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After the crushing digital release of ‘He Who Kills’, extreme metal warriors Monoliyth now unleash the album in its most tangible forms. Following the recent vinyl edition, the record is now available worldwide on CD via Wormholedeath Records / Aural Musci Group. This is the definitive way to experience the album — a relentless slab of Australian death metal, […]

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“Destroyer” is the last track we premiere from “Maledicti In Aeternvm”, the upcoming new album by DEATH DIES.Audio track at: https://youtu.be/kJLrAMjrP9k It’s a blade that cuts through you, ferocious and gloomy. The only English-language song on the album, “Destroyer” represents the final step leading up to the release of “Maledicti In Aeternvm” scheduled for April 3rd.This is DEATH DIES, […]

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On their third album, No Speed Limit For Destruction, Canada’s INEPSY leave the d-beat behind in favor of some Tank-meets-Motӧrhead NWOBHM influenced hard rock/metal/punk. Initially released in 2007, the final full-length from Canada’s now legendary rock ‘n’ roll crust punks is available today, Friday March 27th, on CD and limited-edition vinyl via Tankcrimes. INEPSY notoriously existed from 1999 to […]

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IVOIRE announce the release of their debut album “Uragano”, due out on May 8, 2026: an emotionally devastating, intense and layered work, capable of turning the weight of pain into dense, dark and deeply immersive sonic matter. The first single “Vetta” is now available HERE. With “Uragano”, the band shape a personal expressive language in which a solid post-metal foundation intertwines with […]

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RESURRECTED have released the crushing title track of their forthcoming new album “Perpetual“. The eighth full-length of the German death metal veterans has been scheduled for release on April 24, 2026. Pre-sale link: https://spkr.store/collections/resurrected RESURRECTED comment: “The title track of the album embodies everything that the band stands for in 2026”, vocalist Chris Mieves writes. “It resembles a journey of our evolution through […]

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Today, Norwegian progressive trailblazers Enslaved are honoured to reveal their latest creation – two unique recordings of sea shanties, made in collaboration with the Storm Weather Shanty Choir, who hail from Bergen, Norway’s great sailing ship the Statsraad Lehmkuhl. The shanties are titled ‘Fire Marengo‘ and ‘Anna Lovinda‘. ‘Fire Marengo‘ is a traditional shanty, whilst ‘Anna Lovinda‘ was written by the late sailor […]

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Today, German black metallers Antrisch stream the entirety of their highly anticipated second album, Expedition III: Renitenzpfad, at the Black Metal Promotion YouTube channel. Set for international release on March 27th via AOP Records. Hear Antrisch‘s Expedition III: Renitenzpfad in its entirety  HERE. Antrisch (Austro-Bavarian term for eerie or uncanny) are a blend of different styles of black metal mingled with portions of doom, djent, and […]

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Thy Sanatorium have relaunched their official YouTube channel and unveiled new material ahead of the release of their self-titled debut album, Thy Sanatorium. Now live at YouTube.com/@ThySanatorium, the refreshed channel features the brand-new song “Remnant” alongside newly mixed video releases for “Torment”, “The End Consume”, and “No Flag Left To Burn”. All were mastered by Colin Davis […]

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Order The New Album HERE! “I can’t recall the last time, since the 2000s, that I’ve heard a record in this genre that feels this fresh, energetic, punchy, catchy, and just plain fun. Absolutely spectacular!” ROCK HARD “Is there such a thing as a trophy for optimism? If so, I’d argue it should go to Power […]

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Comprising members of Horrendous and Crypt Sermon, back in ye strange times of 2021, Philadelphia’s The Silver dropped an impactful debut platter upon the unsuspecting underground masses. Ward of Roses struck a powerful and unexpected blow, welding atmospheric goth, post, black, and progressive elements into a biting and melodramatic slab of extreme metal. Time flies, and nearly five years later, The Silver make an anticipated return through sophomore album, Looking Glass of Hymnal Blue. Already boasting a unique, versatile and imposing formula, rather than dramatically reinventing their sound, Looking Glass of Hymnal Blue finds The Silver tightening the nuts and bolts of their songwriting to forge a confident continuation and subtle evolution of Ward of Roses.

Balance is the key to unlocking The Silver’s songwriting power and stirring dynamics. A wicked melting pot of gothy atmosphere, darkly sparkling melodicism, and stormy theatricality, Looking Glass of Hymnal Blue grounds these elements with anguished extremes, the harrowing howls of vocalist Nick Duchemin, and a hyperactive barrage of blast beats, frantic, blackened riffage, and steely aggression. This enticing, ying-yanging combination is expertly crafted, especially when combined with progressive arrangements that flex The Silver’s strengths and unorthodox charms with interesting, complex musicianship and memorable hooks. Shrouded in an atmosphere of icy melancholy, Looking Glass of Hymnal Blue’s wrenching emotional resonance lends further substance to the dense material. Notably, the improved clean vocal lines play a more integral role, featuring an emotive, addictive punch soaring through the album’s jagged, bleaker terrain.

The opening title track sets the tone, unleashing visceral bursts of turbulent axework and frantic rhythms, as dueling harsh and clean vocals consolidate The Silver’s mastery of contrast, including frosty beauty and beast dynamics. Some almost Opeth-esque bluesy guitar work and a beautifully delivered clean vocal passage cap off a stellar introduction. Longer form epics form the bulk of the album, as evidenced on the album’s lengthiest piece, the stunning, nearly nine-minute-long “Two Candles.” The Silver handle the weighty composition with crafty skill. Urgent, savage ebbs smoothly intermingle with soaring cleans, mellow passages, and colorful guitar work. It’s an ambitious, frequently gripping journey, encapsulating The Silver’s strengths and individuality in one momentous epic. Elsewhere, The Silver’s keen balancing act also shines on shorter, punchier songs, such as the aggressive, percussive-heavy surge and pristine melodics of “Memorias,” or violently thrashing assault and blackened intensity of “Tendrils.”

Ward of Roses possessed a distinct freshness and raw delivery complimenting its harsher realms and melodrama. Naturally, the elements of surprise are tempered second time around, Looking Glass of Hymnal Blue only marginally sacrifices the rawer edge of the debut, compensating through a stronger, more confident melodic presence and tighter songcraft. The Silver’s proggy inclinations come to the fore, deviating from conventional writing and maintaining a rich infectiousness, where hooks bore into the soul and lodge in the memory bank. Musically, Looking Glass of Hymnal Blue is another ambitious, genre-splicing beast, straddling post, black, prog, and doomy realms with aplomb, maintaining cohesion, beefing up the technicality and rippling guitar fireworks, and pushing forward Matt Knox’s confident, compelling clean vocal melodies. This may not work for all listeners, depending on tolerance for Knox’s vocal style, which generally dips less into the spoken word theatrics that were occasionally a stumbling block on Ward of Roses. Special mention also to the robust rhythm section; as plump basslines, pulsating rhythms, and intricate drum patterns demand attention.

Only the shorter, bluesy later album cut “…Twilight of Love” falls short of the hefty standards of its counterparts, though it is a solid song regardless, feeding into the colossal power, violent throes, and affecting melodies of closer “My Lone Dark Lantern.” Looking Glass of Hymnal Blue adds intriguing twists and layers to an already cool formula, largely levelling up from the sophisticated, exciting promise of their debut. Crafting another accomplished, beautifully produced album, The Silver avoid the dreaded sophomore slump, taking minor creative risks while both expanding and consolidating their unique sound. Taking their time with this second opus, the payoff is grand, and The Silver’s welcome return suggests this project is here for the long haul.

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Rating: 4.0/5.0
DR: N/A | Format Reviewed: Stream
Label: Gilead Media
Websites: Bandcamp | Facebook
Releases Worldwide: March 20th, 2026

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