Evermore has released a video for ‘Underdark‘, thrid single taken from the new album ‘Mournbraid‘ to be released on March 20th via Scarlet Records. The third record for the Swedish masters of power metal, ‘Mournbraid‘ delivers the trademark Evermore sound made of aggressive guitar riffs, soaring epic vocals and unforgettable strong hooks – all amplified by a […]
Black Lung – Forever Beyond (Magentic Eye Records) [Rich Piva]
I have been a big fan of Baltimore’s Black Lung for a few years and a few albums now. I am excited to have the band back. They are both back and pissed off at the state of this world, and not afraid to show it, with Forever Beyond being their darkest and angriest record yet, and they do angry very well.
Traveler starts us off, and right off the bat you hear this 90s thing going on, but also with a bleakness that gives me post punk vibes as well. Like a darker Catherine Wheel, which is flat out excellent. This is some of Dave Cavalier’s best vocal work, as he really nails it on this track. The band has mastered the layering of sound all throughout their songs, with synths bringing a song like Death & Co. to the next level. I love the drums on this one too. My Catherine Wheel but darker comparison stands on this one as well.
When I had the guys on the Rich & Turbo Heavy Half Hour, I gave my opinion of Radiohead, which as big fans I hope they forgive me for. I bring this up because Savior has this underlying Radiohead thing going on, and it is wonderful. Follow doesn’t pull any punches lyrically while musically keeping that dark 90s, wall of soundish vibe. The riffs rule this one. These guys get catchy and melodic too, with Forever Beyond Me giving off Therapy? and later-period Alice In Chains vibes in the best kind of way.
The two angriest tracks were saved for last, with the atmospheric Border Hoarder showing you don’t have to have the heaviest song musically be the angriest, even though this one certainly kicks in and rips it up too, and the eight-minute closer, Scum, which is their state of the world address set to some killer, dark chunky riffs and atmospheric bridges as Cavalier tells everyone what’s what.
A dark, heavy, 90s post punk inspired state of the world address emanating from pretty much ground zero of where it is all happening. This record is built for 2026, where Black Lung has their finger on the pulse of what’s going down, brought to you in the form of the seven killer tracks that make up Forever Beyond. Black Lung knows that things are bad, but there is still hope underneath it all, which is what I hear and love about this record. 9/10
Prong – Live And Uncleansed (Steamhammer) [Mark Young]
Recorded live over a number of nights in 2025, Live And Uncleansed represents a worthwhile document showcasing a band that is still capable of squashing live audiences when called upon.
For me, they were a staple of metal nights with Snap Your Fingers, Snap Your Neck which continues to be popular today. Their songs always had that innate ability to land like a punch to the face and contained here are 14 examples of this. From a review perspective, talking about each song here would be a little redundant on my part as you would expect them to represent their best or at least most balanced live set.
Each song is delivered with a thudding authority, the band sounding tight and on point as they rip through the set, starting straight into it without any drawn-out introductions with Revenge…Best Served Cold setting the tone. Straight away you can hear their influence on a ton of bands that followed and received the plaudits that probably should have been theirs. This is a debate for elsewhere, but you cannot argue with how good it sounds, and how good they sound.
They keep the between song patter to a minimum, concentrating on the performance as opposed to banter (which is always welcome) but the problem is that the songs miss that link between them. This is a minor point on my behalf and given that they were recorded over a number of nights then I suppose they wouldn’t do that anyway. But when you have The Descent crashing in like thunder, those riffs landing like a rock-fall any thoughts about anything other than the performance become secondary.
Of course they play Snap Your Fingers, coming in slightly faster than I remember but no less of an early 90’s core anthem. That riff build is still razor sharp and here is delivered at pace whilst still sounding heavy. It’s a song that still sounds better than a lot of material that is out today and live, Tommy Victor is in top form here, sounding like a man demented in its delivery.
What is surprising is that Whose Fist Is It Anyway is presented as a bonus track, the last one and like Snap Your Fingers it is imperious. Live releases can be hit and miss with so many things affecting how they are received. From set list to how the band sounds being key, on here they manage to get it right and in its own right it’s a belter, one that will satisfy long standing fans and hopefully garner some new ones. 8/10
Leaves Eyes – Songs Of Darkness (RPM) [Cherie Curtis]
Leaves Eyes brings us Songs Of Darkness, and it’s exactly what it says on the tin; it’s symphonic and powerful, and theatrically heavy. Leaves Eyes prioritises grandeur and layers over raw aggression. The music packs a punch as it’s larger than life and extremely cinematic; it’s not going to be starting any mosh pits, but it will have you stop and listen. If given the chance, I’d love to see Leaves Eyes play live.
Songs Of Darkness is dark and moody with lead vocals by Elina Siirala, whose vocals are silky, bright and vivid. She brings a romantic and almost operatic melody amplified by subtle, yet beautiful backing vocals all rooted down into the haunting themes by the fierce and bitter metal vocals Alexander Krull. They use the classic ‘beauty and the beast’ trope similar to bands such as Cradle Of Filth and Nightwish but more symphonic and create a stunningly bewitching and powerful dynamic.
The whole album is simmering with energy. There are boundless repetitive drums, distorted riffs and a steady rhythm to serve as a strong, slow burning undercurrent that builds tension before delivering a satisfying vocal payoff. In Songs Of Darkness, instead of fighting for spotlight, the instrumentals show restraint and give a driving pulse so the vocals can have more of an impact.
Overall, I really enjoyed myself as I’m a fan of this genre and style so I may be biased but there’s nothing not to like. It’s mixed well and the production value is top notch. There’s dark grittiness contrasted by sophisticated grace and theatrical power so even the black metal elitists will find something to enjoy but it won’t be something they’ll choose to have on their rotation as especially in the beginning, the tracks can be a little too soft.
Though only four track and the run time is relatively short, there is so much soul and effort, and Leaves Eyes has proven here that less is more. 9/10
Lost Society – Hell Is A State Of Mind (Nuclear Blast) [Matt Bladen]
What happened to this band? Maybe I’m the old curmudgeon but for a while there Finns Lost Society seemed to be the saviours of thrash metal, but overtime they’ve become just another band playing “modern metal” and even that is not a particularly descriptive title. I’d say more that they have become an Avenged Sevenfold clone with a bit of Bring Me The Horizon added for the radio.
I wasn’t too enamoured with their last couple of albums, (though I was in the minority for the press core) and Hell Is A State Of Mind does even less for me. I think comparing yourselves to the likes of Children Of Bodom and H.I.M when you produce music that is just a clone of countless metalcore bands, but especially A7X who they have moved the closest too here.
With electronics, hip-hop beats and some woeful gothic nu metal lyrics, tracks names such as Dead People Scare Me (But The Living Make Me Sick) just feel a bit like the sort of thing you’d see emblazoned on a t-shirt in Blue Banana. A very unsubtle move towards radio play and popularity. Now I’m not shooting down the band they’re talented performers and there’s a great use of strings with the 40-piece Babelsberg Film Orchestra the standout of the album but don’t save it for me.
Lost Society seem like they will stick with this direction for the foreseeable, but for me Hell Is A State Of Mind is listening to hell. 4/10
32 years into their career, there is no shying away from statements about the state of the world from Lamb Of God on their 10th album, their first for four years. They have never been ones to avoid controversy, but here the band are merely stating what many of us are surely thinking.
Vocalist Randy Blythe explains the album title: “Because that’s where we’re heading. In general, the album is about the ongoing and rapid breakdown of the social contract, particularly here in America. Things are acceptable now that would’ve horrified people just 20 years ago.”
Listening to Into Oblivion whilst the Middle East burns, it is not difficult to see why the band and Blythe remain fuelled by the rage that has fired their groove-based Metal through four decades.
Lamb Of God’s Into Oblivion Is a Brutal Statement on a Burning World. Out 13 March 2026
It only seems like yesterday that the band were on a disjointed arena tour with Iced Earth and Heaven And Hell, where they seemed totally out of place. Two years later, they were killing it on the Sacrament tour to packed Academy venues. It has been hell of a ride since then.
Two things are immediate as the opening tracks rip out of the speaker. Lamb Of God are still fiery as hell, and they resolutely stick to that signature groove which no other band does as well. Blythe is a snarling animal, his hyperactivity on stage evident in his delivery here.
His growls are complemented once more by some cleaner singing, which he has been exploring over recent albums. El Vacio provides the first opportunity, a more measured piece that demonstrates a maturity that is part of the Richmond outfit these days.
But do not worry, for that frenetic chaos that anchors the band’s roots remains. The visceral Parasocial Christ explodes in a raging fireball that is over and done in the most frenetic three minutes you will hear this year. Evidence, if it was needed, that Lamb of God still have teeth.
If you are a fan, you will already be aware of the singles that have been released. The first two songs are joined by Sepsis, a brooding atmospheric homage to the band’s time absorbing influences from the Richmond underground scene in the ’90s, whilst recent pulverising release Blunt Force Blues comes later in the listing.
Although Lamb Of God are at the stage in their career where they can call the shots, it is still a relief to hear boot stomping tracks like The Killing Floor, which is a throwback to earlier albums like As The Palaces Burn.
Lamb Of God may have a reliable sound, but there is more freedom to create records today compared to previous times. “For me, the album is about having the space to breathe creatively and not feeling like we have to keep up with any trend or expectation,” guitarist Mark Morton shares.
“It feels nice to be untethered from any agenda beyond rallying around the notion of, ‘Let’s just make music that we think is cool,’ which is really where it all started.”
El Vacio may be slightly more measured, but the fire still rages underneath the calmer tones that provide some necessary pauses for breath. Blythe’s measured cleans contrast his aggression in his more anticipated style, but both work against a dark backdrop, which is played out by the band.
The third album to feature drummer Art Cruz, who puts in a hell of a shift, a blisteringly punishing St Catherine’s Wheel sees Cruz in exceptional form, his machine gun-like drumming anchoring a typically razor-sharp song. The topic is the chilling method of torture from the 16th century, and it is certainly something that makes you wince.
Blunt Force Blues kicks in shortly afterwards, bringing a certain familiarity with the hearty roars and groove-ridden riffs that cascade.
Bully may be more typical Lamb Of God fare, but they shift gear again on A Thousand Years, a chaotic rage that switches to a slower tempo. It is not my favourite here, but I think it will be a grower with some neat lead work from Mark Morton.
This leads to the ferocious finale of Devise/Destroy, another straight out of the Lamb Of God stable, with a thunderous rhythmic groove that propels the song forward, whilst Blythe roars for one last time.
Into Oblivion sees Lamb Of God as angry and dangerous as ever. Sure, they have followed their formula and style that has seen them earn headline status at Bloodstock for a third time later this year, and there are those who slate them as a one-trick pony.
For me, they have matured into a band that still carries an edge, willing to make statements about social circumstances, and to be fair, they are unlikely to care what you think.
If you love this band, then album ten is likely to be another in the discography to relish.
Lamb Of God release Into Oblivion via Century Media & Epic Records on 13 March 2026. Pre-orders are available from lambofgod.lnk.to/IntoOblivion-Bio.
Symphonic metal titans EPICA are delighted to unveil an electrifying live version of their track ‘Eye Of The Storm’, taken from their critically acclaimed, latest studio record Aspiral. This powerful version, titled ‘Eye Of The Storm (Live At The Ziggo Dome)’, was recorded last month at the band’s biggest headline show to date – a sold-out night at Amsterdam’s Ziggo Dome in front of 10,000 fans.
The track arrives just as EPICA kick-off the second leg of ‘The Arcane Dimensions Tour’ with Amaranthe and Charlotte Wessels.
The journey of growth follows a spiral, continuously widening and deepening with every cycle.
By sticking to this spiritual principle, symphonic metal innovators EPICA have reinvented themselves on their ninth effort Aspiral, releasing a studio album that shows a band brimming with a newfound joy in their own skin – standing united as a team, where every band member brought inspiration, ideas and years of songwriting experience to the table.
Aspiral bears testimony to this unity, but the band’s steep ascent within the past years was far from coincidental and required lots of hard work and combination of things happening after the release of their latest album Omega in the midst of a raging pandemic. After walking several steps off their usual path with their EP The Alchemy Project which saw them collaborating with artists such as Myrkur, Fleshgod Apocalypse or Uriah Heep, the band played a massive world tour and got invited by a certain band called Metallica for several dates, and played 4 sold out “Symphonic Synergy” shows with a massive orchestra and choir.
After diving deep into hypothetical theories, metaphysical mysticism and themes that were touching the fabric of our existence in the infinity of the universe, EPICA ’s 9th studio effort Aspiral centres on the work of sculptor Stanisław Szukalski. During the first Covid lockdown, bassist Rob van der Loo saw the documentary ‘Struggle – The Life And Lost Art Of Stanislav Szukalski’ and felt so inspired by his work that he wanted to write soundtracks for some of his sculptures, simply because each and every detail in his works are artworks on their own and their stories go very deep. And this is where the path started. Aspiral was born as an instrumental soundtrack to this world, an initially separate project that over time metamorphosed into the new EPICA record.
The title comes from a bronze statue Szukalski did in 1965. If you take a close look, you can see snails rebuilding elements out of the mud in cycles and this eventually leads to civilization and a woman reaching out to the sun. It stands for renewal and inspiration – keywords that define EPICA now.
For more than 20 years now, EPICA have been standing tall. And while already their last efforts clearly showcased their commitment to the game, it is Aspiral that truly distils the very heart of their trademark sound.
Live Review: Bodysnatcher – Club Academy, Manchester
6th March 2026 Support: Ingested, Psycho-Frame, Big Ass Truck
Words: Dan Barnes
Floridian deathcore outfit, Bodysnathcer’s first headlining show in town feels a little like the cumulation of a loose, 2026 trilogy started by Slaughter to Prevail in January and continued by Lorna Shore in February. Those shows were over at the Victoria Warehouse in Trafford Park, and tonight we’re in the intimate surroundings of the Academy’s basement, but the script bears many echoes and calls-back to those earlier shows.
Four extreme bands playing to a packed crowd looking to cut loose; the opening acts having less of a touring presence than the main two; and utter musical carnage from the get-go marks an invisible connection between three disparate tours.
Metallic hardcore mob out of San Berdino, CA – and not to be confused with similarly named rockers from Tennessee – Big Ass Truck mark their first jaunt across the pond with a short, sharp, and slamming thirty-minutes or so. Opener Beef has a forceful low end and some skipping drums, giving the whole thing a heavy hardcore feel; From the Grave comes with groove and bounce and some classic death metal licks, while Corn-Fed has seismic breakdowns and a whole lotta Hatebreed energy. New tune, Pushed Beyond the Brink is for the 2-Steppers and features a huge beatdown section; earlier material Big Ass Beer is infectious, Big Ass Dog slams big, and Big Ass Truck hits oh, so hard with chunky, cranking guitars. Just enough for the band to make a load of new friends and Manchester to warm-up those muscles after the working week.
Existing at the point where grindcore, deathcore and hardcore converge into a singularity, another Florida band – this time Florida, Missouri – have come to make their Mancunian debut, leaving no one in the room with any doubt as to what Psycho-Frame is all about. Last year’s album, the nihilistically-titled Salvation Laughs in the Face of a Grieving Mother is their first, following a couple of EPs back in 2023. Still Water Salvation starts things with a slamming hardcore vibe, that stamps all over the stage; The Portal is chaotic 2-steppin’ rhythms. Older tune, The Plot to Nuke the Midwest is as insane as its name suggests, while the merciless Blueprints for Idol Genocide switch between grunts and squeals, low rumbles and mammoth breakdowns. Dragging Nazarene comes with an instruction to jump, the chunky guitars of No Revives and I Won’t be There to Watch You Go demand some audience participation, as set closer, Remote God Seeker’s 24 Hours Left wrings the last drops of energy from the front of the crowd; it was exhausting from where I was situated, taking notes, so what it was like in that cauldron, who knows? I am willing to say that Psycho-Frame is my new favourite band.
Local lads, Ingested, have a history dating back to their 2007 split with Crepitation and Kastrated, with a total of eight available full-length albums, and a nineth, Denigration, locked and loaded and ready for a May release. Playing the experienced special guest role in tonight’s deathcore extravaganza, theirs feels a more measured, old-school helping of death metal, that isn’t without those brutal elements as required. Going as far back as 2018’s The Level Above Human album, for the late set Better Off Dead and Invidious, has the former attracting heavy use of a fog machine and an definite gothic undertone to things, though not without its slamming chugs and mandatory breakdown; the latter switches from the gruff to the squeals and is almost – dare I say – reminiscent of a certain East Anglian extreme vocalist named Filth. The singles Nefarious Tongues, Altar of Flesh and Impending Dominance create a grim and grizzly beginning to the set, Paragon of Purity and Penance have some earworm energy going on, with the only new tune aired tonight is the forthcoming brutally technical Merciless Reflection.
Floridan deathcore / beatdown bullies, Bodysnatcher are making their debut Manchester headlining show after a few supporting appearances at the Rebellion Music Bar over the past, post-Covid years. With three albums and a host of EPs already in the can – and with a new record Hell Is Here, Hell is Home set to release on 10 April, now seems the perfect time to get on the European road and remind fans on this side of the pond what Bodysnatcher is all about.
Going straight into the new album’s slamming opener, The Maker, finds the three Kyles and one Chris that are Bodysnatcher, on unforgiving form. There have been long lines at the merch tables throughout the night, but it’s eerily quite back there now, as all the bodies are compressed into the staging area. Wired for Destruction and Behind the Crowd, both taken from the Bleed-Abide record, mix flailing riffs with meaty beatdowns, turning the pit into a hive of frenzied activity. Vocalist Medina admits to being heavily influenced by the British bands he listened to in his youth; guitarist, Carter, combines big breakdowns with up tempo riffing, leaving third-Kyle – Shope – and drummer Chris Whited to build the robust foundation.
Being this is the first time the band have been in front of their very own Manchester audience, they take the opportunity to showcase their talents; going back to the beginning and the Death Of It record, we get Open Wounds; from 2020’s The Heavy Void comes Black of My Eyes and Twelve/ Seventeen; and from 2024’s the Vile Conduct EP, we’re treated to both Infested and Murder8. Lockdown singles Take Me to Hell and King of the Rats intersperse the set, with newbies Violent Obsession and Blade Between the Teeth being lifted off the incoming record to whet the appetite even more.
I was in the fortunate position to have received a review copy of Hell Is Here, Hell Is Home the day before this show, so I was at least a little familiar with the new material – keep your eyes peeled for that piece. Bodysnatcher’s new record is not out to reinvent their wheel as, frankly, it doesn’t need messing with.
If this show was the conclusion of the loose trilogy of Manchester deathcore shows for the spring of 2026, it was as much of a blast as its predecessors. The venue might be different, but the energy and the commitment from all involved is unwavering.
