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…
Taking Death Metal deep into the caverns of old(e), this newborn beast from Down Under will consume your soul with its debut opus, a 35-minute spelunk into those caverns.
A continuation of Australia’s late, great Innsmouth, a certifiably cult band whose 2014 debut album Consumed by Elder Sign is considered a classic by the underground-dwelling souls who heard it, Black/Death Metal creature Olde Outlier is unleashing upon humanity their debut opus, titled From Shallow Lives to Shallow Graves, a four-song/35-minute spelunk into those caverns. Formed of the Dyer Brothers, Beau Dyer on the guitar and Neil Dyer on drums, alongside Mark Appleton on vocals, Ben Askew on the guitar, and Greenbank on bass, the band simmers their cauldron with ones both culter and less detectable, from the earthy likes of Amon Goeth, Martyrium, Head of the Demon, and Florida’s Equinox to the more ethereal undercurrents of Ophthalamia and even echoes of early Katatonia and Tiamat in their debut, taking the Death Metal by Innsmouth deeper into the caverns of old(e), but ones totally their own, and suitably extending the sulfurous splendor across epic track lengths.
The Revellersalready begins in full force, offering an overdose of raw Death Metal where Mark barks the song’s demented words viciously accompanied by the intricate and hammering beats and fills by Neil, all while Beau and Ben slash their axes manically. Then bringing elements from the most primeval form of Doom Metal to their core deadly sonority, we’re treated to more of their caustic riffs and rhythmic beats in The Pounding of Hooves, also presenting some interesting breaks and variations to give the whole song an extra kick; followed by Swept, presenting eight minutes of hard hitting, ruthless Death Metal from Down Under, with the stylish rockin’ riffs and solos by Beau and Ben sounding thrilling and captivating until the very end. Their last breath of elderly Death Metal comes in the form of All Is Bright, with the raspy vociferations by Mark walking hand in hand with their melodic yet visceral instrumental, resulting in a very detailed and consequently vibrant aria of extreme music.
Altogether, and with keenly timed bits of clean and chorused guitar, From Shallow Lives to Shallow Graves becomes an utterly immersive experience that defies time itself, showing Olde Outlier are simply eternal, existing in a forgotten realm that’s worth the journey a hundredfold. Those metallic cavemen are not easy to find, though, as they’re not present in any type of social media; however, you can still purchase their primeval debut offering from Iron Bonehead’s BandCamp or webstore, letting their cadaverous sounds consume your putrid soul mercilessly. Olde Outlier play the rawest, most primitive form of Death Metal you can think of, and once you start listening to the visceral sounds form their new album, there’s no way back.
Best moments of the album: The Pounding of Hooves and All Is Bright.
Worst moments of the album: None.
Released in 2025 Iron Bonehead
Track listing 1. The Revellers 7:54
2. The Pounding of Hooves 10:55
3. Swept 8:05
4. All Is Bright 7:50
Band members Mark Appleton – vocals
Beau Dyer – guitar
Ben Askew – guitar
Greenbank – bass
Neil Dyer – drums
This blood-soaked creature hailing from Colombia is back with their second tome of monstrosities and malignancy, spewing forth their particular brand of Death Metal sickness.
He’s dead? Not anymore…” – Herbert West, Reanimator
Formed in the time of the global pandemic, Barranquilla, Colombia’s own Funeral Vomit have been spewing forth their particular brand of Death Metal sickness since 2020, becoming a must-listen for fans of Autopsy, Grave, Mortician, and Grave Desecrator, among many other torchbearers of pure death. Now in 2025 the band formed of C. Monsalve on vocals and guitar, Y. Lopez also on the guitar, H. Montaño on bass, and J. Carvajal on drums returns from the grave with their sophomore offering entitled Upheaval of Necromancy, their second tome of monstrosities and malignancy to be released on the same fateful date on which their debut Monumental Putrescence was exhumed, two years ago.
Get ready to be pulverized by Funeral Vomit, as the cadaverous intro The Disentombment will drag us to their Stygian lair where the quarter will crush our putrid bodies and souls with the title-track Upheaval of Necromancy, a lecture in old school, primeval Death Metal where C. Monsalve sounds like a creature from the abyss on vocals. After one of those classy excerpts of some crazy dude talking crazy stuff, we have more of their evil sounds in Sulphuric Regurgitation, with J. Carvajal showing absolute zero mercy for our necks armed with his demented beats and fills, followed by Hematophagia, less frantic but still venomous and absurdly heavy, with C. Monsalve and Y. Lopez firing devilish riffs and solos in great fashion.
The second part of the album kicks off with another phantasmagorical instrumental piece titled Interlude (Mortuary Ecstasy), opening the gates of the underworld for the band to consume our souls with Winds of Exhumation, an evil, no shenanigans Death and Doom Metal creature led by C. Monsalve’s visceral guttural, supported by the thunderous kitchen by H. Montaño and J. Carvajal. Then the band goes absolute berserk in Altars of Doom, demolishing their instruments mercilessly, therefore inviting us all to crush our skulls into the pit. A name like Cryptic Miasma Stench demanded the most putrid form of Death Metal, and the band delivers exactly that with honors led by J. Carvajal’s violent drums; whereas the album ends with the gruesome, devilish Rancid Insorcism, another blast of pure Colombian gore and violence, morphing into the bestial outro Effluvia of the Mass Grave, sounding like the closing credits of a brutal horror flick.
In the end, there will be no escaping Funeral Vomit’s call from the grave to the sound of their demented new album, and you can join them in their quest for extreme music, violence and gore by following the band on Facebook and on Instagram, by streaming their depraved and sick music on Spotify or any other streaming platform with enough guts to host their music, and obviously by putting your impious, dirty hands on the album via Xtreem Music’s BandCamp or webstore. As you listen to the extreme aggression found in Upheaval Of Necromancy, you’ll soon realize this is not just your regular Death Metal. The Funeral Vomit nightmare is real, and it will never end.
Best moments of the album:Upheaval of Necromancy, Winds of Exhumation and Cryptic Miasma Stench.
Worst moments of the album: None.
Released in 2025 Xtreem Music
Track listing 1. Intro (The Disentombment) 1:45
2. Upheaval of Necromancy 3:30
3. Sulphuric Regurgitation 4:05
4. Hematophagia 5:48
5. Interlude (Mortuary Ecstasy) 1:15
6. Winds of Exhumation 4:00
7. Altars of Doom 2:48
8. Cryptic Miasma Stench 3:25
9. Rancid Insorcism 3:40
10. Outro (Effluvia of the Mass Grave) 1:05
Band members C. Monsalve – vocals, guitar
Y. Lopez – guitar
H. Montaño – bass
J. Carvajal – drums
After seeing four albums played in full in the past couple of weeks, those being Rivers of Nihil (by Rivers of Nihil), Citadel and Exul (by Ne Obliviscaris), and Somewhere Far Beyond (by Blind Guardian), it was time for another absolute blast with album number five this Saturday, when the indomitable CATTLE DECAPITATION, with the support of GRINDMOTHER, TRIBAL GAZE, FROZEN SOUL and ABORTED, took the stage of The Concert Hall in Toronto with their No Fear For Tomorrow North American Tour 2025 to melt our faces with the full play of their 2019 bestial opus Death Atlas. That was maybe one of the heaviest and most emotional events brought to the city by Noel Peters of Inertia Entertainment this year, and of course Keith Ibbitson of Metal Paparazzi and I were there to be part of such a phenomenal celebration of extreme music by some of the best bands of the current scene worldwide.
As it was a Saturday I managed to get to the venue just in time for the farewell concert by the mighty GRINDMOTHER, a 77-year old retired social worker from Canada whose footage from a rehearsal in 2016 went viral, having played over 50 times live with her bands across Germany, Japan, Canada and the United States (and you can enjoy all of her songs on BandCamp, by the way). In July 2025, she announced her retirement due to dementia, kicking ass on the stages in Montreal on Friday and in Toronto on Saturday as her way to say “thank you” and “au revoir” to all Canadians who have supported her through the years. In Toronto she had the phenomenal support of the she-wolf Chelsea Marrow of Blackened Death Metal beast Visitant (who I had the pleasure of chatting with for a brief moment) and of the electrifying Elizabeth Selfish of Crossover Hardcore act BRAT, adding even more adrenaline to a very emotional goodbye from the stages. I’m sure her son Rayny Forster, who plays bass with her live, is immensely proud of his mom, a strong and relentless woman who proved once again there’s no age limit when it comes to heavy music. It was an excellent warmup for the other bands of the night, and hopefully Grindmother can now enjoy her retirement in great fashion together with her family while listening to some ass-kicking Extreme Metal. Thank you for your music and for your passion for Heavy Metal, Grindmother!
Band members Grindmother – vocals
Chelsea Marrow – vocals
Elizabeth Selfish – vocals
Topon Das – guitar
Rayny Forster – bass
Mathieu “Vil” Vilandré – drums
After a quick break it was time for Texas-based Death Metal brigade TRIBAL GAZE to ignite some wild mosh pits in the floor section with their short but extremely violent and heavy performance. Led by the charismatic frontman McKenna Holland, the band has just released the excellent Inveighing Brilliance, available on both BandCamp and on Spotify, which was basically what they played during their entire set. Songs like Smiling From Their Chariots and Emptying the Nest sounded inhumane live, with drummer Cesar De Los Santos dictating the pace of his own band and of the entire crowd, who went mental inside the pit and slammed like there’s no tomorrow. I’m sure we’ll hear more from those talented guys in a not-so-distant future, and I can’t wait to see one of their concerts again as they definitely know how to make our good old Death Metal sound incredible live.
Setlist Smiling From Their Chariots
Emptying the Nest
To the Spoils of Faith
The Irreversible Sequence
Godless Voyage
Twitching on the Cross
Beyond Recognition
Band members McKenna Holland – vocals
Quintin Stauts – guitars
Ian Kilmer – guitars
Zachary Denton – bass
Cesar De Los Santos – drums
The next attraction of the night is one of those bands you know they’ll quickly become a reference in the genre. I’m talking about Fort Worth, Texas’ own abominable men (and woman) FROZEN SOUL, bringing absolute chaos, frost and heaviness to the stage with their ruthless blend of old school Death Metal. Playing songs from their two awesome albums Crypt of Ice, form 2021, and Glacial Domination, from 2023 (both available on BandCamp and on Spotify), plus a few new killer tunes like Skinned by the Wind and Invoke War, from their upcoming yet-to-be-titled 2026 album, the band led by the unstoppable Chad Green on vocals (who also gave an emotional speech by dedicating one of the songs to his deceased younger brother, therefore showing a lot of heart) put everyone to slam, stage dive, crowd surf, and even do some push ups during their incredible performance, leaving us completely disoriented after all was said and done. One thing I must say about their concert is that the sound quality was superb, allowing the bass by the fantastic Samantha Mobley to punch us hard in the head for our total delight. Needless to say, she’ll (very) soon be one of our metal ladies of the month. I’m now desperate to listen to their upcoming album, because based on what we were able to witness this Saturday, it’s going to be a real banger. Hell yeah, winter is coming again, courtesy of one of the must-see names of the current Death Metal scene.
Setlist Skinned by the Wind
Beat to Dust
Chaos Will Reign
Morbid Effigy
Merciless
Absolute Zero
Arsenal of War
Invoke War
Crypt of Ice
Band members Chad Green – vocals
Chris Bonner – guitars
Michael Munday – guitars
Samantha Mobley – bass
Matt Dennard – drums
After everyone had a short break for having another beer, checking the merch stands, going to the washroom, or simply recovering their energies from the chaotic show by Frozen Soul, it was time to “get do da choppa!” together with the unparalleled Belgian Death Metal machine ABORTED, and oh boy, what an apocalyptic performance it was. Sven De Caluwé was not only on fire with his demented guttural, but he was also in his best comedian mode, impersonating the best action hero of all time, the one and only Arnold Schwarzenegger, multiple times, making jokes with his own mother, and asking fans to do some jumping jacks during one of the songs (after pushups and jumping jacks, I was wondering if Cattle Decapitation were going to ask us to do some abs later). What an amazing frontman, and let’s say their setlist helped him a lot, with several songs form their 2024 masterpiece Vault of Horrors, including Dreadbringer, The Shape of Hate and Death Cult, plus classics the likes of Retrogore and The Saw and the Carnage Done, all available on BandCamp and on Spotify, setting fire to the atmosphere just like what happened during their headlining concert in Toronto in February. The icing on the cake happened when Darude’s pop hit Sandstorm was played over the speakers and Sven invited everyone to dance with him, showing we metalheads are not just anger, hatred and darkness. We can also dance. See you at the party, Sven!
Setlist Dreadbringer
Retrogore
Brotherhood of Sleep
The Origin of Disease
Infinite Terror
The Shape of Hate
Death Cult
Insect Politics
Threading on Vermillion Deception / The Saw and the Carnage Done Sandstorm (Darude song)
Band members Sven De Caluwé – vocals
Daníel Máni Konráðsson – guitar
Ian Jekelis – guitar
????? – bass
Kévin Paradis – drums
Siebe Hermans – drums
We witnessed an emotional farewell, had fun with two of of the new-ish names in Death Metal, and became part of a Belgian death cult this Saturday night. Was that enough for us avid metalheads? Of course not, because we still wanted to party like it was 1349 together with the almighty Progressive Death Metal/Grindcore creature CATTLE DECAPITATION, playing in full their 2019 opus Death Atlas, plus three songs form their 2023 killer album Terrasite, both available on BandCamp and on Spotify, and both paying “homage” to the putrid, gory and visceral downfall of the human race. It was pure Armageddon on stage, and of course that transpired to the floor section where the mosh pits were simply insane.
Anything I say about Travis Ryan at this point of his career is not enough to represent his importance, talent and passion in extreme music. The guy is unstoppable, ruthless, and his goblin screeches are one of those things you must experience live at least once in your miserable life. Songs like Be Still Our Bleeding Hearts, Vulturous, the phenomenal Bring Back the Plague, Death Atlas, and the humanity-is-doomed trio formed of A Photic Doom, We Eat Our Young and Scourge of the Offspring sounded brilliant live once again, and as Travis himself said they’ll be back in April or May I’m wondering if next time we’ll have Terrasite played in its entirety. I love when bands play their albums in full live, as I believe any album is meant to be listened in full without skipping any songs, so let’s wait and see what they’ll bring to the city in the coming months. I’ll be there for sure, because when Cattle Decapitation invites you to party (like it’s 1349), no is definitely NOT an answer.
Setlist Death Atlas Anthropogenic: End Transmission
The Geocide
Be Still Our Bleeding Hearts
Vulturous The Great Dying, Pt 1
One Day Closer to the End of the World
Bring Back the Plague
Absolute Destitute The Great Dying, Pt. 2
Finish Them
With All Disrespect
Time’s Cruel Curtain The Unerasable Past
Death Atlas
Encore:
A Photic Doom
We Eat Our Young
Scourge of the Offspring
Band members Travis Ryan – vocals
Josh Elmore – lead guitars
Belisario Dimuzio – rhythm guitars
Diego Soria – bass
David McGraw – drums
Under a pale Colorado moon, this devilish Symphonic and Blackened Death Metal creature attacks with their flammable debut opus.
Under a pale Colorado moon, the devilish Symphonic/Blackened Death Metal creature Pedestal for Leviathan attacks once again with their fusion of Brutal Death Metal riffing with an appreciation for symphonic extreme blackened bands such as Cradle of Filth and Dimmu Borgir in their first full-length opus, poetically titled Enter: Vampyric Manifestation, following up on their 2024 EP Festering Apparition. Written, recorded, and mixed by the band’s own Kendrick Lemke, completed by a spellbinding cover artwork by Australian illustrator Alexander Kemp, and with the preceding EP as bonus tracks, the new offering by Kendrick Lemke on vocals and guitar, Mathew Meyer also on the guitar, Noah Filthen on bass, and Corbin Echtermeyer on drums sounds absolutely huge, with its sound, vision, and execution all forming a symbiosis of grim grandeur and fathomless darkness tailored for admirers of Septicflesh, Fleshgod Apocalypse, Belphegor, Arkhon Infaustus, and Darklord, just to name a few.
A horror movie-like intro evolves into a gruesome beast of Symphonic Black and Death Metal entitled Chalice Bleeds Intoxicant, with Kendrick stealing the show with his deep, devilish roars; whereas the frantic, heavy-as-hell drums by Corbin walk hand in hand with grim background orchestrations in Summoning Sickness, also presenting a demonic riff attack by Kendrick and Mathew. Lycanthropichrist, the first single of the album, offers our metallic ears more of the band’s inhumane sounds, with their guitars exhaling Black Metal magic, followed by Sanctity of Retribution, uniting the epicness of Symphonic Metal with their visceral blackened sounds (albeit a bit generic in the end).
Purgatory Displacement brings forward an avalanche of Symphonic Black Metal madness with Kendrick’s Brutal Death Metal screeches adding even more flavour to an already bestial tune, and again blending the obscurity of Black Metal with the aggressiveness of Death Metal we face Karmic Recollection Mirror, where both Noah and Corbin sound ruthless with their demonic kitchen. Then after the grim, cinematic interlude Snow Covered Monolith, we’re treated to the closing tune, the devilish Warlock Blacksmith, as chaotic and melodic as it can be, led by the visceral riffs by Kendrick and Mathew and matching perfectly with its evil background keys. Furthermore, the bonus tracks from their 2024 EP Festering Apparition are absolutely fantastic, in special Beast Rune, adding even more meat to their blackened banquet.
In the end, Enter: Vampyric Manifestation is undoubtedly a record that has crossover appeal for fans of both Death and Black Metal, from both underground and above, as well as the more-adventurous sorts into Symphonic Metal. You can get more details about the band and the album on Instagram, stream it in full on any platform like Spotify, and of course, above all that, purchase a copy of it from the band’s own BandCamp, from the Personal Records’ BandCamp or webstore, or simply by clicking HERE. Enter: Vampyric Manifestation will certainly take Pedestal for Leviathan places, and if you enjoy the fusion of all elements that make the darkest side of metal even darker and more disturbing, I’m sure you’ll want to join the band and visit those same devilish places with them, always in the name of our beloved extreme music.
Best moments of the album:Summoning Sickness, Purgatory Displacement and Warlock Blacksmith.
Worst moments of the album:Sanctity of Retribution.
Twenty five years since their tale of terror began, the demigods of death return with their long awaited, gory and brutal fourth full-length album.
Twenty five years since their tale of terror began and far too long a time since the release of their last album Purity Through Dismemberment back in 2006, the demigods of death, legends of the underworld, Kings Mountain, North Carolina-based Brutal Death Metal/Grindcore beasts Lust Of Decay have returned, carrying with them in their bloodstained, disease riddled hands something bleak and soul destroying, ten new commandments of depravity and tragedy, new incitements to violence and degradation, their long, long awaited fourth full-length album, Entombed in Sewage. Mixed and mastered by Tony Tipton at Metal Foundry, and displaying a gory, demented artwork by the indomitable Daemorph, the new opus by vocalist Jay Barnes, guitarist Steve Green, bassist Ryan Coulter, and drummer Jordan Varela has a surprisingly bright and vibrant sound that brings every element, every weapon in the Lust Of Decay armory into play to tremendous effect, being therefore perfect for fans of Cannibal Corpse, Psycroptic, Disavowed, and Prostitute Disfigurement.
Prepare your damned bodies for a wild and gruesome ride starting with Parasitic Exsanguination, a demented display of the band’s trademark Death Metal where Jordan sounds absolutely inhumane on drums, and they managed to sound even heavier and more deranged in Hallucinations of the Decrepit, where Jay’s demonic growls are the epitome of madness and violence. The screeching of dirty pigs ignite Nourishing the Swine, another exhibit of pure violence and gore by the quartet where once again Ryan and Jordan make the earth tremble armed with their infernal kitchen; and you’ll be smashed into pieces in the best Cannibal Corpse-style in Fetal Contamination Process, led by Steve’s infuriated, scathing riffage.
Rusty Razor Rimjob requires no comments about its title, while the music is just as gory and depraved, with Jay vomiting its visceral words amidst an overdose of Death Metal insanity. Jay sounds even more demonic in Order 66, inviting us all to crush our damned skulls into the pit, not to mention how fulminating Jordan is once again behind his drums. Put differently, it can’t get any more Death Metal than this, whereas Desiccate the Epithelium sounds beyond perfect for breaking your neck into tiny pieces headbanging like a true maniac to the nonstop riffs by Steve. Finally, they offer our putrid ears the horror movie-like title-track Entombed in Sewage, starting in an cinematic manner before all hell breaks loose to the heavy artillery crafted by Steve, Ryan and Jordan.
Unleashed upon the world like a knife from the dark into the throat of the festive season, Entombed In Sewage is a must-listen for fans of absolute brutality and gore, and you can put your putrid hands on such a precious gem of the extreme scene by grabbing a physical copy of the album and merch by clicking HERE, or from Comatose Music’s BandCamp. Don’t forget to also give those guys a shout on Facebook and on Instagram, keeping an eye on their live concerts, and to stream their sick music on Spotify or any other platform. Needless to say, if you refuse to do so, get ready to be mercilessly entombed in sewage.
Best moments of the album:Hallucinations of the Decrepit, Order 66 and Entombed in Sewage.
Worst moments of the album: None.
Released in 2025 Comatose Music
Track listing 1. Parasitic Exsanguination 4:26
2. Hallucinations of the Decrepit 4:01
3. Nourishing the Swine 4:29
4. Fetal Contamination Process 3:58
5. Rusty Razor Rimjob 3:45
6. Order 66 3:41
7. Desiccate the Epithelium 3:45
8. Entombed in Sewage 5:18
Band members Jay Barnes – vocals
Steve Green – guitars, backing vocals
Ryan Coulter – bass
Jordan Varela – drums
Lionesses are the primary hunters in a pride, working together to bring down prey, and are faster and more agile than males. And in this cold and dark month of December our lioness Aleksandra “Lioness” Stamenković, guitarist for an array of awesome metal bands including Jenner, Frozen Crown, Chaos Rising, and Sigma Epsilon, will shred her prey to pieces armed with her scorching riffs and solos, as our metal lady of the month. Having said all that, get ready for a wild ride together with Aleksandra and her unstoppable axe, bringing absolute fire to The Headbanging Moose and, therefore, leaving you completely disoriented and eager for more of her first-class music. The days might be getting shorter, and the nights are surely getting longer this time of the year but, in the end, that’s the perfect environment for Aleksandra to hunt us down and to crush our damned souls with her electrifying blend of Heavy Metal magic.
Born on August 5, 1996 in Belgrade, the capital of the southeast European country of Serbia, Aleksandra is the younger sister of Marija Dragićević, the drummer for one of her bands Jenner, showing the talent and passion for heavy music runs wild in their family’s DNA. She was first interested in music back in 2011 when she was 13 years old, saying she wanted to play bass guitar, but as she couldn’t afford one she used to borrow it from one of her sister’s friends. However, she said that “destiny” decided she was going to become primarily a guitarist in 2013, having bought her first guitar back then, therefore starting her journey in heavy music.
Although she’s a renowned musician in the world of Heavy, Power, Thrash and Speed Metal, Aleksandra also nurtures a deep passion for medicine and graphic design, having graduated from the Faculty of Medicine from the University of Belgrade in September 2021, and becoming a certified nutrition coach, combining her artistic passion with a commitment to promoting healthier lifestyles. And yes, she’s THAT smart and intelligent. In addition, although she mainly writes original songs, she started a YouTube channel back in 2020 where she posts covers of her favorite songs, like for example Into the Lungs of Hell, by Megadeth, Abigail, by King Diamond, and Coma of Souls, by Kreator, among several others, and apart from the usual social media you can also find her on Linktree, Patreon, and Big Cartel.
It was in December 2013 when the indomitable Stamenković Sisters founded in Belgrade the ruthless Speed/Thrash Metal beast known as Jenner, from the ashes of a Glam Metal band they had named Cat O’ Nine Tailz, in which she played bass, and that disbanded after two years. Aleksandra started playing the guitar back then, and with the support of Marija they started searching for two guys to play with them to form a band in the vein of Madam X, but they ended up meeting two girls instead, vocalist Anđelina Mitić and bassist Jana Bacić, and so Jenner was born. Named by Aleksandra after Dr. Edward Jenner (1749 – 1823), an English physician and scientist known as the “father of immunology” for creating the world’s first vaccine, which was for smallpox, the girls started playing covers of their favorite bands including Warlock, Judas Priest, Grim Reaper, and Saxon, and as a year later they became more interested in Thrash Metal they started playing covers of Agent Steel, Exodus, and Anthrax, just to name a few, as well as they started writing their own songs.
After a few lineup changes, the band is now a trio formed of Aleksandra on vocals and guitar, Marija on drums, and Anja Mirković on bass. Under different lineups, but always with Aleksandra and Marija in their formation, Jenner released a demo back in 2015, their debut full-length album To Live Is to Suffer, in 2017, the EP The Test of Time, in 2020, and their sophomore opus Prove Them Wrong, in 2024, with Aleksandra becoming responsible for the band’s vocal duties starting in 2019, as you can see in their 2020 EP and their 2024 release. Not only that, she also took care of the design and logo of their 2017 debut, and of their 2020 EP, expanding her skills even further as a musician and as an artist. You can enjoy basically their entire discography in places such as YouTube, Spotify, and BandCamp, and of course have an absolute blast with their official videos for songs like Night Without Dawn, The Test of Time, Never Say Die, and No Time for Prayer, among others. Moreover, don’t forget to check Beacons for all things Jenner.
Aleksandra has also been part of two other amazing bands for a few years, those being Sigma Epsilon and Chaos Rising. Regarding Belgrade-based Sigma Epsilon, the band has been delivering a more straightforward, no shenanigans blend of Thrash Metal since its inception back in 2014, when a few members of a Serbian band named Prisoner, those being her boyfriend Emil Ivošević on vocals, Stefan Tomić on the guitar, and Nikola Simonović on drums, left the band and started creating their own music. It was only after Aleksandra joined them that they released their first offering, the 2019 EP Svi putevi vode do smrti (or “all roads lead to death” in English), followed by the 2021 single Ruka koja mrda usta, or “the hand that moves the mouth.” She mentioned in one of her interviews that the band is working on a new conceptual album, but until then simply go to BandCamp or Spotify to enjoy their existing songs, and also go check the official videos for the songs Svi putevi vode do smrti, Kap, and Trofej.
The metal machine Chaos Rising is a collaborative international metal project formed back in 2019 open to every female artist interested in metal music, with the project’s participants and guests offering an amalgamation of styles from Groove and Thrash Metal to traditional Heavy Metal and also Melodic Death Metal. It’s indeed a phenomenal initiative showcasing the power of women in heavy music, and if you don’t have enough time to check all of their songs on BandCamp or Spotify, you must at least listen to the song with our dauntless diva on the guitars, the excellent Prisoner, also featuring Miss ScarRed (Germany) on vocals, Catherine Fearns (Switzerland) on the guitar, and Stéphanie Nolf (France) on bass and drum programming.
Furthermore, starting now in 2025 she has also become one of the guitarists for Italian Power Metal warriors Frozen Crown, joining the also indomitable girls Giada Etro on vocals and Alessia Lanzone on the guitar, as well as Federico Mondelli on guitars, keyboards and vocals, Francesco Zof on bass, and Niso Tomasini on drums. Having already played with Frozen Crown during the summer festivals this year, Aleksandra is already fired up to start working with the band on their future releases, and the band is also extremely excited to have her as a permanent member. “Some may question our decision to include in the band someone who was born so far away from us, in a non-EU country, even! Truth is, you don’t choose your family – you build your own. Aleksandra appeared in a pretty challenging situation, and helped us go through both the shocking realization of Jade’s health conditions and the sudden line-up shake, motivating us and gracing us with her enthusiasm. Her incredible dedication, humility, and constant positivity proved we have just found the perfect fit, and after working together for a while, it just ‘feels right’ to start this new chapter with her, and to entrust her with the Crown and the Sword,” commented the band.
If that’s not enough for you, you can also find Aleksandra as the guitarist for Slovenian Heavy Metal beasts Hellcats from 2017 to 2022. “In 2017 Hellcats needed a female guitarist to play with them in Arena Stožice where they would be supporting Slovenian punk band Pankrti on their 40-year band anniversary. They couldn’t find someone closer, so they asked me. At first I thought that it will be only for that concert, but we got along nicely, and I really liked them as people and as musicians,” commented the lioness. In addition, Aleksandra also played bass live with Serbian Melodic Death Metal band Nemesis a couple of years ago, and with the aforementioned Serbian Speed/Thrash Metal band Prisoner back in 2017.
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Not only that, you can also find Aleksandra shredding her guitar as a guest musician in the song Open Your Eyes, from the 2025 album Retribution, by Hungarian Heavy/Power/Speed Metal band Burning Sun; in the song Cimmeria, from the 2023 compilation By This Sword We Rule: A Decade of Steel, by Serbian Epic Heavy/Power/Doom Metal band Claymorean; in the songs We Fight Like Lions and Fear and Regret, from the 20187 EP II/III/IV by Serbian Stoner/Sludge/Southern Metal band Superhammer; and in the song Creatures from the Depth, from the 2019 album Monuments of Fallacy, by Croatian Thrash/Death Metal band War-Head. She has also played with other bands including Realma and Black Widow Conspiracy, has collaborated with several brands such as Harley Benton, Blackfire Pickups and Safari Pedals, and she is a proud partner with Guitar Pro, Guyker, Drop Strap, Playtronica, Ordyh, and Enya Music, aligning with companies that support her music and gear choices.
Her idols and influences are what anyone would except from an avid thrasher like Aleksandra, including some of the most important names in the history of Thrash Metal like Megadeth, Anthrax, and Testament, all playing a crucial role in her style and career, of course. Moreover, when asked which attributes a brand new Speed or Thrash Metal band should have in order to become unique and successful, her answer was exactly what we all want to hear from hardworking metal musicians like her. “People need to make music the way they feel. It doesn’t matter what genre it is, because listeners can recognize energy and sincerity, even when it comes to metal,” she said, and when asked what would be her ideal live show when performing as a band, she also focused on the importance of feeling you’re doing things right. “I’m not sure there’s an ideal performance. What is important is the feeling on stage. And for that to happen I just need to have no technical problems on stage. I’m not asking much.”
As a huge supporter of the underground, and of course as a proud Serbian, Aleksandra was asked not too long ago about the current scene in her homeland, including bands, fanzines, webzines and anything else connected with heavy music. She said that, unfortunately, the situation looks “complicated” as despite the fact there are tons of excellent bands in Serbia, very few webzines promote them, and therefore very few people attend their concerts. Well, let’s say that’s not an issue exclusive to Serbia, as everywhere you go you’ll face the same lack of proper support, with very few kids these days getting into heavy music and succumbing to to the most generic playlists shoved down their throats via all types of social media.
Aleksandra also proved to be an old school metalhead, maybe like Accept would say, an “analog woman”, as she simply loves when an album is released as a vinyl and/or cassette, supporting the revival of those formats (although she said she prefers CDs because they’re more practical). “I’m not a collector myself, but I have some old vinyl and cassettes which I inherited from my mother and I’m really happy that I had an opportunity to have my music on vinyl and tapes,” she commented. Furthermore, when asked about the impact of digital platforms on the careers of bands and artists, she said that Bandcamp for instance helps a lot, but it shouldn’t be the only way of promoting and selling music. “I still haven’t tried other platforms, but I can notice that they’re widespread. I think the ideal way I promote bands is combining all the available methods,” said our unstoppable lioness.
She was also asked in one of her interviews about the greatest satisfaction that music has brought her, and her answer was once again beyond awesome. “The fact that I achieved my goal. My goal was to have at least one physical release of my music, a CD that I’ll be able to show to my children and grandchildren one day. To have something behind me that other people will be able to see and hear and maybe find themselves in it. To inspire others.” Aleksandra also prefers working with a label instead of going full DIY because she believes there are several things she couldn’t do on her own, like a full-bodied promotion of her albums and tours, which makes sense as she can put all her focus on making music, and that’s what really matters in the end.
Lastly, when asked about what a band should sacrifice in order to be successful, and if she has ever sacrificed anything in her life for a better future of her bands, she mentioned she had to reconsider many times what she wanted with the band and whether it was worth it. “In the end, I decided to dedicate myself to education and family, and for the band to be my hobby. Because of that decision, we often have to sacrifice the time we would spend with the family or learning to have a rehearsal or a gig.” To be fair, at least it looks like she’s been able to balance everything quite well in recent years, managing multiple bands, projects and other aspects of her life, always delivering to us avid fans high quality heavy music, and may our unrelenting lioness keep roaring for many decades to come for our absolute delight.
Behold the debut opus by this uncanny duo from Finland, offering a harrowing albeit intriguing sound that’s strangely both alarming and comforting in parts.
Hailing from the darkest and most mysterious corners of Finland, the uncanny duo known as Death Obvious came out of nowhere to release a debut album that coalesces elements of Avantgarde Black, Death and Doom Metal to create a harrowing albeit intriguing sound that’s strangely both alarming and comforting in parts. Showcasing a straightforward, grim artwork by Petri Kiviniemi, the debut offering by Lea LaVey on vocals and Sima Sioux on guitars, bass, keyboards and drums brings to our avid ear eight songs that sound like excursions into pitch-black darkness, not knowing what’s coming next, while the listener remains terrified, haunted by monstrous and spectral voices coming and going, being therefore highly recommended for fans of Thantifaxath, Dodecahedron, Veilburner, Lurk, Blut aus Nord, Hexrot, and Deathspell Omega.
Mercury Off Axis is absolutely dissonant, disturbing and grim from the very first second, gradually adjusting its shape and form to a hammering Sludge Metal beast led by the rumbling bass and riffs by Sima, who keeps pounding his drums until a storm of blackened sounds comes crushing our damned souls in Santuario, with Lea barking and roaring rabidly in the name of total fucking darkness. The Great Gate Theory sounds even more sluggish and introspective, with the bass by Sima once again reverberating beautifully while Lea’s vocals transpire insanity; and it’s pedal to the metal in the Experimental Black Metal attack entitled Total Heavenly Desolation, with Lea sounding demented on vocals while Sima crafts the most caustic sounds imaginable armed with his riffs, bass and drums.
Then leaning towards a more visceral, direct form of Black Metal we face The Third Eye Burning, as primeval as it can be, again offering our putrid ears the absolutely dissonant sounds blasted by the duo, whereas after such an insane display of extreme music the duo brings forward the Stygian tune Suffer The Spectacle, starting in a cryptic manner before Lea begins barking like a venomous beast. Their Sludge and Doom Metal vein pulses harder than ever in As Absence Expands Over Everything, perfect for some vigorous headbanging in absolute obscurity; and lastly, it’s time for the chaotic, ruthless Catechismus For The Plagued, presenting eight and a half minutes of first-class Avantgarde Black and Death Metal spearheaded by the demolishing beats by Sima, ending in utter insanity and violence.
In summary, the Finnish death dealers of Death Obvious are clearly onto something in their first full-length opus, having created an exceptional and mature release right off the bat, one that deserves as much attention as it can possibly get before it gets lost in the annals of history. Hence, you can get to know more about such a promising new entity of the Finnish scene on Facebook and on Instagram, stream their wicked music on Spotify, and of course purchase their caustic album from their own BandCamp or from the Transcending Obscurity Records’ BandCamp, main store, US store or EU store. Because Death Obvious is not a rebirth, but a necessary resuscitation.
Best moments of the album:Total Heavenly Desolation, The Third Eye Burning and Catechismus For The Plagued.
Worst moments of the album:Suffer The Spectacle.
Released in 2025 Transcending Obscurity Records
Track listing 1. Mercury Off Axis 5:38
2. Santuario 5:13
3. The Great Gate Theory 5:16
4. Total Heavenly Desolation 4:45
5. The Third Eye Burning 5:56
6. Suffer The Spectacle 6:51
7. As Absence Expands Over Everything 5:53
8. Catechismus For The Plagued 8:30
Band members Lea LaVey – vocals
Sima Sioux – guitars, bass, keyboards, drums
Drawing upon the oppressive weight of soul crushing Death and Doom Metal and the violent fervor of Black Metal, this UK beast returns with their most enthralling and disturbing work to date.
Formed in 2012 in the West Midlands in the UK, Suffering are exponents of Occult Black Metal, conjurers of fevered nightmares, and invokers of darkness and madness. Drawing upon the oppressive weight of soul crushing Death and Doom Metal and the violent fervor of the blackest metal music, bringing them together in an elixir of spirit staining, mind warping venom, the band formed of Sturmgeist Fornicator Insultus on vocals, Aýdlig on the guitars, Inquinatus on bass, and Malleus on drums returns with their second full-length album, their most enthralling and disturbing work to date, Things Seen But Always Hidden, following up on their 2024 EP Symphonies: Diabolis, and a must-listen for fans of bands the likes of Akercocke, Shining, Acherontas, and Forgotten Tomb, among other servants of the darkest arts.
Such a ruthless UK horde begins their black mass in style with the Doom Metal-infused aria The House with the Red Door, starting in a lugubrious way before exploding into an overdose of Black Metal spearheaded by the inhumane drums by Malleus; whereas Enthralled follows the same darkened path as the opening track, with Aýdlig’s riffs reeking of malignancy while Sturmgeist vociferates the song’s austere words like a creature from the abyss. Then another cryptic intro will drag our souls into the unknown in The Chamber of Breathtaking Delights, offering a blasphemous blend of Blackened Doom and Black Metal as sluggish and cadaverous as it can be; and again adding an endless dosage of heaviness and fury to their core sound we face Consorting with the Devil, where Aýdlig and Inquinatus sound absolutely phantasmagorical armed with their axes.
The poetically titled What Once Was Shall Be Again and What Is Shall Be No More demanded a truly haunting sound and vibe to match with its name, which is exactly what the band offers to our putrid ears, followed by Apocrypha Through the Keyhole, another lesson in carnivorous Blackened Doom, with Sturmgeist taking the lead with his devilish gnarls. In addition, it couldn’t have sounded heavier nor more obscure. Then back to a more straightforward Black Metal sonority the band presents Hell on Earth New Eden, with Malleus crushing his drums manically while his bandmates blast an overdose of hatred through their vocals, riffs and bass lines. Lastly, the conclusion to Things Seen But Always Hidden comes in the form of the hellish Behind the Green Door, with the band dragging our impious souls to their venomous lair in the name of sheer doom.
“The darkness and truth that lies within is far beyond what we had imagined possible. But remember, things are not always what they seem and some things are right in front of your face,” commented the band about their new beast, and you can join them in total darkness by following the quartet on Facebook and on Instagram, including their unrelenting live performances, stream their Stygian, spine-chilling Black Metal hymns on any platform such as Spotify, and above all that, put your damned hands on Things Seen But Always Hidden from their own BandCamp or from Apocalyptic Witchcraft Recordings, or click HERE for all things Suffering. However, you must always remember that once you have set foot on this path, there is no way back.
Best moments of the album:Enthralled, Apocrypha Through the Keyhole and Hell on Earth New Eden.
Worst moments of the album: None.
Released in 2025 Apocalyptic Witchcraft Recordings
Track listing 1. The House with the Red Door 7:17
2. Enthralled 4:30
3. The Chamber of Breathtaking Delights 7:00
4. Consorting with the Devil 4:38
5. What Once Was Shall Be Again and What Is Shall Be No More 3:12
6. Apocrypha Through the Keyhole 3:27
7. Hell on Earth New Eden 4:55
8. Behind the Green Door 9:42
Band members
Sturmgeist Fornicator Insultus – vocals
Aýdlig – guitars
Inquinatus – bass
Malleus – drums
The eighth opus by this uncanny Death and Black Metal creature sees the duo continue to suffer like two dragons consuming one another in a serpentine-like fashion until one can no longer consume the other, frozen in the shape of infinity.
Only one year after the release of their critically acclaimed album The Duality of Decapitation and Wisdom, Pennsylvania, United States-based Avantgarde Death/Black Metal creature Veilburner returns with their eighth full-length album, poetically titled Longing for Triumph, Reeking of Tragedy. Displaying another Stygian artwork by Luciana Nedelea, the new opus by Chrisom Infernium on vocals, lyrics and design, and Mephisto Deleterio on all instruments and production sees the duo continue to suffer like two dragons consuming one another in a serpentine-like fashion until one can no longer consume the other, frozen in the shape of infinity (∞) and numerologically represented by the digit eight (8). Samael (the “poison of god” and the eighth sphere of the Qlippoth), as well as Choronzon (the dweller of the threshold) and the Ouroboros all correlate with this symbol of infinity and exist in Veilburner’s lore as the antagonistic and immutable eternity, which if confronted can lead to self-destruction and the finality of manifestation, permanently breaking the loop.
Like the beginning of a black mass, the duo ignites their festivities with Longing for Triumph…, with the marching drums by Mephisto suddenly evolving into pure Black Metal madness while Chrisom roars like a demented entity from the abyss; and Mephisto keeps slashing his scorching axe in Pestilent Niche, delivering fierce, metallic riffs for our total delight, as experimental as it is progressive, sounding like two or three songs in one. Then venturing through Atmospheric Black Metal lands with a pinch of Doom Metal we face Rigor & Wraith, with the cryptic vociferations by Chrisom sounding truly haunting, whereas back to a ferocious Black Metal sonority they offer us That Which Crypts Howls Grandeur, where all instruments by Mephisto sound absolutely demonic, adding an extra dosage of insanity and sulfur to the overall result. Da’ath Ye Shadow Portrait is another excellent display of Avantgarde Death and Black Metal by the duo, with Chrisom once again barking rabidly nonstop, followed by Ouroboreal Whorl, the least Black Metal of all songs, maybe a bit too experimental for my taste, never sounding truly heavy. They get back on track with Matter o’ the Most Awful of Martyrs, blasting their trademark blend of demented Black and Death Metal sounds, with Mephisto sounding ruthless armed with his riffs, solos and blast beats until the very last second; and lastly, we have …Reeking of Tragedy, the “conclusion” of the opening track, therefore forming the title of the album, which couldn’t have sounded more inhumane and sinister, with the duo firing their devilish roars and eerie riffs nonstop.
In the spirit of striking while the iron is hot, this eighth evolution of the Veilburner story capitalizes on momentum while simultaneously achieving new heights in their song-crafting and story-telling, leading their characters on a journey in which they cannot recognize triumph without tragedy, and sees them residing somewhere between the abyss and their devotion to mortal re-occurrence, that which seems to attract death, being therefore highly recommended for fans of Blut aus Nord, Imperial Triumphant, Deathspell Omega, Hexrot, Oranssi Pazuzu, Akhyls, and Akercocke. You can dive into the dark realms ruled by Veilburner by following them on Facebook and on Instagram, by streaming their unique creations on Spotify, and of course by purchasing their new album from their own BandCamp or from the Transcending Obscurity Records’ BandCamp, main store, US store or EU store. In Longing for Triumph, Reeking of Tragedy, Chrisom Infernium and Mephisto Deleterio face not just any death, but the kind in which they are bound to an infinite loop of reincarnation, and destined to repeat the same traumas and failures as before.
Best moments of the album:Pestilent Niche, That Which Crypts Howls Grandeur and Matter o’ the Most Awful of Martyrs.
Worst moments of the album:Ouroboreal Whorl.
Released in 2025 Transcending Obscurity Records
Track listing 1. Longing for Triumph… 7:00
2. Pestilent Niche 6:19
3. Rigor & Wraith 5:26
4. That Which Crypts Howls Grandeur 6:19
5. Da’ath Ye Shadow Portrait 7:04
6. Ouroboreal Whorl 6:29
7. Matter o’ the Most Awful of Martyrs 6:00
8. …Reeking of Tragedy 7:14
Band members
Chrisom Infernium – vocals
Mephisto Deleterio – all instruments