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Words by Anselm Anderson

The Brazilian Quartet wraps things up on a high note with their most heartfelt and inventive work yet. Each track explores a different side of the band’s emotions, blending thunderous drums, sweeping orchestral arrangements, and their signature fierce vocals and riffs. The band brought in American drummer Greyson Nekrutman for their latest tour across North America, Europe, and Latin America. His prodigious talent adds a fresh layer to the band’s often wild and chaotic brand of tribal metal. Nekrutman’s precise yet powerful hits blend seamlessly as the rest of the band pour their energy into this final chapter of their career.

The band chose the legendary Criteria Studios as the place to record The Cloud of Unknowing, produced by longtime friend and collaborator, Stanley Soares, who brings the journey full circle on this release. The band recorded the album in ten days with no prior planning but a list of old demos by guitarist Andreas Kisser.

 

This upcoming Friday, English Heavy Metal band DA are set to unleash their much-anticipated self titled- debut album. This ten-track album blends modern rock vibes with classic rock influences, clearly drawing inspiration from bands like Black Sabbath and Judas Priest. It has a strong throwback feel to the NWOBHM era, mixing  fast riffs with a dark, moody atmosphere and powerful, soaring vocals.

DA emerged from the NWOBHM band Desolation Angels, when former guitarist Robin Brancher formed the group in 2021 with vocalist Matt Oakman. They were soon joined by bassist Neil Craddock and drummer Dan Smith. Photo courtesy of San PR

The album’s use of atmospherics adds depth and sincerity to the storytelling in the music. The opening track, “Daisy Chains,” kicks off with ominous cracks of thunder, gradually building in a slow, rhythmic patterns before erupting into Oakman’s towering vocals, which play a significant role throughout the release. Another highlight of the release is the use of multi-layered vocals in the chorus, adding rich harmonies to the music. As exemplified here, and in the beautiful, tear-jerking ballads “Angels” and the latest single “Forever Enslaved”

“Snake” and “Rock It” are fist-clenching rock anthems, while “Pillars of Death (Desolation)” delivers dark, distorted riffs reminiscent of early Black Sabbath, paired with slick, menacingly constructed guitar lines. The album closes with unforgettable hard rock anthems like “Spiralling Nowhere” and “The Devil’s On My Side,” before finishing with the epic twelve-minute progressive track “You Gotta Believe It.”

Overall, DA aim to bring something old into the modern rock world. The songs are well-crafted, while the music is fresh and heavy, with plenty of headbanging to enjoy.

DA are set to release their self-titled debut album on Friday, 10th April.

It’s refreshing to receive an album full of cheer and good vibes in a world of doom and gloom, where many bands focus on expressing their anger over social and political issues. Tyketto offers something fresh with their new album “Closer to the Sun.”

The ten track release is full of anthemic tracks and stories of wisdom about loss, loves and pleasures. The album, freshly released by the renowned Silver Lining Music, was recorded in various studios across the UK and Europe, including Flip Flop Studios and the legendary Rockfield Studios in Wales. The band’s blend of radio-friendly tunes with a bluesy edge is reminiscent of early Aerosmith, with every track crafted for pure enjoyment.

As a young rock fan, I first discovered Tyketto through their 1991 debut album Don’t Come Easy, after a friend made me a tape of it. The band had more of a glam metal vibe back then, but the charismatic Danny Vaughan still led them with warmth and passion. He’s still the only remaining member from the original lineup, which was formed in 1987 in New Jersey, USA. Vaughan is joined by  Harry Scott Elliott on guitar, Ged Rylands on keyboards, Chris Childs (Thunder) on bass and Johnny Dee (Doro) on drums. This combination adds warmth and clarity to the music, as the band beam from on all angles on the music video releases. They look like a band at peace and enjoying themselves.

Rob Dukes returns for this twelfth outing for Exodus. The shaven headed vocalist returns following a ten year hiatus from the band. ‘Goliath marks his first appearance since 2010’s Exhibit B:The Human Condition. Dukes returned to the fold last year, following the departure of vocalist Steve Souza, and this release also marks the first on Napalm Records for the band.

Produced by Exodus,  and mixed and mastered by Mark Lewis, known for his work with Whitechapel, Nile and Undeath, this ten track release feels like a return to form for the Bay Area Thrashers. The music is intense and authentic, with  each riff cutting though  precision like a butcher’s knife. Dukes sounds like an insane man, whose making up for lost time. The album features guest appearances by Peter Tägtgren (Hypocrisy, Pain) and violinist Katie Jacoby. 

Brazilian thrash metal band Nervosa returns with another batch of raw, brutal, and honest songs, centred around politics, war, and religion. The band’s sixth album, titled “Slave Machine,” will be released on Friday, April 3rd via Napalm Records. The album picks up right where 2023’s Jailbreak left off, with singer Prika Amaral still in top form after making her debut on that record. Her fierce, abrasive vocals rival those of any male singer with guttural growls, as she howls like a wolf on the hunt. The quintet are helped by the strong production skills of Martin Furia, best known for his work with German destroyers, Destruction. His attentive ear to detail brings out the menacing and hellacious feelings of the band as a whole.

I have been an admirer of the band ever since i saw them open for fellow Female Metal act, Burning Witches on tour a few years back. Their sound is crisp and emotional, layered over sharp, frenetic guitars, ferocious drumming and  the combination between speed and thrash. Slave Machine makes no exception, as the band roar over twelve intense tracks over some of the things that have impacted us all over the past few years. As the world anchors on the brink of destruction, Nervosa articulate these thoughts in the only way they know how: Fast, Hard and ruthless!

That’s enough of the build, let’s get onto the review.

Slave Machine kicks off with the rhythmic patterns of tribal drums on “Impending Doom,” which flow into bone-crushing riffs, pounding beats, and eerie guitar melodies that  connect the verses.

Photo Credit: Akis Zeralis

The title track “Slave Machine” barely gives the listener a moment to breathe before hitting like a sledgehammer to the temples The drumming matches the vocals and guitars in intensity, while the choruses are catchier than on their previous release. As is often the case here, Amaral sounds like a woman possessed, howling over riffs that slice through you with precision. “Ghost Notes” builds the music through haunting passages, unsettling choruses, and an equally impressive guitar solo. The intensity gradually builds into a cascade of thick, bone-chilling riffs, searing solos, and unadulterated anger, as heard on tracks like “Beast of Burden”, “You Are Not A Hero” and “Hate”. The ladies brings an old-school thrash mentality with a modern edge, as they rip through this album. This album is 100% thrash metal without any ballads or instrumentals to break it up. The band comes across as serious and angry, with Slave Machine serving as an attempt at catharsis for them to release all their pent-up frustration. “Crawl for Pride” includes some thunderous dual guitar battles between Amaral and fellow guitarist Helena Kotina. The quintet brings some groove-orientated riffs on “Learn or Repeat” and “The Call”, before wrapping things up with the sinister “Speak in Fire”.

Overall, Nervosa have produced one of the most intense, personal and political metal albums of the year thus far. The women have improved on their songwriting, while writing tracks with more riffs, the  musicianship  continues to grow , like the chemistry between the five piece. 2026 is proving to be a good year for thrash metal albums, following the impressive showings of Exodus and Kreator.

Prika Amaral – Vocals, Guitars
Helena Kotina – Guitars
Hel Pyre – Bass
Emmelie Herwegh – Bass
Michaela Naydenova – Drums

NERVOSA online: