Melodic Death Metal

Blackwater Drowning – Obscure Sorrows Review

Blackwater Drowning – Obscure Sorrows Review

By Lavender Larcenist on March 4, 2026 in Reviews, Groove Metal, Melodic Death Metal, Metalcore, 80 comments

“I’m going to come out and say it. Arch Enemy has done untold damage to female-fronted metal bands. While their influence is undeniable, every iteration of the band has featured monotone vocals, cringe-inducing lyrics, and leather-clad frontwomen. As a woman, I have no issue with these things in a vacuum, but in the larger music sphere, they created simultaneously high and absurdly low standards. Requiring frontwomen to be stereotypically hot, thin, and sport bright hair, while also plummeting standards on the musical side with their milquetoast melodeath slop. This is an ill omen for North Carolina’s Blackwater Drowning.” Enemies and expectations.

Desoration – NON Review

Desoration – NON Review

By Owlswald on February 18, 2026 in Reviews, Death Metal, Melodic Death Metal, Technical Death Metal, 22 comments

“Self-releasing an album is a monumental effort. Between production, distribution, artwork, press, yadda yadda yadda, the logistical weight quickly consumes vast amounts of time, money and energy. And that’s before you factor in the arduous task of creating music that’s actually fucking good. Indeed, for a young band, initial encounters are everything, which means it behooves one to ensure everything is as polished and professional as possible. Desoration understands this” Self against self.

Carrion Vael – Slay Utterly Review

Carrion Vael – Slay Utterly Review

By Grin Reaper on January 15, 2026 in Reviews, Melodic Death Metal, Technical Death Metal, 65 comments

“Carrion Vael has cultivated an admirably consistent release schedule since dropping Resurrection of the Doomed in 2017. After unleashing follow-up God Killer in 2020, the Richmond, Indiana quintet has delivered big, veiny doses of muscular, technical melodeath every other year. Slay Utterly is Carrion Vael’s fifth load of unfettered aggression, slinging riffs that sparkle and crush in whiplashing frenzies. Though not explicitly billed as a concept album, Slay Utterly delves into tales morbid and macabre.” Carrion, my wayward son.

Unexpectance – Solus Ipse

Unexpectance – Solus Ipse

By Kenstrosity on January 14, 2026 in Reviews, Melodic Death Metal, Metalcore, 41 comments

“Spanish metalcore/melodeath quintet Unexpectance lived up to their name when I encountered them for the first time in 2022, boasting a remarkably meaty and riff-packed assault on their sophomore effort Vortex. After recruiting a new drummer, a new vocalist, and a new lead guitarist, their upcoming salvo Solus Ipse threatens to sound quite a bit different, despite tapping similar Dante-centric philosophical wells for its theme. This potential shift didn’t hamper my interest, however, as their chunky, groovy songwriting held up quite well over time.” No one expects the unexpectance.

Dead Sun – This Life is a Grave Review

Dead Sun – This Life is a Grave Review

By ClarkKent on January 10, 2026 in Reviews, Melodic Death Metal, 35 comments

“He must be a music addict. I can’t fathom any other reason Rogga Johansson has so many heavy metal projects. Scratching his songwriting itch must require the slightly different flavors of death metal and variety of collaborators each project provides. This latest from his melodeath outfit, Dead Sun, marks, by my count, album number nine for Rogga this year alone, and it is also album number nine for Dead Sun since its formation.” Rogga! Rogga!

Suotana – Ounas II [Things You Might Have Missed 2025]

Suotana – Ounas II [Things You Might Have Missed 2025]

By Baguette of Bodom on December 19, 2025 in Things You Might Have Missed 2025, Melodic Black Metal, Melodic Death Metal, Power Metal, 29 comments

“Remember the Finnish melodic death and power metal fusion of the late ’90s and early ’00s? Bands like Children of Bodom, Kalmah, and Norther were all the rage for a short while. You even had stuff like Ensiferum for a folkier interpretation, or Catamenia for the blackened side of things. The truth is that it never really left. Suotana is one of the bands keeping this sound alive and well, and they have more history than one might think.” Increasing your death power.

Equilibrium – Equinox Review

Equilibrium – Equinox Review

By Samguineous Maximus on December 3, 2025 in Reviews, Electronic Metal, Folk Metal, Melodic Death Metal, Metalcore, 29 comments

“More than almost any other metal niche, folk metal has to walk a treacherously thin line between “actually good music” and “full-body cringe.” For every band that can fuse arena-sized melodies with genuine folk charm, there are three more tumbling headfirst into the Neckbeard Abyss™, condemned to soundtrack the Nordic-themed house parties of Reddit mods everywhere. Equilibrium has stood proudly on both sides of that divide. Their early triumphs of Turis Frayter and Sagas were mead-soaked romps packed with syrupy pagan hooks and enough triumphant Bjoriffs to level a longhouse, but ever since, the spark has dimmed, and each new release has brought diminishing returns.” Balance restored?

Aephanemer – Utopie [Things You Might Have Missed 2025]

Aephanemer – Utopie [Things You Might Have Missed 2025]

By Grin Reaper on November 24, 2025 in Things You Might Have Missed 2025, Melodic Death Metal, Symphonic Metal, 53 comments

“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.