Tag Archives: west midlands

Album Review – Suffering / Things Seen But Always Hidden (2025)

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Drawing upon the oppressive weight of soul crushing Death and Doom Metal and the violent fervor of Black Metal, this UK beast returns with their most enthralling and disturbing work to date.

Formed in 2012 in the West Midlands in the UK, Suffering are exponents of Occult Black Metal, conjurers of fevered nightmares, and invokers of darkness and madness. Drawing upon the oppressive weight of soul crushing Death and Doom Metal and the violent fervor of the blackest metal music, bringing them together in an elixir of spirit staining, mind warping venom, the band formed of Sturmgeist Fornicator Insultus on vocals, Aýdlig on the guitars, Inquinatus on bass, and Malleus on drums returns with their second full-length album, their most enthralling and disturbing work to date, Things Seen But Always Hidden, following up on their 2024 EP Symphonies: Diabolis, and a must-listen for fans of bands the likes of Akercocke, Shining, Acherontas, and Forgotten Tomb, among other servants of the darkest arts.

Such a ruthless UK horde begins their black mass in style with the Doom Metal-infused aria The House with the Red Door, starting in a lugubrious way before exploding into an overdose of Black Metal spearheaded by the inhumane drums by Malleus; whereas Enthralled follows the same darkened path as the opening track, with Aýdlig’s riffs reeking of malignancy while Sturmgeist vociferates the song’s austere words like a creature from the abyss. Then another cryptic intro will drag our souls into the unknown in The Chamber of Breathtaking Delights, offering a blasphemous blend of Blackened Doom and Black Metal as sluggish and cadaverous as it can be; and again adding an endless dosage of heaviness and fury to their core sound we face Consorting with the Devil, where Aýdlig and Inquinatus sound absolutely phantasmagorical armed with their axes.

The poetically titled What Once Was Shall Be Again and What Is Shall Be No More demanded a truly haunting sound and vibe to match with its name, which is exactly what the band offers to our putrid ears, followed by Apocrypha Through the Keyhole, another lesson in carnivorous Blackened Doom, with Sturmgeist taking the lead with his devilish gnarls. In addition, it couldn’t have sounded heavier nor more obscure. Then back to a more straightforward Black Metal sonority the band presents Hell on Earth New Eden, with Malleus crushing his drums manically while his bandmates blast an overdose of hatred through their vocals, riffs and bass lines. Lastly, the conclusion to Things Seen But Always Hidden comes in the form of the hellish Behind the Green Door, with the band dragging our impious souls to their venomous lair in the name of sheer doom.

“The darkness and truth that lies within is far beyond what we had imagined possible. But remember, things are not always what they seem and some things are right in front of your face,” commented the band about their new beast, and you can join them in total darkness by following the quartet on Facebook and on Instagram, including their unrelenting live performances, stream their Stygian, spine-chilling Black Metal hymns on any platform such as Spotify, and above all that, put your damned hands on Things Seen But Always Hidden from their own BandCamp or from Apocalyptic Witchcraft Recordings, or click HERE for all things Suffering. However, you must always remember that once you have set foot on this path, there is no way back.

Best moments of the album: Enthralled, Apocrypha Through the Keyhole and Hell on Earth New Eden.

Worst moments of the album: None.

Released in 2025 Apocalyptic Witchcraft Recordings

Track listing
1. The House with the Red Door 7:17
2. Enthralled 4:30
3. The Chamber of Breathtaking Delights 7:00
4. Consorting with the Devil 4:38
5. What Once Was Shall Be Again and What Is Shall Be No More 3:12
6. Apocrypha Through the Keyhole 3:27
7. Hell on Earth New Eden 4:55
8. Behind the Green Door 9:42

Band members
Sturmgeist Fornicator Insultus – vocals
Aýdlig – guitars
Inquinatus – bass
Malleus – drums

Album Review – Infested Angel / Threnodies to Eternal Despair (2025)

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An up-and-coming UK Death Metal duo is ready to unleash hell with their first full-length album, taking the listener to the darkest corners of the human soul.

A blastbeat-driven Death Metal band originating from Birmingham, England, the infernal duo known as Infested Angel has honed their sound even further in their new album Threnodies to Eternal Despair, embracing intense, brutal riffs that pulse with a powerful, sorrowful melody, working as the perfect follow-up to their 2021 EP Nourish Me, Satan and their 2022 EP Submit to Death. Recorded, mixed and mastered by Greg Chandler at Priory Recording Studios, and crafted with raw rage and sorrow by vocalist and guitarist Andrew “Mick” Bryan and drummer Patryk “Pat” Kaczmarek, the album promises to take you to the darkest corners of the human soul during its intense 11 songs.

The opener No Time for Despair portrays a story of the imminent and absolute loss of all humankind in an extinction event, reflected in its devilish lyrics (“Finally, the day has come, / Incinerate, she burns the sun, / All we had plundered, / All we had framed, / No Time for Despair, / No time to revere, / Submit to Death, / Our ending is here”), while the duo offers us all six (six six) minutes of absolute darkness and hatred in the form of ass-kicking Death Metal in To Never Return. Then we have Euphony of Dismay, with its lyrics roared by Andrew dealing with a chaotic personal self-reflection on experiencing suicidal depression (“On taking my life, / Of aching and strife, / Oh how could I wish it to be, / Forced into pain, / With cowing and shame, / A ruinous ending foreseen”) in an incendiary fusion of Black and Death Metal; and it’s impressive how two guys only can make so much noise like in Dread Incorporeal, with the blast beats by Patryk sounding truly chaotic and vile.

The acoustic, introspective interlude Fields of Ashes sets the stage for the duo to kill again in Control of Fear, sounding demolishing form start to finish, with Andrew slashing his axe while he also growls rabidly until the very end. Then we have The Lost Battle, featuring composer, sound design and pianist Nathaniel Coxon, with his gentle piano notes beautifully permeating the air until all hell breaks loose to the venomous roars by Andrew and the crushing beats by Patryk; and after such a dense tune, they keep firing sulfur and darkness in Misanthropic Elegy, with Patryk once again delivering bestial yet intricate beats. Darkness Envelops is not as exciting as the previous tunes, despite its heaviness and fury, while Suffering and Retribution is another hammering slab of Death and Black Metal where Andrew delivers his most inhumane guttural of all. Nathaniel Coxon returns in Into the Night’s Embrace, a serene outro that brings some peace to our hearts to conclude the album; however, there’s still time for two bonus tracks titled The Bastard Will Materialise and Unholy Decay, both utterly vile and heavy-as-hell.

Charging depictions of tragedy, loss and existential suffering straight to the heart of the listeners that have been subject to their inimitable style, Infested Angel sound merciless throughout their newborn beast Threnodies to Eternal Despair, which you can purchase from the Art Gates Records webstore as a CD + shirt bundle, a CD + hoodie bundle, or a CD + shirt + hoodie bundle, and don’t forget to also give the duo a shout on Facebook and on Instagram, to stream their music on Spotify, or simply click HERE for all things Infested Angel. Put differently, subsume yourself now into the Infested Angel cult and submit to death, letting the music found in their new album be the ultimate soundtrack to your eulogy.

Best moments of the album: To Never Return, Euphony of Dismay and The Lost Battle.

Worst moments of the album: Darkness Envelops.

Released in 2025 Art Gates Records

Track listing
1. No Time for Despair 3:59
2. To Never Return 6:06
3. Euphony of Dismay 5:11
4. Dread Incorporeal 6:46
5. Fields of Ashes 1:32
6. Control of Fear 4:58
7. The Lost Battle 6:44
8. Misanthropic Elegy 3:52
9. Darkness Envelops 5:14
10. Suffering and Retribution 3:58
11. Into the Night’s Embrace 2:33

Bonus tracks
12. The Bastard Will Materialise 3:47
13. Unholy Decay 5:21

Band members
Andrew “Mick” Bryan – vocals, guitars
Patryk “Pat” Kaczmarek – drums

Guest musician
Nathaniel Coxon – piano on “The Lost Battle” and “Into the Night’s Embrace”

Concert Review – Judas Priest (Prudential Center, Newark, NJ, 04/19/2024)

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The one and only Metal Gods raised the invincible shield in Newark this Friday night in a celebration of pure Heavy Metal magic.

OPENING ACT: Sabaton

Exactly 546 days after seeing Iron Maiden at Prudential Centre, I had the utmost pleasure of visiting the city of Newark, New Jersey again this past Friday to see one of the other pillars of my personal “metal triumvirate”, the almighty Heavy Metal institution JUDAS PRIEST (by the way, the other pillars are the aforementioned Iron Maiden, and Slayer, in case you’re curious about that), supported by the good SABATON, during their undisputed, visceral and absolutely hypnotizing Invincible Shield Tour USA 2024. And just like what happened in 2022, I met with one of my good friends from the IMFC before the show at Bello’s Pub & Grill for some quality chat and drinks. Well, that’s becoming a tradition for me, so maybe next it will be Slayer there?

Anyway, after getting to the venue and grabbing some merch (and let me tell you, the Metal Gods are offering some amazing shirts this tour), we got to our seats to enjoy the warlike performance by Falun, Dalarna, Sweden’s own Power Metal brigade SABATON as the more-than-special openers of the night. Although I’m not a huge fan of their music, I must admit they sound amazing live, and Friday night in Newark was no exception to that. Spearheaded by the charismatic frontman Joakim Brodén, Sabaton killed it with a solid and very entertaining show, each song having its own special war-inspired background story, with their setlist encompassing songs from their 2022 album The Symphony to End All Wars, like Stormtroopers and Soldier of Heaven, plus some classic bangers such as Shiroyama (my favorite of their setlist) and To Hell and Back. Everyone who was already at the venue loved their show, and I bet Sabaton will return to Newark soon headlining their own tour based on the warm reaction from all concert goes this Friday night.

Setlist
The March to War
Ghost Division
The Last Stand
Swedish Pagans
The Red Baron
Bismarck
Stormtroopers
Carolus Rex (Swedish)
Shiroyama
The Attack of the Dead Men
Primo Victoria
Soldier of Heaven
To Hell and Back
Dead Soldier’s Waltz

Band members
Joakim Brodén – lead vocals, keyboards
Thobbe Englund – guitars, backing vocals
Chris Rörland – guitars, backing vocals
Pär Sundström – bass, backing vocals
Hannes Van Dahl – drums, backing vocals 

JUDAS PRIEST

It was only 9pm when the main attraction of the night, my beloved, unparalleled, undisputed Metal Gods JUDAS PRIEST took the city of Newark by storm with one of the most metallic, headbanging and intense concerts I’ve ever witnessed. I’m not kidding, it was one hour and forty five minutes of nonstop Heavy Metal magic, courtesy of Rob Halford, Richie Faulkner, Andy Sneap, Ian Hill and Scott Travis, who was by the way phenomenal on drums as usual, taking their heaviness and power to a whole new level Friday night. From the moment the giant banner with the Invincible Shield tour “poem” went up, plus the awesome Invincible Shield tour anthem, until the very last second of the show, it was pure heavy music for the delight of a jam packed Prudential Centre, proving the Metal Gods still got it and that “they’re gonna rock us all ’til our metal hunger’s fed” (if you know what I mean, of course).

Having recently released the majestic opus Invincible Shield, the Metal Gods delivered an ass-kicking mix of timeless classics the likes of Rapid Fire, Love Bites and Sinner, with the brand new songs (which by the way sound like classics too) Panic Attack, Crown of Horns, and my favorite song of the night, the title-track Invincible Shield. Moreover, let’s say that the 72-year old Metal God Rob Halford didn’t want to waste too much time talking, focusing on a stellar vocal performance that made me (and most concert goers) wonder if he’s actually 72, because he sounded decades younger when blasting his soaring, high-pitched vocal lines. Seriously, Halford was flawless, sensational, and so on, making it hard to describe his performance in just a few words. Hence, don’t miss the chance to see him kicking some serious ass on stage this tour, as it’s worth every penny.

One thing I gotta say about the fact that the floor section had seats instead of general admission is that, if you’re going to have seats, make sure people will respect their seats. The crowd was simply rowdy and wild during the entire concert, no one was respecting the seating map, people were standing anywhere they wanted, beer was flying all over people, security was absolutely useless, plus a few minor incidents. That’s why I hate seats. Why not giving everyone the pleasure of standing wherever they want, instead of charging high prices for upfront tickets if no one was going to obey that, right? It was the purest form of “breaking the law, breaking the law” you can think of, so maybe next time in places like Newark the band could avoid offering the seated floor section and just let the crowd go wild.

Anyway, back to the concert, after the band smashed our damned souls with the pulverizing Painkiller, where once again Scott Travis sounded monstrous, I was really hoping for Glenn Tipton to show up during the encore for a couple of songs, which unfortunately didn’t happen. Well, if Glenn was not feeling well enough to do so, that’s more than fine, as long as one of the most important guitarists in the history of heavy music stays strong and keeps fighting against his disease with all his power. No surrender, Glenn! Also, that doesn’t mean the encore wasn’t a real banger, as everyone had the time of their lives enjoying Electric Eye, Hell Bent for Leather, and Living After Midnight, three songs that transpire Heavy Metal, plus of course Richie and Andy made sure they brought Glenn’s energy and passion to the stage during the entire show.

As I mentioned before, there wasn’t a lot of talking during their performance, apart from Halford reminding everyone that the band was celebrating 50 years of Heavy Metal as they released the cult album Rocka Rolla back in 1974, and five decades later here they are still rockin’ hard with Invincible Shield. Damn, time flies, and so did I back to Toronto (pun intended) after an amazing visit to New York and Newark, with my only regret being not having bought tickets for more Judas Priest shows during this awesome tour. Hopefully they’ll announce a new leg soon including Toronto and other Canadian cities, then I’ll make sure I’ll attend multiple concerts to worship the one and only, headbanging, unstoppable Metal Gods. This metalmaniac loves you, guys! Thank you once again for an unforgettable show, and see you on the road!

Setlist
War Pigs (Black Sabbath song)
Invincible Shield Tour Anthem
Panic Attack
You’ve Got Another Thing Comin’
Rapid Fire
Breaking the Law
Lightning Strike
Love Bites
Devil’s Child
Saints in Hell
Crown of Horns
Sinner
Turbo Lover
Invincible Shield
Victim of Changes
The Green Manalishi (With the Two Prong Crown) (Fleetwood Mac cover)
Painkiller

Encore:
The Hellion
Electric Eye
Hell Bent for Leather
Living After Midnight
We Are the Champions (Queen song)

Band members
Rob Halford – vocals
Richie Faulkner – guitar
Andy Sneap – guitar
Ian Hill – bass guitar
Scott Travis – drums

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Album Review – Blaze Bayley / Circle of Stone (2024)

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The unstoppable Blaze Bayley strikes again with another majestic album, describing human frailty, resilience, courage, and gratitude while also searching for the truth in the heart of the circle of tall stones.

Recent times have been a rollercoaster ride for Heavy Metal icon Blaze Bayley. Following on from the successful Infinite Entanglement trilogy from 2016 to 2018, he then moved further forward with the 2021 critically-acclaimed album War Within Me, whilst touring worldwide. However, he then suffered a severe heart attack early in 2023, requiring life-saving quadruple bypass surgery, and after months of recovery our beloved Blaze and his henchmen Chris Appleton and Luke Appleton on the guitars, Karl Schramm on bass, and Martin McNee on drums are finally back with another breathtaking album, titled Circle of Stone. Produced, mixed and engineered by Chris Appleton (and co-produced by Blaze), mastered by Ade Emsley at Table Of Tone Mastering, and displaying another classy artwork by longtime collaborator Alberto Quirantes of Akirant Illustration, Circle of Stone is a work of two halves according to Blaze himself. “Side one comprises six unconnected songs that describe human frailty, resilience, courage, and gratitude,” commented Blaze, while “side two contains six connected songs that tell the story of our forgotten tribe; a search for the truth in the heart of the circle of tall stones.”

It’s already pedal to the metal to the combustible riffs by Chirs and Luke in the opening tune Mind Reader, a high energy, inspiring song where Blaze proves he’s an unbeatable warrior while Martin dictates the song’s dancing, electrifying rhythm with his classic beats. And it looks like the album will be a thrilling metal feast as their rockin’ vein pulses harder than ever in Tears in Rain, again showcasing the amazing dynamics between Chirs, Luke and Karl with their stringed axes; followed by Rage, telling the story from Welsh folklore of Gelert the faithful hound and his unfortunate demise at the hands of his beloved owner Prince Llewelyn, with tons of sadness and regret flowing from Blaze’s outstanding vocals. Blaze keeps distilling his classic, undisputed Heavy Metal in The Year Beyond This Year, another fighting hymn presenting the striking riffs and solos by the Appleton Brothers, whereas more of their incendiary, ripping riffage is offered to our avid ears in the galloping tune Ghost in the Bottle, an amazing option for their live concerts. And slowing things down it’s time for the melancholic The Broken Man, presenting Blaze’s more introspective, poetic side in a decent ballad crafted by the band.

Featuring guest vocals by Niklas Stålvind (of Wolf) and bagpipes by Vicky Kennerley, The Call of the Ancestors is a powerful introduction to the second half of the album, flowing into the title-track Circle of Stone, a mid-tempo, heavy-as-hell and absolutely epic creation by Blaze and his henchmen where Blaze and Niklas make a fantastic vocal duet, making it impossible not to raise our fists together with the band during the entire song; and their epicness and infinite energy goes on in Absence, where the guitars by Luke and Chris beautifully reverberate in the air supported by the thunderous kitchen by Karl and Martin. Niklas then returns for his second guest appearance in A Day of Reckoning, bringing forward five minutes of deep, meaningful lyrics masterfully declaimed by Blaze while Martin hammers his drums nonstop, therefore inspiring us all to headbang like true metalmaniacs. Back to a more rockin’, metallic vibe, the quintet blasts our damned ears with The Path of the Righteous Man, a top-of-the-line Heavy Metal extravaganza where Blaze’s vocals overflow energy and passion, always accompanied by the razor-edged riffs by the band’s incendiary guitar duo; whereas lastly, featuring guest vocals by Tammy-Rae Bois and the whimsical violin by Anne Bakker, Blaze offers us all another dark and delicate ballad titled Until We Meet Again, putting a climatic and enfolding ending to the album.

Ladies and gentlemen (or whatever way you prefer to be called), our beloved Blaze Bayley did it again, delivering top-of-the-line, soulful and electrifying Heavy Metal in Circle of Stone for our total delight, and the fact he just survived a scary heart attack last year makes the whole album even more special to us fans of one of the best vocalists and lyricists in heavy music, and by far one of the most hardworking musicians worldwide. Hence, in order to show the unstoppable messiah our utmost love and admiration, don’t forget to give him (and the rest of the band, of course) a shout on Facebook and on Instagram, to stream such beautiful album as many times as you want on Spotify, or on any other streaming platform, and to grab your favorite version of the album from his own webstore, including some amazing bundles that only prove how dedicated Blaze is to his fanbase. Blaze Bayley cannot be stopped, he’s one of the driving forces of the current Heavy Metal scene, and Circle of Stone is another bold statement of his undeniable passion for heavy music. In other words, he is definitely the heart of the circle of tall stones of heavy music.

Best moments of the album: Mind Reader, Tears in Rain, Ghost in the Bottle and The Path of the Righteous Man.

Worst moments of the album: The Broken Man.

Released in 2024 Blaze Bayley Recordings

Track listing
1. Mind Reader 2:46
2. Tears in Rain 3:06
3. Rage 3:57
4. The Year Beyond This Year 3:06
5. Ghost in the Bottle 3:20
6. The Broken Man 5:46
7. The Call of the Ancestors 1:52
8. Circle of Stone 3:29
9. Absence 3:27
10. A Day of Reckoning 5:04
11. The Path of the Righteous Man 3:43
12. Until We Meet Again 4:32

Band members
Blaze Bayley – vocals
Chris Appleton – guitars, backing vocals
Luke Appleton – guitars, backing vocals
Karl Schramm – bass, backing vocals
Martin McNee – drums

Guest musicians
Niklas Stålvind – additional vocals on “Circle of Stone”, “Call of the Ancestors” and “A Day of Reckoning”
Tammy-Rae Bois – additional vocals on “Until We Meet Again”
Anne Bakker – violin on “Rage” and “Until We Meet Again”
Vicky Kennerley – bagpipes on “The Call of the Ancestors”