Blog
-
“A raging maniac with a head full of noise, romance and death.” Nine Jim Steinman albums you should listen to and one to avoid
His musical vision was rejected by everyone. Then, like a bat out of hell, he went from a nobody to being hailed as a musical genius -
Reviews: Wreck Defy, Erra, Kaleidobolt, Azken Auzi (Spike, Matt Bladen, Rich Piva & Mark Young)
Wreck Defy – Dissecting The Leech (Massacre Records) [Spike]
There is a specific, razor-edged nostalgia that comes with a perfectly executed thrash record.It’s the sound of the late 80s Bay Area, all palm-muted precision and political snarl, reimagined for an era where the “leeches” have simply changed their suits. Wreck-Defy, led by the formidable Justin “JD” DeFeis, aren’t interested in being a “tribute” act, though. Dissecting The Leech is a masterclass in the technical bloodline of the genre, delivered with the kind of veteran focus that makes most modern “revival” bands look like they’re playing with blunt tools.
The album hits the ground running with Under The Sun, and immediately, the production, handled with a clinical, high-fidelity sheen, demands attention. It’s a showcase for DeFeis’s guitar work, which manages to be both complex and relentlessly catchy. This isn’t speed for the sake of it; it’s a calculated assault. By the time the needle hits Do It Again, the rhythmic engine of the band is fully engaged, providing a rigid, mechanical foundation that allows the tracks to breathe without ever losing their forward momentum.
What’s most striking about this record is the vocal delivery of Matt Constantino. On tracks like Millennial Dystopia and Revolt, he manages to balance a classic thrash rasp with a melodic sensibility that actually makes the choruses stick. It’s not “soft”; it’s just intelligent. It gives the songs a sense of identity that survives the high-velocity churn. The title track, Dissecting The Leech, serves as the record’s heart, a standalone bit of aggression that explores the darker corners of the human condition with a level of lyrical wit that matches the technicality of the riffs.
The momentum shifts into the more straightforward grit of Another Day and I Don’t Care, where the band leans into a pugnacious, street-level energy. The guitars don’t just play chords; they weave these intricate, needle-fine solos that cut through the mix like a surgical laser. As the record moves into The Haunting Past and The Path, you can hear the band’s pedigree showing through; they know exactly how to pull back on the tempo to let a groove settle before exploding back into a frantic, blackened thrash sprint.
By the time we reach the final act, the brooding intensity of Apocalypse Of Hope, the scope of the record is clear. Wreck-Defy hasn’t just made another “thrash” album; they’ve documented a specific kind of modern malaise. It’s a record of sharp edges and sharper tongues, a testament to the enduring power of a well-honed riff and a message that refuses to be silenced. For those of us who still believe that the “Big Four” was just the beginning of the conversation, Dissecting The Leech is essential listening. 8/10Erra – Silence Outlives The Earth (UNFD) [Matt Bladen]
Flux is the overarching theme to seventh album from Alabama progressive metalcore act Erra, humans have always been stuck between the present and the past and this existentialist existence is the main lyrical inspiration behind Silence Outlives The Earth. The American five piece have been releasing heartfelt meets heavy music since 2009 and have been sculpting it to reach a perfect blend since then.
Equally highlighting the vicious and the melodic, Silence Outlives The Earth begins with the kind of heavy/soft dynamism that Erra are know for with dreamy atmospheres and keening clean vocals are cut through with groove heavy riffs and screams. The voices split by J.T Carvey (lead) and guitarist Jesse Cash (clean vocals) they work on glorious conjunction with tracks such as Gore Of Being where the catharsis comes through on both sides.
Cash locks into some thick breakdowns along with Clint Tustin (guitar), the duo adding glistening repeating melodies to Black Cloud and Echo Sonata and chuggy distortion to Cicada Strain, as the engine room of Conor Jesse (bass) and Alex Ballew (drums) brings the heavy start stop grooves on Lucid Threshold. The production of Daniel Braunstein keeping the sonic power he’s given Erra on the previous three records.
It’s a record where Erra lean on what’s come before but face forward propelling themselves into the future, it feels like their most together album. Time has been taken to make sure the songs sit almost thematically, Cavey stating “We’ve always cared a lot about our track listing as a front-to-back listen,” and you can hear this time and effort as there’s a flow that means you press play and enter into Erra’s personal narrative that ends when the last song finishes.
As progressive metalcore continues to evolve bands like Erra move with it, delivering an album like Silence Outlives The Earth that bring in the more modern elements without totally stripping them of their initial style. 8/10Kaleidobolt – Karakuchi (Svart Records) [Rich Piva]
Looking for something to put a little pep in your step? Well, the new record from Helsinki, Finland’s Kaleidobolt, titled, Karakuchi, is here to get your engines revving. It is like a party punk version of Motorhead who listen to too much 80s post punk and 80s hair bands, all wrapped in a nice 38 minute package of chaotic craziness. Oh, also, it’s great.
Tinkerbell starts this record off like a rocket ship; a five-plus minute blast of punk leaning metal goodness. The adjectives for me are tough with these guys, because they are so familiar, so all over the place, and so unique all at the same time, and it all works.I love the track Coping as it somehow sounds like The Jam or The Undertones and fits perfectly amongst the other types of heavy these guys bring to the party. The drum work is insane on the record, with Astro Boy/Ochanomizu being the perfect example of this. This one has some great layered vocals, killer guitar work, while showing off the band’s pop sensibilities in one of their more complex songs.You want the guys to doom it up a bit? Duuude does that nicely, with a chunky riff and back end that shakes the foundations, even if it is a two minute instrumental interlude. The punk rockers return on Friends Of Fire sounding more like early Face To Face than anything else (very high compliment). Except during the breakdown when the post punk stuff comes back out, then back again. A wild ride, just like the entire record.The riff on A Chance Of A Lifetime screams stoner rock but vocally and lyrically sounds like something out of 1976 in the best kind of way. The drummer once again shows what a mad man he is while the track somehow morphs into early Rush territory. Turn Of Luck may be the most insane track on Karakuchi, and probably my favourite.
This record is the definition of all over the place, but controlled chaos wins the day on Karakuchi. No record will ever sound like the collection of songs on the new Kaleidobolt album, which is saying something these days. Very cool stuff. 8/10Azken Auzi – Infernua (Argonauta Records) [Mark Young]
A change of pace for the first week of March, with Azken Auzi who return with their second full length release, Infernua. Leading with Deep Hell, this is a massive chunk of noise that just lands, unfolding at a snail’s pace with despair-tinged vocals that are spat by Ludo, who also deals in sub-atomic destruction via the riffs that are dropped.Fans of speed/thrash and anything like should look elsewhere for their thrills, you won’t find that kind of excitement here. This is all about simple but effective arrangements that do that slow two-step on your neck. SK changes that dynamic so that this is more than just a rinse and repeat exercise from them. If you imagine a lighter shade being used in lieu of the traditional low end, this is how SK runs using discord for cover amongst those lower end moments.Again, what they do is so brilliantly realised that it just unrolls gradually until it picks up at its end. They make it interesting, and on Black Mass, well they make it heavy too. It’s a bruiser, occupying a low stance despite throwing melody back at you as a means of expanding the sonic arena its breathing in. Even though its basically an instrumental, I still dug it for the way it played out. See You Next Tuesday sees the return of normal service, glacial pace and anguished vocals and is followed by the colossus that is Reptilian, which is all jagged chords and terse vocal delivery.Imagine early Mastodon that has slowed down and that should give you a clue as to how this one drops. I think we should also mention the considerable talents of Fred behind the kit for keeping everything in place, making sure that there is a sense of motion present. From Hell is their sign-off track, finishing up in much the same way they started – simple and effective arrangements.
Sludge, doom and variances in between are difficult to review, just for trying to capture in words how good something sounds. I’ve mentioned that they don’t try to complicate things, simply they just come out to flatten you with a massive sound and quality riffs. Everything they do is kept simple and in saying I realise that I am doing them a massive disservice. This will be apparent once you wrap your ears around the 6 songs on here and let these big riffs slap you about for a spell.On the flip side, fans of the speedier genres might as well look elsewhere, as the pace may be a little slow for you but for those who like that slower pace twinned with immense sounding guitars and riffs to match then take a seat. 8/10 -
GREEN CARNATION – Κυκλοφορούν το single “I Am Time” από το επερχόμενο άλμπουμ “A Dark Poem, Part II”
https://www.metalourgio.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/103_photo.jpg -
“Into this void of hopelessness and lack of understanding came this perfect amoral act”: How a controversial song inspired by a tragic school shooting in the US became a UK No.1
Despite what many thought, I Don’t Like Mondays wasn’t about getting back to work after the weekend -
BLACKBRAID: Nocturnal Womb
Out NOW Via: Independent Words by: Greg Walker As Heavy Magazine’s resident Blackbraid enthusiast I feel a pull and a responsibility to review Nocturnal Womb. I wouldn’t normally review a three track EP, but … it’s Indigenous American Black Metal from deep within the Adirondack wilderness! Nocturnal Womb compiles two byproducts from the Blackbraid II […] -
Listening Now : Vic Da Baron – Tears of Joy
Vic Da Baron lays his heart on the line with Tears of Joy, an emotionally charged hip-hop track that reflects on personal struggles, resilience, and hard-earned triumph. With raw, heartfelt verses delivered over a soulful beat, Vic channels pain, growth, and determination into a powerful narrative. His expressive delivery brings authenticity to every line, turning vulnerability into strength. Tears of Joy stands as both a confession and a celebration—a reminder that even through hardship, perseverance can lead to moments of genuine pride and emotional release.
Heart & soul…
Connect:
-
Listening Now : Martin Sven Moritz – Snowflower’s Spell
Martin Sven Moritz captures the quiet magic of winter’s first light with Snowflower’s Spell, a delicate solo piano piece filled with movement and gentle optimism. Flowing melodies and a lively tempo evoke the image of fragile flowers pushing through snow, carrying a subtle sense of renewal and awakening. The composition balances grace and momentum, letting each phrase bloom naturally as the piece unfolds. Elegant and uplifting, Snowflower’s Spell feels like a brief but enchanting moment of calm—an instrumental that reflects both the stillness of winter and the promise of a new day.
Connect:
-
Listening Now : Eric Tagne – Saying goodbye to the thing I love
Eric Tagne pours raw emotion into Saying goodbye to the thing I love, a heartfelt blues ballad that captures the quiet devastation of letting go. Built around soulful melodies and stripped-back instrumentation, the track gives space for Tagne’s deeply emotive vocals to take center stage. His delivery carries a sense of vulnerability and longing, turning the song into an intimate confession about love, loss, and the painful necessity of moving on.
With its slow-burning atmosphere and sincere performance, Saying goodbye to the thing I love resonates as a touching and deeply human blues-infused farewell.
Connect:
-
THE DARTS Light the Bonfire on Their Sharpest LP Yet, Halloween Love Songs
Photo Credit: Tina Gross After a decade of tearing up stages across Europe, the UK, and the U.S., Seattle’s The Darts return with their most ambitious record yet: Halloween Love Songs, out March 3 on Adrenalin Fix Music. Produced by Grammy-winning Mark Rains at Station House Studio in Los Angeles, the album captures a band operating at full voltage, a tight, road-seasoned unit that has distilled years of touring, lineup evolution, and late-night writing sessions into a sharp, cinematic garage-punk statement. The Darts are no strangers to global attention. They have spent years selling out concerts across Europe, the UK, and North America, moving vinyl faster than labels could repress it and landing sought-after KEXP live sessions. They hit major festivals like Punk Rock Bowling, Binic Folk and Blues, SJOCK Festival, and Bear Stone Festival, earning fans ranging from Dave Vanian to Stephen King to Jello Biafra. Known for genuine, close-to-the-crowd performances and Nicole Laurenne’s honest connection with the room, the band brings people into the show and plays from real joy rather than polish. What Halloween Love Songs shows is a band not riding momentum but steering it.
The spark for the record came during a 2024 Rock n Folk interview in Paris. Singer and keyboard player Nicole Laurenne joked that Halloween deserved more than one novelty hit. By the time she got home, the joke had grown teeth. “I didn’t want an album that was just monster-costumes on the playground,” she says. “Side A is full of colorful, early-evening energy, the kind of songs you could blast while the neighborhood lights are flicking on. But Side B is the soundtrack for after dark, when the bonfire is raging. It’s for sweaty middle-of-the-night dancing, making out on a bed of empty candy wrappers, and spinning through an all-nighter apocalypse.” It is a concept album, but not a themed gimmick. More like a two-sided mood built from years of shows where danger, joy, humor, sweat, and catharsis all live in the same hour.
Side A kicks off with the slinky strut of “Midnight Creep,” a live favorite built around a custom dance that has been breaking crowds from Switzerland to Cincinnati. Tracks like “Zombies on the Metro” and “Every Night Is Halloween” expand the early-evening palette, driven by Nicole’s Farfisa grit, Rebecca Davidson’s guitar snarl, Lindsay Scarey’s low-end punch, and the heavy snap of returning original drummer Rikki Styxx. Side B is where the night deepens. “Apocalypse,” inspired by the medieval Apocalypse Tapestry in Angers, France, hits with a caveman stomp, Mudhoney-thick fuzz, and the now-iconic “No Kings” refrain, a line Nicole wrote about shedding oppression that later surfaced as a protest chant across the U.S. long before the band had released a note. Cuts like “The Devil Made Me Do It” and “Darkness” push the band into heavier territory: chant-driven, hypnotic, and built for sweaty clubs at one in the morning. It is garage rock with a pulse and a shadow, still wired to The Cramps, The Trashwomen, The Seeds, and Death Valley Girls, but sharpened with modern muscle.
What separates Halloween Love Songs from past Darts records is the sense of intent. It is bigger, more focused, and feels like a culmination of years spent on trains, in vans, on festival stages, in basements, through lineup changes, and inside the tight-knit world of international garage-punk. This is a band that learned to command their lane, then built a record bold enough to expand it. True to form, The Darts will follow the release with another year of heavy touring across the U.S., Europe, the UK, and Japan in 2026, including early-year Hawaii shows that set the tone for the run ahead. They are not slowing down. They never have.
Halloween Love Songs is not about the spooky season. It is about the spark in the air when the sun drops, the volume rises, and the night finally gets interesting. Out NOW (Released March 3).
Order The Darts’ Music and Merchandise
The Darts On Tour 2026
3.26 Lille – Bistrot de ST SO
3.27 Amiens – Péniche Celestine
3.28 Lauzach – Festival Bouge Ton Cube
3.29 Rouen – Fury Défendu
3.30 Saint-Étienne – Entre Pots Cafe
3.31 Dijon – Les Tanneries
4.01 Clermont-Ferrand – Le Fotomat
4.02 Orléans – O’Patio Défi
4.03 Vitré – Very Rock Trip Party
4.04 Montaigu – Le Zinor
4.05 Bordeau – Les Vivres de L’Art5.01 Sacramento, CA
5.02 Reno, NV
5.03 Chico, CA
5.06 Eugene, OR
5.07 Portland, OR
5.08 Tacoma, WA
5.09 Seattle, WA
5.10 Bellingham, WA
5.12 Yakima, WA
5.14 Salt Lake City, UT
5.15 Grand Junction, CO
5.16 Denver, CO
5.17 Albuquerque, NM
5.19 Tucson, AZ
5.20 Phoenix, AZ
5.21 El Centro, CA
5.22 Los Angeles, CA
5.23 Long Beach, CA
5.24 Oceanside, CA
5.25 Pioneertown, CA
5.27 Las Vegas, NV
5.28 Palmdale, CA
5.29 Santa Cruz, CA
5.30 Oakland, CA6.10 Jersey City, NJ
6.11 Washington, DC
6.12 Richmond, VA
6.13 Raleigh, NC
6.14 Wilmington, NC
6.17 Savannah, GA
6.18 Athens, GA
6.19 Atlanta, GA
6.20 Nashville, TN
6.21 Louisville, KY
6.23 Indianapolis, IN
6.24 Cleveland, OH
6.25 Rochester, NY
6.26 Lake George, NY
6.27 New Haven, CT
6.28 Brooklyn, NY8.26 Eugene, OR
8.27 Portland, OR
8.28 Seattle, WA
8.29 Vancouver, BC
8.30 Olympia, WAThe Darts Online
INSTAGRAM | SPOTIFY | BANDCAMP | FACEBOOK | TWITTER | YOUTUBE
The post THE DARTS Light the Bonfire on Their Sharpest LP Yet, Halloween Love Songs appeared first on The Rockpit.
-
Premiere: THE FINAL FALL ‘I’m On My Way’
The Final Fall have never been a band to rush things. Instead, they have always written and released material when they are ready and feel like they have something relevant and important to say. After a prolongued period of inactivity, The Final Fall resurfaced in 2024 with the single Sold, reminding fans and music punters […]