Inhuman Rampage was DragonForce throwing shit at a wall, and somehow all of it stuck. As much as they are influenced by Stratovarius’s melodic power assault, the backing harsh vocals (“Operation Ground and Pound”) and sheer ferocity point to other roots. The guitar work is undeniably beefy as much as it is shreddingly maximalist, decorated with all sorts of eccentric bleep-bloop effects (“Storming the Burning Fields”). Vadim Pruzhanov’s hook-laden keyboard (“Cry for Eternity”) and songwriting contributions (“Body Breakdown”) are a crucial melodic counterpoint sorely missed on the latest two albums. Finally, ZP⁵ Theart’s vocals are iconic for a reason. While not the most technically impressive nor multifaceted, he has a powerful and unique delivery that isn’t divisive the way a traditional Kiskean (Helloween) wail would’ve been, making this wild wankfest stand out even more among power metal bands. All of the above led to a remarkably consistent record. The album’s deep cuts (“Body Breakdown,” “The Flame of Youth”) are even stronger than the hits, and the amazing Japanese bonus track⁶ “Lost Souls in Endless Time” has always been the true album closer in my book.⁷

Inhuman Rampage ended up being a huge success, first on its own merits and then as part of pop culture. By this time, the world was finally starting to get over the whole nü and ‘alternative’ phase. Trends are cyclical, and DragonForce were in the right place at the right time; ambitious, complex songwriting and guitar solo virtuosity appealed to a wider audience in a way it couldn’t have 5–10 years prior. As for the elephant in the room, “Through the Fire and Flames” earned legendary status in 2007 as Guitar Hero III’s hardest song to master. Consequently, DragonForce became known as the “TtFaF” band, occasionally to the members’ chagrin. Many have forgotten they were already popular pre-Inhuman Rampage, playing shows with Helloween and Iron Maiden before headlining themselves. They got featured on a game because of their popularity, not the other way around. Regardless, the tie-in certainly didn’t hurt, and it’s part of the reason I am here writing about them today.

But if this was such a resounding success, why did no other bands try to replicate DragonForce? There’s no shortage of people who couldn’t have matched their speed or energy, as proven by grindcore and such. I think it’s a combination of several conspiring factors. For one, the second wave of power metal (roughly 1997–2006) at large was having its last hurrah around this time. Secondly, no one else had the same deranged bundle of influences that these guys had. Black metal, power metal, AOR, retro games—even if other bands tried, they wouldn’t have been able to understand Inhuman Rampage’s formula without these roots.

Inhuman Rampage remains one of my favorite power metal albums to this very day. DragonForce would later go on to switch things up, making more great albums followed by some mild disappointments, but none would catch lightning in a bottle as Inhuman Rampage did. And few even tried, for no one in the power metal scene currently sounds like old DragonForce, especially not the band themselves. Some are glad to leave this style behind, but I think there is a missed opportunity here. In a world of Archspires, it has become abundantly clear that there is still demand for bands who push the extremes, the boundaries of sanity and tastefulness. Trends are cyclical, and nü is rearing its ugly head again. Who will make the next Inhuman Rampage?

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Battering Ram’s fun sound tends to lean more heavy/power than thrash. The riffage of Guillermo Marqués definitely borrows a lot from all over, featuring plenty of variety from ’90s German power metal to ’80s heavy metal to both classic and progressive thrash (“Time Masters (Gods of Soul Deliverance)”). Many of the record’s choices remind me of fellow one-time time travelers in Persistence of Time -era Anthrax. Considering the sci-fi theme, I’d be surprised if some Gamma Ray or Iron Savior influence wasn’t intentional too (“The Persecuted (Back Again)”). The drumming of Benjamín Mateo is lively and energetic, complemented by some fat bass by Francisco Cabañas. Both of them shine best on the album’s thrashiest moments (“Immortality Fed by Death (Unstoppable Train)”), but their performances are solid all around. The songwriting also switches things up plenty outside of just subgenre shenanigans. Straightforward tunes like “The Persecuted” fall between more complex compositions, the 10-minute almost-opener “Unexpected Events (The Beginning of the End)” being a particularly bold choice that ends up panning out well.

While the core ingredients are in place, Time Masters has issues with consistency, direction, and pacing. Take David Ordás’s vocals, for instance. His fun voice works well on occasion but is often at odds with the instrumentation, the epic and melodramatic feel (“Holy Grail (Blood),” “The Persecuted”) suffering from a flat vocal delivery. However, Ordás does improve on the thrashier back half of the record. As for album flow, one of the biggest question marks is the double interlude in “The Prophecy (Revelations)” and “Armageddon Wars (Ragnarök)” towards the end. The tracks themselves aren’t without ideas, but they are oddly constructed and interrupt the flow between the album’s three strongest tracks. Replacing this whole segment with bonus track “Wormhole (Dreaming Eutocia)” could’ve done wonders to make Time Masters a smoother ride, and the same thrash-coded half-instrumental would also give more air time to some of the best aspects of both its guitar and drum work.

Thrash and power metal both perform best at high velocity, and much of Time Masters’ strong instrumentation lacks urgency. The guitars, drums, and bass all sound great and have great players behind them. The riffs have attitude and provide enough variety for the material, and the bass is often cranked loud while playing some really sweet lines. But throughout most of the first half of the album, I’m left desiring a lot more breakneck speed and bite than there is. By the time the potent one-two punch of “Immortality Fed by Death” and “Time Masters” hits your ears, it’s a little too late to salvage the average tempo. The production—while not actively harmful—is also a culprit in removing some Battering Ram’s potential breaching power. But even though the pros don’t outweigh the cons, the good things here are still very much visible. There are no absolute dealbreakers nor terminal issues, and, as mentioned, the very beginning plus the second half of Time Masters offers plenty of material worth checking out.

Despite the album’s drawbacks, there are plenty of neat pieces here Battering Ram can work with. Speeding things up, strengthening the vocals, and refining the songwriting would already make this a much more enjoyable ride. As is, Time Masters has some strong ideas within a very uneven package. Running a tighter ship and improving the production could turn the work presented on Time Masters from a rough but riffy proof of concept into a manic space adventure. I’m eager to await further developments, for the world is in dire need of more power/thrash. Speaking of, where the hell is new Paladin?!

Rating: Mixed
DR: 6 | Format Reviewed: WAV
Label: Self-Released
Websites: Facebook | Instagram | YouTube
Releases Worldwide: January 10th, 2026

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Not much has necessarily changed with Amalekim’s vicious formula, but the refinements are significant. The core of the band’s sound still lies in the realms of early Gaerea but is also distinctly its own thing altogether. And contrary to Gaerea’s recent development,¹ Amalekim isn’t planning to go metalcore any time soon. No, Shir Hashirim further improves on the band’s best qualities while retaining their identity, offering relentless speed and riffs for days (“Chant II: Shir Hashirim,” “Chant IV: Sodot HaYekum”). It’s what I like to call ‘violently melodic’ for all the right reasons, both the intense drumming by Ktulak and the demonic vocals of Mróz enhancing the spite present in the dueling guitars. Most importantly, Amalekim never lets their foot off the gas pedal on their mission to create hauntingly aggressive yet beautifully melodic music.

Shir Hashirim’s success comes from its subversion of common black metal tropes without abandoning them. Gone is the overreliance on standard tremolo and blast beat abuse that I previously took issue with. Those elements are both still key to the album, but in a much more appealing and bite-sized, fresh context (“Chant III: Mesharet HaShilton,” “Chant VIII: Mishteh Malkhuti”). Amalekim’s songwriting has evolved into a much more varied beast with plenty of creative drum and riff patterns to show for it. It almost feels like there’s a bunch of death metal DNA in the band’s songwriting this time (“Chant VI: Tisha Daltot”); in this way, I could see it being the blackened mirror image of Dormant Ordeal’s newest. Where Shir Hashirim improves over Dormant Ordeal’s excellent release is the wonderfully warm and roomy production, a complete opposite of what many others in this scene go for. It once again shows that your album doesn’t need to be crushed or lo-fi to sound brutal—great production simply makes the performance all the more powerful and unyielding.

Shir Hashirim is the first black metal record in ages to catch my interest, and one of the best albums of the year at that. Violent, melodic, and extremely fast all at once, its 38-minute package of eight chants simply leaves me wanting to immediately replay the experience all over again. It’s tight and consistent in a way few other records this year are, and its form of melodic fury makes the album unintentionally catchy. Amalekim’s oppressive and angry atmosphere should satiate the usual suspects, but the breakneck pace and no-nonsense songwriting on Shir Hashirim are sure to appeal to a wider audience as well.

Track to Check Out: “Chant II: Shir Hashirim,” “Chant IV: Sodot HaYekum,” and “Chant VII: Haka’as HaNachash.”

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Ounas II is chock full of great songwriting. Melodic death metal, power metal, and even bits of black metal collide in this crazy Finnish kitchen, with Children of Bodom remaining the clear number one influence. Founding members Ville Rautio and Pasi Portaankorva utilize the dual guitar attack in classic ’80s ways (“Winter Visions,” “Twilight Stream”), while Stratovarius sensibilities color their frantic touches of melodic power—both always positives in my book. The harsh vocals of Tuomo Marttinen are frosty and vicious, similar to their swamp brethren in Kalmah.⁴ Tommi Neitola’s keyboards are the cherry on top, adding a Bodomesque symphonic bombast layer that occasionally approaches Wintersun levels without going overboard (“The Crowned King of Ancient Forest,” “1473 Ounas”).

Dealing with two-part concepts is always a challenging task, but Suotana came prepared. It feels like they’ve improved on all of Ounas I’s already strong qualities: the production has more breadth, the album’s layers delve deeper, and there’s more energy and variety in its songs (“Foreverland,” “Twilight Stream”). However, the most impressive thing about Ounas II is that it’s even denser than its sibling. The album clocks in at 39 minutes compared to the first part’s 41,⁵ which has the huge advantage of avoiding a bloated ‘B-sides’ feel so common with other double album concepts.⁶ And despite its tight runtime, the songwriting has plenty of room to flourish, as exemplified by “1473 Ounas.” Furthermore, to complement the Summoning cover that crowned the first part, Ounas II unleashes a cover of Children of Bodom’s “Hatebreeder” as its encore. Whether you imagine it as a proper track or a bonus, it’s a great way to end the record with a bang while honoring your influences.⁷

Suotana has had a long journey to get to this point, and it’s been more than worth it. Their songwriting is only getting faster and better, which further reinforces its catchy extremities. In many ways, Suotana feels like the melodeath-forward twin to Moonlight Sorcery’s excellent brand of power/black metal. Both bands dress to impress with big riffs, melodic violence, and keyboard bombast in all the right ways. Though the back-to-back experience is great, Ounas II is a package that works wonders on its lonesome too, and I think that’s another mark of success for the band. I’m excited to see what these self-aware wizards pictured above are going to summon from that lake next, Ounas or not.

Tracks to Check Out: “Winter Visions,” “Twilight Stream,” “The Crowned King of Ancient Forest,” and a special shout out to the excellent cover of “Hatebreeder.”

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Dragon Skull know how to riff like hell and craft anthemic, cataclysmically heavy tunes. In addition to the fist-pumping Manowar feel the band is going for (“Brethren,” “Skull Crusher”), the songwriting is further guided by the spirit of German power metal, something like Brainstorm further reinforced with later Blind Guardian bombast (“Nampat,” “Blood and Souls”). But what makes the instrumentation incendiary is how guitarists Panos Wallach and Chris Brintzikis take influence from several directions at once. This guarantees plenty of variety through the album’s eight tracks, ranging from the dual-harmonized NWoBHM of “Brethren” to the melodeath/meloblack-informed tremolos on “Shield Maiden.” To top it all off, the pummeling war drums of Teo Stamatiadis and gargantuan vocals of Aris Labos lend maximum grit to an already muscular record.

Chaos Fire Vengeance offers a refreshing mixture of ’80s heavy metal and ’00s power metal. Slower, anthemic annihilation is counterpointed by thunderous fury, often during the same song (“Dragon Riders,” Shield Maiden”). The extra melodic death metal DNA brings with it a welcome burst of harsh vocals as well (“War Drums,” “Skeleton Hand”), and the way it all gels effortlessly is impressive. Despite the amount of various elements and influences in the album, the end result is deceivingly simple and effective. It makes Dragon Skull’s style stand out in a similar way Triumpher’s shtick does, but the increased mass and grit of Chaos Fire Vengeance improves the formula from good to face-melting. Though the first half of the album is already potent, the second half is where the band’s ambitions are fully realized. The hooks in “Nampat” and “Skeleton Hand” are immense, and the gargantuan epic “Blood and Souls” is a serious Song o’ the Year contender. I mean, how can you not love a song with Elric and Tanelorn-themed lyrical homages to Cirith Ungol and Blind Guardian?²

Dragon Skull is single-handedly carrying the power metal torch this year. Sure, it might be more heavy/power, but who’s counting? The songwriting is superbly anthemic, and the band knocked it out of the park on their first try in 42 brief minutes. I’ve had some trouble getting all my writing done late in the year for countless reasons, and this album in particular felt difficult to write deeper analysis for. But maybe it’s not necessary. After all, what is a TYMHM but a long-winded way to say “this album rocks, go check it out?” Sometimes it’s just better to keep things short and simple, and all Chaos Fire Vengeance needs is a damn strong barrage of eight massive tunes. Better yet, it’s a brilliant blueprint Dragon Skull can use to further refine their songcraft.

Tracks to Check Out: “Nampat,” “Skeleton Hand,” and “Blood and Souls.”

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Echoes of Ancient Tales is a direct upgrade over an already strong debut. The core of their sound still channels the epic, riff-forward demeanor of Manilla Road and early Manowar. If you’re familiar with other swordy revival acts like Gatekeeper and the aforementioned Ironsword, you’ll have a good idea of what you’re in for. NWoBHM gallops (“The Maze,” “The Prophecy”) in the vein of Satan further refine the album, increasing its variety and olde cred. Alex furiously pounds the drums while Kiko and Artur duel out riffs for days, utilizing both speedy (“Carthage Eternal”) and stompy (“A Tale of Time’s End”) songwriting philosophies in Cirith Ungol fashion. Ana’s vocals deliver the same smoky, subdued tone that enhances the music and gives the band even more of a standout personality. Better yet, Echoes of Ancient Tales fixes the only real problem I had with the debut: buried vocals. Not only does Ana sing with more confidence and power, her role is also more central and upfront—justifiably so.

Dolmen Gate’s songwriting is growing in strength, and the band is only getting heavier. The early one-two punch of “Souls to Sea” transitioning into “The Maze” alone makes their direction loud and clear, and it shows the band isn’t satisfied just sitting in one corner musically. As always, authenticity is the key factor in revival-style music, and Dolmen Gate passes the test with flying colors. They sound like they have the same influences as their favorite bands but are also aware of their musical surroundings in less olde times. The almighty riff is the most important building block here, and the band knows this well. Guitar and drum patterns from many varieties of heavy metal—and some of its heavier offshoots too—help to craft both catchy anthems (“The Maze,” “Carthage Eternal”) and epic long-form tunes (“Souls to Sea,” “Afore the Storm” into “We Are the Storm”) without missing a beat.

Echoes of Ancient Tales is, without question, the best pure heavy metal record of the year. A lot of newer epic heavy metal bands have popped up during the past decade, and many of them have the right idea. But it feels like the change of bands and lineups was the kick the ex-Ravensire folk needed to take that next step. Dolmen Gate is one of the best and most authentic so far, both songwriting and production-wise, while also doing something that’s uniquely theirs. Raise your swords and enter the gate!

Tracks to Check Out: “The Maze,” “A Tale of Time’s End,” and “We Are the Storm.”

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Field of Swords doubles down on Bloodbound’s recent melodic adventures. The double bass drumming of ’90s power metal is immediately recognizable, following in the steps of Stratovarius and HammerFall. The guitar work, too, has rejuvenated. Gone are almost all of the Sabatonisms that marred some of the band’s lowest points; here, the Olsson brothers’ rhythmic assault is simple but effective (“As Empires Fall,” “Born to Be King”), and its attitude carries the medieval fantasy spirit of [Luca Turilli(‘s) / Lione] Rhapsody [of Fire] minus the wank. The vocals of Patrik J. Selleby fit this style like a glove, his adapted performance being one of the strongest of his tenure thus far.

Bloodbound’s newfound breakneck pace and consistency are their greatest assets. The decision to go borderline sparkly on Field of Swords could have backfired, marking yet another sudden left turn in a discography full of them. Instead, it feels like a natural development from the past three albums. While the album on the surface is written like standard ’90s–’00s melodic power metal (“Field of Swords”), the execution of classic power chord choruses leading into blazing solos (“The Code of Warriors,” “Forged in Iron”) is surprisingly fiery and fun. Most importantly, Field of Swords forgoes balladry and prioritizes speed for a lion’s share of its 45-minute runtime. The record has a unified image unusual of Bloodbound. It’s not infallible—the unnecessary Sabaton sing-along stomp rears its head on the second half of “Pain and Glory”—but it is tightly-knit in a way I greatly appreciate.

As catchy as Field of Swords is, there are a few things preventing it from being a resounding success. For one, Bloodbound rely too much on one-note Battle Beastian disco synths. While Fredrik Bergh contributes plenty of pleasant backing bombast to the album as well, his main weapon of choice is sharp and high up in the mix, leading to fatigue on some otherwise strong choruses (“Defenders of Jerusalem,” “Light the Sky”). The band is still not immune to odd songwriting shifts either. In addition to the aforementioned “Pain and Glory” stumble, closing track “The Nine Crusades” features Unleash the Archers’ talented Brittney Slayes, only for her voice to drown under sappiness unfit for the record. Even so, the concoction here is potent. Cuts like “Land of the Brave” and “Light the Sky” are some of Bloodbound’s fastest and most energetic to date, and this sudden burst of frenzy is admirable of a veteran band.

For the first time in a while, Bloodbound’s sound has a true sense of direction. Field of Swords’ all-gas, no-brakes approach gives the record more urgency than they’ve had in forever, and both the songwriting and album flow greatly benefit in return. Despite some lingering issues, Field of Swords ends up being one of the better albums in the band’s catalog. Both Creatures of the Dark Realm and this album indicate the Europower-forward realignment continues to work in their favor. I can’t say I don’t still long for the days of Nosferatu, and Bloodbound could place a bit more faith in their strong guitar work and vocal lines, but whatever they’re doing is paying off once more. I can only hope this progress continues.

Rating: Good!
DR: N/A | Format Reviewed: Stream o’ Piss
Label: Napalm Records | Bandcamp
Websites: Bandcamp | Facebook | Instagram
Releases Worldwide: November 21st, 2025

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Aeons is here to have fun, first and foremost. While the resurrected post-2016 incarnation of Esprit D’Air is technically a solo project—Kai being the only ‘official’ full-time member—they do function as a band in practice. Frontman Kai and partner-in-crime Takeshi Tokunaga are behind most of the album’s writing and instrumentation, with Jan-Vincent Velazco handling the drum department. It’s difficult to pin down simple comparison points to Esprit D’Air’s genre soup shenanigans, but the majority of Aeons is built around alternative metal filtered through an anthemic, rock-oriented quality, the likes of X Japan (“Like a Phoenix”). Occasionally, their sound even leans towards the AOR, power-ish metal soar of newer Battle Beast (“Shadow of Time,” “Silver Leaf”). The guitar work usually resides next to or behind the keyboards, but it does a fine job adding extra heaviness to the album, and the instrumentation in general is tight and snappy. Kai’s vocal chops also play a major role on the record, further decorating strong choruses with melodic, J-rock-inspired vocal lines (“Chronos,” “羽ばたけ”).

Esprit D’Air has a penchant for strong hooks, especially on keyboards. Tracks like “Silver Leaf” and “Like a Phoenix” highlight the album’s greatest strengths, fusing together J-rock with extremely catchy synth patches that borrow from both techno and trance. Crucially, its multifaceted arsenal of keyboard and guitar styles makes the songs distinct from one another. Though the guitars could be more prominent, their relatively simplistic rhythmic role is complemented by powerful leads and intricate solo work when needed. The band’s attitude on instrumentation and songwriting is at times reminiscent of the way Elyose fuses early 2000s electronic and metal influences together, occasionally drifting towards their modern djentier alt-metal sound (“Chronos,” Lost Horizon”) or even the melodic downtuned attack of Periphery (“Quetzalcoatl”). Through their spectrum of styles, Aeons fulfills the band’s threat to feature more variety in a sleeker form.

The variety of Aeons, while intriguing, is a double-edged sword. There’s a particular spot around tracks 8–10 where the album’s alternative edge morphs into an edgier, nu-informed sound, both instrumentally and vocally (“Broken Mirror,” “絶望の光”). Despite Esprit D’Air kind of pulling it off, it doesn’t fit the album’s mood, especially not with all of it centered on one region. Half-ballad “Stardust” also quiets the album’s thunder somewhat, its bright but melancholic soundscape causing Kai to overstep his optimal vocal range. Fortunately, the majority of Aeons is memorable and at times even infectious. Its brevity softens its missteps; where Oceans landed at almost an hour, Aeons does more in nearly half the amount of time. This slick 35-minute runtime means its speed bumps aren’t fatal, but the middle of the album does still sag in comparison to the powerful start and finish.

Aeons ends up being an entertaining, tight bundle of melodic genre-defying goodness. Its catchy rock/metal attack blends together everything ’00s, and the electronic influences are particularly satisfying. The record’s inconsistency does leave something to be desired, and its sonical direction is unfocused at points, but the positives ultimately outweigh its stumbles. When I picked up the promo for Aeons, I wasn’t sure what I was getting myself into or what to expect. Now, it’s apparent Esprit D’Air have made an album that amounts to more than its components imply. I reckon their appeal can reach beyond their cited genre tags, and there’s plenty of room to further expand on their best qualities in the future.

Rating: Good!
DR: 5 | Format Reviewed: FLAC
Label: Starstorm Records (self-run)
Websites: Bandcamp | Facebook | Instagram
Releases Worldwide: November 7th, 2025

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Aquilla’s authentic sound immediately makes it clear they’re not messing around. Since the last time they heeded the call, they’ve been through some lineup shifts, vocalist Captain Paradox and rhythm guitarist Jaspar de Phaser both joining in 2023. The resulting shift in sound is both obvious and a major positive. Captain Paradox is the star of the show, his vocals thoroughly combining the best of the ’80s and wailing wild and free like Kai Hansen (Helloween debut, Gamma Ray) or Michael Knoblich (Scanner debut). But the speed and power metal elements in Sentinels of New Dawn don’t stop at the vocals, they are firmly present in the dueling guitar work of Jaspar de Phaser and Kris Invader as well (“Creed of Fire,” “Technocrats’ Tyranny”). The bouncy and varied drum patterns, together with an ’80s Helloween-coated bass performance (“Technocrats’ Tyranny”), round out the rock-solid, energetic foundation of the album.

The greatest strength of Sentinels of New Dawn is its potent, to-the-point songwriting. Mankind’s Odyssey was at times charming, but had a fairly narrow scope and often forgot the ‘speed’ half of speed metal. Here, Aquilla dedicate much more of the album’s runtime to an all-gas, no-brakes approach, something sorely missing from many others of its kind. The record has plenty of tricks up its sleeve, with dual-harmonized NWoBHM leads (“Plunder & Steel,” “Mountains of Black Sleep”) and fun classic-sounding gang vocals (“Plunder & Steel”) increasing the anthemic factor further. But the band also shows songwriting maturity and variety by dipping into Queensrÿchean melodic segments (“Mountains of Black Sleep,” “Battalion 31”). While the combination isn’t seamless—the middle of the album unevenly packed with most of the slower bits—it suits Aquilla well and makes for an entertaining and multifaceted album. Furthermore, relying less on Iron Maiden worship and being more German speed/power metal-informed (“Creed of Fire,” “Battalion 31”) has improved their songcraft significantly. As a result, it feels like the band has now found their element and figured out their sound, combining aspects of old and new(er).

Aquilla is having fun, and it translates into a frenetic and inspired album. At just under 50 minutes—45 minutes omitting the intro and outro—Sentinels is a brisk and empowering experience. Even the 10-minute epic “The Prophet” flies by; a great combination of an Iron Maiden and Gamma Ray epic, with the second half having some of the best and most triumphant guitars of the bunch. The dramatic intro and synthy outro fit in oddly well, too, neither one overstaying its welcome. That being said, there are still some quirks to iron out. The harsh vocals at the start of “The Curse of Mercurion” aren’t too damaging, but they are a rough listen and feel unnecessary. “Bound to Be King,” though competent, lacks a hook that the other barn burners feature. Nevertheless, every song here is a good time at least, and many of them show signs of brilliance at best.

Sentinels of New Dawn shows a young band developing into form. Aquilla is here to kick ass and take names, and their mix of old and new is lively and exciting to listen to. The songwriting has made major strides in the span of three years; their speed and energy has only grown, and the Polish metal scene is all the richer and more varied for it. I hope Aquilla fleshes out their craft even further for the next one—with this lineup, they’re on the cusp of greatness.

Rating: Very Good!
DR: 6 | Format Reviewed: 320kbps mp3
Label: High Roller Records
Websites: Bandcamp | Facebook | Instagram
Releases Worldwide: October 31st, 2025

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It becomes immediately apparent that Blizaro takes heavy influence from the ‘70s and ‘80s. After a short melodramatic intro sets the stage, the Candlemassive and Troublesome hammer of doom descends. John Gallo’s wonderful guitar tone and playing style echo as much old Sabbath and ‘70s Judas Priest (“Internal Chasm”) as it does traditional doom, and the part-NWoBHM lead guitars (“Glare of Light and Desolation”) bring light and energy into the formula. The gloomy but heavy sound is complemented by Gallo’s eerie and dramatic vocals. His Ozzy-coded, blue-collar delivery fits the mold well, and good usage of layers adds extra oomph to an already good performance. But Light and Desolation isn’t just about the metal world. Horror-themed suspense and Tangerine Dream-touched synthesizers (“Sentenced Pathways”) color much of the album’s material both on the foreground and in the background. These individual elements already sound good on their lonesome but create spectacular hooks and crescendos when working in unison (“Silver Tower,” “Lightning Strikes Back”).

Crucially, Blizaro’s songwriting is both authentic and fresh, combining many old inspirations into newer ideas. Imitation is flattery, but it can only take you so far without understanding how your influences formed their sound in the first place. And throughout Light and Desolation, Gallo showcases a wealth of knowledge in not only his influences but also their various heroes and followers. Whether it’s the Iron Maiden pyrotechnics at the start of “Internal Chasm” or the ‘70s prog rock bounce of “Lucifer’s Lament,” Light and Desolation keeps throwing new curveballs to switch up its songwriting mojo. Not all of it is created equal, as some of the transitions in the aforementioned feel jarring, but most of the resulting breadth ends up a net positive. This wouldn’t be half the album it is without its cinematic atmosphere tying it all together. Sword-swinging closer “Warriors of the New Lands” is a culmination of Blizaro’s heavy metal, horror atmosphere, and space synth tendencies alike. It’s not just a throwback sound—it’s a unique blend of them.

On top of Light and Desolation being written like a lost relic, it also sounds the part. The mix allows all instruments room to shine and breathe, the crashing of cymbals in particular being a pleasure to listen to. The fuzzy production makes for a surprisingly warm album despite its cold and desolate demeanor, proving once again that heaviness does not require overcompression.⁴ Some of it might even sound a bit too ancient for my tastes, and it certainly took some getting used to. The vocals aren’t perfect either, occasionally stumbling during the latter half of the album. But what Blizaro sometimes lacks in consistency, they make up for in pure character and charisma. I’ve had trouble getting “Lightning Strikes Back” out of my head ever since first hearing the song, and it’s far from the only memorable moment here.

Light and Desolation is another strong success in a recent streak of distantly similar but ultimately unrelated nods to the old school. Blizaro continues putting their own spin on classic heavy and doom metal with elements of Italian horror ambience and olde prog synths from outer space. Aside from some minor vocal and songwriting slip-ups, it’s a majorly fun and replayable package with many layers to uncover. John Gallo’s busy schedule makes his writing speed tend towards the George R.R. Martin end of things, but the wait was well worth it. Here’s hoping there are more chapters of this—or even stronger—quality in the book of Blizaro yet to come!

Rating: Very Good
DR: 9 | Format Reviewed: 320 kb/s CBR MP3
Label: Nameless Grave Records
Website: Bandcamp
Releases Worldwide: September 26th, 2025

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