“Charm is a powerful drug. At the farthest extremes, charm can alter my perception at a fundamental level, warping what might otherwise be boring, unreliable, or even downright problematic things into something worth defending or even loving. But when it comes to music, charm—in measured doses, of course—allows me to fully enjoy the good in something flawed. This is what ultimately drew me to Greek doom startups Distorted Reflection in 2024, and now again in 2026.” Charm into the doomer zone.
When Greek trve metal heroes Triumpher drop a new magnus opus, it requires 2 reviews to cope with all the glory. Will Piercing the Heart of the World impale you on the lance of majesty and honor?
“What do you get when you mix a popular American ’80s sitcom, a ragtag group of brewers, and the Scottish term for the cut to the face of Heath Ledger’s Joker? Apparently, some Greek groove metal. Since Vagelis Karzis (former live bassist for Rotting Christ) formed Full House Brew Crew, in 2009, the band has had a fairly consistent lineup. They’ve also been somewhat consistent with album releases, as Glasgow Grin marks their fifth, though there was a seven-year gap between their second, Bet it All (2011), and third, Me Against You (2018).” Beer me?
“The Magus is the eponymous band of The Magus himself. At times known also as ‘Morbid,’ ‘Magus Wampyr Daoloth,’ or even ‘George,’ the entity known as ‘The Magus’ is somewhat of a fixture in the history of Greek black metal. He contributed mightily to the scene by performing on the first two Rotting Christ full-lengths, founding both Necromantia and Thou Art Lord, and owning and producing at Storm Studio in Athens, the recording location for many of Hellenic black/death metal’s seminal records. In 2021, it was announced that Necromantia had “now descended into the Abyss” following the death of its co-founder, Baron Blood. Shortly after releasing that band’s swan song, The Magus announced the birth of The Magus as a vessel to express his Luciferian worldview.” Grand Magus?
“Sometimes an album comes around ye olde promo pit that looks and smells familiar, but plays like something else entirely. Today’s entry into the “what the heck am I actually listening to?” hall of infamy is Phasma’s Purgatory. The third record from the Greek/US duo, and the first carried by a label—our beloved Transcending Obscurity Records—Purgatory continually subverted every expectation I had. In doing so, it became one of my biggest pleasant surprises in recent memory.” Set Phasmas to brutal stun.
“Steel is a sucker for a band trying their absolute best to bring back the bountiful glory of the 80s metal sound. Enter Greek retro fiends Leatherhead and their second full-length crusade, Violent Horror Stories. I happened to stumble upon their lead single “V.H.S” while scrolling on YouTube and mistook them for yet another thrash revival group, but I was mistaken. Though this is often speedy, high-energy stuff, it plays out more like a loving nod to the salad days of US power metal than any kind of beer and BO thrash-fest.” No sleep til leather.
![Dragon Skull – Chaos Fire Vengeance [Things You Might Have Missed 2025]](https://www.angrymetalguy.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/cover-1.jpg.webp)
“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.
![Halocraft – The Sky Will Remember / To Leave a Single Wolf Alive [Things You Might Have Missed 2025]](https://www.angrymetalguy.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/Halocraft-The-Sky-Will-Remember-01.jpg.webp)
“I find the idea of double albums fascinating. While in many cases they may indicate an unchecked surge of inspiration or an unwillingness to self-edit, there are instances when the decision can feel genuinely appropriate. Halocraft, a (mostly) instrumental post-rock quartet from Greece, opted to split the final entry of a multi-album story into two parallel endings. According to their respective Bandcamp pages, The Sky Will Remember is the “imaginary happy ending,” whereas To Leave a Single Wolf Alive is the “true dark ending.”” Double miss!
“Brothers, you need power metal in your life. No, you do. You need authentic positivity shot straight into your cynic-rotten hearts, now. Most fortunate for you, Greek power metallers Steel Arctus have graced this year of 2025 with their third album Dreamruler, marking the third entry into the chronicles of their titular hero Steel Arctus. 2020’s Fire and Blood detailed the origins of Steel Arctus and his girlfriend the Arcadian Lady, 2022’s Master of War saw him delve into the fires of Hades and now Dreamruler sees him challenge the titular Dreamruler in his evil world of dreams to rescue his bodacious muse.” Steel, love, and wizards.
“Has it really been 4 years since Horrors from the Void dropped? The third full-length from Greek trve metal/power unit Black Soul Horde was a rollicking, rowdy mash-up of 80s traditional metal, power, and all things trve. Old-timey Manilla Road influences coexisted alongside Agent Steel and Jag Panzer idioms, and newer retro acts like Visigoth and Eternal Champion. This was more than an olde head like Yours Steely could resist, and the fun factor and broad sword quotient got it stamped with a fat 4.0. Now we get the follow-up, which has some mighty big war booties to fill. The Horde haven’t changed their approach for Symphony of Chaos, so all the same elements are in place and ready to rake for our hearts, minds, and black souls.” Chaos is a horde ladder.
