“When it comes to the vast pantheons of mythological figures, Aeon Gods is clearly interested in the most powerful. Their 2024 debut album, King of Gods, expounded upon the mighty deities of Mesopotamia with plenty of power metal bombast. Now, less than 18 months later, this German five-piece turns their attention to ancient Egypt. Specifically, Reborn to Light orbits the sun god Re (more commonly known today as Ra).” Gods and Suns))).
2025 is fading in the rearview, but the Filters still need scrubbing. See what was left over after all the holiday debauchery.
“Little did I realize when Napalm announced that Lord of the Lost was recording a 33-song trilogy that each album would release so close to one another. A mere four months following the release of Opvs Noir Vol 1, we get Opvs Noir Vol 2, and it’s just in time for stocking stuffer season. Vol 1 was my introduction to this one-time Eurovision finalist, and I came away impressed. So I was pretty excited to see this in the doldrums of our December promo bin. With the quick release of Vol 2, I can only assume Lord of the Lost wrote all 33 songs of the trilogy together, Lord of the Rings-style.” Lots of lost.
“Like a sailor’s call to the sea, I am routinely compelled to the sub-genre of symphonic metal in all of its be-corset-ed miscellany. Why? Maybe I need a break from dudes singing ugly for ladies singing pretty. Maybe falling for Seven Spires justified my continued curiosity in the style. Maybe I’ve never been as happy as I was discovering Imaginaerum in high school. Regardless, the call brought me now to the German symphonic group Coronatus and their new record, Dreadful Waters.” Symphonies of Same Ness.
“In the metalverse, there are plenty of unique personas, and now we can count Valira Pietrangelo among them. She has been very open in interviews about suffering from identity dysphoria. As a result, she dove into making music and eventually discovering herself as a demon. What better way to express your newfound demonhood than through black metal? Everything about Vesseles (pronounced veh-sel-is) revolves around Pietrangelo’s identity.” Demons in the details.
“Beyond the Black play the sort of female-led symphonic metal that seems to get a bit of traction in Europe. Since Jennifer Haben formed the band in 2014, they have recorded five LPs that climbed the charts in her home country of Germany as well as those of neighboring countries. Break the Silence, their sixth record, finds them at their peak. It’s a concept album revolving around themes of communication and connection.” Can’t you hear me screaming?
![Memories of Old – Never Stop Believing [Things You Might Have Missed 2025]](https://www.angrymetalguy.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/Memories-of-Old-Never-Stop-Believing-01.jpg.webp)
“Sneaking in at the end of a crowded 2025, Memories of Old released their sophomore record, Never Stop Believing, hoping to fill a Fellowship-sized hole in your heart.” Don’t stop!
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.
“Depending on what you already know about the castle to your left and what it holds, this review will either come late, very late, or right on time (read: actually on time or only slightly late). That’s because Colorado’s goth-soaked symphonic brutal death upstarts Pedestal for Leviathan originally self-released their debut LP, Enter: Vampyric Manifestation, on Halloween. In short order, it was picked up for distro by Gurgling Gore Productions, who released it again digitally on November 14th (with physical cassettes dropping December 12th). Then, Personal Records also picked it up for yet another digi release, along with a compact disc release, set for December 12th. Having none of this information prior to picking up Personal Records’ promo for review, needless to say, I was confused and frustrated. However, Enter: Vampyric Manifestation was simply too cool not to write about, so here we are.” Pedestal pushing.
![Aephanemer – Utopie [Things You Might Have Missed 2025]](https://www.angrymetalguy.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/Aephanemer-Utopie-01.jpg.webp)
“I first encountered Aephanemer between Prokopton and A Dream of Wilderness, and it was love at first listen. Their classical flourishes seamlessly converge with aggressive riffing to develop complex layers of hook-infested earworms so inescapable that no prescription can rid me of their iron thrall. Four years after their last outing, Aephanemer returns with a mature interpretation of their signature sonic stamp.” Apes and hammers and melodeath.
