Blog

November 27, 2026 sees the release of Piesni Vietru album from symphonic black metal act Withered Land. Comprised of 6 new tracks, it was mixed and mastered by Astaroth Mercurius at Raventale Studios.
Read more…

https://www.metalourgio.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Splendidula-band-photo-e1772659028811-768×473.jpg

Album Review: Caspian – Caspian

Reviewed by Oli Gonzalez

It’s that time of the year. Days are getting shorter as autumn is here. Summer festival season is a distant memory. We can start reflecting on the year and thinking of some of the best releases of 2026. We’ve seen stunning post rock efforts from MONO, Hammock, If These Trees Could Talk, Nordic Giants, and many more. Now Caspian have just forcefully inserted themselves into that conversation of albums of the year with their stunning self titled effort!

To understand the genius of this, their sixth full length, let’s have a quick skim over their discography.

See, Caspian has done something quite remarkable here! Not through innovation or by radically pushing boundaries. Rather by looking to the past and what’s worked for them there and bringing this to the future. Earlier albums “The Four Trees” and “Tertia” succeed by leaning on a core of huge sweeping cinematic soundscapes and opulent melodies. Then their next few releases saw the band experiment with more ambient lounge moods, with electronic beats and in some ways straying away from what made their previous efforts so appealing to some. Before “On Circles” saw some more experimentation with ‘Collapser’ being a heavier post metal like effort that wouldn’t look out of place on a Russian Circles record, as well as the acoustic driven country like anthemic sing-a-long ‘Circles On Circles’, redefining their categorisation as solely an instrumental band.

Now, it’s 2026. Their 6th album.

Guitarist Jonny Ashburn described how the band have ‘looked back and reset to the fundamentals’. This is abundantly clear in the opening effort ‘Hiraeth’. No drums, bass, and just the frankly gorgeous guitars left to shine in the limelight, the end result is something quite remarkable. Genuinely, I remember just being blown away by the sheer beauty of this piece. No fancy effects or reverb – another one of Jonny’s promises of using this only when he felt absolutely necessary – just a violin to underline the emotional potency and simplicity of this piece. The breathing space and lack of unnecessary texture from other instruments is what makes this so special. Like the iconic and world famous track ‘The Lonely Shephard’ made famous by Andre Reiu.

These principles are what made the first two albums so effective and why they rank so highly with me, and I’m seeing this again on “Caspian”.

We see these in action again on ‘Far Country’, only now the bass, drums, and distorted guitars join in to create colossal walls of sound with an intensity to rival Amenra or Cult Of Luna! Seriously, make sure you’re sitting somewhere comfortable when you listen to this for the first time. Though once again, simplicity is the name of the game. Simplicity and abandoning needless complexity. Seemingly the same thought processes going into ‘Remain’ only that we’re introduced to some absolutely breathtaking melodic tapestries weaving and shimmering their way into your consciousness! We all feel pain. Physical, emotional, or otherwise. One dose of this may well be the antidote you need!

‘A Great Fire’ seems to be the one of the more complex on the album, with this densely layered number requiring the Rosetta Stone to properly decode and analyse, alongside crushing and rewarding cathartic peaks. Whereas ‘Noone Left To Tell’ acts like a massage for the senses, soothing, calming yet minimalistic in its delivery.

‘A Waltz For The End’ is…well, a waltz for the end! Staying in the ¾ time, all distortion and overdrive are removed and it’s a time for quiet reflection and bringing yourself back to earth after this euphoric ride!

What’s more to say? We’re looking at a genuine and legitimate album of the year right now!

For all the latest news, reviews, interviews across the heavy metal spectrum follow THE RAZORS’S EDGE on facebook, twitter and instagram.

The post Album Review: Caspian – Caspian appeared first on The Razor's Edge.

Album Review: Stoned Jesus – Songs to Moon

Reviewed by Oli Gonzalez

A trend is emerging in the Season Of Mist ecosystem. Album release trilogies with bands releasing a trio albums at relentless speed. We saw it with Green Carnation and the Dark Poem trio of albums. Now Ukraine’s Stoned Jesus are on the eve of releasing the second album in their trilogy, following up “Songs To Sun” with “Songs To Moon”. Though Stoned Jesus are doing anything but chasing trends with their sound that may be rooted in stoner metal, but reaches the psychedelic, progressive, and doom metal ends of the spectrum.

Stoned Jesus came sprinting out of the blocks with ‘Under The Skin’, with the pace thunderous and the wall of sound crushing and engulfing! Amazing considering how the band operates only as a 3 piece! The multiple layers of the vocals can be observed too, with all 3 members getting in on the action. Think Mastadon with one less guitar!

“Light Chaser, Eraser
Going For The One”

Listen to this once and you’ll see how quickly this chorus gets imprinted on your subconscious mind! Well, ‘chorus’ is used sparingly, as the song seems to operate in a series of non-repeating movements. Which is a nod to Stoned Jesus’ creativity.

The pace drops with ‘Velvet’ with the mood sombre and melancholic, though the guitar and bass remain potent and more than hold their own. If that was sombre, then ‘ZYK’ is a full blown serotonin drainer! This is just a different type of impactful though, different from the crushing overdrive and distortion from the album’s start.

Some of that earlier pace and momentum seems to get lost in ‘Syzygy’. Equally, it’s an opportunity for the vocals to take a break and let the psychedelic spice of the guitar and keys tell the story. Igor spoke of his love for classic rock bands Led Zeppelin and Black Sabbath, and whilst you can see this here, the vibe is more like that of Pink Floyd.

Igor also spoke of their desire to incorporate more of a theatrical quality in this record. They achieve that in ‘Jackal’, with the haunting ethereal vocals and repetitive lines ‘Go to sleep’ giving a pantomime villain-esque vibe, alongside the half spoken vocals! All before this built up tension is released in an escape valve at the song’s zenith and the crunching route one distorted guitars come back into the mix.

In some ways, I was leaning more towards the huge stoner walls of sound and didn’t really enjoy the quieter ambient segments. That being said, ‘Window In My Room’ and ‘One More Empty Day’ offer a much more soothing and relaxed aspect of the Stoned Jesus universe, giving a more radio friendly alternative rock aura, like that of REM. Songs that can be enjoyed in isolation from the rest of the album.

So, that’s Stoned Jesus. Definitely not a band for a quick dopamine hit. They’re complex, challenging, and converging far from the conventional path. What can we expect from the thirrd album in this trilogy?

For all the latest news, reviews, interviews across the heavy metal spectrum follow THE RAZORS’S EDGE on facebook, twitter and instagram.

The post Album Review: Stoned Jesus – Songs to Moon appeared first on The Razor's Edge.

For a single they launched back in 2020.

The post Architects Land Their First Gold Single In The United States appeared first on Theprp.com.

LA’s Cosmic Joke play hardcore like it’s pop-punk, taking cues from their melodic ’80s SoCal forebears. They impressed us with their 2024 debut LP and last year’s guest-heavy covers EP for wildfire relief, and word is, they’ve got a whole ‘nother album of that stuff ready to go. In November, Cosmic Joke will release Suburban Decay, comprising 12 more snotty singalongs of Descendents/Adolescents vintage. One of them, “No Threat,” is available today. If you want to bop around joyfully/angrily for just shy of two minutes while enjoying some tremendous walking basslines and a hearty breakdown that doesn’t skimp on the pop appeal, this tune’s for you. Listen below.

The post Cosmic Joke Announce New Album <em>Suburban Decay</em>: Hear “No Threat” appeared first on Stereogum.

It took almost 15 years to make this collaboration possible, yet WOTAN and CRUZ DEL SUR MUSIC are finally joining forces for the physical release of Carmina Barbarica – Alive In Athens!

In 2004 Carmina Barbarica marked the debut of WOTAN on the metal scene. Released by Eat Metal Records on both CD and Vinyl, the album is considered as one of the milestones of European Epic Metal with its Manowar flavored sound. Greece has always been their second home, if not even their first having played live in the country many times. It was therefore a natural result that band’s first live album should have been recorded in this wonderful metal nation.

Two years after their exhibition at the Into The Battle Festival, WOTAN and CRUZ DEL SUR MUSIC are pleased to announce the release of Carmina Barbarica – Alive In Athens, which was recorded on that same night. This live album features “Carmina Barbarica” played in its entirety! Vinyl is expected to arrive in Janurary 2027, but from today the album is available digitally at all biggest platforms, including Bandcamp.

The LP comes on beautiful Χαῖρε Ἑλλάς (Hail Hellas) splatter vinyl and can be pre-ordered at: 

WEBSHOP: https://tinyurl.com/bde8dcj5

BC: cruzdelsurmusic.bandcamp.com/album/wotan-carmina-barbarica-alive-in-athens

More Info:

instagram.com/wotanbandofficial

Wotan on Facebook

facebook.com/cruzdelsurmusic

instagram.com/cruzdelsurmusic

Source: ClawHammer PR

Album Review: Tungsten – Ashes

Reviewed by Matthew Caldwell

Despite being labelled as a power metal band, Tungsten are actually much more versatile than that. The power, speed and melodic passages are all there, but an important part of their sound, and what makes them stand out from their contemporaries, is the industrial element they bring to the genre.

Even if you aren’t familiar with the band themselves, you may well recognise a couple of the members. Tungsten were founded in 2016 by Anders Johansson and his two sons, Karl and Nick. Anders is best known as the former drummer of Swedish power metal royalty HammerFall and Yngwie Malmsteen’s Rising Force. He is also the brother of Jens, keyboard player of Finnish power metal giants Stratovarius. It’s fair to say that the Johanssons are a very musically gifted family, and the two youngest members are carrying on that tradition. Completing the line-up is Cloudscape vocalist Mike Andersson.

The new album, Ashes, kicks off where you’d least expect it to… with yodelling.

Does it work? Absolutely it works.

‘Joker’ perfectly sets up what you’re in for: crunching guitar riffs, techno-inspired keyboards and huge, singalong choruses. ‘Bite My Tongue’ is all about juxtaposition. It’s heavy, dark and there’s growling, but then it softens to reveal its more passive side. Tungsten can do both, and both they do well.

‘Fuego Del Sol’ is where things get a little different. It incorporates Latin American rhythms and is sung partly in Spanish. For those hoping to catch the band live, expect this party anthem to be a strong contender for the setlist. ‘Happy’, meanwhile, doesn’t sound happy at all. Instead, it sounds menacing, driven by relentless riffing throughout the verses.

Arguably the best song on the album comes in the form of ‘The North Will Rise’, a Scandinavian and Nordic call to arms and unity. It features another hero of the power metal world, Sonata Arctica’s Tony Kakko, effectively making Tungsten a supergroup for this track. Kakko sounds brilliant here, and fans of early Sonata Arctica particularly are in for a treat. The album closes with the brutally heavy ‘The Forge’, a track that seems to emanate from the darkest depths, combining thunderous riffs with symphonic energy.

If this album doesn’t grab you straight away, give it a few listens. There is a lot to digest in just under 40 minutes, and the combination of different influences means there’s plenty going on beneath the surface. The musicianship and production are both top notch, too.

It’s also worth checking out some of their music videos. They’re great fun, and it’s clear that the band have a lot of fun making them as well.

Overall, Ashes is a fun, energetic and varied album that demonstrates there is considerably more to Tungsten than a straightforward power metal formula. It’s a worthwhile addition to their growing discography and, if nothing else, proves that sometimes an album really can start with yodelling and still end up somewhere rather good indeed.

For all the latest news, reviews, interviews across the heavy metal spectrum follow THE RAZORS’S EDGE on facebook, twitter and instagram.

The post Album Review: Tungsten – Ashes appeared first on The Razor's Edge.

That concert film/doc opened in theaters today, September 30th.

The post Linkin Park Debut “In The End” Live Video From Their Just Released ‘UNSHATTER’ Film appeared first on Theprp.com.

Last year, Peaches returned with No Lube So Rude, her first album in over a decade, which was shortlisted for the Polaris Music Prize. Now, the pop icon is giving her timeless 2000 hit “Fuck The Pain Away” its first remix for the new Hellraiser game.

The post Peaches Remixes “Fuck The Pain Away” For New <em>Hellraiser</em> Game appeared first on Stereogum.