ALBUM REVIEW: Hand Of Kalliach – Corryvreckan


Ah, Scotland. Home of the highlands, tartan kilts, bagpipes, haggis, and whisky; Connor MacLeod of the Clan MacLeod, the deep-fried Mars bar, the Loch Ness Monster, Outlander, Obi-Wan Kenobi, and an instant aversion to anyone from England who casually reduces the country to a series of stereotypes for the sake of a quick laugh. Not to mention its thriving metal scene, of course, with folk metal being one of the country’s most popular exports.Continue reading


ALBUM REVIEW: Borknagar – Fall


Borknagar is one of Norway’s acclaimed heavy metal acts known for their striking Scandinavian sound and resolute resilience. Their beginnings sprouted thirty years ago and over that time they have proven their merit by cultivating complex concoctions full of genre-bending wonders. They are well seasoned in their affluent brewing of black, progressive, and folk elements making their work notable.

Their capabilities continue to shine bright on their next full-length record where they push boundaries and explore new depths of their skill sets on Fall (Century Media Records).

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ALBUM REVIEW: Ryujin – Ryujin


The new year is off to a good start because Ryujin’s shining new self-titled album Ryujin (Napalm Records) is about to be released. Continue reading


ALBUM REVIEW: Bjørkø – Heartrot


Tomi Koivusaari is known for being one of the founding members of the masterful metal act, Amorphis. He has been a champion in one of Finland’s most acclaimed bands for over thirty years and he is now getting ready to release an album from his debut solo project: Bjørkø.Continue reading


ALBUM REVIEW: Orphaned Land – A Heaven You May Create


 

While entertainment of any description is clearly the very least important thing to be mentioned with regards to the Middle East at the moment, Israeli progressive folk metal act Orphaned Land couldn’t have landed on a more suitable time to deliver a further message of hope and unity.

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ALBUM REVIEW: Vansind – Mørket


 

While Scandinavia is famed for its abundance of folk and Viking metal, most of these acts tend to hail from Norway and Sweden rather than Denmark. Even noisy Nordic neighbours Finland seem to produce more acts from the genre; Iceland also giving the Danes a run for their money.

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ALBUM REVIEW: Ershetu – Xibalba


 

The five-piece atmospheric black metal act Ershetu releases debut album entitled Xibalba (Debemur Morti Productions), a label focusing on Black, Death, Doom, Sludge amd avant-garde extreme metal, and which has worked with several renowned names such as Blut Aus Nord and Archgoat.

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ALBUM REVIEW: Hexvessel – Polar Veil


 

Having reviewed Grave PleasuresPlagueboys for Ghost Cult earlier this year, as a Mat McNerney fan I was excited to see he had another record out, this time via his folk-orientated project Hexvessel.

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ALBUM REVIEW: Varmia – nie nas widzę


 

Varmia is a tough nut to crack, but that might be the point: nie nas widzę (M-Theory Audio) is the fourth piece to the Polish pagans’ puzzle and it introduces a plethora of both traditional ethnic musical elements and standard-sounding black metal techniques.

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PODCAST: Episode 251: The Steve and Keefy Power Hour, April 2023 Edition


Time for another edition of The Steve and Keefy Power Hour! Senior Editor Steve Tovey joins Chief Editor Keefy, recapping March 2023 Rock and Metal Releases and previewing April’s essential new heavy music! Two white guys and music nerds pontificate on the music you love. Also, will we have new music soon from Ghost, Slipknot, Foo Fighters, and Iron Maiden? Shoutout to our amazing team of reviewers worldwide. Also, also, RIP Mat Davies as always. Hosted by Ojaay!

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