March 7th 2025 - New release highlights

Band: Raging Speedhorn
Album: Night Wolf
Genre: Sludge / Groove Metal
Similar artists: Charger, Iron Monkey, Superjoint Ritual

Unbelievably, it's been 25 years since Corby's "finest" released their stomping, self-titled debut album. In the ensuing years the band's output has been both sporadic and hit and miss, but on Night Wolf they've rediscovered the spark that has been missing from the last few releases. This is Speedhorn at the top of their game.

Recommended tracks: Night Wolf, DOA
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Band: The Unguided
Album: Hellven
Genre: Melodic Death Metal
Similar artists: Pain, Sonic Syndicate, dEMOTIONAL

It all started off promising enough for The Unguided. Formed in 2010 by ex-members of Sonic Syndicate, their debut album, 2011's Hellfrost, was exactly the pop-tinged Melodic Death Metal you might have expected from the Sjunnesson brothers and Roland Johansson. Unfortunately, in my opinion, subsequent releases never matched the same heights and my interest in the band waned. Fast forward to 2025 and The Unguided have finally delivered the goods again. Hellven might not be as good as Hell Frost but it's a big step in the right direction. Welcome back lads.

Recommended tracks: Kilonova, Hell
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Band: Istapp
Album: Sól Tér Sortna
Genre: Melodic Black Metal
Similar artists: Havukruunu, Windir, Kampfar

Sweden's purveyors of the finesy sun-bating folky Black Metal are back with their first album since 2019. They might not be doing anything particularly fresh here, but when you are as consistently good as Istapp, you really don't need to. Album of the week and contender for album of the year.

Recommeded tracks: Storm av Is, Grýla, Frostdraken