The Day of the Beast is upon us once again to the sound of their infuriated fifth opus, undoubtedly their heaviest, darkest and most dynamic record to date.
Combining elements of Death, Thrash and Black Metal into their core sound, Virginia’s own Blackened Thrash Metal creature The Day of the Beast returns from the pits of the underworld with their infuriated fifth studio offering, titled Nightspawn Descendants, following up on their venomous 2021 album Indisputably Carnivorous. Mixed by Ricardo Borges and mastered by Tony Lindgren at Fascination Street Studios, the newborn spawn by vocalist Steve Harris, guitarists Steve Redmond and Bobby Phippins (by the way, Bobby sadly passed away back in 2024, which means Nightspawn Descendants is his “swan song”), Justin Shaw on bass, and Jeremy Bradley on drums is undoubtedly the band’s heaviest, darkest and most dynamic record yet, sounding massive and pummeling from start to finish.
The breathtaking With Drakkonian Force offers us all a bestial start to the album, with Steve Harris roaring and barking like a rabid beast supported by the fulminating riffs by Steve Redmon and Bobby, and there’s no time to breathe as those death dealers will crush your spinal cords with A Leering Grotesqueness, with Jeremy bringing an overdose of Thrash Metal to their Stygian core with his ruthless beats and fills. Fangbearer, themed around a Clive Barker short story called Rawhead Rex, continues their path of Blackened Thrash Metal led by the unstoppable drums by Jeremy, whereas in Exsanguination we face infernal lyrics barked by Steve Harris (“Forsaken flesh upon the earth / Derelict anomalies perceive this harsh reality / inner sanctum in a state of mystified perplexity / taste the filth, inhale the void / in misanthropic ecstacy / Unending dissection / of all attempts to reason / Scratching and clawing the path to unconsciousness / Paranoid deception / Terminate sympathy / Feast with the spawning shadows in your heart”) amidst an overdose of dark and ruhless Extreme Metal madness; followed by Revocation of the Black Talons, less vicious but extremely heavy and vile, with Justin and Jeremy making the earth tremble with their demonic kitchen.
The band shows no sign of slowing down at all, as Steve Redmond and Bobby slash their axes like true metallic beats in Their Flesh to the Father, sounding fast, furious and, therefore, perfect for slamming into the pit like there’s no tomorrow. Jeremy keeps demolishing everything and everyone that crosses his path in To the Edge of Abyss, enhancing the song’s violence while their guitars exhale harmony and electricity, all boosted by another bestial vocal performance by Steve Harris. Then we have Dire Omens, one of the last tracks Bobby wrote for The Day of the Beast, which means let’s honor him by letting it rip through our speakers, sounding as hellish and grim as its predecessors; and the band shows no mercy for our frail bodies in Embodiment, with Steve Harris delivering some of his deepest, most demonic vocals of the entire album while the drums by Jeremy sound inhumane from start to finish. Last but certainly not least, we face the massive, Stygian and somber title-track Nightspawn Descendants, with Steve Harris roaring nonstop accompanied by the slashing riffage by the band’s guitar duo and the always thunderous kitchen by Justin and Jeremy.
Crafting their own brand of apocalyptic Extreme Metal that shines a light on the darkest, filthiest corners of the human psyche since their inception back in 2006, The Day of the Beast are definitely going to reach new heights with Nightspawn Descendants, hopefully fueling them to take their music to stages all across the world including places like the UK, the EU, Japan, Brazil, and of course, Canada. Hence, you can stay up to date with all things The Day of the Beast and tell them how much you want to see them live on Facebook and on Instagram, stream their caustic creations on Spotify, and of course put your damned hands on Nightspawn Descendants by purchasing it from BandCamp or by clicking HERE. Nightspawn Descendants is heavy, dark, and sulfurous. It’s an ode to Black, Death and Thrash Metal. and above all that, it’s a tribute to Bobby, a man who lived and breathed heavy music until the very end. Horns up for Bobby, and bang your heads nonstop to Nightspawn Descendants.
Best moments of the album:With Drakkonian Force, Exsanguination, Their Flesh to the Father and Embodiment.
Worst moments of the album: None.
Released in 2026 Prosthetic Records
Track listing 1. With Drakkonian Force 5:04 2. A Leering Grotesqueness 3:52
3. Fangbearer 4:06
4. Exsanguination 4:52
5. Revocation of the Black Talons 6:41
6. Their Flesh to the Father 4:36
7. To the Edge of Abyss 3:49
8. Dire Omens 3:09
9. Embodiment 5:00
10. Nightspawn Descendants 9:43
Band members Steve Harris – vocals
Steve Redmond – guitars
Bobby Phippins – guitars
Justin Shaw – bass
Jeremy Bradley – drums
The Scandinavian war machine rolls on, as these Swedish Death Metal beasts still sound adrenalized, bloodstained and glorious in their demolishing album number fourteen.
The Scandinavian war machine rolls on. After twenty seven years, thirteen full-length studio albums and an ever growing brood of EP’s, split releases, live albums and compilations, Swedish Death Metal beasts Paganizer still sound adrenalized, bloodstained and glorious in their album number fourteen, beautifully titled As Mankind Rots. Mixed and mastered by long term collaborator Ronnie Björnström, with the package completed by the haunting artwork of Ivan Bragin (The Gathering, October Tide, Woods Of Ypres), the new opus by the unstoppable Rogga Johansson on vocals and guitars, Dennis Blomberg on lead guitars, Martin Klasén on bass, and Matthias Fiebig on drums is an unmissable Death Metal treat for fans of Entombed, Ribspreader, Grave, and Vomitory.
Rogga and Dennis present their violent business card right from the beginning in As Mankind Rots, offering an overdose of Death and Thrash Metal riffs with a Punk Rock attitude, therefore inviting us all to slam into the pit like true bastards. Then it’s Matthias who shows no mercy for our putrid bodies in Devoured, hammering his drums and, consequently, our cranial skulls in the name of extreme music; followed by Aftermath Bleeder, leaning towards the more cadenced but absurdly heavy Death Metal blasted by giants like Unleashed, sounding as visceral as it can be. It’s pedal to the metal in the infuriated Only Maggots, offering our avid ears an avalanche of Death Metal riffs and blast beats perfect for some wild headbanging; and I simply love how they add hints of Crust to their core sound like in Put on Your Gasmask, making it even more demented, with Rogga’s roars sounding deep and evil. And there’s just no sign of slowing down or selling off in Hollow, as it’s pure, unfiltered Death Metal where Martin and Matthias’ kitchen sounds like an earthquake of heavy music.
The band then brings forward a mid-tempo, haunting tune titled A Testament to Madness, with Rogga again vomiting the song’s vile words mercilessly; whereas like a rabid creature from the abyss, the quartet comes ripping with Afterworld, where the guitars by Rogga and Dennis exhale hatred and obscurity. The Rotting End is another song where a melodic start morphs into absolute chaos and madness spearheaded by the ruthless beats and fills by Matthias, followed by One Way to the Grave, perhaps the most destructive of all songs (from an already destructive album), with Matthias crushing his drums mercilessly while Rogga barks and roars like a demented beast of Death Metal. Lastly, we’re treated to a new recording of Vanans Makt (a Swedish phrase that translates to “the power of habit”), which appeared on the Compiled Ammunition compilation back in 2020, with guest vocals from Bulten of Swedish Punk Rock band Lastkaj 14, and this new rendition is the perfect example of Death Metal meets Punk Rock.
There’s no intro, no samples, nor anything like that in As Mankind Rots. The album is simply headfirst into riffs and mayhem, offering us all avid metalheads pure Swedish Death Metal magnificence, and you can add such an incendiary album to your private collection by purchasing it from the Xtreem Music’s BandCamp or webstore. You can also start following the band on Facebook and on Instagram, and of course stream their ruthless discography on any platform like Spotify. As mankind rots, Paganizer keep blasting our ears with their undisputed blend of old school Death Metal, with their new album perfectly depicting the current state of our rotten and decaying society.
Best moments of the album:As Mankind Rots, Only Maggots and One Way to the Grave.
Worst moments of the album:A Testament to Madness.
Released in 2026 Xtreem Music
Track listing 1. As Mankind Rots 3:15
2. Devoured 3:51
3. Aftermath Bleeder 3:14
4. Only Maggots 3:48
5. Put on Your Gasmask 2:46
6. Hollow 3:23
7. A Testament to Madness 4:32
8. Afterworld 3:53
9. The Rotting End 3:16
10. One Way to the Grave 3:39
11. Vanans Makt 3:38
Band members Rogga Johansson – vocals, guitars
Dennis Blomberg – lead guitars
Martin Klasén – bass
Matthias Fiebig – drums
Behold the first full-length opus by this ruthless Polish entity, offering nine anthemic hymns of destruction for admirers of the darkest side of Death and Thrash Metal.
After the releases of their debut EP The Curse of Ferrius, in 2022, and the live album Resurrection Clarity (Live at 2 Koła ’24), in 2024, Gdańsk, Poland-based Blackened Death/Thrash Metal duo Büddah are ready to crush our frail bodies and souls with their first ever full-length installment, entitled Amyotrophy (a progressive wasting of muscle tissues). Recorded by Damian Bednarski (of Unborn Suffer), produced by the same Damian Bednarski alongside Marcin Skowroński (of Fatigue), who was also responsible for the mixing and mastering of the album, and displaying a killer artwork and layout by vocalist Julian Schutta, the new album by Julian Suchtta on vocals and Marek Gross on vocals, guitars and bass, with the support of session drummer Igor Jażdżewski, takes no prisoners in their quest for extreme, ruthless music, offering nine anthemic hymns of destruction for admirers of the darkest side of Death and Thrash Metal.
The duo wastes no time and kick off their demented festivities with Amyotrophy I, with their devilish gnarls and the ruthless blast beats by Igor sounding absolutely explosive; whereas Bowel Fane presents cryptic, vile words vociferated by the duo (“Awakened in the cryptic maze / Helpless cries shove off the walls / My blind soul tries to find the exit”) amidst a devastating Blackened Thrash Metal sonority. Then they invest in a pure Death Metal sound in Waste of Flesh, with the dirty, slashing riffage by Marek walking hand in hand with their raspy guttural; and a song title like Disfigured Ones reeks of Death Metal, and Julian and Marek make sure the music also lives up to the genre with their demolishing roars and riffs, supported by Igor’s demented drumming. After that, Fiend then presents hints of Thrash Metal, Hardcore and Crust, perfect for slamming into the pit like there’s no tomorrow.
The rumbling bass by Marek ignites another display of undisputed Death Metal in Mouth Full of Bones MMXXV, with the old school beats and fills by Igor adding an even more primeval touch to the song. Then we face the dark, sinister interlude Law of the Snake, setting the stage for Büddah to destroy our senses with Serpent’s Scourge, by far the heaviest of all songs, featuring guest vocalists Damian Bednarski and Łukasz Pieszczyński, and with its cryptic lyrics (“I faced the mask of thousand tongues / with eyes surrounding its mouth / It’s lurking voice crawling under my nails / oviposited on my bearing / On my bearing…”) matching perfectly the sonic savagery blasted by Julian and Igor. Finally, they go full circle with the second “part” of the album title, Amyotrophy II, where Marek does an amazing job with both his riffs and solos, going experimental halfway through it before ending on a melodic, introspective manner.
Julian and Marek need a little less than 40 minutes in Amyotrophy to show the entire world of heavy music that the name Büddah is already a reality, blasting our speakers and melting our faces with their undisputed fusion of extreme music genres and subgenres in the best Polish style imaginable. Furthermore, if you want to show such a hardworking duo your admiration and support, you can start following them on Facebook and on Instagram, stream their caustic compositions on any available platform such as Spotify, and above all that, purchase their incendiary debut offering from their own BandCamp, as well as from the Godz ov War Productions’ BandCamp or webstore. Amyotrophy is the strongest effort to date by such an up-and-coming duo hailing from the fires of Poland, and based on the quality of the music found throughout the album, we can rest assured we’ll hear a lot more from them in the foreseeable future.
Best moments of the album:Amyotrophy I, Disfigured Ones and Serpent’s Scourge.
Worst moments of the album: None.
Released in 2026 Godz ov War Productions
Track listing 1. Amyotrophy I 5:33
2. Bowel Fane 2:41
3. Waste of Flesh 3:27
4. Disfigured Ones 4:41
5. Fiend 5:11
6. Mouth Full of Bones MMXXV 4:33
7. Law of the Snake 1:34
8. Serpent’s Scourge 4:26
9. Amyotrophy II 6:58
Band members Julian Suchtta – vocals, djembe on “Serpent’s Scourge”
Marek Gross – vocals, guitars, bass, shakers on “Serpent’s Scourge”
Guest musicians
Igor Jażdżewski – drums (session)
Damian Bednarski – vocals on “Serpent’s Scourge”
Łukasz Pieszczyński – vocals on “Serpent’s Scourge”
This unrelenting three-headed beast from Poland is back with their trademark avalanche of speed and violence in the form of their new and explosive eight-minute EP.
“We are a sword, you are a head…”
Formed in 2021 in the beautiful city of Gdańsk, a port city on the Baltic coast of Poland, the unrelenting three-headed beast known as Scrüda is back wwith more of their barbarian hybrid of Black, Thrash and Speed Metal in their new EP poetically titled Extreme Speed Violence, less than one year after their fulminating debut full-length opus Fury Among Ruins. Recorded by Michał Daschke at Black Peak Records, mixed and mastered by Will Killingsworth at Dead Air Studios, and with a killer, primeval artwork by Fda and layout by WS Artworks, the brand new offering by vocalist and bassist The Conqueror, guitarist Firecracker and drummer Wall of Flesh picks up where Fury Among Ruins left off, bringing forward the band’s trademark avalanche of speed and violence in the form of first-class Extreme Metal.
The title-track Extreme Speed Violence is definitely a bestial way to kick off the EP, with Wall of Flesh demolishing his drums while The Conqueror vomits the song’s demented words rabidly (“I’m totally insane / My heart pumping rage / Completely possessed / Under the demon of revenge / Extreme speed violence”). Their infernal feast of Blackened Thrash Metal goes on in Like a Dog, where Firecracker sets fire to the atmosphere with his unstoppable riffage, and they put the pedal to the metal in the chaotic extravaganza titled Chaos, with Wall of Flesh once again hammering his drums supported by The Conqueror’s menacing bass lines. Get ready to slam into the pit like a true metalmaniac with It’s About You, with their razor-edged, no shenanigans blend of Thrash and Speed Metal sounding demonic. Then Firecracker ignites a Motörhead-infused Speed Metal attack entitled Shameless, reminding me of the early days of Megadeth (which is obviously awesome); followed by Pain, one minute of sheer savagery showcasing another round of demented words roared by The Conqueror (“I feel the pain, my body’s worn and broken / I wear my crown of suffering and pride / All is lost, not a hopeful word is spoken / I see the emptiness, in a grief I drown inside”).
The Conqueror, Firecracker and Wall of Flesh need less than nine minutes to simply destroy everything and everyone that crosses their path in Extreme Speed Violence, and I’m sure it won’t take long for those relentless metallers to return with another slab of sheer aggression in the vein of their new EP. If you want to know more about the band, their music, their live performances (which should be simply phenomenal) and so on, you can find them on Facebook and on Instagram, and don’t forget to also stream their depraved thrashing tunes on any platform like Spotify, and of course to grab a copy of their explosive eight-minute EP from their own BandCamp or from the Godz ov War Productions’ BandCamp or webstore. Scrüda are gearing up for their next hunt armed with Extreme Speed Violence, and if you decide to not join their demonic brigade, I feel sorry for you body and soul.
Best moments of the album:Extreme Speed Violence and Shameless.
Worst moments of the album: None.
Released in 2026 Godz ov War Productions
Track listing 1. Extreme Speed Violence 1:33
2. Like a Dog 1:24
3. Chaos 1:35
4. It’s About You 1:03
5. Shameless 1:54
6. Pain 1:12
Band members The Conqueror – vocals, bass
Firecracker – guitars, backing vocals
Wall of Flesh – drums
Behold the path of destruction by this unrelenting Japanese trio armed with their sophomore album, exploring a broader spectrum of riff-oriented Death Metal in order to aggravate the carnage.
Conceived in Nagano, Japan back in 2015, the original goal by the ruthless beast known as Invictus was to play Death Metal with hints of technicality and a strong Thrash Metal edge, combining the morbid grooves and abhorrent atmospherics of all archaic Death Metal gods like Death, Malevolent Creation, Monstrosity, Brutality, Mercyless, Morbid Angel, Gorguts, Obituary, Decapitated, Sadistic Intent, and Cannibal Corpse, and prioritizing the creation of songs crammed with commanding riffs over any other aspect of their putrescent music. Now in 2026 the band formed of Takehitopsy Seki on vocals and guitars, Toshihiro Seki on bass, and Haruki Tokutake on drums returns to action with their sophomore opus, titled Nocturnal Visions, following up on their 2020 debut The Catacombs of Fear. Embraced by a compelling, era-authentic artwork courtesy of Juanjo Castellano, the album sees the band exploring a broader spectrum of riff-oriented Death Metal in order to aggravate the carnage, exuding a more pernicious aural decay and bludgeoning the listener into submission by some of the meatiest and most vitriolic Death Metal conceivable.
After a short and sinister Intro, the trio is ready to devour our souls with their infuriated Death Metal attack in Abyssal Earth Eradicates, with the bass by Toshihiro sounding as dirty as it is violent while Takehitopsy barks like a putrid entity form the underworld. Haruki then shows absolutely no mercy for his drums nor for our frail bodies in Altar of Devoted Slaughter, sounding like a Death Metal stone crusher from hell, not to mention Takehitopsy’s demented guitar solo. And the trio continues their path of absolute demolition in Lucid Dream Trauma, not as fast but absurdly heavy thanks to another killer performance by Haruki on drums, followed by Persecution Madness, a lecture in both old school and contemporary Death Metal in the vein of Immolation and Cannibal Corpse.
Dragged Beneath the Grave is another song with a poetic name, with those Japanese death dealers going mental with their relentless riffs, bass and blast beats, as well as Takehitopsy’s maniacal vocals; and he keeps delivering his visceral guttural in Frozen Tomb, again perfect for some wild headbanging and slamming while Haruki continues to pound his drums manically. Wandering Ashdream is still an excellent song overflowing brutality and gore, albeit a bit generic and basic compared to the rest of the album (the guitar solo by Takehitopsy is still pretty solid, though); whereas last but not least, get ready for over eight minutes of total Death Metal madness and fury in Nocturnal Visions, also presenting hints of our good old Doom Metal to give it an even more primeval vibe.
In summary, if you love Death Metal, true and morbid, then don’t miss out on these Japanese masters of putridity by following them on Facebook and on Instagram, by streaming their corrosive, vicious Death Metal sounds on any platform such as Spotify, and of course by purchasing a copy of their demented new album from their own BandCamp, from Me Saco Un Ojo’s BandCamp or webstore, or from Memento Mori. If in Japanese fantasy and science fiction movies and television programs we have the pleasure of seeing those gigantic kaiju destroying everything and everyone that crosses their path, in Death Metal it’s Invictus who are the real kaiju, sounding absolutely devastating and ruthless armed with their breathtaking new offering.
Best moments of the album:Altar of Devoted Slaughter, Persecution Madness and Dragged Beneath the Grave.
Let there be shred. Let there be Thrash Metal. And let there be Megadeth.
From their electrifying 1985 debut Killing Is My Business… and Business Is Good! to their 2022 metal attack The Sick, the Dying… and the Dead!, Los Angeles, California’s own Thrash/Speed Metal beast Megadeth has delivered an overdose of breathtaking heavy music for the absolute delight of anyone who considers Mr. Dave Mustaine one of the best (if not THE best) shredder in the history of Heavy Metal, culminating with their incendiary self-titled seventeenth (and final) studio album now in 2026. Produced by Dave Mustaine himself alongside Chris Rakestraw, and depicting a burning Vic Rattlehead as its artwork, the new album by Dave Mustaine on vocals and guitars, Teemu Mäntysaari also on the guitars, James LoMenzo on bass, and Dirk Verbeuren on drums is not just a farewell by one of the most important bands in the history of music, but a statement of how much Mustaine has always loved what he does, and a serious contender for album of the year.
The initial riff in Tipping Point already warns us all it’s gonna be a thrashing extravaganza, with MegaDave roaring its rebellious lyrics manically (“Today I may bleed, but tonight you will die / Snatched in your sleep, in the blackest night / You buried the truth under layers of lies / There’s no return, now you’ve crossed the line”), followed by I Don’t Care, the second single released, offering a fusion of Thrash and Speed Metal with Mustaine’s Punk Rock influences, resulting in an excellent option for some slamming into the pit. Hey, God?! reminds me of some of his creations from the mid to late 90’s, with Dirk hammering his drums just the way we like it in mid-tempo Thrash Metal; whereas in Let There Be Shred the name of the song says it all, with Dave and Teemu kicking some ass with their incendiary riffage, not to mention its lyrics are an ode to Megadeth’s history (“On the day I was born, a guitar in my hands / The earth started rumbling a thunderous command / To bash and to thrash, to bang my head / To smash my guitar and let there be shred!”). Puppet Parade is another solid tune with James and Dirk bringing the groove to the band’s striking sonority, while Another Bad Day might be perhaps the weakest of all songs, a bit generic compared to the album’s thrashing party, although their riffs and bass lines are good as usual.
Made to Kill brings forward a massive wall of sounds of old school, uncompromised Thrash Metal where Mustaine’s raspy vocals match perfectly with the classic drumming by Dirk, speeding things up halfway through it for our total delight, and the quartet keeps blasting their instruments mercilessly in Obey the Call, offering an avalanche of heaviness while keeping their melodic vein intact, presenting another classy guitar work by Dave and Teemu. I Am War is just perfect for a nice road trip with your family and friends, where Dave is once again spot-on on vocals while also armed with his trademark riffs, supported by the heavy and groovy kitchen by James and Dirk. The Last Note is a very emotional song that will inspire you to keep headbanging even after it’s over, where Dave and Teemu keep distilling their flammable riffs nonstop while James hammers his bass like there’s no tomorrow; and lastly, we have their cover version for Metallica’s Ride the Lightning (you can check the original version from 1984 by clicking HERE). As I’m a MegaDave fanboy, I must say I prefer this new (or maybe I should say the “actual original”?) version, in special its riffs and, of course, its drums.
After the announcement of the album back in August 2025, it was confirmed its release will be accompanied by the band’s farewell tour. I have no idea how long that tour will last, hopefully a few years, and although I’m beyond excited for the band’s upcoming shows in Canada I must admit my heart doesn’t want those shows to happen, simply because that means those might be the very last times I see MegaDave and his thrashing machine live. Well, it is what it is, and if you’re a huge fan of the band like myself you can keep an eye on all things Megadeth via Facebook and Instagram, stream their entire discography on Spotify, and of course purchase their breathtaking, stylish self-titled album from their own webstore or by clicking HERE. Because in the end our mission is clear. Let there be shred. Let there be Thrash Metal. And let there be Megadeth.
Best moments of the album:Tipping Point, Let There Be Shred, Made to Kill, I Am War and The Last Note.
Worst moments of the album:Another Bad Day.
Released in 2026 Tradecraft/BLKIIBLK Records
Track listing 1. Tipping Point 4:29
2. I Don’t Care 3:10
3. Hey, God?! 3:29
4. Let There Be Shred 3:58
5. Puppet Parade 4:41
6. Another Bad Day 3:37
7. Made to Kill 4:01
8. Obey the Call 4:20
9. I Am War 3:46
10. The Last Note 5:31
11. Ride the Lightning (Metallica cover) 6:11
Band members Dave Mustaine – lead vocals, guitars
Teemu Mäntysaari – guitars, backing vocals
James LoMenzo – bass, backing vocals
Dirk Verbeuren – drums
Germany’s own Thrash Metal titans continue their tale of humble beginnings, ambitious visions and unbreakable will with their krushing new album, an expression of pride and self-awareness knowing how long and hard the band’s path has been.
Having celebrated in 2025 two outstanding achievements by releasing vocalist and guitarist Miland “Mille” Petrozza’s book Your Heaven, My Hell with co-writer Torsten Gross, and hitting German cinemas with Hate & Hope, Essen, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany’s own Thrash Metal titans Kreator continue in 2026 their tale of humble beginnings, ambitious visions and unbreakable will with their much-anticipated sixteenth chapter, the ruthless Krushers Of The World, following up on their critically acclaimed 2022 album Hate Über Alles. Produced and mixed by Jens Bogren and mastered by Tony Lindgren at Fascination Street Studios, and showcasing a classy, thrashing-as-hell artwork by Zbigniew M. Bielak, the new opus by the aforementioned iconic frontman Miland “Mille” Petrozza alongside guitarist Sami Yli-Sirniö, bassist Frédéric Leclercq, and drummer Jürgen “Ventor” Reil shows a band that has lost none of its bite, with the album title working as a statement, an expression of pride and self-awareness knowing how long and hard the band’s path has been and knowing what they still have to say and share with their ever growing following.
The album kicks off on a flammable mode with the first single released, the phenomenal Seven Serpents, with the guitars by Mille and Sami exhaling a melodious blend of undisputed aggression, whereas Satanic Anarchy is a thrashing beast showcasing rebellious lyrics rabidly vociferated by Mille (“Are you among the chosen? / The ones who’ll always reign / They’ve killed the singers / But not the songs they sang / And in this dying Endzeit / Not all that melts is gold / Keep your bread and circuses / And learn this is divine revolt!”). Then we face the ominous title-track Krushers of the World, where Ventor hammers his drums mercilessly for our absolute delight; and featuring the indomitable Britta Görtz of German melodeath beasts Hiraes on vocals (making an incendiary duet with Mille) we have Tränenpalast, while the music is a beautiful fusion of Kreator’s trademark anarchy and the more modern approach by Hiraes. And let’s open up the circle pit and enjoy a venomous wall of death to the sound of Barbarian, where their riffs, bass and drums are the epitome of Thrash Metal.
The second half of the album kicks off with the also fast-paced, violent Blood of Our Blood, a classic Kreator extravaganza with Mille and Sami firing their trademark solos nonstop, followed by Combatants, perfect for some wild headbanging, with the ruthless bass by Frédéric supporting Ventor’s pounding drums from start to finish. Then an eerie intro morphs into another battle hymn by those Teutonic thrashing masters titled Psychotic Imperator, offering us all a straightforward, no shenanigans sonic attack, and their undisputed energy keeps flowing in Death Scream, where its desperate backing vocals walk hand in hand with Mille’s raspy roars. Lastly, their coup-de-grace comes in the form of the rhythmic, hard hitting Loyal to the Grave, one of those songs perfect for raising our fists in the air together with the band.
Kreator Krushers of the World Deluxe Boxset
In a nutshell, although Krushers Of The World is not a throwback to Kreator’s past, it is still furious, massive sounding and creative in its own right, gifted with a songwriting quality honed over years, and of course displaying a hardworking and ultra talented band which earned their spot among the giants of the genre. You can stay up to date with all things Kreator on Facebook, Instagram and YouTube, including their must-see live concerts, stream their breathtaking thrashing madness on any platform such as Spotify, and of course put your blood-soaked hands on Krushers Of The World by purchasing it from BandCamp, or by clicking HERE or HERE. Kreator return to the battlefield in perfect shape armed with their thrilling new album, appearing more mindful of their early days while simultaneously progressing uncompromisingly, unstoppable in their search for new realms to conquer and new worlds to krush. And hell yeah, they will definitely keep krushing us all with their unique blend of visceral and electrifying Thrash Metal.
Best moments of the album:Seven Serpents, Tränenpalast, Barbarian, Psychotic Imperator and Death Scream.
Worst moments of the album: None.
Released in 2026 Nuclear Blast Records
Track listing 1. Seven Serpents 4:40
2. Satanic Anarchy 3:33
3. Krushers of the World 4:20
4. Tränenpalast 4:43
5. Barbarian 4:40
6. Blood of Our Blood 4:31
7. Combatants 4:01
8. Psychotic Imperator 5:05
9. Death Scream 3:52
10. Loyal to the Grave 4:58
Band members Miland “Mille” Petrozza – vocals, guitar
Sami Yli-Sirniö – guitar
Frédéric Leclercq – bass
Jürgen “Ventor” Reil – drums
Guest musician Britta Görtz – vocals on “Tränenpalast”
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…
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.
This slideshow requires JavaScript.
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.
This unrelenting Lebanese outfit is back with their their distinctive fusion of Melodic Thrash, Groove, and Heavy Metal in their fourth studio album.
Formed in 2014 in Beirut, Lebanon, the unrelenting Thrash Metal squad known as Phenomy is ready to kill armed with their their distinctive fusion of Melodic Thrash, Groove, and Heavy Metal in their new offering, titled Phantasmagoria, the fourth studio album in their career, and the follow-up to their 2022 opus Syndicate of Pain. Produced, mixed and mastered by Jaroslav Celujko and Loïc El Haddad at Jaro Sound, recorded at Ontune Studio (vocals and bass), at Grotesque Productions (guitars), and at Sound Pressure Studios (drums), and displaying a modern yet dark artwork by Stefan Koidl, the new album by vocalist and guitarist Sam Felfy, guitarist Loïc El Haddad, bassist Peter Aoun, and drummer Rudy Bejjani sees the band take a solid step further in their career, positioning them as a driving force hailing from the Lebanese metal community.
The cinematic intro Prologue invites us to Phenomy’s dark and venomous realm in Hush, where they put the pedal to the metal and fire a striking fusion of Melodic Death, Thrash and Groove Metal led by the thunderous drums by Rudy. Then the bass by Peter sounds utterly metallic in Sins Of The Father, featuring vocalists Ricardo A. Haila and Léa Wardini, while Loïc keeps firing his trademark thrashing riffs. Shellshock Paradise starts in a melancholic vibe before evolving into a dark ballad by the band led by Sam’s deep, anguished vocals, whereas Gambit brings hints of the music from their homeland mixed with traditional Groove Metal, with the riffs and solos by Sam and Loïc exhaling passion. Then in Mad Man’s Waltz they tried to sound too much like Avatar, but the final result is not compelling nor vibrant at all.
Back to a much heavier, more exciting sound we face Swallow The Fear, with their riffs and beats walking hand in hand with the Machine Head-like vocals by Sam, and it’s time to jump up and down with the quartet in the Groove Metal extravaganza Sacrilège, once again showcasing nuances of the music form their own country, in special in its riffs. Phantasmagoria is another song with a cryptic intro that evolves into a progressive version of their Groove Metal, all embraced by Rudy’s classic drumming, followed by the seven-minute instrumental piece A Dream Within A Dream, and although I’m not a big fan of long instrumental songs, this one is quite entertaining. There’s still time for the sinister interlude Abel and The Frail, where the serene vocals by Sam warm up our hearts and souls before I, Witness concludes the album on a high and violent mode, undoubtedly the most thrilling song of all, with Sam’s guttural matching perfectly with the hurricane of sounds blasted by Loïc, Peter and Rudy.
Exploring themes ranging from personal struggles to societal and existential conflicts, Phenomy are on absolute fire throughout their newborn spawn, bringing their trademark heaviness, groove and melodic sounds to our avid ears in great fashion. Hence, you can get to know more about those talented metallers by following them on Facebook and on Instagram, including their live performances, stream all of their albums on any available platform such as Spotify, and of course grab a copy of the album from the Art Gates Records webstore as a CD + shirt bundle or as a CD + shirt + hoodie bundle or you can also click HERE. Phantasmagoria is undoubtedly the band’s strongest effort to date, and based on the quality of the music found in it I believe it won’t take long for such an excellent band to strike us once again with an incendiary album number five.
Best moments of the album:Sins Of The Father, Swallow The Fear and I, Witness.
Worst moments of the album:Mad Man’s Waltz.
Released in 2025 Art Gates Records
Track listing 1. Prologue 1:12
2. Hush 3:23
3. Sins Of The Father 4:20
4. Shellshock Paradise 4:57
5. Gambit 7:18
6. Mad Man’s Waltz 3:28
7. Swallow The Fear 4:42
8. Sacrilège 3:54
9. Phantasmagoria 4:46
10. A Dream Within A Dream 7:11
11. Abel and The Frail 3:55
12. I, Witness 4:35
Band members Sam Felfy – vocals, guitar
Loïc El Haddad – guitar
Peter Aoun – bass
Rudy Bejjani – drums
Guest musicians
Ricardo A. Haila – vocals on “Sins Of The Father”
Léa Wardini – vocals on “Sins Of The Father”