Canberra rock heavyweights Hands Like Houses have teamed up with post-hardcore icons Dream on Dreamer on new single Warning Signs, out now via Civilians. The new track arrives as both bands get ready to hit the road together on The Lótus Tour this April – tickets on sale now. Warning Signs is about recognising emotional […]
Once again, I return to my roots. That opulent, gem-encrusted egg from which my metalhead nascency spawned, symphonic power metal. Cloaked in velvet drapery as I return to these cobbled alleys I used to haunt, those early years steeping in Nightwish, Leaves’ Eyes, Epica, and Xandria wash over me, evoking a nostalgic bliss. Enter Greece’s Mystfall and their sophomore effort Embers of a Dying World. Relatively fresh on the scene, and competing with newer champions like Elvellon or Dialith, do Mystfall have what it takes to make waves?
If nothing else, Mystfall have two big things going for them: a (relatively) meaty guitar tone and the most convincing death growls and blackened rasps in the genre right now. Thanks to a moderately-better-than-industry-standard mix and master, you can clearly hear the bass guitar thundering underneath lush strings and prominent choirs as well. These are items that countless acts in this space neglect or shortchange, but not Mystfall. Thankfully, those items don’t detract from the usual suspects. Operatic mezzo-soprano lead vocals, heavily accented; hooky verse work and soaring choruses; galloping drums and brisk pacing; rich orchestrations; the gang’s all here, and in fine form for the most part. And, in another unexpected breath of fresh air, Embers of a Dying World clocks in at a tidy 38 minutes, with the longest song just barely brushing past five minutes. It seems that on paper, Mystfall fully understood their assignment and gave me everything the world needs in a modern symphocheese record.
In practice, Embers of a Dying World acquits itself quite nicely as well. Enlisting the help of studio bassist and harsh vocalist Stelios Varotsakis was an inspired choice, as his counterpoint on both instruments elevates everything it touches (“Embers of a Dying World,” “Fading Memories”). It is my assertion that Mystfall make him a full-fledged member of the band immediately. However, his contributions aren’t so astounding as to distract from Marialena Trikoglou’s siren song, Aris Baris’ chuggy riffs, or Dimitris Miglis’ expressive percussion (songs). Hints of old school Epica melodies (“Crimson Dawn,” “Echoes of Arcadia”), Leaves’ Eyes/Xandria adventurism (“Whispers of the Tempest,” “Guardians of the Earth,” “Cosmic Legends”) and Nightwish double bass bounce (“Sleeper in the Abyss”) coalesce into a fun variety of moods and motifs, all smartly woven together to allow each performer their spotlight. With such a bizarrely tight runtime, Embers of a Dying World is also ridiculously easy to spin multiple times in one session, assisting greatly with long-term memorability.
Unfortunately, Mystfall still struggles to find a distinct identity in the homologous plague the symphonic power metal scene perpetuates. While crafting an enjoyable album that is undoubtedly fun and wholly engaging, its similarity to those bands that originally forged the style is undeniable and obvious. Partly due to the strict and restrictive nature of operatic singing techniques—and the physiological difficulties that committing to that style poses to the exploration of any other kind of singing—Marialena’s technically competent performance here lacks impact and power when pinned against singers who can and do work in multiple disciplines (Simone Simons, Floor Jansen, Veronica Bordacchini). On the instrumental front, Aris Baris’ riffs rarely venture outside of the conventions long upheld in this field, often allowing the orchestrations to take point when leading melodies or initiating motifs. Even the dramatic orchestrations lack the showstopping quality they could have if they were either recorded with a full orchestra or more unique in composition or arrangement.
As a result, Embers of a Dying World feels misplaced in time. Were it released in 1996 or thereabouts, it would’ve constituted an instant hit, a direct competitor to the pack leaders at the time. In 2026, it’s one in a million, albeit better made and brilliantly edited. As maligned by songwriting issues and stylistic banality as symphonic power metal often is, competing for acclaim and attention in that crowded place requires a fierce, striking showing. Mystfall have everything they need to make that showing, but Embers of a Dying World falls just short of that elusive threshold. That said, I’m impressed with it enough to wait avidly for what Mystfall might come up with next!
For more than three decades, Grammy and Academy Award-nominated rock band Counting Crows have enchanted listeners worldwide with their intensely soulful and intricate take on timeless rock and roll. In 2026 they return to Australia and New Zealand with The Complete Sweets! Tour – bringing decades of sing‑along moments, deep cuts, and fresh energy to […]
The singer/multi-instrumentalist says he’s had 430 therapy sessions in the past 70 weeks and suggests that fathering a child with a woman outside of his marriage in 2024 is part of the reason why
The idea for Acacia Avenue began back in 2008. Founding member, Torben Enevoldsen (Fate, Fatal Force, Section A), spent most of that year writing new material. Some of this new material came to be very melodic hard rock/AOR, and the idea of doing a full album in this style quickly emerged. In order to spice […]
Extinction A.D. have released a new single, called “Thaw”. The track marks the band’s second release since signing with M-Theory Audio earlier this year. Check out the music video below. Read more…
Don Broco have announced their Nightmare Tripping UK headline tour.
The nine-date run will hit Lincoln, Sheffield, Edinburgh, Manchester, Liverpool, Newcastle, Birmingham, Norwich and Bristol in the autumn, following a busy summer that’ll take in festivals and a massive date with Biffy Clyro at London’s Finsbury Park.
Broco’s new album Nightmare Tripping arrives on March 27 via Fearless – the same date their tour tickets go on sale.
Recently speaking to Kerrang! about the darker subject matter of the LP, frontman Rob Damiani explained, “For me, even from writing the last record [2021’s Amazing Things] to this one, there’s so much stuff going on in the news that you can’t ignore it. That’s something that’s consumed my brain for many, many months in a way that never has before.
“It feels like one thing after another. It feels like there’s no escape. Sometimes it can feel quite oppressive. It’s become a lot harder to be able to balance it out, and go, ‘That’s a bit of a worry, but I can focus on my own life.’ The stakes feel so much higher these days. As a title, Nightmare Tripping kind of encompasses all of that in a quite neat way.”
Catch them live at the following:
Don Broco Nightmare Tripping UK tour
September
28 Lincoln Engine Shed 29 Sheffield Octagon Centre
October
1 Edinburgh O2 Academy 2 Manchester Academy 3 Liverpool Guild Of Students 4 Newcastle O2 City Hall 7 Birmingham O2 Academy 10 Norwich University Of East Anglia 14 Bristol The Prospect Building
It only seems like yesterday that James McBain and his project Hellripper roared out of Aberdeen with the scorching debut EP The Manifestation Of Evil. A raw combination of Speed and Black Metal, it was the first step in a journey that has seen the bedroom project evolve into one of the most important bands of the Blackened Thrash movement.
Fresh in sound yet drawing from some of the most primitive influences, McBain has refined his art to the point where the new album, Coronach, feels much more mature than the fourth album by Hellripper.
Hellripper release Coronach on 27 March 2026 via Century Media Records.
Do not get me wrong. This is still vitally aggressive and ferociously extreme. But there is now a blended element to the music, with a melodic portion that underpins much of the raging torrent of riffs.
Opening track Hunderprest not only rips with the teeth of a hundred hounds, but there are now clean melodies in the blistering solos as well as Dimmu Borgir flavour with use of some keys to give it depth. This is a track we are already familiar with, and the dual guitar harmonies soar with a nod to the classics, Lizzy, Priest and Maiden.
Following on from the 2023 Warlocks Grim & Withered Hags, McBrain once more delves deep into Scottish history. He explains the background to the title track. “A coronach is a vocal lament traditionally performed at funerals in the Scottish Highlands. Intertwined with my own words is the poem of the same name by Sir Walter Scott, which served as an inspiration for this story: the funeral of an ambivalent and mysterious figure, revered by his community for his heroic deeds, but whose life hid many dark secrets.
“As well as lyrically, the track is also a musical experiment for me. It was primarily influenced by late ’80s Thrash Metal, along with bands like Bathory, Gallowbraid and Atlantean Kodex. A dash of post-punk, a fair amount of Iron Maiden-style guitar harmonies, some classical references and the haunting wail of the bagpipes fading in the distance. This song feels like the perfect farewell to the album.”
Before arriving at the epic conclusion, though, there is plenty to get your teeth into. You can certainly mosh to Kinchyle (Goatkraft And Granite), with its groove that gets into the brain and has you humming it for days, especially the creepy breakdown and addictive riff that echoes Opeth circa Blackwater Park.
Proof that McBrain is expanding his repertoire whilst retaining the intense barrage that has become the band’s trademark. Progression in any genre is welcomed, and the use of piano, cello and other instruments really gives Coronach a fresh style.
The Art Of Resurrection has an intro that momentarily changes the tempo before the snarling growls kick in. “For the first time, I experimented with piano, synthesiser, celesta, cello and violin,” McBrain says, “and there are some bagpipes present too, as with the last album.
“I felt that this helped create the ‘cold’ atmosphere that I wanted the album to exude. I’ve tried some new vocal approaches, too, that I think give a couple of the tracks a little more dynamics.
“But don’t get me wrong. Despite these new influences and the experimentation, it’s still most definitely a Speed Metal album and contains some of my fastest and most aggressive music to date. I’d like to think I haven’t gone completely off the rails.”
And that’s the bottom line here. Experimentation is good, and Hellripper’s fourth album is without doubt their most experimental to date. But with the tracks all embedded in McBrain’s Scottish heritage, they retain that ghoulish assault on the jugular that we desire and demand from Hellripper.
Blakk Satanik Fvkkstorm storms the gates with unrelenting blackened blasphemy.
Powerfully aggressive is still the order of the day. The roaring frenzy of Sculptor’s Cave is another deeply rooted in Hellripper heritage. And when we do reach the title track, we are treated to a near nine-minute extravaganza which sees clean vocals and a song that is grandiose in every aspect.
“When I started Hellripper, the goal was to release one EP with the hope that a few people in my local scene at the time would enjoy it,” McBrain recalls. “It’s safe to say it’s gone further than I ever imagined, and I have no intention of stopping! I love what I do, and I appreciate the support from the fans so much. It means a lot to hear that the music I create at home resonates with people.”
He is not wrong. Drawing in so many influences could be a car crash. Coronach is the exact opposite. It is a glorious statement of a band/musician coming of age, Hellripper’s cleverest work to date.
Make sure you get yourself involved. You will not regret it.
Hellripper embark on a European headline tour alongside Schizophrenia and Sarcator to promote Coronach, beginning this Friday at The Garage, Glasgow. For tickets and full dates, visit hellripper.com/tickets.
March
The Garage, Glasgow490 Sauchiehall St, Glasgow G2 3LW
Hellripper return with Coronach, a fierce and compelling new chapter in James McBain’s ever-evolving blackened thrash journey. Out on 27 March 2026, the album captures
Event Details
Hellripper return with Coronach, a fierce and compelling new chapter in James McBain’s ever-evolving blackened thrash journey. Out on 27 March 2026, the album captures the raw aggression that defined early releases while pushing into more refined and atmospheric territory.
Drawing deeply from Scottish heritage, Coronach blends blistering speed, razor-sharp riffing and feral intensity with unexpected layers of melody, classical instrumentation and haunting ambience, marking a bold progression in Hellripper’s sound.
Hellripper embark on a European headline tour alongside Schizophrenia and Sarcator to promote Coronach, beginning Friday 27 March 2026 at The Garage, Glasgow. For tickets and full dates, visit hellripper.com/tickets.
Hellripper return with Coronach, a fierce and compelling new chapter in James McBain’s ever-evolving blackened thrash journey. Out on 27 March 2026, the album captures
Event Details
Hellripper return with Coronach, a fierce and compelling new chapter in James McBain’s ever-evolving blackened thrash journey. Out on 27 March 2026, the album captures the raw aggression that defined early releases while pushing into more refined and atmospheric territory.
Drawing deeply from Scottish heritage, Coronach blends blistering speed, razor-sharp riffing and feral intensity with unexpected layers of melody, classical instrumentation and haunting ambience, marking a bold progression in Hellripper’s sound.
Hellripper embark on a European headline tour alongside Schizophrenia and Sarcator to promote Coronach, beginning Friday 27 March 2026 at The Garage, Glasgow. For tickets and full dates, visit hellripper.com/tickets.
Hellripper return with Coronach, a fierce and compelling new chapter in James McBain’s ever-evolving blackened thrash journey. Out on 27 March 2026, the album captures
Event Details
Hellripper return with Coronach, a fierce and compelling new chapter in James McBain’s ever-evolving blackened thrash journey. Out on 27 March 2026, the album captures the raw aggression that defined early releases while pushing into more refined and atmospheric territory.
Drawing deeply from Scottish heritage, Coronach blends blistering speed, razor-sharp riffing and feral intensity with unexpected layers of melody, classical instrumentation and haunting ambience, marking a bold progression in Hellripper’s sound.
Hellripper embark on a European headline tour alongside Schizophrenia and Sarcator to promote Coronach, beginning Friday 27 March 2026 at The Garage, Glasgow. For tickets and full dates, visit hellripper.com/tickets.
On March 19, 1982, music was changed forever when Ozzy Osbourne’s brilliant guitarist, right hand man and protege was killed in a freak air crash. He was only 25 years old, but left behind a legacy that is still felt today.
In November last year, Rhoads’ bandmate in Quiet Riot, Kelly Garni, toured Australia celebrating that legacy. While he was here, he teamed up with Brisbane rockers Snakebite Whisky to perform Killer Girls, originally from the Sunset Strip band’s 1979 album Quiet Riot II.
After the tour, the gang decided to lay down their version for posterity, teaming up in a studio to lay down their tribute to one of rock and metal’s biggest guitar influences. Check out the result here, or watch the clip below.
Swedish Hard Rock group Arkado have released their new single ‘Phoenix And Stardust‘ The track features ZHIVA singer Anette Johansson as guest on vocals in a duet with Philip Lindstrand. Listen to the song – here This is an anthem for two people who have survived a catastrophic event—a literal apocalypse, and thereby a life-shattering […]
Canberra rock heavyweights Hands Like Houses have teamed up with post-hardcore icons Dream on Dreamer on new single Warning Signs, out now via Civilians. The new track arrives as both bands get ready to hit the road together on The Lótus Tour this April – tickets on sale now. Warning Signs is about recognising emotional […]
Once again, I return to my roots. That opulent, gem-encrusted egg from which my metalhead nascency spawned, symphonic power metal. Cloaked in velvet drapery as I return to these cobbled alleys I used to haunt, those early years steeping in Nightwish, Leaves’ Eyes, Epica, and Xandria wash over me, evoking a nostalgic bliss. Enter Greece’s Mystfall and their sophomore effort Embers of a Dying World. Relatively fresh on the scene, and competing with newer champions like Elvellon or Dialith, do Mystfall have what it takes to make waves?
For more than three decades, Grammy and Academy Award-nominated rock band Counting Crows have enchanted listeners worldwide with their intensely soulful and intricate take on timeless rock and roll. In 2026 they return to Australia and New Zealand with The Complete Sweets! Tour – bringing decades of sing‑along moments, deep cuts, and fresh energy to […]
