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There is an unnecessary intro track, replete with jungle sounds that slowly devolves into a guitar suffering and then we are into Apocalyptic Dawn. This song will define your enjoyment from the off; it wears its death metal credentials for all to see and its straight ahead with no unwarranted or additional measures. It’s simply fast guitar, drums that batter and vocals that occupy that lower register. It has a positive momentum running through it, one that is constantly built on from song to song. 

Cruel Face Of War starts off with some razor sharp riffing before they settle back into that groove once more. It is the very definition of ‘meat and potato’ metal, something that isn’t going to set the world on fire but then doesn’t want to. It satisfies its objectives; it takes what comes before it and improves it. 

This opening triple threat is concluded with Maniacal, and its here that those groove roots come on strong. Slower, more crushing in its execution you can see these three opening their shows with this one providing a slim amount of respite to the crowd. Suffer In Silence brings the temperature back up and is similar to Apocalyptic Dawn in the way it unspools. 

There is nothing wrong with it by any means, they just continue ploughing their furrow the way they like to do, moving tempos to suit whilst never forgetting the most important part: The Riff. The album is fashioned from rock hard riffs, be it the duh-duh-duh-DEH start of Radicalized (you will know exactly what I mean when you hear it) that tears into a gut-stomper of a thing across to the fleet fingering of Blade of Betrayal which does a neat 180 to slow and get your head nodding. That ability to get you to do that is not something that every band has, especially if the listener is sober.

Entering the final act, I don’t think I’m surprising anyone by stating that they don’t pull back from keeping their intent at the same level that they kicked off with. Horrors Vile (ft Dave Ingram of Benediction) is classic, just classic. Death metal done in that way that everyone loves. Well, as long as you love death metal. And if you don’t? Leave the hall. 

Hollow Husk brings proceedings to a close and doesn’t miss a beat. There is a level of consistency that runs through the album; Once the intro wraps, they just turn on and then motor through to the end. Having that constant level means that it could take you a couple of listens to pick out what could be your album high points. 

Holding them against other bands with this kind of longevity, the fact they still can give us music like this where instead of maybe two or three bangers and then a lot of filler, each song is worthy of our time. This could be the right jumping on point for new listeners, and for long time followers this shouldn’t disappoint. 8/10

Roman Candle – Unadulterated (Independent) [Spike]

Las Vegas has a habit of spitting out bands that sound like they were raised in a high-speed blender, and Roman Candle are currently the most dangerous thing on the desert floor. 

I’ll be honest: I went into this one with a bit of a grudge. The name “Roman Candle” suggested something polite, perhaps a bit indie-pop, or the kind of band that plays mid-afternoon sets at a boutique festival. I was wrong. Within thirty seconds of the opener, Blasphemous Act, it becomes clear that this is a record of jagged edges, mathcore-inflected chaos, and a level of vitriol that makes the band name feel like a calculated bit of irony.

For a debut album, Unadulterated is a cracking starting point. It occupies that frantic, high-IQ space where the rhythmic instability of The Chariot meets the melodic-yet-bruised-rib honesty of Gouge Away. Piper Ferrari is the undisputed heart of the operation; her vocal delivery has an intensity that sounds like a woman trying to claw her way out of a room that’s slowly filling with smoke. It’s a clever bit of aggression that never feels like it’s just shouting for the sake of it.

The track-list is a masterclass in the “soft punch” dynamic. You’ve got titles like This Band Has Lead Me To Places I Wouldn’t Go With A Gun and On Second Thought Maybe Gaslighting Is Real, which carry a sharp, observational wit that reminds me of the Mclusky school of lyrical combat. Musically, tracks like Can We Watch Something Happy? and Bite Harder Than You Bleed move with a heart-attack pulse, utilizing dissonance and needle-fine guitar work to keep the listener permanently off-balance.

What stands out most is the production’s refusal to be “polite.” There’s a dirty, honest grit to the sound, captured perfectly on Nothing Is Original and My Silence Costs More Than You Can Afford where you can hear the gear groaning under the pressure. It avoids the high-gloss traps of modern metalcore, opting instead for a sound that feels like it’s vibrating in your very being. It’s the sound of a band playing in a space where the ceiling is too low and the lights are far too bright.

The back half of the record, from For Once My Hands Are Still to the finality of How To Be Considered When You’re Not In The Room, doubles down on the exploration of power and self-discovery. It’s an exhausting, brilliant listen, the kind of record that truly leaves a mark.

Roman Candle haven’t just delivered a debut; they’ve documented a state of total, unadulterated urgency. My initial dislike of the name was a complete misfire; this is a heavy, shimmering reminder that whilst you shouldn’t judge a book by the cover you really shouldn’t judge a band by assumptions from their name. I’m definitely adding this one to my playlist, will find it on vinyl and I’m already looking forward to seeing how this riot translates to a live stage. 9/10

Arroganz – Death Doom Punks (Testimony Records) [Joe Guatieri]

Arroganz are a long-running Death Metal band from Germany, forming back in 2008. They have a big fruitful discography and have been putting out releases consistently over the years with short breaks and a tremendous work ethic. Their last effort came out in 2024 with Quintessenz and since then last year they said goodbye to their old guitarist Patrick and added his replacement, Goath’s Bastian Silberkhul to the lineup the following year. Now with their new family portrait, Arroganz present their seventh studio album, 2026s Death Doom Punks.

We go into the LP with track two, Under Scarred Skin. Immediately within the first few seconds we are introduced to a funky bass line which to me calls out to the likes of Tool and Rage Against Machine, its bouncy yet is played with precision. That’s what this entire song achieves as the guitar bumps into every wall possible. With the animalistic blast beats and great dynamics shown within the Death Doom sections, this song will capture you in its tornado and throw you places that you’ve never been too before. It’s no doubt my favourite song on the record.

Next we’ve got track five with Anti-Ideology. The main riff in the song is sludgy and full of grit, however when it interacts with the fast passages, it doesn’t connect too well, feeling disjointed. It isn’t until later on in the song where the band starts messing around with the guitar line in a way that makes sense with it, amping up the weirdness factor considerably. A song with a great riff like this deserves to have more focus and respect, it could have been something very intense but instead comes off as meandering.

Following on from that we’ve got track six, Arsenic Breath. The song shows Arroganz at their most inventive as this rager is like if Melvins were a Death Metal band. With its walking bass line and guitar fuckery, the band shows a sense of humour as it comes across as them playing catch up with themselves, not knowing whether to start or stop. You can tell that the trio loved playing this in the studio together.

Overall, Arroganz have created a direct, bass heavy at times pulverising record. Whenever they start swimming in familiar territory, at risk of sounding the same as before, they’ve always got a few tricks up their sleeve to pull anyone out from the muck and keep the listener engaged and in a good mood. All these years later Death Doom Punks shows that Arroganz can live up to the album title, showing that they still have plenty of gas left in the tank and are here to have fun. 7/10

Seum – Parking Life (Black Throne Productions/Falling Apart Records) [Rich Piva]

Seum doesn’t need any of your stinking guitars. This bass driven trio from Montreal, Québec, Canada are back with a new record, Parking Life, that rips up the place from 26 minutes with the low end destroying you as you look for a space close to the entrance, but instead have to part your 1995 Corolla in the dirty auxiliary lot a half a mile away.

Filled with heavy low end thunder, a hardcore punk energy, and some excellent film clips, Parking Life is a quick blast of crazy road rage energy. The title track shakes the room and blows out the windshield. What you will notice if you have heard the band’s earlier stuff, we now have some clean vocals to go along with the growls, and it is an excellent addition to their brand of guitarless heavy. 

Parking Life reminds me of The Melvins, Big Business, Steel Pole Bathtub, and has some 90s Chicago Noise Rock vibes too, which is obviously a huge complement. Employee Of The Month has all sorts of heavy and interesting tempo changes. The clean and not so clean vocal combo works excellent on this one. Vince Houde from Dopethrone guests on 666 Problems and of course it rips and somehow is also the catchiest track on the record in all of its black and roll glory. 

Labrador is as straight ahead of a song that is on Parking Life, but this is all relative, because it is Seum. Right Swipe Blues is about what you may think it is, in all of its gloriously sarcastic and glib way. The clean vocals are a great addition to this one as well. Sad Labbath rips it up as well, with the bass partnering with the screamy vocals perfectly. The closer is a cover of Always On My Mind. I will leave that there.

I really dig Parking Life, and the next step forward Seum has taken with Parking Life. This record rips with zero need for guitars. I love the addition to the clean vocals and it is as accessible as a Seum record could be. Great stuff, even if someone steals your spot as you are pulling in to the sweet one right in front while listening. 8/10