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Album Review – Novembre / Words of Indigo (2025)

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The newly reinvigorated Italian pioneers of Atmospheric and Progressive Gothic, Doom and Death Metal return with their most elaborately adorned and sonically refined opus to date.

Coinciding with 35 years since the band’s original inception under the Catacomb moniker, and after an extended period of inactivity following the release of their 2016 acclaimed album Ursa, the newly reinvigorated Italian pioneers of Atmospheric and Progressive Gothic/Doom/Death Metal known as Novembre return with their most elaborately adorned and sonically refined opus to date in the shape of their ninth studio album, titled Words of Indigo. Mixed and mastered by Dan Swanö (Opeth, Katatonia, Bloodbath) at Unisound, and displaying a classy artwork by Travis Smith (Opeth, Katatonia) of Seempieces Design Studio, the new album by vocalist Carmelo Orlando, guitarists Alessio Erriu and Federico Albanese, and drummer Yuri Croscenko, with the support of session bassist Fabio Fraschini, will embrace you in a melancholic yet warm darkness, being therefore highly recommended for fans of Sacturnus, Novembers Doom, Shores of Null, Les Discrets, Woods of Ypres, My Dying Bride, and Draconian.

After a whimsical intro the band comes crushing our souls with their share of melancholy and doom in Sun Magenta, spearheaded by the crisp, piercing guitars by Alession and Federico, whereas Statua showcases an even more pensive, darker side of the band, with the clean and harsh vocals by Carmelo sounding amazing from start to finish. The band continues to distill their fusion of Progressive and Doom Metal in Neptunian Hearts, sounding heavy while also bringing tons of melody to our avid ears; whereas Ann-Mari Edvardsen (of The 3rd and the Mortal) makes a stylish vocal duet with Carmelo with her stunning voice in House of Rain, adding even more darkness to their core sound and, therefore, resulting in a beautiful ballad of extreme music, followed by Brontide, keeping the ambience dense, grim and hypnotic thanks to another classy performance by all band members, with Yuri dictating the pace with his doomed beats and fills.

Then after the theatrical interlude simply titled Intervallo we face another blast of their Progressive Doom Metal in the form of Your Holocene, an enfolding, thrilling tune where Carmelo’s deep, nocturnal vocals sound even more powerful, supported by the always incendiary riffs by both Alessio and Federico. Chiesa dell’alba brings forward more of their mix of Paradise Lost-infused doom and the progressiveness of bands like Dream Theater and Allegaeon, again presenting the intricate and fierce drumming by Yuri, followed by Ipernotte, one of the most detailed, multi-layered and vibrant of all songs, where the guitar job by Alessio and Federico is beautifully complemented by the thunderous bass by Fabio Fraschini. And last but not least, the band will darken the skies and consume our minds with Post Poetic, where Carmelo yet again melts our faces alternating between clean, ethereal vocals and the madness of his harsh gnarls, flowing into the climatic outro Onde, putting a pensive, somber ending to the album.

An exquisite and finely-textured display of creative prowess exploring themes of danger and innocence, fear and nostalgia, the latest journey by Novembre takes the listener through the torrents of raging Death Metal and sweeping, uplifting passages of serene poignancy, all woven together as finely crafted and layered melodic epics. You can put your hands on Words of Indigo via BandCamp or by clicking HERE, and don’t forget to also start following the band on Facebook and on Instagram for news, tours dates and more of their music, and to stream the embracing sounds from all of their albums on Spotify. November is undoubtedly a month that transpires doom, and the music offered by Novembre in Words of Indigo will surely work as the perfect soundtrack for your gloomiest, darkest days of such a Stygian month.

Best moments of the album: Statua, Your Holocene and Post Poetic.

Worst moments of the album: Brontide.

Released in 2025 Peaceville Records

Track listing
1. Sun Magenta 7:23
2. Statua 6:05
3. Neptunian Hearts 6:11
4. House of Rain 7:33
5. Brontide 6:21
6. Intervallo 1:14
7. Your Holocene 5:29
8. Chiesa dell’alba 7:26
9. Ipernotte 6:52
10. Post Poetic 6:27
11. Onde 2:29

Band members
Carmelo Orlando – vocals
Alessio Erriu – guitars
Federico Albanese – guitars
Yuri Croscenko – drums

Guest musician
Fabio Fraschini – bass (session)
Ann-Mari Edvardsen – vocals on “House of Rain”

Album Review – Exhorder / Defectum Omnium (2024)

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Putting a foot back into the roots of the band’s inception, these American veterans return to the battlefield with their striking fourth full-length opus, turning the failure of all into first-class Thrash and Groove Metal.

Putting a foot back into the roots of the band’s inception, New Orleans, Louisiana’s own Thrash Metal veterans Exhorder return to the battlefield with their striking fourth full-length opus, titled Defectum Omnium, the Latin phrase for “the failure of all”. Produced by the band itself, mixed by Jens Bogren at Fascination Street Studios, and displaying a sinister artwork by Travis Smith of Seempieces Design Studio, the album is highly recommended for fans of Dark Angel, Nuclear Assault, Exodus, Death Angel, Testament, Machine Head, and Pantera, among others, with the band currently formed of Kyle Thomas on vocals and guitars, Jason Viebrooks on bass, and Sasha Horn on drums now being joined by former Cannibal Corpse heavyweight guitarist Pat O’Brien, just to give their sound an even edgier and more austere taste.

Let’s slam into the pit like true metalmaniacs to the sound of Wrath of Prophecies, a Pantera-infused onrush of thrashing sounds led by the piercing riffs by Kyle and Pat, kicking things off in an amazing way, followed by Under the Gaslight, a more cadenced, Groove Metal-ish tune by Exhorder recommend for some vigorous headbanging to the massive beats by Sasha and the always visceral roars by Kyle. Forever and Beyond Despair offers us then absolutely acid lyrics (“Designs of murder ending all  / Last call, then curfew comes / Take your meds and go / The gods bring on the wars / Send the troops, let ’em burn / The girls will work butter churns, all pregnant with babes”) amidst a fusion of Thrash Metal, Hardcore and Punk Rock, whereas letting their Southern Metal vein pulse harder than ever we face The Tale of Unsound Minds, with Jason and Sasha delivering sheer heaviness and groove through their devilish kitchen. After that we have Divide and Conquer, another Thrash and Groove Metal feast by the quartet where their riffs and solos sound striking, meaning it should work really well if played live; and an eerie intro quickly explodes into the venomous Year of the Goat, a slamming tune that will invite us all into the circle pit to the rumbling bass by Jason.

After a slower yet still heavy-as-hell start, the band will will hammer your heads mercilessly in Taken by Flames, offering modern-day Thrash Metal overflowing rage and insanity, all led by the boisterous beats by Sasha; and get ready for over seven minutes of darkness in the form of Defectum Omnium / Stolen Hope, starting in a hypnotic way before the band comes ripping with a venomous mid-tempo attack, with the riffage by Kyle and Pat penetrating deep inside our damned souls. It’s then time for some pure American hatred flowing from all instruments in Three Stages of Truth / Lacing the Well, with their riffs, bass jabs and blast beats generating the perfect ambience for some wild circle pits and crowd surfing; followed by Sedition, bringing forward three minutes of savagery and brutality blasted by the quartet, once again offering our avid ears an overdose of dirty riffs, raspy vocals and demolishing drums, and they keep destroying our cranial skulls with their visceral Thrash Metal in Desensitized, where the enraged growls by Kyle walk hand I hand with the unstoppable beats by Sasha. Last but not least, they present another shot of their hybrid of Southern Rock with Thrash and Groove Metal in Your Six, feeling sluggish, dirty and inebriate until the very last second.

Exhorder are not in a good mood throughout the entire Defectum Omnium, and of course that’s an amazing thing when it comes to violent and frantic Thrash Metal. Hence, don’t forget to start following those American thrashers on Facebook and on Instagram for news, tour dates and so on, to stream more of their wicked music on YouTube and on Spotify, and above all that, to purchase a copy of the incendiary Defectum Omnium by clinking HERE or HERE. The entire world as we know it has failed miserably, and that’s exactly what Exhorder needed as fuel for their fulminating new album, keeping the fires of heavy music burning bright while our rotten society comes to its inevitable end.

Best moments of the album: Wrath of Prophecies, Year of the Goat and Three Stages of Truth / Lacing the Well.

Worst moments of the album: Under the Gaslight.

Released in 2024 Nuclear Blast

Track listing
1. Wrath of Prophecies 4:14
2. Under the Gaslight 4:21
3. Forever and Beyond Despair 3:03
4. The Tale of Unsound Minds 5:01
5. Divide and Conquer 2:38
6. Year of the Goat 3:27
7. Taken by Flames 5:19
8. Defectum Omnium / Stolen Hope 7:13
9. Three Stages of Truth / Lacing the Well 6:46
10. Sedition 2:56
11. Desensitized 4:59
12. Your Six 4:28

Band members
Kyle Thomas – vocals, guitars
Pat O’Brien – guitars
Jason Viebrooks – bass
Sasha Horn – drums

Guest musicians
Rick Wartell – guitars
Bruce Franklin – guitars

Album Review – Overkill / Scorched (2023)

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One of the pillars of old school Thrash Metal will scorch the earth to the sound of their breathtaking new album.

Recorded at Gear Recording Studio, SKH Recording Studios, JRod Productions and The Recording Company, mixed by Colin Richardson and Chris Clancy at Audioworks Productions, mastered by Maor Appelbaum, and displaying a sick cover art by Travis Smith of Seempieces Design Studio, the breathtaking Scorched, the twentieth studio album by American Thrash Metal masters Overkill, might have had its official release postponed on numerous occasions, but the wait was absolutely worth it. The follow-up to their 2019 album The Wings of War (marking the longest gap between studio albums for the band) is a lecture in old school thrash by frontman Bobby “Blitz” Ellsworth, guitarists Dave Linsk and Derek Tailer, bassist D.D. Verni and drummer Jason Bittner, placing it among the best metal albums of the year without a shadow of a doubt.

Strident, piercing guitar ignite the thrashing title-track Scorched, with Bobby attacking our ears with his raspy voice and the song’s wicked lyrics (“Way down deep in the fire / Way down deep in the flame / Way down deep in the hole I dug / Way down Deep in the pain / I’m a flash in your atmosphere / Atomic wind blowing into your night / Crash and burn, let me make it clear / And give ’em just a little light”) in a beyond fantastic start to the album, and Dave and Derek rev up the band’s furious engine with their sick riffage in the circle pit feast titled Goin’ Home, supported by the classic drums by Jason. The Surgeon is another ass-kicking Thrash Metal extravaganza spearheaded by the band’s guitar duo while Bobby’s grim vocals add a considerable share of insanity to the music; whereas Twist of the Wick, one of the most demented songs of the album, will inspire you to crush your damned skull into the mosh pit to the frantic beats by Jason and the rumbling bass by D.D. Needless to say, it should sound superb if played live. And Jason dictates the pace in the neck-breaking tune Wicked Place, sounding utterly groovy while maintaining the band’s heaviness intact.

It’s then time for another visceral, thrashing creation by Overkill titled Won’t Be Comin Back, where Bobby is in total sync with the guitars by Dave and Derek, resulting in an old school Thrash Metal beast overflowing energy and rage, with Jason’s drums being once again spot-on. The ominous bass by D.D. darkens the atmosphere in Fever, being quickly joined by the introspective vocals by Bobby and a lovely Blues-ish vibe; followed by Harder They Fall, offering our ears more of the band’s acid lyrics (“Ice water flowing through his veins / Rumor has it that it comes and goes in waves / The face of fear, baby, he’s your man / With evil inside the heart, he does the best he can / The best he can”) while the music is a flawless, demolishing Thrash Metal feast showcasing all the band’s passion for heavy music, and I’m sure this will become a fan-favorite during their live concerts. Overkill keep the circle pit moving majestically with Know Her Name, an ass-kicking Thrash Metal attack led by Bobby’s evil roars while D.D. and Jason are on fire with their thunderous kitchen, making it impossible not to bang your head like a maniac to such electrifying song; and their last explosion of thrashing sounds, titled Bag o’ Bones, brings forward the band’s characteristic heaviness, rebelliousness and creativity, with Dave, Derek and D.D. adding sheer groove to the music armed with their axes, also showcasing a classic chorus with amazing backing vocals.

This beast of an album, a serious contender for album of the year by the way, is available for a full listen on YouTube and on Spotify, but as I know you’re a true diehard thrasher you can purchase it from Overkill’s own BandCamp page, or by clicking HERE or HERE. You can also find more details about the band, their tour dates, plans for the future and other nice-to-know details on Facebook and on Instagram, that of course if you don’t follow them already. In a nutshell, Overkill will scorch the earth, scorch our brains, scorch the good and scorch the bad armed with their thrilling new album, setting fire to the entire scene once again, just as we all expect from one of the pillars of our beloved old school Thrash Metal.

Best moments of the album: Scorched, The Surgeon, Twist of the Wick, Harder They Fall and Know Her Name.

Worst moments of the album: None.

Released in 2023 Nuclear Blast

Track listing
1. Scorched 6:13
2. Goin’ Home 4:31
3. The Surgeon 5:33
4. Twist of the Wick 5:34
5. Wicked Place 5:00
6. Won’t Be Comin Back 4:30
7. Fever 5:33
8. Harder They Fall 4:23
9. Know Her Name 5:11
10. Bag o’ Bones 4:37

Band members
Bobby “Blitz” Ellsworth – vocals
Dave Linsk – lead guitars
Derek Tailer – rhythm guitars
D.D. Verni – bass
Jason Bittner – drums

Guest musician
Michael Romeo – orchestrations