Electric Callboy – Tanzneid (Century Media/Sony) [Matt Bladen]Tanzeid, which translates to ‘Dance Envy’ for you non German speakers, is the anticipated new record from German rave metal kings Electric Callboy.
Staring back in 2010 with a chillier name, since they’ve added the Electric moniker they’ve taken the world by storm with a style of music that is almost unclassifiable but also has a massive following from lovers of multiple genres.
Within the metal community there’s just as many who love them as loathe them but you know what they’re headlining both Waken and Bloodstock next year so what do the gatekeepers know? Their previous album
Tekkno (2022) was a worldwide smash so they are looking to recreate that with this new record, their seventh studio release.
They’re looking to do by taking more risks musically than on their other records, pushing the Electro pop choruses, techno hyperbeats, emo anthemics and metal breakdowns further to create a collision of sounds that swirl together resulting in a record of urgent, heavy music that’s right on the pulse of modern metal while also taking them further into a genre of one.
Their meteoric rise can been witnessed by the company they keep as single
Ratatata brims with Euro/J-Pop Dance energy and features Babymetal.
Let The Good Times Roll however has a nostalgic pop punk bounce as The Offspring add their gang shout choruses. The pop punk influence doesn’t stop there though as
Still Waiting is an electo metal cover of the Sum 41 hit, the band where drummer Frank Zummo played until they disbanded.
Written while in tour, in backstage areas, flashes of studio time,
Tanzeid feels like a band who are creating music for the stage, there’s few breaks in the pace, but definitely a more mature way of songwriting that uses space to create more an impact than just audio battery, even on the metallics blasts of
Heartclub there’s huge clean choruses, as
The Way You Are takes us into the realm of boy bands and close harmonies then explodes into the heaviest track here.
Tanzneid encourages you to dance like no one’s watching and with the ten new Techno-metal bangers and four remixes you’ll definitely be hearing these in an arena near you soon so start throwing shapes.
8/10Din Of Celestial Birds – Takeoffs & Landings (Big Scary Monsters) [Matt Bladen]Din Of Celestial Birds are Matt Benatan (bass/synths), Chris Core (guitar), Andie Gill (guitar/synth), Tom Hazlehurst (guitar) and Vince Knight-Schrijver (drums/percussion).
They’ve been making waves in the post rock scene for a while now and with their second record
Takeoffs & Landings they’ve enlisted Joe Clayton and Brad Boatright to make sure it sounds the absolute best it can.
On their sophomore record the have made a concept album about “adventure, travel, and the journey of life” these journeys and experienced channeled though their progressive, vibrant, instrumental post rock. Three expansive, cinematic guitars sounds interplay, an insistent rhythm section and innovative synth patterns make sure that this Leeds based band are able to showcase serious emotion without vocals.
They’ve become post rock scene darlings after performances at Arctangent and across the UK and beyond, following their 2023 debut album
The Night Is For Dreamers. This established their heart on sleeve style of instrumental goodness and directly influenced this follow up release.
Even though many of the songs were written before these ventures onto stages across the world they all are connected by a sense of discovery and the spirit of adventure, the melodies of the record soar high from the
Title Track where clean and heavy combine and through the anthemic
Marmoris that shimmers in post rock brilliance.
There’s a cinematic quality here which does feel like the beginning of a journey, leading into
From This Summit We Can See The Heavens, a more intense number that does feel like a climb towards the top of mountain, while there’s a grooving detour on the thundering electro rock of
When Suddenly.
The dreamlike
You Are My Temple imbues itself with a sense of deep longing as
Migratory Patterns follows repeating motif that mimics that of birds in flight with the guitars and bass, layering the approach until once again into harmonic brilliance.
Takeoffs & Landings is a captivating listen, instrumental post rock at is absolute finest, dynamic, inventive and just emotionally powerful, it’s stunning! 10/10
Temple Of Dread – Dreadspawn Dominion (Testimony Records) [Mark Young]
This is why I love reviewing music. Sometimes you get release that is the musical equivalent of meat and potatoes; filling, comforting food that does a job. Dreadspawn Dominion is little bit more than that, but I think you get the picture. Temple Of Dread formed in 2018 and have consistently dropping new music since 2019.
After the now customary acoustically driven introduction with Wings Of Immortality, we are driven headlong into a full bore death metal kicking, customary of these scene veterans. This is death metal with no time to lose, the title track flying in and setting us up for some old school goodness. This might not be groundbreaking in any shape or form but what it lacks in modern day subtlety or production it makes up for it in the brutality stakes.
Born To Rot takes that delicious old school flavour and keeps it in check. Its like going back to the early 90’s and as a fan from then its great to hear. Its similar in execution to Left To Die, in the way that the songs are built from what feels like a fans perspective. I’m sure that it won’t have the same affect on everyone but sometimes you need your death metal to sound like its 1990. Riffs are the order of the day here, hard edged riffs and after all that is what we have come for.
Even when they slow down, and I use that description loosely, there is still a feeling of movement to it. Death March opting for that approach, building to one of those head shaking arrangements that will cause spontaneous head banging live. Its also controlled, deciding to avoid going down the expected route of blasting itself with increased speed. Blood Pyre does it in a similar way but breaks out the lead breaks so we forgive them for that.
As good as these slower paced tracks are, an injection of speed is sorely needed otherwise that good work they have built up will disappear. Scorched By Cosmic Fire starts off slowly, but wisely they take the brakes off and increase the temperature accordingly, until they pull back at the end. Rites Of Blasphemy is then sent from the gods, a snarling 3 minute burn that injects that pace back into the album, recovering some of that momentum lost earlier. It is possibly my favourite track on this, just for its intent.
Artisan Of Oblivion sees them back on solid ground, this time mixing tempo to suit but keeping that push going. You remember I said meat and potatoes? This is a prime example of that, Solid riffs, speed and aggression. Infernal Eternity sees them close out in a barrage of solid riffs and that medium crawl that has dominated elsewhere. All things being equal it is a suitable end for the album, one that provides a decent set of songs with a lot to like.
For me had they avoided that mid-album lull, and maintained that early intent, then I would have scored it higher. As it is, its still a strong album. 7/10
Niveous – Cult Of The Void Star (Hypnotic Dirge Records) [Mark Young]
If someone was to ask me what does black metal sound like, at least in 2026 then I would have no issue in putting Niveous forward as an ideal example of what it is supposed to sound like. This is their debut full length record, following in the footsteps of an EP (Endless Snowfall) which dropped in 2025. The fact that this is a (whisper it) concept album of sorts doesn’t change that view, and having such a strong focus in place does them no harm at all.
The six songs, all weigh in on a hefty side with only two of them coming in under 6 minutes. The rest are all six plus, so it gives you an indication of their approach on this. It takes in the classic tropes you would expect – frantic chord changes, the blast beats, the shriek style of vocals these are all in place, which is great what is added to that is a frigid energy that courses though each of these tracks as they unravel this concept story.
Harbinger Of The Void Star is their opening ticket, a blast through those comforting black metal touches but done in their own style. It’s worth listening to this with decent headphones just to pick up on those little touches that are dropped in throughout. Its that kind of attentiveness to making this and the others such an engaging listen. Does it go on slightly too long, well yes and that is something that you can level at this genre, but when the riffs within are as a good it is something, you can put up with.
Servants Of The Monolith is up next and seizes the opportunity to pummel you. Again, its style is familiar but, in their defense, trying to sound too dissimilar would move them away from their core audience. This one is built more from a speed perspective The question you have to ask yourself is does it grab you, is it interesting? The answer is yes. Even the lead break that comes in towards the end is spot on, flash without being overly technical. I’m not the greatest fan of black metal, but it doesn’t mean that I can’t appreciate good metal when I hear it and there is plenty of it on here.
From Frostborne Resistance and its sing-along refrain that should be quality live through to Northbound, each track has a forward thinking approach hammered into it. I’m sure that there will be those that will decry them as not being from Scandinavia, but what are you going to do? They write good extreme metal that ensures that the key objectives are met: Its aggressive, its fast and sounds like they enjoyed making it.
Boreal Stronghold is the last track and brings those core requirements one last time. This one has this rapid build to it, which still allows for little flourishes to be observed right through it. What it gives you is a closing moment that is as strong as the opener, and for me that is the sign of good metal, no matter the genre. Niveous don’t lose sight of doing what they know they must do, approaching this from a fan perspective in ensuring they let no one down.
It will be interesting to hear what they have in store next, and I’m hoping that they maintain this level of craft and quality observed on here. 8/10
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