Changeling - Changeling (2025)

Changeling is a project around Tom Geldschläger aka Fountainhead, playing with some others ex Obscura / Alkaloid, with also, on this first album, the use of a 50 musicians ensemble. As you can guess the music is technical and very progressive death metal. There is definitely an Obscura feel, but many moments are actually closer to Opeth. There is obviously a lot of virtuosity involved, but also great songwriting skills, resulting in an album filled with diverse, interesting and enjoyable songs. Highly recommended!

 

The BC page. 

 

Glorious Depravity - Death Never Sleeps (2025)

Glorious Depravity is a band from Texas, with members of Pyrrhon, Woe, Gravesend, and their new album Death Never Sleeps is a very solid old-school death metal offering, mostly mid-tempo but quite brutal anyway, with a feel reminding Suffocation, excellent deep and low vocals (with occasional high pitched screaming for diversity), nice leads, some more thrashy parts (that and the drummung can also evoke Vader), and, the most important, good song after good song after good song. Old school aficianodos have found a new champion, but I think the appeal of Glorious Depravity is definitely not limited to the old school crowd. Excellent death metal. period.

 

The BC page. 

 

Doom Spirit - Drama City (2025)

Drama City is the second album (I also recommend the first one) from Swiss hip-hop band Doom Spirit. If you look at the cover and listen to the music it's hard to believe it's beeen released in 2025 and not 1995 or even 1992). It is pure nineties style old-school and grim hip-hop (with lyrics in French), especially reminding early Mobb Deep. Anyone into this kind of hip-hop will enjoy Doom Spirit.

 

The BC page. 

 

Tech Level 2 - Indifferent (EP 2025)

Blasting Days readers should already know that Justin Broadrick isn't only an ex Napalm Death and doing Godflesh, he's mostly active nowadays as electronic/industrial music producer, and have done that sicne the nineties. As Tech Level 2 he's doing old school jungle, withe some eerie atmsospheres and an abrasive sound. the Indifferent EP is four track of raw jungle excellency.

 

The BC page. 

 

Sex Dwarf - Påhittad Värld (2025)

Starting an album with a six-minute-long instrumental track isn't something crust punks usually do. But Sex Dwarf isn't your usual crust punk band, and they know better. Starting Påhittad Värld like this was an excellent move. The track is as ferocious as can be, no less than the shorter songs that follow. Super aggro noise punk from beginning to end. Highly recommended!

 

The BC page. 

 

Dome Runner - World Panopticon (2025)

Dome Runner is a Finnish trio, and their third (and double) album,World Panopticon, is a nice piece of old school industrial metal. The overall sound and the more ambient moments remind Godflesh, while the most aggressive parts can bring to mind Nailbomb. In any case, a very solid album that will please anyone into industrial metal.

 

The BC page. 

 

Xaoc - Repulsive Summoning (2025)

For some reason I thought previous Xaoc album Proxime Mortis would be the last one, but I've been happy to discover that Tony Petrocelli (Xaoc guitarist and leader) gathered new musicians and released Repulsive Summoning in 2025. To be frank, I prefer Proxime Mortis, but Repulsive Summing is still a solid album, good brutal death songs with finely executed melodic leads.

 

The BC page. 

 

Haunt - Ignite (2025)

Haunt is a Californian band that is relentlessly keeping alive and relevant the spirit of traditionnal heavy speed metal. On their latest one Ignite, the mood is quite melodic, but I think anyone into traditionnal metal will enjoy it. Recommended!

 

The BC page. 

 

Haunted Horses - Dweller (2025)

Haunted Horses is a trio from Seattle, and their fourth album, Dweller, is confirming the excellency of their post-punk (reminding a bit Iceage, especially the vocals) mixed with some noise rock heavy enough to border doom, with a sinister industrial feel. Haunted indeed, and recommended!

 

The BC page. 

 

Sortilège - Le poids de l'âme (2025)

Sortilège is a French traditionnal heavy metal that had some sucess in the eighties, then split up, then reformed a few years ago. Le poids de l'âme is their third album since they reformed and is another excellent piece of Iron Maiden flavoured heavy metal, but with singing in French. I really enjoy it and I think anyone into old school heavy metal will do as well.

Their website. 

 

Innumerable Forms - Pain Effulgence (2025)

Pain Effulgence is the third album from Innumerable Forms, and I think their best since their first EP. Slow and old-school death metal, with a cavernous feel, an epic heaviness that can remind Immolation at times, but their main influence is early UK death/doom. And they are great at doing that. Recommended!

 

The BC page. 

 

Elijah Minnelli - Clams As A Main Meal (2025)

Did you know folk cumbia dub existed? In any case that's what Elijah Minnelli is doing on Clams As A Main Meal. And, believe it or not (but trying it will make you a beliver in cumbia folk dub), the reuslt is brilliant and the album not only stand out as a curiosity (and it's definitely also a curiosity) but is also really enjoyable and even addicitive (yes, rehab for folk cumbia dub addicts is the next booming business, you'll thank me later, you're welcome). Good good stuff! 

 

The BC page. 

 

Hateful Abandon - Threat (2025)

Hateful Abandon is a band from Bristol, existing since 2004, their fourth album Threat (released by Sentient Ruin) is the first in ten years, with songs from 2014-2024. Their most obvious influence is Godflesh (which can't be bad) but bands like Ramleh or Killing Joke can also be evoked, and more generally they draw from all the history of post-punk and industrial music. But Threat can't be reduced to just its influences and is filled with excellent and diverse songs. Recommended !  

 

The BC page. 

 

Blush Response - Ego Death (2025)

When I reviewed Blush Response previous album Sprawl in 2024 I wrote : "quality dark and industrial techno, but the most memorable part of the album is the couple of songs with vocals (from Marc Heal), showing that Blush Response could totally, with equal success, turn into an industrial metal band (reminding a bit NIN or Author & Punisher)". Seems I wasn't the only one to think that, since the new album Ego Death has vocals in every track. And the result is a noisy and abrasive combination of industrial metal, breakcore and EBM. A deadly mutation!

 

The BC page. 

 

Ghostvolume x Trust One - High Concentrate (2025)

High Concentrate is a nice dose of instrumental hip-hop (with a MC Nuse Tyrant featuring on one track) from producers Ghostvolume and Trust One, all being regulars of the Californian M25 label. The mood of the album often evoke old-school occult/horrorcore boom-bap but with also a smoother somewhat trip-hop feel as well that reminds DJ Shadow (with also the jungle loops and smart sampling). Highly recommended!

 

The BC page. 

 

La Dispute - No One Was Driving The Car (2025)

I'm still not that much into post-hardcore and emo, but I always pay attention when La Dispute release another album. No One Was Driving The Car is another nice piece in their discography and like usual the vocals really shines, sometimes screamed, sometimes spoken, or half-spoken half-screamed. Recommended!

 

The BC page. 

 

 

Uulliata Digir - Uulliata Digir (2025)

First and self-titled album from Polish band Uulliata Digir. And what a strong debut it is! Could be described as death/black progressive death metal, with sax and male/female vocals sometimes screamed, sometimes more melodic, great and special in any case. The use of the sax is also especially good. And their music has a dissonant and weird feel that make them definitely closer to Imperial Triumphant or Oranssi Pazuzu than to Opeth. But they managed to craft a distinctive style from the start. If I had made an AOTY list last year, it should have been included. Highly recommended!

 

The BC page. 

 

Hold Me Down - Devour (2025)

From their debut EP and this second album, Devour, it sounds like Hold Me Down mostly developed their Godflesh whorship side. Well, a more personal style wouldn't harm, but I have to say that talented disciples of the Godflesh are also always welcome as well. And Hold Me down are for sure excellent at doing the godfleshian kind of industrial metal. If you're into it, you'll enjoy Hold Me Down.

 

The BC page. 

 

Deadguy - Near-Death Travel Service (2025)

I'm discovering Deadguy with Near-Death Travel Service, their first album after their classics of the nineties. I won't compare it with their older stuff, in any case Near-Death Travel Service is definitely great on its own. It's an extremely strong piece of hardcore/noise rock hybrid, reminding both Black Flag and Unsane and Today is The Day. With excellent songs and especially good spoken/screamed vocals. Yes, most reunion of bands inactive during 30 years doesn't end up very exciting, but don't make the error of thinking it would be the same here, it's a really impressive reunion album. A total success.

 

The BC page. 

 

 

Bygone - Bygone (2025)

Bygone is an excellent first self-titled album, merging synth propelled space rock and hard rock/heavy metal. It reminds at time Deep Purple and more often Hawkwind, but with also a touch of more recent stoner sound. Epic and catchy songs with great vocals. A strong start, recommended!

 

The BC page.