Feb 21st 2025 - New release highlights

Killswitch Engage - This Consequence

The Metalcore icons return with their first album since 2019's Atonement and they are on fine form. Musically it's more reminiscent of the Howard Jones era than the recent post-Jesse comeback albums, which is unexpected, but welcome. As a long-time fan, I'm pleased to say that this album has everything I could want from the band. The familiar, trademark Metalcore heaviness is present here, but it is always underpinned by Jesse's powerful vocals and is positively dripping with melody.

Standout tracks: Discordant Nation, Aftermath, Forever Aligned, I Believe

Horizon Ignited - Tides

Still relatively new on the scene, Finland's Horizon Ignited offer a fresh take on the well-worn Finnish Melodic Death Metal sound. While there's no significant re-invention of the wheel here, there are signs of a heavier future beyond the traditional Melodeath boundaries, as evidenced on Welcome to This House of Hate and Baptism by Fire. Influenced as much by the atmospheric progressive sound of Amorphis as they are by Insomnium or Before the Dawn, this is another strong release by this underrated band.

Standout tracks: Beneath the Dark Waters, Welcome to this House of Hate.

Scour - Gold

The full-length debut album from Scour is finally here and it as unrelenting wall of full-on, melodic Black Metal nastiness as one might have expected it to be. Don't expect a lot of variation though. Aside from a couple of between song instrumental tracks, at it's (black) heart, this is a modern take on old-school Black Metal. Anselmo's voice is on brutal form, veering between gutteral death growls and blackened rasps. Extrememe Metal album of the year? Could be.

Standout tracks: Blades, Coin, Devil.