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Concert Review – Killswitch Engage (Xfinity Center, Mansfield, MA, 07/22/2025)

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

Killswitch Engage Light Up the Xfinity Center with Ferocity and Fire at Summer of Loud.

If there was ever a band built to headline a summer metal fest in their home state, it’s KILLSWITCH ENGAGE. At this year’s Summer of Loud at the Xfinity Center in Mansfield, the local legends proved once again why they’re not just mainstays of the metalcore scene—they’re masters of controlled chaos.

Fire, Fury, and Flawless Execution

Before a single note rang out, the stage was already alive with tension. Not from the crowd (who were more than ready), but from the impressive pyrotechnics rig surrounding the band’s setup. Pyro-heavy shows are no joke—and when you’re playing with fire, literally, precision and safety are non-negotiable. The Killswitch crew made it look effortless. From a behind-the-lens view in the pit, you could see just how dialed-in everyone was. Flames exploded into the air in perfect rhythm with the music—sometimes close enough to feel the heat slap your skin. For those of us in the photo pit, it was a surreal moment: we were laughing to ourselves while trying not to get roasted. A high-wire act of fire and fury pulled off without a hitch. Huge respect to the crew and the band for making that kind of spectacle look smooth and safe. That doesn’t happen by accident.

Right Into the Fire – The Setlist Ignites

Without delay, Killswitch Engage tore into their set with “Rose of Sharyn.” No intro, no easing in—just full-throttle power from the first beat. The opening riff dropped like a hammer, and the crowd erupted. From the pit to the back lawn, fists flew and bodies moved. The band wasted no time keeping the pace unrelenting, diving straight into “In Due Time,” which had the entire amphitheater screaming along. By the time “This Fire” hit, the title became literal. Jetting flame columns lit up the stage as if trying to keep up with the intensity pouring off it. At times, it felt less like a concert and more like a battlefield with guitars.

Adam D. & the Band – Iconic and Unhinged in the Best Way

Guitarist Adam Dutkiewicz, clad in his trademark “I’m With Stupid” shirt, was a burst of energy and humor in the chaos, sprinting across the stage, launching high kicks, and headbanging with wild precision. It’s his blend of comedic showmanship and musical mastery that keeps Killswitch shows so unique—it’s heavy, but it’s never self-serious.

Vocalist Jesse Leach was in peak form, delivering both growling aggression and soaring clean vocals with conviction, channeling raw emotion into every lyric. Whether he was screaming into the lights or putting his hand to his heart during the more emotional moments, the connection with the crowd was real.

A Tribute to a Titan

As the night neared its end, the band closed their set with their now-legendary cover of Dio’s “Holy Diver,” a track they’ve long made their own. But this time, it carried a different weight. Just hours before the show, the metal world had been rocked by the passing of Ozzy Osbourne—a foundational figure in the genre’s history.

Before launching into “Holy Diver,” Leach addressed the crowd with reverence, dedicating the song to Ozzy’s memory and legacy. It was a perfect moment of tribute—honoring a godfather of metal with the power of performance rather than words. The crowd responded with horns in the air, voices raised, and hearts full.

Final Thoughts

Killswitch Engage didn’t just play a show at Summer of Loud—they lit the place on fire. Quite literally at times. It was a celebration of metal, a masterclass in live performance, and a hometown throwdown wrapped in flame and ferocity. For fans in the pit, on the lawn, and behind the lens, it was a night to remember—one that reminded us how cathartic, powerful, and straight-up fun a metal show can be when it’s done right. And if you were there, you felt it: the heat, the heart, the history. Killswitch Engage came home—and they burned it down in the best way possible.

Setlist
Rose of Sharyn
In Due Time
This Fire
I Believe
Hate by Design
Forever Aligned
The Signal Fire
My Curse
Aftermath
The End of Heartache
My Last Serenade
Holy Diver (Dio cover)

Band members
Jesse Leach – lead vocals
Adam Dutkiewicz – lead guitars, backing vocals
Joel Stroetzel – rhythm guitars, backing vocals
Mike D’Antonio – bass
Justin Foley – drums

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Album Review – Haxprocess / Beyond What Eyes Can See (2025)

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Playing incredibly heavy Death Metal music, this American group will attack with their sophomore album, sounding relentless in its barrage of gargantuan otherworldly riffs.

Playing incredibly heavy Death Metal music, leaden, thick and dark, while also somehow attempting to go progressive wielding that sound, like Morbid Angel covering The Chasm songs under the influence of Blood Incantation, Jacksonville, Florida-based Progressive Thrash/Death Metal brigade Haxprocess in unleashing upon humanity their sophomore beast, entitled Beyond What Eyes Can See, following up on their critically acclaimed 2023 debut The Caverns of Duat. Displaying another sick artwork by Juanjo Castellano (Ritual Fog, Typhonian), the new album by Lothar Mallea on vocals and guitar, Shane Williamson also on the guitar, Davis Leader on bass, and Adam Robinson on drums once again brings to our avid ears an overdose of epic songs averaging 10 minutes, sounding relentless in its barrage of gargantuan otherworldly riffs, what with the ever-changing patterns and combinations, albeit delivered in a comfortable pace so that everything can be registered for posterity, being therefore recommended for fans of Morbid Angel, Blood Incantation, The Chasm, Immolation, Opeth, Atvm, Atheist, Felgrave, and Typhonian, just to name a few.

Just like in their debut offering, the album begins in an atmospheric manner with the ethereal 11-minute beast titled Where Even Stars Die, with the deep, visceral growls and the slashing riffage by Lothar, alongside Shane also on the guitar, turning it into a must-listen song for admirers of Progressive Death Metal. The Confines of the Flesh is yet another complex, multi-layered and incandescent composition by the quartet, with Adam taking the lead with his intricate beats and fills while also presenting the raw and gory sounds of classic Death Metal the likes of Morbid Angel and Cannibal Corpse; and the band continues to embrace us in darkness and insanity with Thy Inner Demon Seed, with Davis firing absolutely mental bass lines while Adam keeps pounding his drums nonstop, all of course spiced up by another vile vocal performance by Lothar. Finally, after a beyond technical and melodic start we’re treated to an overdose of progressiveness and demented sounds in Sepulchral Void, with Lothar and Shane sounding brilliant armed with their axes, offering our avid ears several breaks, variations and tempo changes. In other words, it’s hard to describe the whole song in words due to its endless layers, an amalgamation of styles rooted in first-class Progressive Death Metal.

In summary, Beyond What Eyes Can See is an album that can withstand endless listens, offer everything a Death Metal fan would want, and yet do so much more than an average album would because of their constantly evolving music that manages to remain engrossing as well. Hence, don’t forget to give the band a shout on Facebook and on Instagram, stream their music on Spotify, and of course purchase such a multi-layered, captivating album from the Transcending Obscurity Records’ BandCamp, main store, US store or EU store. Beyond What Eyes Can See is as epic as a Death Metal album can possibly get without letting go of any of the heaviness that’s an inherent part of the band’s sound, and if you think you have what it takes to face this metallic voyage blasted by Haxprocess, simply hit play and you’ll definitely have an amazing time.

Best moments of the album: Where Even Stars Die and Sepulchral Void.

Worst moments of the album: None.

Released in 2025 Transcending Obscurity Records

Track listing
1. Where Even Stars Die 11:28
2. The Confines of the Flesh 9:28
3. Thy Inner Demon Seed 10:43
4. Sepulchral Void 13:12

Band members
Lothar Mallea – vocals, guitar
Shane Williamson – guitar
Davis Leader – bass
Adam Robinson – drums

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

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

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

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

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

Best moments of the album: Prophecy and December.

Worst moments of the album: None.

Released in 2025 Independent

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

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

Album Review – Drawn and Quartered / Lord of Two Horns (2025)

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These American Death Metal beasts will desecrate all that is holy with their new album, a maelstrom of blast-driven violence, suffocating atmosphere, and riff work sharp enough to flay flesh from bone.

Relentless and unwavering, Seattle, Washington-based Death Metal beasts Drawn and Quartered return to desecrate all that is holy with the release of their brand new full-length album, Lord of Two Horns, their ninth studio album and a more-than-worthy follow-up to their 2021 record Congregation Pestilence. Mixed and mastered by Loïc F. at Krucyator Productions, and displaying a sick artwork by Gabriel T. Byrne, the new offering by vocalist and bassist Herb Burke, guitarists Kelly Shane Kuciemba and Brandon Corsair, and drummer Simon Dorfman sees the band deliver eight tracks and 34 minutes of their trademark unfiltered carnage spiced up by their signature early 90’s-influenced Death Metal darkness with more speed and brutality than ever before, proving why they’ve become legends in the underground extreme music scene.

Their opening attack titled Black Castle Butcher is a demented, no shenanigans, and absolutely ruthless display of Death Metal that kicks off the album on an insane mode, with Simon sounding simply inhumane on drums while Herb vomits the song’s devilish words like a true beast. Then the visceral riffage by Kelly and Brandon will peel your flesh like a rabid cannibal in Zealous Depopulation, perfect for some insane action inside the mosh pit; followed by the title-track Lord of Two Horns, showing absolutely no mercy for our putrid bodies and souls, a demonic display of violence led by the infernal roars by Herb who also hammers his bass in great fashion. And Into the Mouth of the Dead is another song with a charming and delicate name that will pulverize your senses to the demented beats and fills by Simon.

The quartet then adds hints of Blackened Death Metal to their core sonority in Three Rivers of Poison (Blasphemous Persecution), showcasing an even darker side thanks to the venomous vociferations by Herb; whereas Simon delivers a freakin’ brutal performance in Grimoire of Blood, providing Kelly and Brandon with exactly what they need to slash their axes in the name of heavy music. Then adding a welcome dosage of Doom Metal to their evil sound we face The Devil’s Work Is Never Done, slower than its predecessors but utterly heavy and caustic, proving how dynamic their music can be; and ending the album we have the two-minute feast of madness and aggression titled Mass Grave Curse, with the entire band crushing their sonic weapons mercilessly until the very last second.

A maelstrom of blast-driven violence, suffocating atmosphere, and riff work sharp enough to flay flesh from bone, Lord of Two Horns is Death Metal crafted to maim, forged in fire and performed with malicious intent, and you can put your blood-soaked hands on such a demented album by purchasing it from the Nuclear Winter Records’ BandCamp or webstore, and don’t forget to also follow the band on Facebook and on Instagram, and to stream their music on Spotify (it looks like there are two links, which means you can stream their albums either HERE or HERE). Lord of Two Horns is a savage display of classic Death Metal, leaving us eager for more of the music by those ruthless American musicians, and if you don’t like what they have to offer in their newborn spawn, well, you should definitely be drawn and quartered.

Best moments of the album: Black Castle Butcher, Lord of Two Horns and The Devil’s Work Is Never Done.

Worst moments of the album: None.

Released in 2025 Nuclear Winter Records

Track listing
1. Black Castle Butcher 3:24
2. Zealous Depopulation 3:23
3. Lord of Two Horns 5:37
4. Into the Mouth of the Dead 4:20
5. Three Rivers of Poison (Blasphemous Persecution) 5:19
6. Grimoire of Blood 3:38
7. The Devil’s Work Is Never Done 5:33
8. Mass Grave Curse 2:00

Band members
Herb Burke – vocals, bass
Kelly Shane Kuciemba – lead & rhythm guitars
Brandon Corsair – guitars
Simon Dorfman – drums, percussion

Album Review – Shadow of Intent / Imperium Delirium (2025)

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These American Symphonic Deathcore masters are back with their majestic fifth opus, expanding their signature blend with new industrial and atmospheric textures.

Since their formation in 2014, Connecticut’s own Shadow of Intent have garnered a reputation for crafting mind-blowingly melodic, technical, prog-tinged Symphonic Deathcore. Widely acknowledged as one of the forerunners of the current Deathcore renaissance, the band currently formed of Ben Duerr on vocals, Chris Wiseman on the guitars and samples, Andrew Monias on bass, and Bryce Butler on drums is back in action with their fifth studio opus, entitled Imperium Delirium, following up on their 2022 album Elegy. Produced, mixed and mastered by Dave Otero at Flatline Audio, with additional mixing by Mike Low, and displaying a sinister artwork by Dan Seagrave, Imperium Delirium expands the band’s signature blend of symphonic grandeur, blackened melody, and Deathcore precision with new industrial and atmospheric textures, being highly recommended for fans of Whitechapel, The Black Dahlia Murder, Lorna Shore, and Cattle Decapitation, among others.

Prepare to Die is utterly imposing and symphonic from the very first moments, quickly morphing into a Deathcore beast where Ben’s deep, enraged guttural walk hand in hand with the killer drumming by Bryce, followed by Flying the Black Flag, one of the first singles of the album, showcasing darkly poetic lyrics (“A subterfuge emerges from the confusion / Corrupting patterns, piercing the timeline / A trail left emblazoned with no regard / They fly the black flag high”) amidst an infernal sonority. Infinity of Horrors offers us all another explosion of ferocity and symphonic elements, with the guitars and samples by Chris generating a thrilling, cinematic wall of sounds, whereas Mechanical Chaos is one of the most technical and complex of all songs, with Bryce sounding like a stone crusher on drums for our total delight. There’s not a single space left empty in the air in They Murdered Sleep, a massive Deathcore extravaganza where Chris sounds once again infernal armed with his axe and samples; and Ben roars and vociferates deeply like a wild beast in The Facets of Propaganda, enhancing the song’s already demented heaviness to a whole new level.

Then featuring guest vocals by the one and only George “Corpsegrinder” Fisher of the mighty Cannibal Corpse, Feeding the Meatgrinder presents more of the band’s wicked words (“Violent attrition / Salivating for the kill / Brutality is to be redefined / They aim to dominate / Hordes metastasize a vengeance indiscriminate / Disregard for human life is in the nature of the business”) while the music is ruthless Deathcore at its finest; while Vehement Draconian Vengeance carries a stylish name for another blast of Deathcore by the band, where Chris and Andrew generate a Stygian ambience with their respective riffs and bass lines. Beholding the Sickness of Civilization is a neck-breaking, downtempo tune by Shadow of Intent where all background elements give it a haunting vibe, followed by Apocalypse Canvas, a fun and vibrant instrumental composition by the quartet where the guitar lines by Chris and the rumbling, intricate bass by Andrew sound insanely gripping. Their Symphonic Deathcore onrush goes on in full force in No Matter the Cost, with Ben roaring like a demented creature while Chris slashes his sonic weapons nonstop, and the title-track Imperium Delirium is undoubtedly the most complete, detailed and incendiary of all songs, spearheaded by Bryce’s phenomenal drumming. Put differently, it’s epic, apocalyptic and absurdly engaging until the very end.

A scathing anti-imperialist statement, tackling war, propaganda, and the machinery of modern violence with nihilistic clarity, Imperium Delirium cements the band’s name as one of the most important forces in the history of Deathcore worldwide, and if you’re from another dimension and don’t know anything about Shadow of Intent, you can find the band on Facebook and on Instagram for news, tour dates and so on, stream their music on any available service like Spotify, and of course show them your total support by purchasing their new album from BandCamp or by clicking HERE. Imperium Delirium likely refers to the concept of an “empire in delirium,” describing an empire or ruling power experiencing a state of madness, chaos, or a loss of control. That’s exactly what our decaying society is experiencing nowadays pretty much in every single part of the world, and the music brought forth by Shadow of Intent in their new album certainly represents that chaotic situation to perfection, showing that although our world might be coming to an end, at least let’s go down in style listening to some first-class Deathcore.

Best moments of the album: Flying the Black Flag, Infinity of Horrors, Feeding the Meatgrinder and Imperium Delirium.

Worst moments of the album: None.

Released in 2025 Independent/Blood Blast Distribution

Track listing
1. Prepare to Die 4:00
2. Flying the Black Flag 3:57
3. Infinity of Horrors 4:13
4. Mechanical Chaos 3:50
5. They Murdered Sleep 4:01
6. The Facets of Propaganda 5:19
7. Feeding the Meatgrinder 4:03
8. Vehement Draconian Vengeance 3:54
9. Beholding the Sickness of Civilization 4:30
10. Apocalypse Canvas 5:08
11. No Matter the Cost 4:16
12. Imperium Delirium 7:34

Band members
Ben Duerr – vocals
Chris Wiseman – guitars, samples, backing vocals
Andrew Monias – bass
Bryce Butler – drums

Guest musician
George “Corpsegrinder” Fisher – vocals on “Feeding the Meatgrinder”
Francesco Ferrini – additional keyboards

Album Review – For Your Health / This Bitter Garden (2025)

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A Post-Hardcore/Mathcore creature from Columbus, Ohio will attack your senses with the chaotic intensity and politically-charged lyrics of their sophomore album.

Since their formation in 2018, Columbus, Ohio’s own Post-Hardcore/Mathcore creature For Your Health has been building a reputation for chaotic intensity, visceral live performances, and politically-charged lyrics. Now in 2025 the band currently comprised of vocalist Hayden Rodriguez, guitarists Nick Marzluf and Rosa Delgado, bassist Johnny Deborde, and keyboardist Simona Morales has just released their sophomore album, titled This Bitter Garden, following the band’s acclaimed 2021 debut full-length In Spite Of. Recorded in only 15 days, with the band working with producer Eric Hudson at a studio “repurposed from an old church in the sticks of Illinois”, with an eerie artwork by the band’s own Simona Morales, and featuring session drummer Caden Clinton, the album sounds utterly harsh, haunting and caustic, helping the band in paving their Stygian path armed with their undisputed, impactful music.

The band takes no prisoners and begin distilling their noisy sounds in Davenport (A Rotten Pear), with Hayden screaming manically nonstop, followed by Flowers For The Worst Of Them, bringing forward a great fusion of Hardcore with progressive elements, with Nick and Rosa extracting sheer adrenaline from their guitars. Then the rumbling drums by Caden dictate the pace in the also melodic yet visceral With Empty Promises & Loaded Guns, perfect for some action inside the pit, and it’s pedal to the metal in the demented Gaia Wept, where Hayden’s vile screams are nicely boosted by the song’s violent beats. After such an insane sonic attack, the band delivers more melodic sounds in the form of Clementine, followed by the weird The Radiant Apostasy, a short and eerie display of the band’s core sonority.

Heaven, Here begins in a more serene mode to the sound of the piano by Simona, flowing smoothly while adding a good share of melancholy to the album before all explodes in absolute chaos and madness in Longinus, led by another wicked performance by the band’s guitar duo supported by Johnny’s bass. The Rotting Pair is undoubtedly one of the most detailed and complex of all songs thanks to the amazing job done by all band members armed with their sonic weapons, with Hayden’s striking vocals being the icing on the cake; and they keep hammering their instruments without mercy in In The Valley of Weeping, resulting in another frantic display of Post-Metal with Hardcore influences. Then they need less than two minutes once again to kick us hard in the ass with Lamb Without Fold, with the blast beats by Caden sounding heavier than hell. Your New Curse follows a similar pattern, with Hayden showcasing pure insanity and rage through his screams, and the band concludes their wild feast with the longest of all tracks, Hostel Elysia, starting in an enfolding manner until their venomous vein bursts once again.

“These songs are a true distillation of all the sonic ideas we’ve explored previously and our different interests,” shared guitarist Rosa Delgado. “Hayden has a strong appreciation for film. We’re coupling his world-building and atmosphere with the immediacy, urgency, and brutality of our early material. We’re always striving to challenge ourselves. This Bitter Garden is an expansion of everything before.” Vocalist Hayden Rodriguez also had some interesting words to say about the album. “This Bitter Garden is the first recording where we got to express ourselves as the full band we’ve been playing as for the last four years. Everyone’s voice comes through. We’ve progressed, but it still feels like For Your Health.” Hence, in order to experience the sonic attack by For Your Health in all of its glory, you should start following the band on Facebook and on Instagram, and above all that, grab a copy of their new album from the band’s own BandCamp, from the 3DOT Recordings’ webstore or by clicking HERE. The music by For Your Health might not seem too aggressive at first, but once you’re embraced by their scorching noise and grim lyrics, you’ll then realize Hardcore has never sounded so intense nd violent.

Best moments of the album: Flowers For The Worst Of Them, Gaia Wept and The Rotting Pair.

Worst moments of the album: The Radiant Apostasy.

Released in 2025 3DOT Recordings

Track listing
1. Davenport (A Rotten Pear) 2:02
2. Flowers For The Worst Of Them 3:18
3. With Empty Promises & Loaded Guns 3:29
4. Gaia Wept 1:40
5. Clementine 3:36
6. The Radiant Apostasy 1:53
7. Heaven, Here 3:10
8. Longinus 1:59
9. The Rotting Pair 4:26
10. In The Valley of Weeping 4:07
11. Lamb Without Fold 1:46
12. Your New Curse 1:46
13. Hostel Elysia 5:01

Band members
Hayden Rodriguez – vocals
Nick Marzluf – guitar, vocals
Rosa Delgado – guitar, vocals
Johnny Deborde – bass
Simona Morales – keyboards, piano, synthesizers, vocals

Guest musician
Caden Clinton – drums (session)

Album Review – King’s Hammer / To Speak In Tongues EP (2025)

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Prepare to be crushed when the hammer of Death Metal by this one-man project from Richmond, Virginia falls to the sound of its debut EP.

To Speak in Tongues, the debut EP from King’s Hammer, the savage Death Metal solo project by Richmond, Virginia’s own Chuck Weatherman (the guitarist and vocalist of thrashers Shovelhead A.D.) is an outpouring of the accomplished frontman’s hardest and heaviest musical inclinations. Mixed by Chuck Weatherman himself, and mastered by Seth Metoyer (of Mangled Carpenter and Pulpit Vomit), To Speak In Tongues delivers riff upon riff upon riff, making for remorseless, relentless, yet atmospheric listening, being highly recommended for fans of Mortification, Dyscarnate, Pantera, and Grave, among others. Put differently, when Chuck Weatherman’s hammer of Death Metal falls, prepare to be crushed.

It’s pedal to the metal from the very first second in The War in Heaven, where Chuck hammers his bass and drums while also vociferating deeply like a dark creature, kicking off the album on a high note. The hellish Vehement Zeal showcases very poetic lyrics declaimed by Chuck (“Loneliness is my bride / Without it then I would die / I came from nothing / to nothing I’ll return / Another body made savage / And a soul be one with He”) while the music sounds heavy, fast and visceral just the way we like it in Death Metal, and Chuck goes absolutely heavy on bass in Wrath Decends, also delivering groove and rage through his growls and thunderous riffs and drums. Then we have Crusade IX, offering a heavy-as-hell blend of 90’s Death Metal in the vein of Unleashed, with his deep roars sounding menacing; whereas last but not least, Chuck ends the EP with the grim and technical Witches Bvrn, blasting his drums and slashing his axe in great fashion until the very end.

From old school Death Metal attack and brutal grooves to the shuddering juggernaut of darkness that is the concluding track of the EP, King’s Hammer takes no prisoners. To Speak In Tongues has all the grit and raw venom that Death Metal needs to deliver the maximum impact, and you should definitely face that sonic attack by following the multi-talented Chuck Weatherman and his King’s Hammer on Instagram, by streaming his devastating creations on Spotify or any other streaming service available, and above all that, by purchasing a copy of To Speak In Tongues from the project’s own BandCamp, or from the Broken Curfew Records’ BandCamp. It’s time to let the hammer fall, as already mentioned, and while Mr. Chuck Weatherman crushes our putrid bodies with his riff-infused blend of heaviness, we can rest assured this is just the beginning for such a promising project hailing from the United States.

Best moments of the album: Vehement Zeal and Wrath Decends.

Worst moments of the album: None.

Released in 2025 Rottweiler Records/Broken Curfew Records

Track listing
1. The War in Heaven 3:34
2. Vehement Zeal 3:15
3. Wrath Decends 2:36
4. Crusade IX 3:40
5. Witches Bvrn 3:14

Band members
Chuck Weatherman – vocals, all instruments

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Boston will be feeling this one for a long time.

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

Encore:
In the Air Tonight (Phil Collins cover)

Encore 2:
Coma White
One Assassination Under God

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

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Album Review – Lacabra / Lacabra (2025)

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Arising from a previous band out of the ashes of the Covid-19 pandemic, this five-piece Progressive/Blackened Death Metal act is ready to kill armed with their debut offering.

Arising from a previous band named Locisteller, out of the ashes of the Covid-19 pandemic, Seattle, Washington-based Progressive/Blackened Death Metal act Lacabra is ready to kill armed with their self-titled debut offering, showcasing an array of eclectic influences from traditional Heavy Metal, Dark Wave, Black Metal as well as 90’s Melodic Death Metal. Produced by Gwen Kerjan at Slab Sound Studio, mastered by Andy LaRocque at Sonic Train Studios, and displaying a sinister artwork by world renowned illustrator Néstor Ávalos, the album is a must-listen for fans of Goatwhore, Crypta, Nervosa, Blood Incantation, and Amorphis, effectively depicting all the dexterity and passion for heavy music by Lance Neatherlin on vocals, Michael Anthony and Eric Snyder on the guitars, Eric Weber on bass, and Richie Sather on drums.

A darkly atmospheric intro sets the stage for Lacabra to summon the dark forces in Blood Of The Goat 1876, offering a solid blend of Blackened and Melodic Death Metal led by the striking riffs and solos by Michael and Eric Snyder. Lance’s enraged vocal lines are the main ingredient in the striking Fallacy, where the progressiveness flowing from their guitars, bass and drums is amazing; and it’s time to bang our heads nonstop together with Lacabra in Human Quilt, where the metallic sound of their guitars walk hand in hand with the massive beats by Richie. And another shot of eerie sounds ignite Nothing, where the band fires an even darker sonority led by the devilish gnarling by Lance.

The band then enhances their animosity and delivers an overdose of aggressive sounds in Reprobate, leaning towards a more classic version of Black Metal, with Richie stealing the show with his intricate yet demented drumming; whereas Enemy (Feeding The Flames) is indeed a flammable display of blackened music, with Lance roaring manically supported by the unstoppable riffs by Michael and Eric Snyder. Such an evil horde shows no sign of slowing down at all in I Am Thee, crushing our frail bodies with their Blackened Death Metal attack mercilessly, while a more cadenced side of the band arises in The Devil’s Mechanic, with their Melodic Death Metal riffs and beats reminding me of In Flames and Dark Tranquillity. They end the album with Fractured, which is in my opinion the most electrifying of all songs, delivering sheer adrenaline and heaviness and, therefore, inviting us all to slam into the pit like there’s no tomorrow.

The guys from Lacabra are not fooling around when it comes to crafting heavy, enraged, dark and melodic music, and you can give them a shout and show them all your respect by following them on Facebook and on Instagram, as well as by streaming their music on Spotify, and put your dirty hands on their infernal debut opus by purchasing it from their own BandCamp or from the M-Theory Audio’s webstore. I’m sure Lacabra will soon spread their blackened wings and horns to all four corners of the earth with their live performances, and if the energy flowing from the stage is just as half as good as the music found in their new album, you better be prepared to be crushed like an insect inside the pit, because there will be blood.

Best moments of the album: Reprobate, The Devil’s Mechanic and Fractured.

Worst moments of the album: Nothing.

Released in 2025 M-Theory Audio

Track listing
1. Blood Of The Goat 1876 6:15
2. Fallacy 4:39
3. Human Quilt 3:35
4. Nothing 5:32
5. Reprobate 4:18
6. Enemy (Feeding The Flames) 3:53
7. I Am Thee 5:49
8. The Devil’s Mechanic 3:37
9. Fractured 5:32

Band members
Lance Neatherlin – vocals
Michael Anthony – guitars
Eric Snyder – guitars
Eric Weber – bass
Richie Sather – drums

Album Review – Eschaton / Techtalitarian (2025)

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This Technical Death Metal and Deathcore juggernaut returns after a gap of six years with a reinvigorated, star-studded lineup, offering us all their breathtaking, intricate and demented third studio album.

Formed in 2006 and based in both Naugatuck, Connecticut and Lowell, Massachusetts, Technical Death Metal/Deathcore juggernaut Eschaton returns after a gap of six years with a reinvigorated, star-studded lineup that undoubtedly elevates their sound to hitherto unexplored heights, exploding our senses with their third full-length offering, entitled Techtalitarian. Displaying an Aliens-inspired artwork by Dave Melvin, the new beast by vocalist Mac Smith (Apogean, Abyssalis, Hammer of Dawn), guitarists Christian Muenzner (Retromorphosis, Eternity’s End, Necrophagist, Obscura, Alkaloid) and Josh Berry (the band’s founder), bassist Scott Bradley (Inanimate Existence), and drummer Darren Cesca (Goratory, Serpents of Gnosis, Pillory, Deeds of Flesh, Arsis) is the perfect follow-up to their 2019 album Death Obsession, standing on its own without having to be necessarily pitted against any of the aforementioned bands’ past efforts.

Their futuristic Death Metal attack begins with Inferior Superior, with Darren simply demolishing everything and everyone that dares to cross his path while Mac fires inhumane roars for our total delight, and the sick shredding by Christian and Josh set the tone in Devour the Contrarian, another bestial tune overflowing heaviness and insanity. Then their violent sounds will hammer our heads mercilessly in Blood of the People, where they showcase all their dexterity while also staying loyal to the foundations of the most ruthless form of Death Metal, whereas more demented riffs, solos, blast beats and demonic vociferations are offered to our avid ears in Hellfire’s Woe, perfect for some wicked headbanging, with Scott’s bass lines sounding utterly metallic. And The Bellicose Duality sounds even more infuriated and insane than its predecessors, with the entire band melting our faces with their undisputed Technical Death Metal sounds.

The album continues on a high and visceral note with Econocracy, with Darren once again demolishing his drums with tons of rage and dexterity while Mac barks and growls like a rabid beast nonstop; and in Antimatter the rabid Mac vociferates the song’s wicked lyrics manically (“Bleeding from inanimate spiracles / Metonymy of our existence / Our roaming stative / Repelling forces within all existence”) amidst a hurricane of aggressive yet complex Death Metal. Techtalitarian, the song that carries the name of the album, perfectly summarizes Eschaton’s current sound, a striking combination of violence with the most technical form of extreme music you can imagine. Darren also dictates the pace in The Sufferer’s Dichotomy, while Christian and Josh extract sheer insanity from their axes; followed by the closing tune Castle Strnad, which might be their homage to Trevor Strnad of The Black Dahlia Murder, who sadly passed away on May 11, 2022. Not sure if that’s the case, but even if it’s not, this is another neck-breaking, unrelenting display of first-class Death Metal by the band.

You can put your tech death hands on Techtalitarian by purchasing a copy of it from their own BandCamp, as well as from the Transcending Obscurity Records’ main store, Bandcamp, Europe store or US store, and don’t forget to also follow the band on Facebook and on Instagram, and to stream more of their demented creations on Spotify or any other streaming service. Eschaton are back into the Death Metal battlefield stronger and sharper than ever, staying loyal to their foundations but of course with the renewed energy brought by the band’s new members turning their heat and aggression up to 11, and if you consider yourself a loyal servant of the extreme music arts, always staying tech, then Techtalitarian is a must-have in your dark and heavy collection.

Best moments of the album: Hellfire’s Woe, The Bellicose Duality and Techtalitarian.

Worst moments of the album: None.

Released in 2025 Transcending Obscurity Records

Track listing
1. Inferior Superior 4:12
2. Devour the Contrarian 3:46
3. Blood of the People 4:51
4. Hellfire’s Woe 5:04
5. The Bellicose Duality 4:24
6. Econocracy 5:28
7. Antimatter 4:02
8. Techtalitarian 4:00
9. The Sufferer’s Dichotomy 4:20
10. Castle Strnad 5:21

Band members
Mac Smith – vocals
Christian Muenzner – lead guitars
Josh Berry – guitars
Scott Bradley – bass
Darren Cesca – drums