Malefic Throne - The Conquering Darkness (2025)

Malefic Throne is a trio comprising Gene Palubicki (Angelcorpse, Perdition Temple), vocalist & bassist Steve Tucker (Morbid Angel) and drummer John Longstreth (Origin, Hate Eternal, ex-Angelcorpse). The Conquering Darkness is their first album (following an EP). As you can expect, we're talking about old-school US Death metal, rooted in traditions (some moments not only reminds, Angelcorpse and Morbid Angel, but also early Slayer!), but with an intensity that always has characterized the musicians past and present bands and that totally can look modern death metal in the eyes. Good stuff!

 

The BC page. 

 

J-Smiff - Black Magic (2021)

I don't know much about J-Smiff, but seems Black Magic isn't his first release. Basically it's blues with a machinedrum for the beats, or a kind of blues/hip/hop crossover, with vocals and guitars from the blues and hip-hop for the beats. Not very far away from what Everlast is doing. On Black Magic this mix is really producing excellent results, and the good songs and vocals are doing the rest, making it a really enjoyable album. Time to do another one!

Beastwars - The Ship // The Sea (2025)

Beastwars (from New-Zealand) has been around for fifteen years now, and each time they release a new album it's a pleasure to listen to their epic heavy metal with a strong stoner/doom feel, and The Ship // The Sea is again a masterpiece, with again great songwriting and powerful vocals. Somewhere between early Mastodon and High on Fire, with bits reminding also Alice in Chains or Soundgarden as well. But always very Beastwars. Highly recommended!

 

The BC page.

 

Iron Lung - Adapting // Crawling (2025)

Maybe younger readers only know Iron Lung through the (always excellent) releases of their record label, but with Adapting // Crawling the bass/drums duo from Seattle is releasing a new album (previous one was twelve years ago!). And once again they deliver some great powerviolence, with bleak bits of sludge and noise. If you don't know Iron Lung, the band, it's time to discover it.

 

The BC page. 

 

Goat - Goat (2024)

As is spot on for a self-titled album, this new Goat album sounds very Goat, and I feel that, more than on the previous albums, it put the emphasis on what made the specificity of the Goat sound : the inclusion of afrobeat/world music in heavy psych music, sounding like Black Sabbath, The 13th Floor Elevators and Fela Kuti jamming together, and making a very cohesive and catchy music out of it. Goat is an album as good as it is quintessential Goat! 

 

The BC page. 

 

Grave Infestation - Carnage Gathers (2025)

Carnage Gathers (a joint release by Invictus Productions and Dark Descent Records) is the second album Canadian Grave Infestation and will be a feast for anyone into old school death metal. Think a mix of old shool US DM, bits from early Slayer (circa Hell Awaits / Reign in Blood), and a touch of war metal for the additional chaos and aggression. Good stuff!

 

The BC page. 

 

Marta & Tricky - Out The Way (2025)

You probably already know that Tricky (with Massive Attack and solo) has been one of the leading character in trip-hop music for more than thirty years now. And if you know Tricky you probably also know Marta's voice since she collaborated on many albums with him since his first solo, Maxinquaye in 1995. On Out The Way, the first album released with both their names, they prove they still got a great chemistry together and are as inspired as ever. If dark & dreamy electro/dub music is your thing, you'll feel at home and very pleased with Out The Way. Highly recommended! (but comes with a warning : highly addictive stuff!)

 

the BC page. 

 

Stimulant - Sub-Normal (2025)

Five years after their previous release, the guitar / drums duo Stimulant (formed by ex-Water Torture) is back with a new album called Sub-Normal. And it was worth the wait, once again they deliver some high quality and high impact powerviolence / noise. Good stuff! 

 

The BC page. 

 

Fine Lame - Vivre comme on éclarerait (2025)

Fine Lame is a French band playing a kind of "poetic rock". On their new album Vivre comme on éclaterait the music can be described as post-rock (guitars, drums and keys), with bits of post-punk and noise-rock, and the vocals are spoken/declamatory (and in French). It's different and well done, and should appeal to people into Oiseaux Tempêtes and Hubert Félix Thiéfaine. I really recommend it!

 

The Bandcamp page. 

 

Sanguisugabogg - Hideous Aftermath (2025)

See the cover art? Yes, that's it, more serious and darker. With Hideous Aftermath, Sanguisugabogg goes one step further in the direction already undertaken with Homicidal Ecstasy. Slower, darker, less crazy slam (although the goregrind/slam element is still there and still nice). But while Homicidal Ecstasy sounded a bit too uniform to me, in Hideous Aftermath this evolution is more convincing, maybe because of the greater diversity making the songs more catchy and impactful. They even introduced some bit of sick melodies, some nearly djent like atmosphere, and a song evoking a lot Godflesh. With all this on top of the death/slam they do so well, they manage to keep your attention through all the album, from first note to last one. And I enjoy going back to it every day. Maybe it's even better than Tortured Whole was. And I wish they will keep on experimenting new things in the next one, they just proved they're good at that. But for now, I really recommend Hideous Aftermath!

 

The BC page. 

 

Easy Prey - Unrest (2022)

Unrest, released three years ago and Easy Prey first album, is an excellent piece of noise-rock, with a hardcore somewhat emo feel. Let's hope they come up with new music soon!

 

The BC page. 

 

Goya - In The Dawn of November (2025)

With In The Dawn of November, Goya sounds less Electic Wizard influenced and more just "classic doom", what doesn't change is the very high quality of their music, In The Dawn of November being another great addition to their discography, and an album anyone into doom will enjoy (I especially like the vocals).

 

The Bandcamp page. 

Fathomless Ritual - Hymns For The Lesser Gods (2024)

Fathomless Ritual is a Canadian one-man band (B. Dean) whose first album Hymns For The Lesser Gods has been released by the excellent Transcending Obscurity Records. People mention the similarity with Demilich, but, to be honest, I don't know Demilich enough to be able to confirm. I think at times it also evokes Suffocation, and, like them, it is bridging the gap between old school and modern technical death metal. But it sounds more dirty and cavernous, and has a weird kind of winding groove through finely crafted riffs. I struggle to describe it actually, just try it, you won't regret!

 

The BC page. 

 

Author & Punisher - Nocturnal Birding (2025)

Author & Punisher is twenty years now, and, after its most ambient (and excellent) album Krüller in 2022, is now back with what is its most grim and aggro album in a long time : Nocturnal Birding. Is the collaboration with guitarist Doug Sabolick the reason? Could be... There are also nice featurings, with Kuntari for the very interesting Titanis and its percussions, Megan Oztrosits of Couch Slut on Mute Swan, and Fange on Black Storm Petrel. Depending on their mood and tastes, I think many people would pick either Krüller or Nocturnal Birding as their favourite A & P albums (I choose both!). Many thanks to A & P for its great contribution in keeping industrial metal strong and interesting!

 

The BC page.

 

UNDER 45 - Stonewalled (2024)

I discovered UNDER 45 (from Lyon, France, but with an English singer) while they were opening for another band at Les Passagers du Zinc in Besançon and they were excellent. I also recommend their latest album, Stonewalled (released last year). They play some post-punk with a drum machine, a kind of post-punk that have a good melodic feel (great riffs and basslines), but still sounds actually punk. And the excellent vocals and lyrics is the cherry on the top.

The Bandcamp page. 

 

 

Trauma Bond - Summer Ends. Some Are Long Gone (2025)

This new Trauma Bond release is less powerviolence/noisegrind and more hardcore/noise. Pace is overall slower, but quality isn't lower. Summer Ends. Some Are Long Gone have a different mood, but it's still excellent stuff, and still with the diversity and unpredictability that makes them more interesting than most extreme bands. 

 

The BC page. 

 

Fields of Mildew - IV (2025)

Fields of Mildew is a one-man band, described on his Bandcamp page as "a German minimalist folk project originally inspired by the area around the Teufelsmoor with a conceptual focus on the late 19th/early 20th century rural life. Founded in 2015." IV is its second album. It's one of the best folk album I've heard in recent years, excelling at building a melancholic atmosphere (could also be described as dark folk and could evokes also neofolk), with great guitar playing (mostly acoustic) and vocals. I really enjoy listening to it when I'm not in the mood for roaring guitars and screams.

 

The BC page. 

 

Shock Narcotic - My Flesh Is Afraid But I Am Not (2025)

When I reviewed Shock Narcotic first album (I Have Seen The Future And It Doesn't Work in 2019) I said the album was excellent but wouldn't gain originality points because it really evoked Napalm Death. Well, that wasn't very inspired and relevant. They did indeed evoke ND, but the Napalm Death that their mid-tempo noisegrind / noisecore is evoking is the experimenting and hard to label one (especially, but not limited to, the albums from second half of the nineties). The same could be said about My Flesh Is Afraid But I Am Not, and it's also an excellent album. And they actually developed more a personal hybrid/mutant style than most bands...

 The BC page. 

 

Emulsified - Apocalypse (2022)

Released three years ago, Apocalyse, from US band Emulsified concentrates nearly every side of modern death metal (except pure slam). It definitely is brutal, but also quite technical, and there are even a few more progressive moments. It's very intense but not at the expense of diversity and the band is mastering everything they do. Maybe they would need something a bit different to distinguish themselves to be among the very best, but they sure know how to craft a strong death metal album, Apocalypse won't stay as the most memorable from these years, but it's a really a good enjoyable album, I recommend it.

 

The BC page. 

 

Stave & Karim Maas - Into Eternity (2025)

I checked this one because I remembered I enjoyed the Pessimist & Karim Maas collaborative release, and I'm glad that I did. Into Eternity, from the collaboration of Stave & Karim Maas is an excellent album of industrial dub/ instrumental illbient, full of good beats and dark & trippy atmosphere. Good stuff.

 

The BC page. 

Tetitanblood - From the Visceral Abyss (2025)

The fourth album from Teitanblood, From the Visceral Abyss definitely has the chaotic energy of war metal, but in a more sophisticated way than a band like Revenge, it's less raw and bestial, and the atmosphere is less pure hatred and contempt but more the burning of a dark mystical flame. In any case it's a great piece of intense and twisted evil and epic metal, recommended!

 

The BC page. 

 

Uniform - American Standard (2024)

After a few successful collaborative release (with The Body, Boris), Uniform returns with their fifth album, American Standard, and it's also something special. The first track is a more than 20 minutes long one, and probably their more ambient (after its screaming start) and experimental, with its repetitive patterns and synthscapes. Tracks 2 and 3 are aggressive industrial metal, more similar to what they've done before, closer to Godflesh or Author & Punisher territories, the first one, This is Not a Prayer, more on a post-punk/noise side, while the second one, Clemency, has some more heavy doom riffing. The closing track Permanent Embrace surprises with its nearly symphonic black metal parts, but if you give it a chance I think you'll agree it's a great song, and a good finish for another excellent album from Uniform. Highly recommended!

 

The BC page. 

 

Floating - Hesitating lights (2025)

Before listening to Floating I did not know prog/tech death-metal blended with post-punk was a thing, but in the form of their second album Hesitating Lights not only it exists, but it's also one of the best and most interesting album I listened to in at least a couple of years. Those typical post-punk basslines and riffs actually combines very well with a prog/tech and dissonant kind of death metal. A nice surprise that I really recommend!

The BC page.

 

Bütcher - On Fowl Of Tyrant Wing (2024)

On Fowl Of Tyrant Wing, like Bütcher previous album, is a fine piece of old school speed/black/thrash heavy metal. With a first half of the album more focused speed and aggression, and a second half, the last three songs, being longer epic songs channeling a nice Bathory vibe. Suitably released by Osmose Productions. Recommended!

 

The BC page.

 

 

Viagra Boys - Viagr aboys (2025)

Viagr aboys isn't my favourite Viagra Boys album, but I listened to it a lot and really enjoy it nevertheless. Not big evolution, but pure Viagra Boys music, funny and sarcastic smart lyrics, excellent vocals, sharp post-punk riffs, the saxophone, and excellent songwriting full of inventivity. Excellent stuff again.

 

Barren Path - Grieving (2025)

Barren Path is the new band with Takafumi Matsubara (ex Gridling guitarist), surrounded by a crew of experienced musicians (Bryan Fajardo, Mitchell Luna, Mauro Cordoba and Rory Kobzina), as expected their first album Grieving is full of sharp and tight supersonic grindcore. Too straightforward to compare to Gridlink except for the speed, but I guess there is no ambition of playing forward-thinking music here, just speed for its own sake, for the sheer joy of shredding fast, and I definitely can relate to that. And I think anyone into super fast and modern sounding grind will enjoy the intensity they deliver. Quite basic but excellent nonetheless.

 

The BC page.

 

Eunoia - Psyop Of The Year (2022)

Since two of them have been sent to different states, Psyop Of The Year probably was Eunoia's last operation. Which is a pity because it was an excellent album, from an interesting band. They played a nice blend of noise rock and screamo, with also elements of math rock and extreme metal thrown in. Nicely surprising at the first listen, and even better when you knew the songs more. 

 

The BC page. 

 

Youth Code - Yours, With Malice (EP 2025)

Youth Code new releaase is a five tracks EP called Yours, With Malice. Firmly rooted in what they do well, EBM/Industrial metal (without guitars), with punk hardcore style screaming and some more melodic singing as well. Basic stuff but full of energy. I enjoy it.

 

The BC page. 

 

Crypt Sermon - The Stygian Rose + Saturnian Appendices (2024 & 2025)

I was about to review Crypt Sermon latest album The Stygian Rose when I found out they have an EP (Saturnian Appendices) coming out this month, so you'll get a review for both at the same time. The Stygian Rose has been hailed for good reasons as one of the best recent release in a heavy/epic doom metal vein, with main influence being probably Candlemass and the other one Iron Maiden, and I also evn hear a touch of Megadeth (mostly because the vocalist reminds me of Dave Mustaine at times, but not only because of that). It is really an album anyone into old school metal could love. And what about the new four songs EP Saturnian Appendices? Those songs are from the Stygian Rose studio session, so it's in the same vein, and doesn't sound like leftovers the quality level as well is similar, and the unexpected Mayhem cover (De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas) is a nice touch, so I totally recommend it as well. 

 The Bandcamp page.

 

Amyl and the Sniffers - Cartoon Darkness (2024)

Cartoon Darkness, the third album from Amyl and the Sniffers, released last year, manages to be as good as the previous one, also full of catchy songs full of energy, and with sarcastic, fun and smart lyrics, and again great vocals from Amyl. I'm telling you, maybe you don't know it yet, but you need Amyl and the Sniffers music in your life.

 

The BC page. 

 

The Young Gods - Appear Disappear (2025)

Yes, The Young Gods sounds eternally fresh, neither from the past nor in the present, but in their own time dimension. And every album is a new variation in their blend of industrial rock/metal and psychedelic rock, and... their own stuff. On their new one Appear Disappear we get more nice songs with heavy guitars, grooves, but also plenty of subtle atmospheres, melodic and/or trippy in their own special way. With good vocals either in French (they're from Switzerland) or in English, with poetic lyrics. Strongly recommended, as usual!

 

The BC page. 

 

Unsu - Darkest in The Sun (2025)

Unsu are from North of France and Darkest in The Sun is their second album (and seventh release) and is a very solid and convincing piece of modern grindcore, evoking both Nasum and Rotten Sound. Recommended.

 

The BC page.

 

 

Black Magnet - Megamantra (2025)

Black Magnet is no more a one-man band and is now a quartet, but the music on their third album Magamantra itself didn't change much, their industrial metal still sounds heavily influenced by industrial metal from the 90' and especially, and maybe even more than previously, by NIN and Marilyn Manson. In fact it's a good time travel machine taking us back to 1996, and it would be a good companion to the Trent Reznor produced Antichrist Superstar MM album. Overall it is quite nice, I enjoy the trip!

 

The BC page. 

 

The Shits - You're a Mess (2023)

We had The Stooges, and needless to say they were awesome, then came Brainbombs, and they are still awesome, and now we also have The Shits, who are awesome as well. Thank the mad deities of wild and twisted rock'n'roll, listen to You're a Mess, and rejoice!

 The BC page. 

 

Meth Leppard - Gatekeepers (2025)

Saw Australian grind duo Meth Leppard live a few days ago (at Les Passagers du Zinc in Besançon, with promising local grinders Proudhon and Travolta from Belgium who also put up a good show) and it felt a bit like being hit by a demolition truck. Believe it or not, I enjoyed it! Vocals are a bit too uniform, but cool riffing and the drummer is a relentless beast. What about their second album, Gatekeepers? Might be the best release yet, with the inclusion of slightly more nuanced moments, while staying pure old school grind rampage.

 

The BC page. 

 

Eschaton - Techtalitarian (2025)

I discovered Eschaton ew line-up after discovering their new album Techtalitarian (on Transcending Obscurity records), and I'm not very surprised to find they have Christian Muenzner (ex Necrophagist and ex Obscura) on guitar and Darren Cesca (ex Deeds of Flesh) on drums, among a crew of all experienced musicians. The quality and technicality is obviously very high. What about the music? Technical death metal, for sure, yes, but what I especially like is that they manage to craft song that are faster and more brutal than is usually melodic tech death, while staying very melodic (including some neoclassical elements), they manage to hold all this, fast and brutal and melodic as well, cohesively together. Recommended!

The BC page.

 

Demonic Death Judge - Absolutely Launched (2025)

Absolutely Launched is the seventh album from Demonic Death Judge, and even if my favourite one is still The Trail (released in 2020), this is another good album from DDJ. They keep on producing heavy and groovy stoner/Doom metal, hardened with some aggressive sludge vocals, but softened by a southern rock melodic touch. A nice combination that is really their own and that they get to really master throughout the years. Good stuff!

 

The BC page. 

 

Bong-Ra - Black Noise (2025)

Bong-Ra (Jason Köhnen) has first been known as a breakcore producer, but his love for underground metal is well known and not new (albums filled with samples from metal bands, collaborations, recent doom albums, etc.), so this Black Noise album, worshipping Godflesh through and through, even if it wasn't expected (you never really know what to expect from Bong-Ra!) isn't such a big surprise. But a pleasant one it is, since it's really well done, faithful to its inspiration but also including the Bong-ra touch  (yes, there are of course some jungle elements evoking Godflesh US and Them time, but the album is evoking everything Godflesh did, not only Godflesh at his most electro). Recommended!

 

The BC page. 

 

Psychic Lemon - The Unheimlich Kingdom (2024)

I'm discovering Psychic Lemon with their fourth album The Unheimlich Kingdom (and thanks to a blog called The Fragmented Flâneur). Their music could be described as a dark and kraut side of psychedelic drone rock. Nothing about oriental melodies or flower power here, the music is trippy in a minimalistic and repetitive way and the mood is more evoking anguish and weirdness than happiness. Excellent stuff!

 

The BC page. 

 

 

 

Drawn And Quartered - Lord of Two Horns (2025)

Last time I reviewed a Drawn And Quartered album was thirteen years ago, and it was already their sixth album... Who would have believed then that they would turn into a k-pop band? Nah, just joking :). Of course they still play some excellent old-school US death metal! Lord of Two Horns is full of cavernous growls, ominous grooves, blast beats, vicious riffing and devilishly twisted lead guitar parts. Good to know you always can rely on bands like Drawn And Quartered to keep the underground strong! Death is forever, isn't it? Recommended.

 

The BC page. 

 

 

Dephosphorus - Planetoktonos (2025)

It's great to be able to listen to a new Dephosphorus album, five years after the previous one. As you can guess, Planetoktonos continues the cosmic theme of the band, but also explore it further with some sc-fi atmospheric moments (is it guitar effects, analog synths, samples? all of that?). But don't expect some super long progressive tracks, as they always do, Dephosphorus manage to integrate this atmospheric element into short and raging songs blending black, death metal and grind. Good stuff, as expected.

 

The BC page. 

 

 

Babylon Dead - Book of the Dead (2020)

Book of the Dead (released five years ago, if you missed it, here's a new chance, don't fail to take it!) is the second album from Babylon dead (J Man and Ilinformed with various MCs : Badness, Daddy Freddy, Devilman, Irah, Jamalski, Killa P & Rider Shafique, if you're into UK hip-hop it's likely you've heard some of them already...). Their music is a kind of US hip-hop meets UK hip-hop with the production rooted in boom-bap, evoking the Wu-Tang, Mobb Deep and even Gravediggaz in its grimiest moments, while the vocals are ragga style (and excellent!). Highly recommended stuff!

 

The BC page. 

 

Escuela Grind - Dreams on Algorithms (2024)

Escuela (now Escuela Grind) have always been a good band, but I felt their hardcore/PV/grind was sometimes a bit too generic. But I think their latest album, released last year, Dreams on Algorithms, is where they really found their own thing, with more diversity from song to song, more diversity in the vocals (including a totally successful first try at clean vocals in the last song), and overall a more catchy songwriting with more groove. I hope they will keep on exploring their own sound. Already excellent stuff for now, in any case.

 

The BC page. 

 

Turnstile - NEVER ENOUGH (2025)

What about the new Turnstile album, NEVER ENOUGH? Is it enough hardcore? I don't really care, since it's when they're experimenting out of the hardcore box that they are interesting. But yes, their music still has many hardcore moments. Is it evolving enough in new directions? They keep on experimenting the melodic hardcore blended with pop elements thing, which isn't bad in itself, but unlike their previous album (which I think I prefer) they sometimes venture too much into "cheesy supermarket music" territory. Overall, it's a good album anyway.

Ramleh - Hyper Vigilance (2025)

Hyper Vigilance, the new Ramleh album keeps the psychedelic noise rock formula of the two previous albums, but is also enriching it with new elements and more diversity overall. The main new thing is the use in several songs of acoustic guitars, bringing a somewhat neofolk feel at times, with also more vocals, and on the other hand there are some harsher industrial/noise moments, making it maybe the most interesting of recent Ramleh albums. In any case, it's another awesome addition to their fantastic discography. One of my favourite album for this first half of the year. Totally recommended!

 

The BC page. 

 

LWSTNDRDS - Songs of Atrocity (2024)

I had noticed and enjoyed their previous releases, so when this excellent album from Polish band LWSTNDRDS has been released by Nerve Altar (if you read me regularly you know this is the best dealer of grind related music we have since a few years) it wasn't a surprise but a confirmation. Songs of Atrocity is a fine piece of powerviolence/grind/blackened hardcore/sludge (yes, following the recent trend of mixing the different styles of hardcore /metal, and why not? Here it is definitely producing a great result) blending nicely bursts of violence and twisted grooves. Good stuff!

 

The BC page. 

 

Merzbow - Hatonal (2025)

I don't review harsh noise very often, not because I don't like it, but because it's difficult to write about it. Trying to describe it seems a bit pointless. Noise is something you have to feel... What to say about this one? Merzbow aka Masami Akita is among the pioneers and great masters of noise, maybe even people not into it have seen or heard his name mentioned, maybe listened to one of his collaborative albums with rock/metal artists. On Hatonal he's doing his stuff, noise with just enough variations to keep you listening and enjoying it. Might be a patience test for most people, a pleasure for some, and in any case, an interesting listening experience.

 

The BC page

 

Vacuous - In His Blood (2025)

After a promising first album in 2022, Vacuous (from London, UK) is confirming with their second album and Relapse debut, In His Blood, that they are among the best new bands in the old school death metal scene, with a sound evoking Incantation, Autopsy and Immolation. I'm pleased to see that Relapse records are still sometimes releasing stuff as out of fashion and underground as old school death metal, but it's not so surprising, Vacuous quality is obvious, and it's fully deserved.

 

The BC page. 

 

Botanist - VII - Beast of Arpocalyx (2024)

I think the use of a lot of clean vocals on the previous Botanist album was a convincing success, but if you regretted it you'll be pleased to read that it nearly disappeared on the latest one VII - Beast of Arpocalyx, only aggressive screamed vocals remaining (except for a few clean backing vocals). This and maybe a bit more blast beats make the overall mood of Beast of Arpocalyx darker and more aggro, even if the hammered dulcimer parts are still mostly melodic (if you don't know Botanist yet, it's a one-man band with a drummer, and it's only drumming and hammered dulcimer and vocals, no guitars). The album has been released last year, but was recorded back in 2016, so it's literary a return but a rawer past of Botanist (and probably not indicating which direction he'll be taking next). Probably also explains why two albums in 2024. Anyway what doesn't change with Botanist be it 2016 or 2024 is the high musicianship level and songwriting skill, and obviously uniqueness, so it's another worthy additions to its awesome discography. 

 

The BC page.