Blog
-
How Scott Ian Reacted When Metallica Fired Dave Mustaine
In a new interview, Anthrax's Scott Ian shared how he reacted when Metallica told him they fired Dave Mustaine back in 1983. Continue reading… -
Raw doom and blackened atmosphere collide on ANTRUM OF VOID’s debut From The Depths
Extreme doom and black metal converge on From The Depths, the debut EP from ANTRUM OF VOID, a new duo featuring The Cardinal of BLACK FLAME, ADVERSAM and IMPERIUM OMEGA, alongside Subconscious of THE CATECHISTS. Released through VOX CARDINALIS PRODUCTIONS, the EP brings together the musicians’ differing backgrounds in an attempt to create something deliberately […] -
TesseracT postpone upcoming UK and Germany tour: “Some important elements of our plans have changed”
Posted on October 1st 2026, 5:45pm
-
The machine awakens early: DISSIMULATOR stream Artifice Dissolves in full
Montreal death/thrash trio DISSIMULATOR are streaming their second album, Artifice Dissolves, in its entirety ahead of its 2 October release through 20 BUCK SPIN. Following 2024 debut Lower Form Resistance, drummer Philippe Boucher, bassist Antoine Daigneault and guitarist/vocalist Claude Leduc push further into the technical and progressive side of their sound. The new record places […] -
Brymir – What We Leave Behind Review
Four years after Brymir dropped fourth LP Voices in the Sky, the Finnish quartet reemerges with fifth opus, What We Leave Behind. Despite parting ways with longtime guitarist Sean Haslam last year, fans of the band will be happy to hear Brymir’s core sound remains intact. Sleek melodic leads coat What We Leave Behind’s three-quarters of an hour, and they go down smoother than an ice-cold lonkero after an honest day’s work. Brymir’s third album Wings of Fire introduced me to the ensemble, and as Dr. Wvrm alluded to in his Voices in the Sky write-up, I was one of those won over by Wings’ spectacular apotheosis of symphonic melodeath. Voices in the Sky cleared the goalpost as well, and so I come to What We Leave Behind with great expectations—does it complete the Bryfecta?A natural continuation of Voices in the Sky, the front half of What We Leave Behind brings sweet, candy-coated confections dusted with spirited orchestrations and earworms galore. This sort of songcraft can inundate systems with a sucrose-fueled sugar rush, but fortunately Brymir adds enough substance to their numbers that they don’t rely on sweetmeats alone. The opening batch of songs kicks off What We Leave Behind with exactly the kind of pop-forward stickiness that Brymir thrives on. “Tempestbound” supplies a scorching cut of soaring melodeath, “What We Leave Behind” beckons with wistful melodies and synth accents that remind me of Insomnium, and “Sleipnir” kicks with the strength of eight legs, buoying Joona Björkroth’s (Battle Beast) incendiary guitar work and drummer Patrik Fält’s blistering performance with infectious verve. “True Darkness” rounds out the front of the album, and it swaps the high ‘n’ mighty splendor of the preceding tracks with an iciness recalling Wintersun’s symphodeath and engendering a balanced attack through What We Leave Behind’s side A.
The back half of What We Leave Behind retains the same sweeping grandeur as the fore, although a few small hiccups inform a hint of choppiness that leaves the album a tad front-loaded. “Buried Legion” rips listeners asunder with an atmospheric malevolence heretofore unexplored by Brymir, but it’s bookended by instrumentals that dull its impact. In the promo materials, Brymir mentions that What We Leave Behind is the band’s most ‘sinister album yet.’ While this assertion misses me through “What We Leave Behind,” “True Darkness” and “Buried Legion” indeed embody some of Brymir’s most ominous textures to date. “The Roaring King” and “Broken Dawn” likewise elicit undercurrents of foreboding and lament, although Brymir never loses the threads of invigorating power that keep What We Leave Behind from ever sounding downright malignant. Album closer “How Much Is the Fish”1 ends matters on a fun note, leaving behind an uplifting aftertaste.

What We Leave Behind glimmers with a glossy production while the music brims with big riffs and choruses, but Brymir’s impact can be better qualified by how it makes me feel. Those allergic to major chords and triumphant choral swells might not be convinced, but power and energy electrify Brymir’s music with galvanizing gusto. Thrilling surges of technicality collide with rousing vocals and stirring choirs, investing tracks like “Tempestbound” and “What We Leave Behind” with an unbridled opulence that makes me want to take up a cause. Overall, What We Leave Behind radiates a majestic earnestness I find utterly charming, and even with a few minor structural qualms, I can’t resist Brymir’s draw. Unfortunately, issues with the stream interrupted the transition between songs with buffering every time, constantly taking me out of the experience and making it difficult to appreciate the album’s flow and cohesion.
Ultimately, What We Leave Behind dazzles with highly polished melodeath that lends itself to repeated spins. Despite a tonal shift a third of the way through the album, Brymir never sounds less than slick and stunning. Each song bears its own identity, yet they all weave together with masterful performances, concise songwriting, and massive guitar and synth hooks. Though I don’t think What We Leave Behind completely measures up to Wings of Fire or Voices in the Sky, I’m open to being wrong once I can experience the album as intended rather than being at the mercy of a glitchy stream. Either way, Brymir beams with bouncy ebullience even at their darkest, and this undeniable jubilance is exactly the sort of melodeath ingredient I find utterly irresistible.2 Of all the records you could Leave Behind as the year starts winding down, don’t let Brymir be one of them.
Rating: Very Good
DR: NA | Format Reviewed: Bry Me a River (Stream)
Label: Napalm Records
Websites: Website | Bandcamp | Facebook | Instagram
Releases Worldwide: October 2nd, 2026The post Brymir – What We Leave Behind Review appeared first on Angry Metal Guy.
-
Comeback Kid Launch “Yesterday’s Gone” Music Video Featuring Incendiary’s Brendan Garrone
Their second chosen single.
The post Comeback Kid Launch “Yesterday’s Gone” Music Video Featuring Incendiary’s Brendan Garrone appeared first on Theprp.com.
-
Venom – Frontman Cronos Passed Away
British extreme metal pioneers Venom have shared the news that frontman Conrad Thomas Lant aka Cronos has died at 63.
Read more… -
Cheap Thrills #21 – Autumnal Backlog Blues
With all the wind and rain that hit the east coast last week, I spent a good deal of time indoors going through my backlog. My Bandcamp wishlist was getting out of hand, and I had about a quarter-crate of LPs to work through, so this installment of Cheap Thrills is packed with all sorts of name-your-price goodies from the last few months, as well as one curveball from almost 30 years ago that just got a physical release.
You know the drill: support underground artists this Bandcamp Friday (and every day, really) by picking up some tunes and merch!
…
Starseed – Cosmic Conspiracy (May 1, 1997)
Yep, you read that date correctly. As much as I hate calling things “hidden gems” (it’s one of the most overused and meaningless phrases that fans and collectors use, right up there with “white whale” and “grail”), it’s hard to think of another suitable metaphor for Starseed’s lone 1997 release, which was recently given a vinyl release thanks to Ixiol Productions. Cosmic Conspiracy is riffy, space-faring death metal with a healthy dose of synthesizer harmony and ambience. There aren’t any extended prog sections that allow your mind to wander: rather, Starseed grabs your attention from the very start and doesn’t let up for the EP’s entire 19 minute duration.
…
Trhä – ∫um’ad∂ejja o§tovaj and din cëppehen lëvatsë ë∫ nu debu£ gjërima (September 21, 2026)
Reset the clock – there are two more Trhä releases out, just in time for fall. It’s been nearly nine months since the last album, which feels like forever in Trhä time, but Ojeda has been plenty busy with touring this past year. If you can catch any of his projects live, whether it be Trhä, Sadness, Life, or Midwinter Sunset, you should really make it a priority to do so.
Up first is ∫um’ad∂ejja o§tovaj, the more varied and “upbeat” of the pair, which cycles between the hyper melodic and fantastical black metal that one expects from Trhä, more midpaced and measured atmospheric fare, and occasional forays into hardcore (or, dare I say, metalcore) via big stomping power chords. According to the Bandcamp page, these tracks were written over the last few years, but even for an “odds and ends” album, this is still an(other) enjoyable release.
By contrast, din cëppehen lëvatsë ë∫ nu debu£ gjërima (say that five times fast) is a rawer, hazier affair than its companion, hewing much closer to that “classic” Trhä sound. The synths are pushed way up in the mix, emphasizing the project’s dreamy, whimsical side. The album is a fitting reminder of the project’s purpose: to explore the nostalgic, magical kingdom that Thét Älëf (Ojeda’s alter ego) calls home.
…
Ihloosuhree – Slaven Der Ontbinding (August 12, 2026)
With their second album, Belgium’s Ihloosuhree delivers a psychedelic black metal experience just in time for spooky season. The friend who recommended this joked that it took him a minute to realize that the band’s name is an exaggerated phonetic spelling of “Illusory” (he initially thought “it was just Dutch”). The name is certainly appropriate, though, considering how haunting and gloomy Slaven Der Ontbinding is. Hypnotic tremolo riffs smear past as growling bass guitars and pounding drums open up a chasm into the very fabric of reality. The vocals are particularly unhinged, escalating from throaty barks to tortured howls–sometimes on the same track. I’m not saying that you should toss this album on your Halloween party playlist, but if you did, it would certainly make for an unforgettable evening.
…
Maȟpíya Lúta – Wówalitake (August 7, 2026)
This mysterious project’s third full-length album is yet another raw atmospheric black metal tribute to Red Cloud of the Oglala Lakota tribe. On Wówalitake, the enigmatic Maȟpíya Lúta amplifies the dusty ambience that framed the stomping melodic riffs on previous records, resulting in a record that feels reigned-in and dignified. The cover art reinforces this theme—long after his military and political heyday, Red Cloud continued to be a spokesman for the Lakota well into his 80s. But we all know you didn’t necessarily come here for a history lesson, so the question is, are the riffs good? They are indeed, and what Wówalitake lacks in raw aggression it certainly makes up for with grand, stately movements that still pack plenty of crunch while bearing a newfound sense of gravity.
…
D.E.R. – Tempo Severo (September 25, 2025)
We’ll end this installment with a pair of rippin’ grind releases courtesy of Nerve Altar. Up first is the debut full-length from Brazilian quartet D.E.R., whose name is an acronym for Destruction and Regression (albeit in Portuguese). This album kicked my ass the first time I heard it…and the second…and the third. There’s almost a black-thrash edge to some tracks thanks to the razor sharp tremolo-picked guitars and machine gun blastbeats. Because these elements tend to occupy the upper registers, the bass guitar punches right through the mix. Say goodbye to those pesky mids—and the top of your skull—because Tempo Severo takes no prisoners.
…
Hallucination Realized – Developing Reality (May 25, 2026)
Hallucination Realized’s debut album arrives after a string of splits, and like Tempo Severo, it’s a real doozy. Developing Reality leans more into powerviolence territory, with tempo changes that hit like a semi truck. The band also makes great use of noise on tracks like the brooding “Eschaton”. After opening with drum fakeout, the track erupts into thrashing chaos before that same intro beat returns, accompanied by huge sludgy riffs and crackling waves of static. I’d be interested to see if Hallucinated Realized ever goes full Noise Grind Power Death, but if they do, I’ll be there.
…
-
Venom’s Conrad “Cronos” Lant Dead At 63
Conrad “Cronos” Lant, longtime singer and bassist for the pioneering English underground metal band Venom, has massed away. The band announced Lant’s passing in a social media post today. No cause of death has been reported. Lant was 63.
The post Venom’s Conrad “Cronos” Lant Dead At 63 appeared first on Stereogum.
-
Twiztid Stream Their Version Of Papa Roach’s “Getting Away With Murder”
Kicking off ‘rocktober’.
The post Twiztid Stream Their Version Of Papa Roach’s “Getting Away With Murder” appeared first on Theprp.com.