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BLIND ILLUSION’S MARK BIEDERMANN LOOKS BACK ON FIVE DECADES OF BAY AREA METAL, LES CLAYPOOL, CLIFF BURTON, BLUE ÖYSTER CULT AND THE NEW STAGE FLIGHT LIVE ALBUM

Guitarist Mark Biedermann joins The Zach Moonshine Show for a wide-ranging conversation covering The Sane Asylum , David White, Les Claypool, Kirk Hammett, Cliff Burton, Sandy Pearlman, Blue Öyster Cult, the Bay Area metal scene, Hectic Records, Crushing the Universe , and the upcoming STAGE FLIGHT: Live At The UC Theatre

By Metal Devastation Radio
Few bands can claim a history as strange, unpredictable, and deeply connected to the roots of the Bay Area metal scene as Blind Illusion .
Formed in 1978, the band has spent nearly five decades moving through progressive metal, technical thrash, psychedelic experimentation and everything in between. At the center of that history is guitarist Mark Biedermann , whose career has crossed paths with some of the most important musicians and bands in heavy music.
During a recent appearance on The Zach Moonshine Show , Biedermann opened up about Blind Illusion’s upcoming live album, the return of original vocalist David White , the band’s younger current lineup, his work with Les Claypool , Kirk Hammett , Sandy Pearlman and Blue Öyster Cult , and one particularly remarkable story involving his longtime friend Cliff Burton .
The conversation also offered a glimpse into the next chapter of Blind Illusion, with the studio album Crushing the Universe already recorded and the band looking toward future European and U.S. festival appearances.
“THIS, I GUARANTEE YOU, IS 100% LIVE”

The immediate subject of the conversation was Blind Illusion’s upcoming live release, STAGE FLIGHT: Live At The UC Theatre .
The album originated during preparations for what became the band’s reunion performance with Exodus. Biedermann explained that David White , Blind Illusion’s original vocalist, contacted him while the band was working on pre-production for Crushing the Universe .
“Dave White contacted me,” Biedermann recalled. “Lee contacted him and said would we do a reunion show with Exodus?”
The band quickly shifted gears and began revisiting material from its early years, including songs from the Trilogy of Terror era, the Blind Sun demo and “Smash The Crystal,” one of the final songs White performed before leaving Blind Illusion to join Heathen.
Rather than attempting to recreate the band’s past with a lineup made entirely of former members, Biedermann chose to bring his current musicians into the equation.
That lineup includes guitarist Martine Lacour , drummer Phil Costantini and bassist Avery Thurman .
“I’ve got the band of young crazies that are just amazing,” Biedermann said, praising the musicians for capturing the spirit of Blind Illusion’s early years despite their age.
The UC Theatre performance was recorded by engineer Ivan Garcia , who connected the band’s stage microphones to Pro Tools and captured the performance from the board. Biedermann subsequently handled the mixing, working with Costantini on the drum and bass tones before blending the guitars and vocals himself.
And Biedermann was emphatic about one thing: there were no studio overdubs used to fake the performance.
“So it’s a pure live album,” he explained.
He later put it even more directly:


“This, I guarantee you, is 100% live.”


That old-school approach is clearly important to Biedermann, particularly in an era where live records can sometimes be heavily altered after the fact.
DAVID WHITE RETURNS

One of the most significant elements of STAGE FLIGHT is the presence of original Blind Illusion vocalist David White .
Biedermann explained that White’s involvement made the performance something of a historical anomaly, particularly because “Smash The Crystal” was among the last songs White sang with the band before departing for Heathen.
Biedermann said he would love to perform the material with White again, even discussing the possibility of a short European run built around the reunion.
For now, however, Blind Illusion will continue forward with its current lineup while White continues his work with Heathen.
THE NEXT CHAPTER: CRUSHING THE UNIVERSE

While STAGE FLIGHT looks backward, Blind Illusion is already looking forward.
Biedermann revealed that the band’s next studio album, Crushing the Universe , has already been recorded.
The album is being produced, engineered and mixed by former Blind Illusion bassist Tom Gears , who Biedermann says has played a major role in shaping the sound of the new record.
“He’s the whole reason why we are sounding like this on this new album, Crushing the Universe ,” Biedermann said.
Gears also co-wrote “Automatic Man” with Biedermann, a track featuring what Biedermann describes as one of Martine Lacour’s most outrageous guitar performances.
Biedermann compared Lacour’s playing to John McLaughlin, Uli Jon Roth and Al Di Meola , saying the young guitarist is capable of taking the material into territory even Biedermann himself cannot always follow.
“If you call what I do shredding,” Biedermann joked, “there’s got to be another word for what Martine does.”
He also revealed that the new version of “Concerto” will appear on Crushing the Universe , this time without keyboards.
LES CLAYPOOL WAS BLIND ILLUSION’S FIRST BASS PLAYER

Perhaps one of the most fascinating portions of the conversation centered around Les Claypool .
Long before Primus, before Frizzle Fry , before the massive bass-playing reputation, Claypool was a young musician learning the instrument in Blind Illusion.
According to Biedermann, Claypool became the band’s first bass player in 1978.
“He didn’t know how to play,” Biedermann explained.
The arrangement was simple: Claypool would get a bass, join the band and Biedermann would teach him the material.
“The deal was you get a bass, you join my band, I will teach you how to play my songs, and then you will be the greatest bass player in the world someday.”
That prediction didn’t exactly age badly.
Claypool eventually left to pursue jazz and fusion, but the relationship between the two musicians continued. Claypool later contacted Biedermann looking for someone to play fusion guitar with him, leading to a project called Sons of Illusion .
Biedermann also pointed to Blind Illusion recordings as containing some of the earliest known recordings of Claypool.
The Ultimate Anthology material includes the “Deathbed Kamikaze” demo, with Biedermann stating that the first two tracks feature Claypool on bass.
“And that is the earliest recordings you will ever get of Les Claypool,” Biedermann said.
Claypool eventually returned to Blind Illusion for The Sane Asylum , helping reconnect the band’s original history with its 1988 debut.
KIRK HAMMETT AND THE SANE ASYLUM

The history surrounding The Sane Asylum is equally remarkable.
Biedermann confirmed that Kirk Hammett was involved with the album’s production.
According to Biedermann, Hammett produced the record through the mixing stage, although the production arrangement ultimately prevented him from completing the mixing process with the band.
“Kirk Hammett produced The Sane Asylum up to the mixed point,” Biedermann said.
The result was an album that captured Blind Illusion’s unique place in the Bay Area scene, while featuring musicians who would go on to become major figures in metal.
THE LOST YEARS AND BLIND ILLUSION’S WEIRD SIDE

Blind Illusion’s history wasn’t always about straight-ahead thrash.
Biedermann discussed a period when the band moved into considerably stranger territory, incorporating keyboards, psychedelic influences and experimental material.
He explained that the Bay Area scene had begun changing dramatically after thrash exploded, with funk metal and alternative sounds gaining ground.
Bands such as Primus, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Jane’s Addiction, Testament, Exodus and Death Angel all came up during the conversation.
Biedermann described a period when Blind Illusion’s musicians were essentially caught between worlds.
“The players that wanted to play couldn’t play the stuff and the players that could play it didn’t want to play,” he explained.
“That is how that weird ass hippie the lost years Blind Illusion came about.”
That experimental side of Blind Illusion remains part of the band’s DNA, with Biedermann planning to revisit “Concerto” on Crushing the Universe .
SANDY PEARLMAN, BLUE ÖYSTER CULT, JOE SATRIANI AND ROBBIE KRIEGER

Biedermann’s history extends well beyond Blind Illusion.
During the interview, he discussed his involvement with Sandy Pearlman and the world surrounding Blue Öyster Cult , including work connected to Imaginos .
That experience also brought him into contact with legendary musicians including Robbie Krieger of The Doors and Joe Satriani .
Biedermann recalled playing rhythm guitar and guitar parts on the Imaginos material, including “Magna of Illusion,” while Krieger also contributed to the recording.
He also discussed playing on “The Siege and Investiture of Baron von Frankenstein’s Castle at Sea,” a song that later generated an amusing misunderstanding online.
When Biedermann discovered a fan had praised what they believed was Joe Satriani’s guitar work as some of Satriani’s best playing, he eventually revealed that the solo being praised was actually his.
“And I should know because I’m Mark Biedermann,” he recalled.
Rather than taking offense at the mistake, Biedermann took it as a compliment.
“That’s the greatest compliment that you would think my work was Joe’s best work,” he said.
“I AM NOT AI”

The conversation eventually turned toward modern music culture and the changing relationship between musicians and their audiences.
Biedermann talked about social media, younger metal fans and the increasingly strong backlash against artificial intelligence-generated artwork.
He pointed out that his own song “Automatic Man” contains the line:


“I am the automatic man. I am not AI.”


According to Biedermann, the line was written years before the current AI debate exploded, but now carries an entirely different weight. His young bassist Avery Thurman also sings the line with him.
Biedermann praised the younger generation for being outspoken and unapologetic about what they expect from metal.
He also highlighted Thurman’s social media presence, noting that the young bassist regularly posts performances of songs by Metallica, Megadeth and other major metal acts, sometimes pulling in thousands of views.
For Biedermann, that connection between the old guard and the new generation is one of the most encouraging things happening around Blind Illusion.
“WE’RE LIKE ONE OF THE LAST MEN STANDING”

Biedermann acknowledged that Blind Illusion doesn’t occupy the same commercial tier as Metallica, Exodus, Testament or Death Angel.
But he also made it clear that the band’s place in Bay Area metal history cannot simply be erased.
“I’m almost like one of the last men standing,” Biedermann said, pointing to the surviving bands from that original scene.
He sees the current generation of Blind Illusion musicians as carrying that history forward.
“As far as I’m concerned, you know, I’m going to be around for another 20 years playing this stuff,” he said.
“But if I kick the bucket, I expect them to carry on.”
That philosophy seems to define the band’s current era. Blind Illusion isn’t simply attempting to recreate 1988. The goal is to keep moving while preserving the spirit that made the band unique in the first place.
THE CLIFF BURTON STORY

Then came perhaps the most unexpected story of the interview.
Biedermann recalled a conversation with Cliff Burton outside Ruthie’s in the Bay Area.
According to Biedermann, Burton approached him with an unusual proposition.
“Hey, Biedermann, I want to play some Southern rock with you.”
Burton had apparently heard the country-influenced guitar lines in Biedermann’s playing and wanted to form a Southern rock project influenced by bands such as Lynyrd Skynyrd and ZZ Top .
Biedermann said Burton wanted to return to smaller clubs and play Southern rock when Metallica was off the road.
The two musicians actually jammed together several times, including a performance at Ruthie’s where they played “Am I Evil?”
Biedermann also recalled another jam involving Burton, including Southern rock material and “Give Me Three Steps.”
But then Burton left on tour with Metallica.
“He took off on that tour and he never came back,” Biedermann said.
“So that was a bummer.”
Years later, Biedermann formed Ghost Kings , a Southern rock, blues and bluegrass project that he considers partially inspired by Burton’s unrealized idea.
The description?
“It’s like Johnny Cash meets Led Zeppelin.”
The project even featured original Blind Illusion drummer Brett Hearn at one point.
FROM THE BEATLES TO BRUCE LEE

Biedermann’s influences aren’t limited to metal.
He cited The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Deep Purple, Black Sabbath, Blue Öyster Cult, Steve Morse, John McLaughlin, Uli Jon Roth, Al Di Meola, Jerry Reed and Roy Clark among his musical influences.
But perhaps more unusual is the influence of martial arts.
Biedermann began studying Kung Fu at the age of eight and described Bruce Lee as being as important to his development as his musical heroes.
He eventually performed Shaolin Kung Fu on the Great Wall of China and explained that Chinese philosophy and martial arts have also influenced his songwriting and Blind Illusion’s music.
Biedermann specifically connected the title Crushing the Universe to a movement within a Taiji set, explaining that elements of ancient Chinese Kung Fu philosophy and mysticism have found their way into his music and lyrics.
“Bruce Lee was as big an influence to me as Uli Roth,” Biedermann said.
It’s another example of why Blind Illusion has never fit neatly inside one box.
HECTIC RECORDS AND THE BAY AREA CONNECTION

Blind Illusion’s current relationship with Hectic Records also represents a return to the band’s Bay Area roots.
Biedermann described the connection as essentially a “no brainer,” particularly after seeing friends and other Bay Area musicians working with the label.
Will Carroll of Death Angel has been heavily involved with Hectic Records, and Biedermann praised Carroll’s hands-on approach to promoting the label’s artists.
Rather than relying solely on traditional distribution, Carroll has been personally taking Hectic releases into record stores while touring with Death Angel.
Biedermann said that personal connection is one of the things that makes Hectic special.
For a band with nearly five decades of history in the Bay Area, it is fitting that the next chapter is once again being built alongside musicians and people from the same community.
EUROPE, U.S. FESTIVALS AND WHAT COMES NEXT

Blind Illusion has already toured Europe multiple times, and Biedermann made it clear that the band wants to return.
Former Blind Illusion bassist Harold O is now interested in helping with management and European festival bookings.
Biedermann specifically named Alcatraz , Headbangers Open Air and Storm Crusher among the festivals he’d love to return to.
But Europe isn’t the only target.
Biedermann also issued a direct invitation to American festival promoters.
“We want to play some festivals in the US,” he said, specifically mentioning events such as Hell’s Heroes and Milwaukee Metal Fest .
And with STAGE FLIGHT arriving first and Crushing the Universe expected to follow, the timing couldn’t be better.
KEEPING THE MACHINE MOVING

Toward the end of the interview, Biedermann reflected on longevity and the strange idea of an “overnight success” arriving after decades of work.
He compared his situation to Willie Nelson , describing the possibility of a “60-year overnight success.”
The money isn’t what motivates him.
Keeping the music alive is.
“As long as we get that success and there’s money to be, there’s money that they want to cry about, that’s OK,” Biedermann said. “Because I’m not worried about the money as much as getting, keeping the product going.”
That may be the best description of Blind Illusion’s current position.
Nearly five decades after the band began, Biedermann is still writing, recording, performing and looking ahead.
The history is enormous.
The stories are even bigger.
But Blind Illusion isn’t finished making history.
STAGE FLIGHT: LIVE AT THE UC THEATRE

Blind Illusion’s STAGE FLIGHT: Live At The UC Theatre is scheduled for release October 16, 2026 , featuring original vocalist David White .
The live album captures the band’s UC Theatre performance and, according to Biedermann, is a completely live recording with no studio overdubs.
The band is also preparing the next studio chapter with Crushing the Universe , produced, engineered and mixed by former Blind Illusion bassist Tom Gears .
After nearly 50 years, Mark Biedermann isn’t looking backward.
He’s still cranking the amps, still writing songs, still pushing his guitar players to the limit and still planning the next show.
As he put it during the interview:


“I intend to be one of those guys.”


And if Blind Illusion’s history is any indication, there’s probably a hell of a lot more story left to tell.


Full Show Track List:
Battle Of The Bands Top Six Winners:
1 – Another Demon – Reduced to Ash – (16,323,137 votes)
2 – Virya – Technophobia – Live from FLSS 2026 – (6,562,524 votes)
3 – Persephore – All That Is Left – (1,166,799 votes)
4 – Soul Of Sheol – Paradise Is Not For Us – (13,191 votes)
5 – Sharp n’ Loud – Armored sexy girl – (12,895 votes)
6 – Mistress – Terrified eyes – (4,589 votes)
The Zach Moonshine Intro
7 – Ozzy Osbourne – Believer – Live From Blizzard Of Ozz Tour
8 – MURDERY – KILLING GRANDMA
9 – Infestation – Mother Of All Bombs
10 – BEHEMOTH – In League with Satan
Blind Illusion – Interview featuring Smash the Crystal/Blood Shower/Night Blade
11 – CIRITH UNGOL – All The Shadows
12 – Smoulder – Shadow Of The Vulture/Warrior Witch Of Hell/Cage Of Mirrors [Manilla Road cover]
13 – Netherdred – Necrodancer
14 – Dee Calhoun – Kill a Mother Fucker
15 – CREEPER – Big Bad Wolf
16 – Ophiolatry – Revenge
17 – The Red Mountain – When The Hammer Drops/The Color Greed
18 – Demon Christ – Curse You All
19 – Slipknot – Arsenal
20 – Antania – 33
21 – Craig Neill – Baloo Ka Toofaan
22 – In Spite of Thunder – Collateral Damage
23 – PS:23 – The Angel They Call Evil
24 – Titan Blood – Unite Them
Streaming now in full on Mixcloud!


The interview is also available via YouTube, Spotify, Apple etc:




Super massive thanks to the 289,486 metal maniacs from all over the world that tuned in for the live broadcast Friday!

Patty Griffin’s “Top of the World” is a deathbed reckoning — a life examined right at the end, loss and regret laid out plain. Here it’s just her acoustic guitar and voice, with a subtle electric guitar underneath adding to the song’s melancholy and beauty. If anything, the sparse arrangement makes the regret harder to […]

Mother Of Millions – T (ViciSolum Productions)

Over the years we’ve charted the continuing musical evolution of Greek prog band Mother Of Millions.

From their modern prog metal/Djent beginnings, like so many that came from that genre they now reside at a place that still has moments of crushing modern heaviness but these are now part of a larger musical cityscape where the likes of Soen, Riverside, Katatonia and more have ventured.

Blending experimental structures with emotionally charged performances and a layered depth that draws in strings, synths and a cinematic feeling. There’s touches of Vola on The Innocent, Floyd on The Circle, Soen on The One and the spectre of Muse is a large one but it’s difficult to pick out individual tracks on this record, better to heard as a complete whole because Mother Of Millions have evolved again since 2023’s Magna Mater.

While Magna Mater ignited the change towards the anthemic and melancholic style that is favoured more highly now, T defines it by restructuring again for crushing riffage and progressive rhythms that feature on the industrial majesty of The Sun, while the tracks that have haunting female vocals and ambience realise the tension in the heavy moments through beauty.

The world is a harsher place, endless war, oppression and corruption have all pushed the band to bring back their heavier side with a sense of resilience, a feeling that with these songs they won’t crumble under the weight of life, but fight, scratch claw and eventually win, it’s a message of hope, more balanced than the last record but heavier in it’s overall sound and it’s emotional weight. 9/10

Paranoid Reverb – Red River, Black Roots (Octopus Rising)

The Greek stoner scene is extremely fertile, there just something about the Greeks and a love of heavy riffs, psychadelic wanderings all played through a cloud of smoke.

From Thessaloniki comes the second album by psychadelic stones Paranoid Reverb, who have inhaled too much of the herb, picked up their guitars and written another record of woozy heavy psych that takes inspiration from Nightstalker and 1000mods.

They shift from hypnotic journeys like Come Undone to metallic rhythms on Quicksand, building on their debut, Billion Drops with an all round heavier and more mature outing, focussing on the themes of decay (river) and transformation (roots) by building tension and then releasing it in a burst of massive riffage or fluid leads.

Approaching the album like they did their live set, it ebbs and flows like a river, recording it as live as they can so it’s easy to replicate on stage, keeping it sounding organic but keeping complexity that doesn’t require overdubs or studio trickery.

Just a band who knows how to work with dynamics, utilising pedalboards and effects they can use on stage, to take you on this journey through psychadelic sounds driven by some heavy stoner riffage. Red River, Black Roots holds strong inspiration from the Greek stoner scene and carried that into a strong second album from Paranoid Reverb. 8/10

Edouarth – Street Vengeance (Sleaszy Rider Records)

The second album from Greek NWOTHM Edouarth is a lot more mature than their debut but that’s probably because there’s a lot more experience from two of the members involved.

Fronted by James Edouarth of Spider Kickers on vocals and bass, the band also features his sons, 14 year old George (drums) and 12 year old Peter (guitars), who have been putting in the practice between this and their debut record 2 years ago.

Street Vengeance has more variation too it, the guitars especially are more varied than on the debut, while the drumming gets a bit more expressive as well. As this is music that apes the NWOBHM sound favoured by Holocaust, Angel Witch, Venom and the nastier side of that scene, there doesn’t need to be much virtuosity, just galloping riffs.

However there’s plenty of talent in these kids that will mean the band get more technical with every record, keep an ear open for Edouarth. 7/10

The Mute – Oscillating The Void (FYC Records)

FYC Records have always given a very varied output, from DBSM to outlaw country, torchlight death ballads and now with the signing of The Mute, electronic ambience.

The Mute is the musical project of Nick Chalntoupis, a composer, sound designer, live sound engineer and mix/masterer who last released his own music five years ago but now signing to FYC Records has found a home for his latest offering Oscillating The Void.

Oscillation being the keyword as this record is built around modular synth, analogue modular synth, at that and as such is inspired by the likes of Tangerine Dream, Vangelis (obviously) and Isao Tomita as Nick draws from Japanese scales to create soundscapes that flow organically with no editing just the alchemy of it’s creator.

Not metal but an interesting exploration of electonic instrumentation from The Mute. 7/10

almost monday have just released their second album, and now they have announced that they are bringing it over to the UK and Europe next year for a tour.

The ‘THANK GOD IT’S ALMOST MONDAY’ tour will make its way across the continent, stopping in 16 countries as they go.

Here are all of the dates that you need to know:

JANUARY 2027

20 – DUBLIN The Button Factory
22 – GLASGOW Garage
23 – BIRMINGHAM Institute2
24 – MANCHESTER Gorilla
25 – BRISTOL Thekla
27 – LONDON Scala
29 – ANTWERP TRIX
30 – PARIS Le Trabendo
31 – AMSTERDAM Melkweg


FEBRUARY 2027

02 – COLOGNE Kantine
04 – COPENHAGEN Studie 2
05 – OSLO Vulka Arena
06 – STOCKHOLM Debaser Strand
08 – HAMBURG Uebel & Gefährlch
09 – BERLIN Hole 44
11 – WARSAW Palladium
12 – PRAGUE MeetFactory
13 – VIENNA Flex
15 – MUNICH Hansa 39
16 – ZURICH Plaza Club
18 – BARCELONA Razzmatazz 2
19 – MADRID Sala Wagon
20 – LISBON LAV 2

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The band released their brand new album ‘THANK GOD IT’S ALMOST MONDAY’, last week.

Here is one of the many highlights in the form of ‘Superprism’:

The post almost monday Announce UK/EU Headline Tour appeared first on Rock Sound.

Here are the new releases for September 13th to 19th. Releases reflect proposed North American scheduling, if available.

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Upcoming Metal Releases: 9/13/26 – 9/19/26

Uncle Acid and the Deadbeats — Shapes of Midnight | Killer Candy Records | Psychedelic Rock + Doom Metal | United Kingdom (Cambridge)

It’s hard to believe it has been 15 years since my mind was blown by Uncle Acid and the Deadbeats’ absolutely killer Blood Lust. It got me (just barely) through a particularly brutal winter. Now respected, established vets, these bleak British psych/doom pop sorcerers are releasing their seventh full-length voyage into the heart of the macabre, Shapes of Midnight. The album, the first on the band’s own Killer Candy imprint, was recorded straight to analog tape at the legendary Abbey Road studios over the course of a scant three days by vaunted engineer Chris Bolster. Shapes of Midnight is alleged to owe a heavy conceptual debt to Edgar Allen Poe’s The Masque of the Red Death. However, according to Uncle Acid mastermind Kevin Starrs, the band’s “albums exist in an alternate universe to our own.” They conjure worlds very familiar to ours, but provide powerfully unsettling glimpses of the uncanny.

The title track is a perfectly refined example of Uncle Acid’s brilliance, as a healthy Sabbathian chug propels malevolent creepy crawl harmonies far more beautiful than they have any right to be directly into your ears for days on end. Synths offer a proggy giallo-tinged respite before face melting solos take the song home. After drowsy midpaced beginning “House By The Grave” settles into a grind caressed by bewildering vocal hooks and more supremely tasteful soloing. Some bands know what they’re good at and they hone it into an aural obsidian blade. Uncle Acid and the Deadbeats are one of those.

–Dennis J. Seese

…

Terra Black — Mirage | Bonebag Records | Stoner Metal + Doom Metal + Psychedelic Rock | Sweden (Gothenburg)

Terra Black’s sophomore album, Mirage, hits a sweet spot for anyone who loves stoner doom at its darkest and most hypnotic. The Gothenburg band mixes thick, fuzzy riffs with occult rock and heavy psychedelia, while vocalist and guitarist Ezgi Voronina gives the album an eerie presence. “In Stone” is particularly strong, settling into a repetitive riff as the band explores ancient beliefs and the ominous idea of a world that ended long ago but still has a hold on the present. “Maze” picks up the tempo while overlapping voices give Mirage one of its livelier moments. That fascination with what might lie beneath the surface eventually expands from forgotten civilizations into the vastness of space.

Recorded live in Gothenburg, Mirage keeps the natural room sound and microphone bleed, giving the riffs a warm, organic heaviness. Choral arrangements deepen the occult atmosphere. Mirage is the kind of doom album that makes getting lost in repetition part of the experience.

–Lily O’Delia

…

Manuah — Hjarta | Prophecy Productions | Doom Metal + Nordic Folk | Denmark

Danish doom newcomers Manuah bring plenty of experience to their debut, Hjarta. Vocalist Søren Sol Koldsen-Zederkof has toured with Nordic folk band Krauka and released music as Los, while guitarist Mads Medom Papsø Laursen has played with Ironguard and Encyrcle. Producer Tue Madsen also played bass and drums on Hjarta.

Melodic Scandinavian doom is at the heart of Hjarta, with Nordic folk and modern metal appearing across its six long-form tracks. “Heimaland” mixes heavy doom riffs with more melodic passages as the vocals rise and fall with the song’s changing intensity. Manuah use no lexical language. The voice follows the sounds and rhythms of human speech, allowing feeling to come through without conventional words. Against heavy guitars and overtone flute, the vocals become inseparable from the music.

That approach fits an album connected to nature and physical sensation. Manuah describe their music through images of leaves underfoot, cold forest floors, sunlight on the face, and air filling the lungs, and Hjarta carries that earthy quality.

–Lily O’Delia

…

Krallice — Scour Order | Profound Lore Records | Avant-garde Black Metal | United States (New York City, NY)

After half a decade of excursions into lo-fi, psychedelic rock, progressive rock, and synth worship, and a half decade before that of exploration away from avant-garde black metal, Krallice are back to as approximate of their original sound as possible. Scour Order doesn’t sound exactly like Krallice or Dimensional Bleedthrough, but such a feat would be regression, seemingly an anemic task for this group.

–Colin Dempsey

…

Ch’ahom — Anthropic Rites of Sublimation | 20 Buck Spin | Death Metal + Black Metal | Germany (Essen)

Ch’ahom should be more disorienting than they are. Blending death metal and black metal with a meditation on a civilization on the brink of collapse and a gaping album cover reserved for perplexing extreme metal appears, on paper, like too much to untangle. However, Anthropic Rites of Sublimation threads the needle and presents all that with clarity and conviction.

–Colin Dempsey

…

Nasty Insects — Bite ’til They Bleed | Grindhead Records | Grindcore + Thrash Metal + Electronic | Australia (Wollongong)

Dubbing themselves Nasty Insects and labelling their music “electro thrash,” it should be no surprise to hear utter zaniness from this Australian three-piece. The band are flexed muscles with propeller hats on, speed and aggression that prioritize fun. “I’m Sick” and “Depressed” capture the meat-headed but slower side of thrash–those chuggy moments in between full-throttle momentum. These are thigh-high boots stomping on beer cans. Warbling synths and subtle voice effects creep under the mayhem, robots climbing to the surface, wires and veins tangled in a vine of humanity’s future. On “Not My Rat,” Nasty Insects show the true capability of their sound. Five minutes of electronics blazing over blasting drums, constantly halting for a “fuck off!” screamed refrain as vocals alternate between strained wailing and infuriated screaming. On their debut, Nasty Insects show that genre will not hold them back–a shining example of boundary-pushing pairings.

–Aidan Sibley

…

Before the world was known, streams fed rivers, not wallets, and clouds held rain, not data. There was a time when natural phenomena birthed myth and wonder, not funding opportunities dressed up as scientific studies. It is this era, when Homo sapiens still crawled, and magic yet breathed, that drives and inspires Wyrdstæf.¹ Based in the United Kingdom, Wyrdstæf harkens back to an era of great change, when Paleolithic frosts gave way to Mesolithic mists. Channeling the Stone Age through modern instruments, Wyrdstæf invites you to return to the dawn of humankind and remember what was forgotten. Is debut LP Primordial Bloodlines a doorway to a bygone age, or is all this sound and fury for naught?

Primordial Bloodlines kicks off with a ceremonial invocation, “White Spring.” Urzhan’s fierce chants and Malang’s ritualistic drums sanctify the ground and stir the blood. Strings join in the last third, adding fuel to an already potent fire. Wyrdstæf’s theatrical sensibilities here strongly evoke the likes of Nytt Land, positioning the listener amidst the proceedings, enhancing immersion. Searing black metal in the veins of Wiegedood and Kampfar erupts from the flames in the form of “Great Migrations.” Shaman and Revenant unleash descending, frostbitten riffs and determined mid-paced marches, backed by hammering double bass and blast beats. After a slightly overlong ambient intro, “Hyperborean” treks further north, adding icy synths and atavistic shouts to an already vicious, blackened brew. If Wyrdstæf continued with this formula, Primordial Bloodlines would be a very strong debut offering.

Alas, that is not the case. Primordial Bloodlines’ two longest tracks—“Parhelion” and “Primordial Bloodlines”—bring things grinding to a halt. Similar to “White Spring,” “Parhelion” focuses on ritualistic ambience, but rather than placing the listener in the middle of the action, it sounds removed, like a field recording or a documentary. As a result, the first four minutes just feel like an egregiously long sample. Two additional passages round out the track’s nine-minute runtime, but none of the three sections seem strongly connected, giving “Parhelion” a Frankenstein-esque feel. “Primordial Bloodlines” shifts to a more cinematic, heavy metal sound. While it does have a more modern and accessible musical structure, it struggles under the weight of a nine-minute runtime, as well. The title track strives for culminating, emotional poignancy, but without strong prior material to support it, “Primordial Bloodlines” falls flat, feeling toothless and hollow.

These last two tracks drive notable pacing and momentum issues on Primordial Bloodlines, but that’s not my biggest gripe here. Ranging from black metal to grandiose heavy/post-metal and incorporating tribal ambience, both immersive and detached, shows Wyrdstæf to be quite talented and committed, but they’re terribly unfocused. The promo material hints at a loosely conceptual nature to the album, but had I not already known, I certainly wouldn’t have gleaned that from the music itself. Even allowing for the compositional flexibility of a concept album, Wyrdstæf doesn’t establish a baseline from which to branch out. Playing three or four separate styles across five tracks feels more like an ill-advised compilation than a cohesive album. Focusing on any one of these would have lent Primordial Bloodlines some much-needed stability.

Primordial Bloodlines started incredibly strong. “White Spring” and “Great Migrations” are both killer tracks that work well together. Red flags began to appear with “Hyperborean,” but its blackened fury was enough to sit through a questionable, sample-adjacent front half. It’s the back half of the album where Wyrdstæf really drops the ball. “Parhelion” feels aimless and nearly anthropological, and the overly ambitious title track fails to achieve its goal and ultimately feels like another waste of time. Combined, they cover more than half of Primordial Bloodlines’ 32-minute runtime. When Wyrdstæf hits, they really hit, but with precipitously diminishing returns past the 14-minute mark, Primordial Bloodlines fails as an album. If the band can settle on a singular compositional identity and use that as a base to incorporate other elements moving forward, there’s potential for a much more impressive offering. But as it stands, the most I’ll recommend is cutting out choice tracks for playlist fodder.

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Rating: 2.0/5.0
DR: 5 | Format Reviewed: 320 kbps mp3
Label: Apocalyptic Witchcraft Recordings
Websites: Bandcamp | Facebook | Instagram
Releases Worldwide: September 4th, 2026

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