Self Released

Starscourge – Conqueror of the Stars – Betwixt Sundered Seraphim, the Lands Between Bleed Review

By Andy-War-Hall on December 22, 2025 in Reviews, Blackened Death Metal, 49 comments

“Fromsoftware’s behemoth action-RPG Elden Ring is an enigma. How a game so obtuse, difficult, and uniquely itself in its visuals and storytelling became the blockbuster that it is baffles me, and it’s one of those precious pieces of art that simply makes me happy to live in the same world as it. It’s also metal as anything can be. Bands like Fell Omen have tapped into the game’s mythology for inspiration before and, now, the international blackened death duo Starscourge enter the fray with their debut Conqueror of the Stars – Betwixt Sundered Seraphim, the Lands Between Bleed.” Star power.

Dagdrøm – Schauder [Things You Might Have Missed 2025]

By Kenstrosity on December 20, 2025 in Reviews, Things You Might Have Missed 2025, Black Metal, Melodic Black Metal, 18 comments

“To be perfectly honest, I no longer recall when or how exactly I encountered Germany’s Dagdrøm for the first time. There’s a pretty good chance it was a Discordian recommendation, or I discovered it organically while sifting through Bandcamp’s new releases feed. Either way, their debut Schauder regularly circulates on my listening rotation. Weirdly, it received very little fanfare from the commenters or other arenas of metallic discourse that I frequent. It’s a shame, because Schauder remains one of the coolest melodic black metal albums released this year.” Døggøne it!

Sold Soul – Just Like That, I Disappear Entirely [Things You Might Have Missed 2025]

By Lavender Larcenist on December 20, 2025 in Things You Might Have Missed 2025, Deathcore, 38 comments

“Blah blah blah, deathcore sucks, blah blah, okay, we got that out of the way. Now, for everyone who likes it, come close and hear about one of the bands doing shit right. Deathcore can be incredibly varied as a genre, and among the hundreds of doggy-doo bands out there, a few break the mold. As someone who listens to a lot of different deathcore groups (judge me, I don’t give a shit), North Carolina’s Sold Soul are out here making progressive deathcore that surprises as much as it crushes your skull. Even if you don’t like Lorna Shore or, like me, find their recent albums incredibly boring, Sold Soul is here for you.” MOAR core?

Petrified Giant – Endless Ark [Things You Might Have Missed 2025]

By Andy-War-Hall on December 19, 2025 in Things You Might Have Missed, Groove Metal, Thrash Metal, 18 comments

“For many, the mention alone of “YouTuber music” evokes a sudden and potent nausea. Historically tacky, poorly conceived or just plain bad, these projects are so often killed at conception if not by a lack of talent or vision then by the sin of vanity, assembled too self-consciously to leave any real impression. The music is only another extension of their online celebrity and, man, does it sound like it. Petrified Giant formed by the guitar duo of online funny guys Dave McElfatrick (Cyanide & Happiness) and Lyle Rath (Wrathclub, OneyPlays), are not like those other guys. To the contrary, Petrified Giant’s debut Endless Ark just rocks.” If the Ark is arocking…

Dragon Skull – Chaos Fire Vengeance [Things You Might Have Missed 2025]

By Baguette of Bodom on December 17, 2025 in Things You Might Have Missed 2025, Heavy Metal, Power Metal, 40 comments

“Greece is a surprising hotbed for power metal-adjacent sounds, providing recent gems such as Sunburst last year and Sacred Outcry’s 2023 masterpiece. Dragon Skull is a newcomer to these fields of glory, introducing their burly heavy/power style on their promising self-titled EP as recently as 2022. Now, three years later, they were finally ready to unleash their debut Chaos Fire Vengeance on the world. And oh my, what an entrance it is.” Wengeance is best served on fire.

Stuck in the Filter: October 2025’s Angry Misses

By Kenstrosity on December 15, 2025 in Reviews, Stuck in the Filter, Atmospheric Black Metal, Black Metal, Death Metal, Funeral Doom, Groove Metal, Hard Rock, Hardcore, Heavy Metal, Industrial Metal, Melodic Black Metal, Progressive Metal, Progressive Rock, Symphonic Metal, 59 comments

December is the best time to browse through the October Filter flotsam, as they’re now heavily discounted like Valentine’s Day candy in August. They’re probably still fresh though. Maybe.

Upon a Burning Body – Blood of the Bull Review

By Dear Hollow on December 14, 2025 in Reviews, Deathcore, Groove Metal, Metalcore, 14 comments

“Upon a Burning Body is back, baby. Your favorite groovy Texans are ready to lay on the hurt with as many riffs as your ears can muster. Predecessor 2022’s Fury offered a no-frills attack that more substantially simplified the attack, recalling more the groove-oriented likes of Pantera or Lamb of God, as opposed to the longstanding comparisons to deathcore’s partyharders Attila and “fight everyone” breakdowners Emmure to whom they’ve been compared in the past.” Tastes like burning.

Doubtsower – The Past Melts Away with a Sneer Review

By ClarkKent on November 29, 2025 in Reviews, Avant-Garde, Doom Metal, Experimental Metal, Funeral Doom, Industrial Metal, Sludge Metal, 12 comments

“It’s amazing how quickly November, and my month of doom, has flown by. It seems the constant exposure to slow-paced music has made the days move faster, not slower. For my final November doom promo, what could be more appropriate than one described as “one long song funeral doom?” While the Welsh doom band containing this descriptor, Doubtsower, is new to me, the man behind the project, Matt Strangis, has three previous releases dating back to 2021.” Doubt is a doom killer.

Chairmaker – Leviathan Carcass Review

By Andy-War-Hall on November 24, 2025 in Reviews, Death Metal, Grind, 24 comments

“Shit’s gone to the dogs, man. I don’t need to justify this claim. I know it, you know it, and multi-instrumentalist/university lecturer/UK extreme metal devotee Neil Erskine sure knows it, confirmed thoroughly by his new grind outfit Chairmaker and their debut record Leviathan Carcass.” Sitting in a grindy chair.