for all that the duration of an album is not that important in the end. As long as the music is great, the whole thing can be only one second long, like the classic “You Suffer” by Napalm Death!

1. When Plagues Collide – Kingmaker (REVIEW)
2. De Profundis – The Gospel Of Rot (REVIEW)
3. Fimbul Winter – What Once Was (REVIEW)
4. NecroticGoreBeast – Brute (REVIEW)
5. Serpent Corpse – Retaliate (REVIEW)
6. Akouphenom – Connections To The Erebus (REVIEW)
7. Necht – The Inevitable Suffering (REVIEW)
8. Discovery Through Torment – Telesynthetic Rebirth (REVIEW)
9. Der Rote Milan – Verlust (REVIEW)
10. Eleine – We Stand United (REVIEW)

Do you agree with our list? What are your top 10 albums of 2025? Also, don’t forget to tune in every Tuesday at 10pm BRT on Rádio Coringão to enjoy the best of classic and underground metal with Jorge Diaz and his Timão Metal, and every Thursday at 8pm UTC+2 on Midnight Madness Metal e-Radio for the best of underground metal with The Headbanging Moose Show!

Metal Xmas and a Headbanging New Year! See you in 2026!

And of course, as we really don’t like those boring Christmas songs here on The Headbanging Moose, we’ll leave you with what’s perhaps the most emotional and strongest metal hymn of the year, the charity version of “War Pigs”, by Black Sabbath, recorded by Judas Priest and with Ozzy himself sharing the vocal duties with the Metal God Rob Halford! This is the epitome of rock and metal music!

Generals gathered in their masses
Just like witches at black masses…

Album Review – Gore. / If You Do Not Fear Me… EP (2025)

Posted on by
Reply

This Texas-based Progressive Metal and Metalcore outfit is back with their second EP, continuing to challenge norms and expressing the full spectrum of feminine experience.

Bringing a distinctly feminine perspective to the heavy music scene since the band’s inception back in 2023, Houston, Texas-based Progressive Metal/Metalcore outfit Gore. makes waves with their emotionally raw and unapologetically vulnerable sound. Currently formed of Haley Roughton on vocals, Alex Reyes on the guitars, Devin Birchfield on bass, and Wills Weller on drums, the band strikes back with their second EP, titled If You Do Not Fear Me…, following up on their 2024 debut EP A Bud That Never Blooms, continuing to challenge norms and expressing the full spectrum of feminine experience through their powerful sound while combining elements of Metalcore with personal and introspective lyrics.

Wrath, the first song of the EP, offers an amalgamation of styles that perfectly depicts the band’s approach, starting in an almost pop manner to the clean vocals by Haley while also presenting heavy, caustic moments where their Djent vein pulses hard. Then investing in a more direct Metalcore sound we have Sepsis, reminding me of some of the creations by Infected Rain, with the bass by Devin sounding utterly metallic and thunderous; followed by Orbiting, again modern and visceral, with Alex firing some piercing riffs while Haley alternates between clean vocals and her screaming madness, clearly inspired by the music by the Butcher Babies. And their last blast of Metalcore infused with Groove, Alternative and Nu Metal, entitled Like You Meant it, will captivate your senses mercilessly, with Wills dictating the pace with his classic beats supported by the rumbling bass by Devin.

Thematically exploring identity, emotional vulnerability, and interpersonal relationships in their lyrics, the band has received support from well-known acts such as Motionless in White, Flyleaf, and Papa Roach, and based on the quality of the music found in If You Do Not Fear Me… I’m sure their fanbase will keep growing in the coming years. Hence, you can also join the band in their quest for heavy music with a delicate touch via Facebook and Instagram, stream their distinct creations on Spotify, and of course add If You Do Not Fear Me… to your respectable collection by clicking HERE or HERE. Gore. will definitely go places after the release of their two excellent EPs, paving their path for an upcoming full-length album for our total delight and, therefore, embracing us with their undisputed progressiveness, passion and darkness.

Best moments of the album: Sepsis and Orbiting.

Worst moments of the album: None.

Released in 2025 Spinefarm Records

Track listing
1. Wrath 4:33
2. Sepsis 3:28
3. Orbiting 3:04
4. Like You Meant it 4:13

Band members
Haley Roughton – vocals
Alex Reyes – guitar
Devin Birchfield – bass
Wills Weller – drums

Album Review – The Lucidia Project / The Twilight Affliction EP (2025)

Posted on by
Reply

This promising American Melodic Metal band will captivate your senses with their new EP, weaving intimate, confessional lyrics through a massive and atmospheric soundscape, sounding at the same time both crushing and cathartic.

Blending an amalgamation of styles including Melodic, Alternative, Symphonic, Death, and Doom Metal alongside a rich emotional tapestry of confessional songwriting, vocalist and keyboardist Chase Baldwin and bassist Benjamin Jacobs founded The Lucidia Project back in 2022 in Fargo, North Dakota, in the United States, releasing their self-titled demo that same year, followed by the EP Requiem in 2023, and the standalone single Soul Killer in 2024. Now in 2025 the band formed of the aforementioned Chase Baldwin on vocals, piano, strings and drum programming, and Benjamin Jacobs on bass, alongside guitarists Daniel Williams and Garrett Carroll, is set to unleash a new EP entitled The Twilight Affliction, taking a vast array of artistic influences from Tori Amos to Katatonia and Nightwish, and presenting listeners with a sonic identity that is both intimate and momentous. Produced, engineered, mixed and mastered by Danny Meyer at Sunway Studios, with the band’s own Chase Baldwin also working as a recording engineer and co-producer, the six-song EP weaves intimate, confessional lyrics through a massive and atmospheric soundscape, sounding at the same time crushing and cathartic.

Chase already showcases his passion for delicate sounds with his piano in Prophecy, being gradually joined by his bandmates in a lecture in Progressive Metal, with the band’s guitar duo delivering classy yet powerful riffs nonstop. The second song of the EP, titled Bloodlines, brings forward a more metallic version of the band, with Chase offering harsher vocals while Daniel, Garrett and Benjamin fire a striking stringed attack; and the band then goes full Progressive Metal in December, with their stylish riffs, classic drums and enfolding vocals turning it into a must-listen for fans of the genre. Lockdown is a song with a traumatic name for the newest generation, starting in an ethereal manner before evolving into pure progressiveness and electricity led by Daniel and Garrett’s piercing guitars; and it’s time for a beautiful ballad spearheaded by Chase’s stylish vocals and piano titled Lights Out, embracing us all in total darkness until the very end. Then closing the EP we’re treated to In My Sleep, where once again their whimsical but strong sounds fill every single space in the air, blending slower, charming passages with more visceral and melancholic nuances.

In a nutshell, The Twilight Affliction stands as the band’s most cohesive and emotionally resonant work to date, a testament to the band’s growing sonic identity, sounding absolutely moody, orchestral, and unapologetically vulnerable. “This EP is a journey through the darker corners of the human experience -loss, disillusionment, resilience,” commented the band’s mastermind Chase Baldwin. “It’s not just about grief or despair; it’s about finding clarity in the twilight, even when the light fades.” You can get in touch with the guys from The Lucidia Project and learn more about their music, their goals and plans for the future on Facebook and on Instagram, stream their classy creations on Spotify, and purchase your copy of their new EP by clicking HERE. The Lucidia Project are a precious gem of the current American heavy music scene, and their new opus The Twilight Afflicition will most definitely help them reach new heights and keep delivering first-class music to us metalheads in the coming years.

Best moments of the album: Prophecy and December.

Worst moments of the album: None.

Released in 2025 Independent

Track listing
1. Prophecy 4:53
2. Bloodlines 3:59
3. December 4:27
4. Lockdown 5:14
5. Lights Out 4:46
6. In My Sleep 8:30

Band members
Chase Baldwin – vocals, piano, strings, drum programming
Daniel Williams – guitars
Garrett Carroll – guitars
Benjamin Jacobs – bass

Album Review – Hellfox / The Spectrum of Human Gravity (2025)

Posted on by
Reply

These four-piece melodeath outfit from Italy is back with their sophomore album, a conceptual journey into the depths of the human psyche, exploring difficult yet universal emotions such as loneliness, self-doubt, and alienation.

Combining heavy and melodic Death Metal foundations with modern textures and acidic synths, Bergamo, Italy-based all-female Gothic/Melodic Death Metal outfit Hellfox is unleashing their sophomore opus, beautifully entitled The Spectrum of Human Gravity, following up on their 2022 debut The Call. Recorded by Alessio Lucatti at Eden Studio, mixed and Mastered by Simone Mularoni at Domination Studio, and showcasing a very stylish cover art by Eva Marabotti, the new album by Greta Hammonia Antico on vocals, Gloria Naflekt Kaps on the guitars, Priscilla Poe Foresti on bass and vocals, and Federica Fedi Piscopo on drums is a conceptual journey into the depths of the human psyche, exploring difficult yet universal emotions such as loneliness, self-doubt, and alienation through allegorical storytelling and striking visual metaphors, with each song giving voice to a different “face of the self,” capturing the chaos and coherence that define our inner worlds.

Acoustic, serene guitar lines permeate the air in Nautilus before we’re treated to the epic feast titled Seaweed Braids, where their clash of harsh growls and clean vocals works well amidst a Doom Metal-infused sonority; and the metallic bass by Priscilla ignites the also melodic Empty, gradually joined by the pounding drums by Federica and the sharp guitars by Gloria, presenting a good dosage of Alternative Metal added to its core. Water On The Ceiling also presents a spot-on fusion of Gothic and Melodic Metal led by the classic beats by Federica while Priscilla keeps roaring like a she-demon in contrast with the angelic vocals by Greta, whereas Greta keeps embellishing the airwaves with her charming vocals in Pareidolia while Gloria extracts sheer heaviness from her dark riffage.

Then what seems to be a heavy ballad quickly explodes into a feast of Melodic and Alternative Metal titled Atlas, offering more of the band’s trademark paradox of darkness and light represented by the respective vocals by Priscilla and Greta, followed by Six Times Lighter, another song with strong and rumbling bass lines by Priscilla, accompanied by the hammering beats by Federica while at the same time sounding gentle and whimsical. A very modern start ignites the absolutely headbanging The Centipede, where the stringed axes by Gloria and Priscilla will make your head tremble, followed by The Warrior, The Child, The Healer, most definitely the song with the coolest or most poetic name, kicking off with the harmonious riffs by Gloria and being quickly joined by the penetrating vocals by Greta. And lastly, the quartet brings forward the embracing Voices, a decent outro with cinematic vocalizations, but that’s it.

In a nutshell, the music found in The Spectrum of Human Gravity thrives on contrast, with their dual melodic and growled female vocals, distorted layers, and atmospheric electronics merging into an emotional and immersive sound, with influences ranging from Amorphis and In Flames to Dark Tranquillity, embracing vulnerability, rage, beauty, and discomfort in equal measure. If you want to experience all that contrast proposed by the girls from Hellfox, you can find them on Facebook and on Instagram, including their tour dates (currently mainly in Italy, but I’m sure we’ll soon see them spread their wings over other parts of Europe and of the entire world), stream their music on Spotify or on any other streaming service, and of course purchase a copy of their excellent new album from the Rockshots Records webstore. You can also click HERE for all things Hellfox, letting the melodious yet visceral sonic duality from their new album reach deep inside your heart and soul and, consequently, firing them up for more first-class albums in a not-so-distant future.

Best moments of the album: Water On The Ceiling, Atlas and The Warrior, The Child, The Healer.

Worst moments of the album: Voices.

Released in 2025 Rockshots Records

Track listing
1. Nautilus – Seaweed Braids 4:33
2. Empty 3:44
3. Water On The Ceiling 3:50
4. Pareidolia 4:41
5. Atlas 3:53
6. Six Times Lighter 4:13
7. The Centipede 4:19
8. The Warrior, The Child, The Healer 4:34
9. Voices 1:19

Band members
Greta Hammonia Antico – clean vocals
Gloria Naflekt Kaps – guitars
Priscilla Poe Foresti – bass, harsh vocals
Federica Fedi Piscopo – drums

Concert Review – Marilyn Manson (House of Blues, Boston, MA, 05/10/2025)

Posted on by
Reply

***Review and photos by Jaffer Hasan***

Marilyn Manson Returns to Boston with Blood, Snow, and Thunder at the House of Blues.

It wasn’t just a concert — it was a resurrection.

MARILYN MANSON stormed back into Boston’s House of Blues (currently known as Citizens House of Blues) like a gothic godfather reclaiming his altar. The room was beyond packed — shoulder to shoulder, boot to boot, black lace clashing with leather jackets in a tightly wound pit of anticipation. The sweat was already dripping before the lights even dropped, and yet no one seemed to care. We were all there for the same reason: to feel something sharp, loud, and unforgettable.

The curtain stayed drawn, but a sickly green light started pulsing behind it. A low hum bled into the room, like an electric prayer. Then came the sound — low and ominous at first, like something bubbling up from a haunted basement. It got heavier. The green turned blood red. The tension climbed. Then, all at once, it dropped.

Manson emerged — no delay, no ceremony. Just impact. The Antichrist Superstar himself, boots hitting the stage like a war drum, launching full-throttle into “Disposable Teens.” The crowd exploded. It wasn’t just noise; it was a roar — primal, unified, almost spiritual. You could feel it in your ribs.

His voice? As dangerous and commanding as it ever was. His presence? Still that eerie blend of preacher and predator. Between verses, he paused to acknowledge the city: “Boston… I missed you. And they won’t take you away from me.” Each time he said it, the room got louder. Fans shrieked, fists shot up, people climbed on each other’s shoulders like they were trying to reach him physically.

At several points in the show, in a perfectly grotesque Manson flourish, he’d grab a crisp tour shirt from the stage setup, wipe the sweat from his face and chest with it like it was a communion cloth — then fling it into the sea of hands with a smirk. It wasn’t just merch at that point. It was a souvenir soaked in madness, and fans clawed for it like it meant salvation.

The setlist played like a requiem for the old world — each track crashing harder than the last. “The Beautiful People” turned the floor into a writhing sea of bodies, and “mOBSCENE” brought out the chaos with such force it almost tore the walls off. Crowd surfers popped up like popcorn, riding waves of hands and howling like lunatics.

But Manson’s not just about chaos — he’s about control. He wielded the atmosphere like a weapon, tightening and releasing with perfect timing. Energy? It never dipped. Not once. Even the walls were sweating.

And just when it felt like we’d hit the limit, the encore delivered the sucker punch. Fake snow — pure white, cascading down like ash — poured across the stage as Manson drifted into a haunting, theatrical version of “Coma White.” It was strange, beautiful, and totally unhinged.

Then — the real surprise. With a wry smile and a devilish glint, he launched into a cover of Phil Collins’ “In the Air Tonight.” Darker, slower, and more menacing than ever. That iconic drum break? It hit like a sledgehammer to the chest. The whole place lost it.

In a world obsessed with reinvention, Manson doesn’t have to change — he just has to show up. And when he does, it’s not just a concert. It’s a ritual.

Boston will be feeling this one for a long time.

Setlist
Nod If You Understand
Disposable Teens
Get Your Gunn
Tourniquet
This Is the New Shit
Sacrilegious
The Nobodies
Say10
mOBSCENE
Long Hard Road Out of Hell
The Dope Show
As Sick as the Secrets Within
Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This) (Eurythmics cover)
The Beautiful People

Encore:
In the Air Tonight (Phil Collins cover)

Encore 2:
Coma White
One Assassination Under God

Band members
Marilyn Manson – lead vocals
Tyler Bates – guitars, keyboards, backing vocals
Reba Meyers – guitars, backing vocals
Piggy D. – bass, backing vocals
Gil Sharone – drums

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Concert Review – Machine Head (History, Toronto, ON, 04/28/2025)

Posted on by
Reply

Monday nights are always boring, except when you have four of the must-see bands of the current metal scene worldwide kicking some serious ass in the city.

OPENING ACTS: Unearth, Lacuna Coil and In Flames

What a night of modern and electrifying heavy music at the always amazing History this Monday during the North American Tour 2025 spearheaded by MACHINE HEAD, with special guests UNEARTH, LACUNA COIL and IN FLAMES, and despite the insane traffic in the city and the fact it was a Monday night, we can say it was a nearly sold out event where every single person at the venue had a phenomenal time, including Keith Ibbitson of Metal Paparazzi and I, of course. History is also a great venue for concerts because not only there are plenty of restaurants in the neighborhood, but they also have a few food options inside, like pizza for example, something not common at most venues in Toronto. This means that if you’re running late to any concert but you need to eat something beforehand, you don’t need to waste any second searching for food outside the venue. Simply get inside, and enjoy a slice of pizza while watching your favorite bands playing.

The doors opening at 5pm, when most people were still at work, plus the first band of the night, Boston, Massachusetts-based Metalcore outfit UNEARTH, kicking off their show already at the early time of 6pm, was kind of a bummer as a lot of people ended up missing their show, including myself, and I was very disappointed with that because their 2023 album The Wretched; The Ruinous is a real banger and I was eager to see them playing some of those not-so-new tunes live alongside some older meterial (although their short onstage time didn’t allow them to play their regular full setlist, of course). Well, Keith said they were beyond ruthless onstage led by their rabid frontman Trevor Phipps, already igniting some sick mosh pits in the floor section, and if you also missed those guys live on Monday at least we can enjoy their music on BandCamp and on Spotify, and patiently wait for the next time they pay a visit to Toronto. Hopefully at a later time slot.

Setlist
The Power of Love (Huey Lewis and the News song)
My Will Be Done
This Lying World
The Wretched; The Ruinous
Giles
Incinerate
Black Hearts Now Reign

Band members
Trevor Phipps – vocals
Buz McGrath – guitars
Peter Layman – guitars
Chris O’Toole – bass
Mike Justian – drums

Luckily, I made it just in time for the superb performance by Italian Alternative Rock/Metal icons LACUNA COIL, more specifically three minutes before they took the stage by storm with their endless charisma, undeniable talent, and highly addictive, catchy tunes, most of them from their brand new album Sleepless Empire (available on all streaming services like Spotify), including the excellent Hosting the Shadow, Gravity, I Wish You Were Dead, and Oxygen. Damn, those tunes sounded amazing live. The beyond stunning diva Cristina Scabbia (she looks younger than ever, by the way) and the enigmatic, sinister Andrea Ferro drove fans wild during their set, making a more-than-dynamic duo onstage for the delight of everyone who enjoys this type of “Beauty and the Beast” vocal attack. As usual, the duo was effectively supported by their bandmates Daniele Salomone, Marco Coti Zelati and Richard Meiz, enhancing the band’s energy and punch and, therefore, inspiring everyone to raise their horns and sing all songs along with Cristina and Andrea. Lacuna Coil are a must-see band of the current scene, and I can’t wait to see them again in the near future. Needless to say, next time they deserve their own headlining tour, so we can enjoy a lot more of their hypnotizing creations.

Setlist
Intro
Layers of Time
Reckless
Hosting the Shadow
Gravity
Our Truth
Blood, Tears, Dust
I Wish You Were Dead
Oxygen
Never Dawn

Band members
Cristina Scabbia – vocals
Andrea Ferro – vocals
Daniele Salomone – guitars
Marco Coti Zelati – bass, keyboards
Richard Meiz – drums

It was already past 8pm when Sweden’s own Melodic Groove Metal/Metalcore/Alternative Rock titans IN FLAMES began their incendiary performance at History (pun intended), already melting our faces with one of their most electrifying songs ever, Cloud Connected. Frontman Anders Fridén and his henchmen, including the fantastic axeman Chris Broderick, showed no mercy for our souls, delivering hit after hit, with the newer songs from their 2023 album Foregone (also available on Spotify), like In the Dark and Meet Your Maker, blending perfectly with their classics and, consequently, igniting some insane circle pits that were nicely acknowledged by Anders. Not only that, he was also on fire with his dark Swedish humor, making an even stronger connection with the crowd. For instance, he noticed one fan was singing ALL songs perfectly at the barrier, so he said he should not screw up any song otherwise that fan would catch his error. The ending with I Am Above and My Sweet Shadow was epic, and I must say their concert this Monday night might have been their best in the city to date. In Flames certainly love Toronto, and we love them back, which means it won’t take long for the band to kick our asses again with another unrelenting concert in the near future.

Setlist
Cloud Connected
Take This Life
Deliver Us
In the Dark
Voices
Coerced Coexistence
Bullet Ride
Trigger
Meet Your Maker
State of Slow Decay
The Mirror’s Truth
I Am Above
My Sweet Shadow

Band members
Anders Fridén – vocals
Björn Gelotte – guitars
Chris Broderick – guitars
Liam Wilson – bass
Tanner Wayne – drums

MACHINE HEAD

Finally, after an avalanche of first-class heavy music from different parts of the world, the main attraction of the night, Oakland, California’s own Groove/Thrash Metal brigade MACHINE HEAD kicked off their electrifying concert to finish destroying anyone who dared to face some wild mosh pits during the execution of their hard hitting tunes. Robb Flynn, Reece Scruggs, Jared MacEachern and Matt Alston were unstoppable onstage, kindly asking every single fan to keep their phones in their pockets and simply have an amazing time with them, banging their heads, slamming into the pit, having a beer and raising their fists in the air. Blending classics the likes of Locust and Bulldozer with several songs form their new opus Unatoned (also spelled UNATØNED, and of course available on Spotify), released this past Friday April 25, such as ØUTSIDER and BØNESCRAPER, the band put on a phenomenal concert that made a boring Monday night feel like a metallic party on a Saturday.

They’ve been on the road since 1991, but their passion for heavy music is so strong it felt like they were just newcomers full of energy and ready to kick our asses. The circle pit action was intense, Robb kept throwing beer to the fans and having a lot of fun interacting with everyone, including a little kid at the back of the balcony section (showing he’s a guy that pays attention to EVERYONE who attends a Machine Head concert), and the background screen, lighting and smoke added an extra touch of insanity to their show. In the end, after they played the classic Halo, they stayed a little longer throwing countless guitar picks and drumsticks to the crowd, who was brave enough to stay at the venue until the very end, already past 11pm on a Monday night. I guess even if they had stayed there until 2 or 3am the fans would have also been there to support them, because this is how superb heavy music is done. Played live, played loud, and with a beautiful connection between the artist and their fans. Thank you, Machine Head, and rest assured whenever you return to Toronto, we’ll all be there for you.

Setlist
Diary of a Madman (Ozzy Osbourne song)
In Comes the Flood
Imperium
Ten Ton Hammer
CHØKE ØN THE ASHES ØF YØUR HATE
Now We Die
Catharsis
NØT LØNG FØR THIS WØRLD
ØUTSIDER
Locust
BØNESCRAPER
Declaration
Bulldozer
From This Day
Davidian

Encore:
Halo

Band members
Robb Flynn – vocals, guitars
Reece Scruggs – guitars
Jared MacEachern – bass, backing vocals
Matt Alston – drums, percussion

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Concert Review – While She Sleeps & Bury Tomorrow (The Danforth Music Hall, Toronto, ON, 04/03/2025)

Posted on by
Reply

After a Wednesday of snow, ice, rain, and cold, the city of Toronto was treated to a Thursday of sunshine, warm weather, and an overdose of first-class Metalcore.

OPENING ACT: Vended

After a Wednesday of snow, ice, rain, and freakin’ cold temperatures, the city of Toronto was treated to a Thursday of sunshine, warm weather, a nice breeze, and an overdose of first-class Metalcore, courtesy of VENDED, BURY TOMORROW and WHILE SHE SLEEPS during their North America 2025 Tour. Keith Ibbitson of Metal Paparazzi and I were there at the always fun The Danforth Music Hall to enjoy those relatively young but already renowned bands of the Metalcore scene worldwide (but not before savoring a nice and sweet cinnamon roll at Cinnaholic, of course, as quality fuel for the rest of the night), and despite the beyond horrid traffic that’s now a constant in Toronto (except for Monday nights), most fans were able to arrive in time to grab some merch, have a few drinks and get ready for the action that was about to begin on and off stage.

It was 7pm when Des Moines, Iowa’s own Alternative/Nu Metal band VENDED took the stage of The Danforth Music Hall for an incendiary performance, perfectly warming up everyone for the main attractions of the night. If you know nothing about those guys, the band features two musicians who are sons of members of Slipknot, singer Griffin Taylor is the son of Corey Taylor, and drummer Simon Crahan is the son of Shawn “Clown” Crahan, but that doesn’t mean they’re a copy of Slipknot; quite the contrary, they have their own sound and style, and the crowd loved every single second of their show, already igniting a sick circle pit. Their debut self-titled album was out in 2024, it’s available on Spotify and other streaming platforms, and you should definitely give those guys a listen because they’re excellent in what they do.

Setlist
Intro
Nihilism
Ded to Me
Am I the Only One
The Far Side
Pitiful
Asylum

Band members
Griffin Taylor – lead vocals
Cole Espeland – lead guitar
Connor Grodzicki – rhythm guitar, backing vocals
Jeremiah Pugh – bass, backing vocals
Simon Crahan – drums

BURY TOMORROW

Hailing from Southampton, Hampshire, England, BURY TOMORROW needed only a few seconds to electrify the crowd with their frantic performance, with the floor section exploding into an awesome circle pit for the delight of the fans and the band. Their dual vocal attack formed of Daniel Winter-Bates on harsh vocals and Tom Prendergast on clean vocals works extremely well live, with the heavy kitchen blasted by Davyd Winter-Bates on bass and Adam Jackson on drums adding an overdose of groove to their core sound. All of their songs sounded vibrant live, and if you know nothing about them go check their latest release The Seventh Sun, from 2023, on Spotify, and get ready for their upcoming album Will You Haunt Me, with That Same Patience, as I’m sure you’ll have a great time listening to those UK rockers. Needless to say, whenever they schedule a live concert in your town, you know where you’ll be that night, right?

Setlist
Abandon Us
Earthbound
Death (Ever Colder)
Let Go
Villain Arc
What If I Burn
Boltcutter
Black Flame
Cannibal
Majesty
Life (Paradise Denied)
Choke

Band members
Daniel Winter-Bates – harsh vocals
Kristan Dawson – lead guitar, backing vocals
Ed Hartwell – rhythm guitar
Tom Prendergast – keyboards, clean vocals
Davyd Winter-Bates – bass
Adam Jackson – drums, percussion

WHILE SHE SLEEPS

It was already past 9pm when Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England-based outfit WHILE SHE SLEEPS attacked the crowd with their share of Metalcore made in the UK, just like Bury Tomorrow had just done, and once again the fans at the venue went wild, jumping up and down, screaming the lyrics together with frontman Lawrence “Loz” Taylor, raising their fists and horns in the air, and of course slamming into the pit with a huge smile on their faces. There were moments of friendship and love, when Loz asked fans to hug their families and friends, a Slipknot-like moment with everyone going down and waiting for his sign to start jumping, cellphones with their flashlights on in the air, and an overdose of crowd surfing. I’m not kidding, there was this small girl with a ponytail and a red hoodie that might have broken the worldwide record of crowd surfing in one night, as she kept flying around every 10 seconds nonstop. All of their songs also sounde great live, including the new ones from their 2024 album Self Hell (available on Spotify), and I guess based on the warm reaction from the entire venue that it won’t take long for Toronto to enjoy another night together with While She Sleeps.

Setlist
Rainbows
Leave Me Alone
Anti-Social
You Are All You Need
The Guilty Party
You Are We
Self hell
Systematic
Four Walls
Hurricane
Enlightenment(?)
Silence Speaks
To The Flowers
Sleeps Society

Band members
Lawrence “Loz” Taylor – lead vocals
Sean Long – lead guitar, backing vocals
Mat Welsh – rhythm guitar, piano, vocals
Aaran McKenzie – bass, backing vocals
Adam “Sav” Savage – drums, percussion

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Album Review – Shadow of the Talisman / As Above, So Below (2025)

Posted on by
Reply

Behold this concept album of first-class Alternative Metal introducing us to The Dark One, who chooses to recruit and resurrect a broken man to transform him into a killing machine soon known as The Outlaw.

An Alternative Metal band from Flint, Michigan that takes concept rock to the next level while striving to unite all facets of the metal scene through complex musical journeys and heart-wrenching lyrics, and a community where every metalhead can find something perfect for them, Shadow of the Talisman are ready to kill armed with their debut opus, entitled As Above, So Below. Recorded at Raydon Studio with the help of Mark Stewart, serving as co-producer and mix engineer, the debut by vocalist Mike Smith, guitarists Zack Harrison and Owen Summerland, bassist Elijah Kinney, and drummer Kyle Williams is a concept album introducing us to The Dark One, who chooses to recruit and resurrect a broken man to transform him into a killing machine soon known as The Outlaw. This tragic devil’s plaything loses his reality like a dollar bill in a hurricane, and goes straight to a fiery Hell where a deal is made and the remains of his soul, shattered. When The Outlaw resurfaces on Earth as a gunslinging demon, he wreaks havoc in Westerntown, a metaphor for the civilized society this miscreant trashes and shreds. And even though he eventually has a change of heart, there is no future for him but to return to the Hell that forged him, where he is destined to annihilate The Dark One and become the new ruler of the underworld.

Just hit play and the band already comes ripping with six minutes of heaviness in the opener Arise, with its cinematic intro inviting us all to their metal feast spearheaded by the enraged roars by Mike; and Mike’s vocals remind me of the great John Bush in What Is Real?, while Zack and Owen deliver tons of heaviness and melody through their axes. Kyle and Elijah then bring the groove in Fiery Descent while Mike continues to scream the story of The Dark One and The Outlaw for our total delight, whereas Elijah’s metallic bass sets the tone in Dead with the Devil, offering a thrilling fusion of Alternative and Groove Metal, with Kyle hammering his drums until the song’s very last second.

The second half of the album begins with a song dedicated to The Outlaw, again showcasing the band’s dexterity and passion for melody and groove while remaining as heavy as possible. Then a Southern Rock-inspired intro evolves into Cursed, a ballad that sounds as if it was taken from an Avenged Sevenfold album. It could have been slightly shorter, though. Lastly, we have the two-part song that gives the name to the album, starting with As Above, perfect for some nice headbanging, for nonstop horns raising and for screaming it along with Mike, with its last part being a display of melodious, passionate riffs and solos by Zack and Owen, flowing into So Below, a beyond heavy and fulminating tune crafted by the band where their modern-day Groove Metal vein pulses harder than ever, putting a climatic, epic conclusion to the album and therefore to its background story.

A metallic tornado of genres and mediums swirled into a sensational horror story told through funky, break-oriented Alternative Metal featuring powerful vocals and intricate, raucous instrumentals, As Above, So Below will undoubtedly carve the name of Shadow of the Talisman in the current American metal scene, and you can put your dirty hands on such an electrifying album by clicking HERE or HERE. Don’t forget to also give the band a shout on Facebook and on Instagram, and to stream their incendiary music on YouTube, Spotify or any other streaming platform. Will we hear from The Dark One and The Outlaw again in the future, maybe in a new concept album by Shadow of the Talisman? As the answer to that is a mystery for now, let’s keep banging our heads to the fury blasted in As Above, So Below, one hell of an album (pun intended) from the modern American Alternative Metal scene.

Best moments of the album: Arise, Dead with the Devil and So Below.

Worst moments of the album: Cursed.

Released in 2025 Eclipse Records

Track listing
1. Arise 6:01
2. What Is Real? 5:43
3. Fiery Descent 3:09
4. Dead with the Devil 3:50
5. The Outlaw 5:16
6. Cursed 6:09
7. As Above 8:01
8. So Below 9:29

Band members
Mike Smith – vocals
Zack Harrison – guitar
Owen Summerland – guitar
Elijah Kinney – bass
Kyle Williams – drums

Album Review – Lacuna Coil / Sleepless Empire (2025)

Posted on by
1

Behold this dark and cinematic portrait of our crumbling society by one of the most important bands in the history of Alternative Rock and Metal.

If you know Italian Alternative/Gothic Rock/Metal band Lacuna Coil, then you’re already aware that every album entry in their storied career is more than just a sound. Each one is a richly textured soundtrack to a specific time and a place. With Sleepless Empire, that place is dark, cinematic, and unmistakably true to the unique characteristics that have given Lacuna Coil such a celebrated entry in the annals of heavy music. Recorded at SPVN Studio, produced by the band’s own Marco Coti Zelati, mixed by Stefano Santi, mastered by Marco D’Agostino, and displaying a dark, sinister artwork by Roberto Toderico, the new opus by vocalists Cristina Scabbia and Andrea Ferro, guitarist, bassist and keyboardist Marco Coti Zelati, and drummer Richard Meiz will take you on an obscure, thrilling and vibrant musical journey, proving once again why the band has become a staple in the Alternative Rock and Metal scene worldwide.

The album starts in an atmospheric way with The Siege, quickly exploding into the band’s trademark fusion of Alternative Metal with gothic and dark sounds, and with Cristina and Andrea already kicking some ass as the band’s unparalleled vocal duo. Oxygen then offers an onrush of their wicked lyrics (“Stop wasting my time / Fight / When I look for confrontation / You hesitate, run away / Isolation like prison / Inner self to escape / Inhale / Ready to dive”) amidst metallic and very exciting sounds, and the guitars and bass by Marco sound absolutely groovy and sharp in Scarecrow, sounding beyond perfect for their live performances. Gravity feels even more modern than its predecessors, with Richard pounding his drums while the music remains eerie and electrifying, followed by I Wish You Were Dead, a good song but maybe too pop if compared to what the band is capable of. And featuring the iconic vocalist Randy Blythe of Lamb of God, who brings his share of heaviness and hatred to the band’s striking Alternative Metal, we have Hosting The Shadow, which will most probably be played live during their upcoming tour due to its endless energy.

In Nomine Patris follows the same pattern as some of the most recent Lacuna Coil albums, with a strong ambience working as the background for Cristina and Andrea to stun us all with their fiery vocals; whereas in the title-track Sleepless Empire we’re hit hard in our faces by the thunderous, metallic bass by Marco, providing his bandmates with exactly what they need to blast another ode to darkness in the form of Alternative and Gothic Metal. The guitar lines by Marco are then quickly joined by the fierce yet melodic beats by Richard in the reverberating Sleep Paralysis, perfect for Cristina to shine with her stylish vocals; and featuring guest vocals by Ash Costello of New Years Day and The Haxans we’re treated to In The Mean Time, perhaps the heaviest of all songs thanks to the hammering drums by Richard, with Cristina’s soaring vocals also bringing tons of stamina to the music. Finally, the band brings to our avid ears Never Dawn, one last blast of alternative and modern sounds, feeling heavy and vibrant until the very end.

“Our sound is dark because it reflects the society we’re living in – it’s a portrait of our times,” commented Andrea. “We’re from a unique generation that remembers the analog world but lives in the digital one, we’re the first generation that’s lived through both so we’ve been witnesses the change to our society and that’s the Sleepless Empire. Everyone is always on their phone, always scrolling, always doing something – morning to night, it just never stops.” Ironically, all that digital darkness described by Andrea can be better discussed with the band on their Facebook and Instagram, where you can also stay updated with their tour dates, and you can also find more of their amazing music on YouTube and on Spotify and, above all that, put your dirty hands on their new album by clicking HERE. Lacuna Coil will always be one of those bands with an endless source of creativity due to exactly what Andrea explained, as they always draw inspiration from the darkest side of human nature, which means they’ll fortunately keep offering us high quality albums like Sleepless Empire in the foreseeable future because, as you know, we humans are definitely dark beings.

Best moments of the album: Oxygen, Scarecrow and In The Mean Time.

Worst moments of the album: I Wish You Were Dead.

Released in 2025 Century Media Records

Track listing
1.The Siege 4:25
2. Oxygen 3:46
3. Scarecrow 4:49
4. Gravity 4:04
5. I Wish You Were Dead 2:52
6. Hosting The Shadow 4:19
7. In Nomine Patris 4:54
8. Sleepless Empire 4:02
9. Sleep Paralysis 5:20
10. In The Mean Time 3:33
11. Never Dawn 4:50

Band members
Cristina Scabbia – vocals
Andrea Ferro – vocals
Marco Coti Zelati – guitars, bass, keyboards
Richard Meiz – drums

Guest musicians
Randy Blythe – vocals on “Hosting The Shadow”
Ash Costello – vocals on “In The Mean Time”

Album Review – Jinjer / Duél (2025)

Posted on by
Reply

Ukraine’s own metal juggernauts return with their fifth full-length opus, taking on a much more aggressive tone, ferociously wielding a fully stocked arsenal of metal genre trademarks.

Donetsk, Ukraine’s own leading Alternative/Groove Metal/Djent juggernauts Jinjer return with their eagerly awaited fifth studio album, entitled Duél, the follow-up to their 2021 album Wallflowers, taking on a much more aggressive tone, ferociously wielding a fully stocked arsenal of Progressive, Nu, and Death Metal, among other metal genre trademarks. On their new album, the iconic frontwoman Tatiana Shmayluk, guitarist Roman Ibramkhalilov, bassist Eugene Abdukhanov, and drummer Vlad Ulasevich continue their long-lasting collaboration with accomplished producer Max Morton, who co-produced, mixed and mastered the album, living up to the band’s reputation as metal visionaries, once more showing that they refuse to follow any set rules in their genre, but choose their own path of creativity.

Two seconds is all that Jinjer need to kick us hard in the ass with their enraged metal music in the high-octane Tantrum, with the bass by Eugene making our heads tremble in awe; whereas Hedonist offers four minutes of classic Jinjer to our avid ears, with Tatiana delivering her striking clean vocals and harsh roars amidst a fusion of Groove Metal and Djent. Rogue, another strong contender for their live concerts, will generate some wild circle pits if played live while Eugene and Vlad keep hammering their instruments nonstop, and the Sludge Metal-infused riffs by Roman dictate the pace in Tumbleweed, while Tatiana declaims the song’s darkly poetic lyrics with tons of passion. Then we have Green Serpent, one of the previously released singles, a venomous fusion of Alternative Metal with Groove and Post-Metal nuances where Vlad pounds his drums mercilessly for our total delight.

Kafka is another groovy, intricate and progressive creation by the quartet, with Tatiana’s mesmerizing vocals being nicely supported by the classy kitchen blasted by Eugene and Vlad, followed by Dark Bile, one of the most aggressive songs of the album thanks to Tatiana’s enraged roars, while Roman and Eugene continue with their stringed axe attack. I love when the band goes full metal like in Fast Draw, offering an overdose of heaviness, harsh, deep and visceral screams and blast beats, while Roman extracts piercing, sharp riffs from his guitar, whereas Someone’s Daughter, the very first single released, was somewhat promising, but compared to the rest of the album it feels a bit generic. A Tongue So Sly is yet another song where the band put the pedal to the metal and delivered sheer violence, while still overflowing groove and intricacy; and the album ends with the fast-paced title-track Duél, perfect for some action inside the mosh pit to the hammering beats by Vlad while Tatiana vociferates the song’s cryptic words majestically.

Showcasing the very best of their multifaceted, extreme soundscapes, providing a gripping listening experience, Duél is filled with a fierce attitude and tons of emotion, inviting their fans for multiple listens as each track evolves on their own. Hence, don’t forget to check what the band is up to, including their tour dates, on Facebook and on Instagram, to stream their music on YouTube and on Spotify, and to grab a copy of Duél by clicking HERE or HERE. Because Jinjer are always challenging themselves for a “creative duel”, pushing their boundaries further and further and, consequently, bringing joy and energy to our hearts thanks to their ever-evolving, never dull or stale heavy music.

Best moments of the album: Tantrum, Rogue, Fast Draw and Duél.

Worst moments of the album: Someone’s Daughter.

Released in 2025 Napalm Records

Track listing
1. Tantrum 3:59
2. Hedonist 3:46
3. Rogue 3:12
4. Tumbleweed 3:22
5. Green Serpent 4:01
6. Kafka 4:09
7. Dark Bile 3:40
8. Fast Draw 3:14
9. Someone’s Daughter 4:17
10. A Tongue So Sly 4:25
11. Duél 4:48

Band members
Tatiana Shmayluk – vocals
Roman Ibramkhalilov – guitars
Eugene Abdukhanov – bass
Vlad Ulasevich – drums