This week’s Heavy Music HQ reviews include releases from Bird Without A Song, Cactus, Chariots Overdrive, Deathbird Earth, Dust, Graveborn, Green Carnation, Jarboe, Lantlos, Malauriu, Michael Sweet, Nervosa, Through N Through and Unearthly Rites.
The ratings are on a 5-star scale.
Bird Without A Song – Written Memories: Live Session At Treignac (Self)
Some bands make records. Others make documents. Written Memories: Live Session At Treignac the latest from Limoges-based quartet Bird Without A Song, falls firmly into the second category. More honest account than promotional exercise, this four-track live capture documents a band built from unlikely parts: a jazz-trained drummer, a bassist and keyboardist rooted in industrial and electronic music, and two guitarists whose instincts skew toward metal. That those four people make something this cohesive is a testament to what happens when musicians genuinely listen to one another.
Recorded at Treignac Projet, a former textile factory repurposed as a multidisciplinary arts space in the Corrèze countryside, the session grounds its music in something physical and immediate. Three of the four tracks were written specifically for a live drawing event the band organized themselves, and that urgency carries through. From the unsettled guitar work of opener “Eaux Troubles” to the folk warmth of closing track “Les Derniers Mots de Cassandre,” Written Memories moves through darkness, restraint, and quiet beauty without ever losing the thread.
Rating: 3
(Jeanetta Briski)
Cactus – Temple Of Blues II (Cleopatra)
Cactus were formed in the late 1960s from the ashes of Vanilla Fudge, who were a big influence on bands such as Led Zeppelin. In Temple of Blues II – All Stars, original drummer Carmine Appice (King Cobra, Ozzy Osbourne, Blue Murder) revisits a selection of blues tracks from Cactus’ repertoire with the help of some musically accomplished friends, such as bassists Billy Sheehan (Mr. Big, Dave Lee Roth) and Bob Daisley (Ozzy Osbourne, Gary Moore, Yngwie Malmsteen) and guitarist Alex Skolnick (Testament). This follows a similar album released in 2024. It’s all about the different shades of blues delivered with passion and style.
For example, “Moanin’ At Midnight” – with Pat Travers on guitar – has a groovy style of blues. “The Little Red Rooster” features a harmonica and the lead vocals of Dee Snider (Twisted Sister, Widowmaker), the latter giving the song a very vibrant interpretation. Carmine Appice’s talent shines all over the album but especially in “300 Pounds Of Joy.” And the cover of Jimi Hendrix’ “Purple Haze” carries emotional significance because it is sung by Melanie who performed at the legendary Isle of Wight Festival in 1970, a festival which also featured Cactus and Hendrix himself. Temple of Blues II is a celebration of blues and of one of the founding stones of what later became metal.
Rating: 3.5
(Chris Galea)
Chariots Overdrive – The End Of Antiquity (Gates Of Hell)
Any concerns about the future of heavy metal are for naught with new bands like Chariots Overdrive doing the genre proud with The End Of Antiquity. The tasteful acoustic opener “Where Dust Reigns” may come off as low stakes, but they are smart to follow it with the best anthem so far in 2026 in “Parasite.” A jolt to the system, the song is one that the group should use as either an opener or closer for every live show for the rest of their existence.
The rest of The End Of Antiquity maintains that high level of quality, from the fist-raising riffs of “Marching Maniacs” to the 12-minute finale “A Bizarre Pilgrimage To The Cubik Mansion.” Their love of NWOBHM and power metal beats through the whole record, as Chariots Overdrive capture the best parts of heavy metal on their striking debut album.
Rating: 4
(Dan Marsicano)
Deathbird Earth – Objective Consciousness (SRA)
There is a particular kind of rage that doesn’t scream; it calculates. Objective Consciousness, the latest from Philadelphia trio Deathbird Earth, is exactly that. It is a dense, unsettling, and occasionally beautiful collision of prog rock, noise rock, space rock, and doom metal, built by three musicians who clearly had something to say and refused to say it quietly. Nick Millevoi’s guitar work is precise and corrosive in equal measure; BJ’s drone flute and synthesizers introduce a ritualistic unease, and Dave’s drumming holds the whole volatile thing together.
The lyrics don’t dress anything up. Colonialism, exploitation, systemic inaction and Objective Consciousness takes aim at all of it with the blunt economy of graffiti on a wall. The music doesn’t illustrate these themes so much as embody them, building through confrontation, mournful drift, and a closing suite that fragments time itself before landing on a single refusal: nothing’s done… now. Uncomfortable, uncompromising, and absolutely worth your full attention.
Rating: 3
(Jeanetta Briski)
Dust – Thoughts Of A Falling Man (Rockshots)
Thoughts Of A Falling Man is the sophomore album from Dust, a groove metal/metalcore outfit based out of Italy. In the seven years between this and their Break The Silence debut, their music has grown darker and there’s an extra edge to their delivery. The questionable elements from before, like melodic vocals and overtly generic riffs, have either been dropped or reworked to better fit this version of the band.
This retooling makes Thoughts Of A Falling Man a better record, though not by much. The title track and “Beyond The Void” try an expansion into atmospheric gloom with downbeat guitars and sampling, as they both extend over six minutes each. It’s not a hard album to engage with, but it doesn’t have enough hooks to keep coming back to.
Rating: 3
(Dan Marsicano)
Graveborn – Metempsychosis (Self)
The Boston prog death metal band Graveborn took extra time crafting their latest album. Their first few albums were issued two to three years apart, but five years elapsed between Transmigrator and Metempsychosis. They used that time wisely in putting together a concept album about continuity in the face of collapse.
The songs are dynamic and varied, shifting from chaos to groove to prog. Tempos slow down and speed up on tracks like “The Archaea Paradox” that inject a brief spoken word part alongside the guttural growls and frenzied hardcore yells. The title track is one of the proggier compositions, but also delivers brutality and intensity. “Epistatic Drift” meanders into ambient/experimental territory before crushing death metal returns along with some melodic vocals. Metempsychosis is an ambitious album, and Graveborn rise to the challenge in creating an engrossing release.
Rating: 3.5
(Chad Bowar)
Green Carnation – A Dark Poem, Part II: Sanguis (Season Of Mist)
Sanguis (“blood” in Latin) is the second part of A Dark Poem trilogy of albums, with the first one (The Shores of Melancholia) released last year. The music is not easy to categorize but let’s just say it’s a dark and brooding strain of prog. Lyrics were written by Stein Roger Sordal, the band’s bass player, and explore issues such as tragedy, loss and emotional conflict.
The title track strikes me as the perfect way to open the album with its intricate drumming, Hammond organ (used more like a percussive instrument) and captivating melodies, musical notions that to some extent are found all over the album. Some moments feel drawn-out… but ironically that’s not the case with the more straightforward songs. “Loneliness Untold, Loneliness Unfold,” for example, simply consists of vocals and guitar but is an emotionally powerful song. “Sweet To The Point Of Bitter” on the other hand, sounds like Muse dabbling in metal. With all of its sonic facets, Sanguis showcases Green Carnation in good shape and should have longtime fans beaming.
Rating: 4
(Chris Galea)
Jarboe – Sightings (Consouling Sounds)
Since the ’80s when she joined Swans, Jarboe has been a staple in the experimental rock genre. She has released dozens of solo albums, collaborations with artists such as Neurosis and Justin Broadrick, and guest spots. Her latest solo effort is Sightings.
The songwriting runs the gamut from ambient sections to cinematic atmospheres to electronic moments. It is an extremely mellow album, with field recordings and strings providing atmosphere throughout. Tracks like “Of Ancient Memory” are mesmerizing, while songs such as “Choir And Night Fox” are more dramatic. The lack of intensity may disappoint some, but Sightings delivers emotional heft and power.
Rating: 3
(Chad Bowar)
Lantlos – Nowhere In Between Forever (Prophecy)
Mainman Markus Skye has taken Lantlos on a varied musical journey over the years. Starting with a more black metal approach, that has evolved into a post/alt rock vibe. After a seven plus year gap between 2014’s Melting Sun and Wildhund, Lantlos shortened that to nearly five years for their sixth album Nowhere In Between Forever.
Skye wrote a lot of catchy songs this time around, with radio-friendly numbers such as “Daisies” and the electronic tinged “AutoGuard.” There are tracks that are heavier, such as “Oxygen” and the doomy “Solar Death,” but the melodies don’t wane. There’s a curveball or two that offset the more mainstream songs, like the experimental “Ghost.” There are several tracks on Nowhere In Between Forever that are memorable, but also a few that don’t have a lot of substance.
Rating: 3
(Chad Bowar)
Malauriu – The Third Nail (Adirondack Black Mass)
Sicily has always been a place where the sacred and the profane exist and it’s exactly the kind of place that produces a band like Malauriu. Founded in 2013, the project’s two-person core Schizoid on guitars and R.M. on vocals has spent over a decade shapeshifting through black metal, dark ambient, ritual noise, and punk while maintaining a spiritual intensity that few bands in the extreme underground can match. The Third Nail is their most complete and commanding work yet.
The album’s remaining instrumentation was handled by a carefully assembled cast of session players, and the result is astonishing. Warm and organic production gives the eight original tracks a genuine dynamic range, moving between suffocating density and unsettling atmospheric space with clear intention. R.M.’s vocals sit precisely where ritual incantation and outright hostility become indistinguishable, while a closing GG Allin cover featuring Diego Do’Urden of Mystifier and Dr. Heathen Scum of the Mentors arrives as a fittingly deranged exclamation point. The Third Nail is ritualistic, hostile, and thoroughly alive; so seek it out at volume, and preferably alone.
Rating: 3
(Jeanetta Briski)
Michael Sweet – The Master Plan (Frontiers)
Even as he deals with health challenges, Michael Sweet continues to be prolific. In addition to his main band Stryper, over the past few years he has also released albums with Tracii Guns as Sunbomb and with George Lynch as Sweet & Lynch. Sweet has also had a long-running solo career dating back to the ’90s. His latest solo effort is The Master Plan.
Sweet describes it as the most diverse, eclectic album he has ever done. There are several acoustic-based tracks, each with a different approach. “Lord” is gospel tinged, “Believer” is groovy, and “You Lead I’ll Follow” features a brass ensemble. Electric guitars make appearances as well, balancing the acoustic approach. Sweet’s distinctive voice and powerful pipes haven’t lost a step, especially evident on ballads like “Eternally.” The Master Plan is a worship-inspired record, with catchy and memorable songs that effectively deliver Sweet’s message.
Rating: 3.5
(Chad Bowar)
Nervosa – Slave Machine (Napalm)
Nervosa founder Prika Amaral is a survivor; after numerous personnel changes it feels like a minor miracle the Brazilian outfit is still a going concern at all, let alone thriving. But they continue with their heads down work ethic and unleash another display of death metal-infused thrash via sixth album Slave Machine. These songs feel fresh and vibrant throughout, not to mention packed with high-octane riffs and flickers of melody in the right places.
Blistering opener “Impending Doom” quickly sets an intense tone. Guitarist Amaral also adopted vocal duties a few years back, and sounds more confident and vicious here. The fleet-fingered solos and clever changes in tempo also resonate; and it’s all executed tighter than a duck’s arse. “Ghost Notes” brings a melo-death flavor to proceedings, while “Hate,” the furious title track and “30 Seconds” inject bruising, yet memorable riffs. Hook-laden “You Are Not A Hero” is another standout. While Nervosa aren’t blazing any trails creatively, this is bare-knuckled, relentless fare with production values featuring just the right amount of grit. And it’s perhaps their best record yet.
Rating: 4
(Brendan Crabb)
Through N Through – Through N Through (Golden Robot)
Hailing from the Little Village neighborhood on the south side, Chicago natives and proclaimed Mexican Metal Maniacs Through N Through are more refined but louder than ever on their self titled sophomore release.
With a sound similar to Alien Weaponry by way of Anthrax, Through N Through wastes no time in delivering an aggressive and fast tone that speaks from the heart as shown in tracks like “Barrio Nocturno” and “Cero Miedo,” which started out as singles before being featured on this album. Through N Through show that metal is a genre for all people no matter one’s ethnic background or nationality, and that it can be used as a potent platform to channel emotions into something people can relate to.
Rating: 3.5
(Dalton Husher)
Unearthly Rites – Tortural Symphony Of The Flesh (Svart)
Finnish death metal like Unearthly Rites is its own form of frightening, existential agony. Tortural Symphony Of The Flesh has these as main traits, even when the group are in restraint mode. An interlude like “A Stygian Winterscape,” with its melancholy guitars and ambient noise, becomes quite tense when processed through the Finnish death metal machine.
“Absurd Transgression” has a great main riff with the spirit of death metal’s past behind it, while “Ignis Fatuus” and “The Notion Of Emerging Totalitarianism” take cues from the closer “Doomed” from 2024’s Ecdysis with an unapologetic death/doom design. Unearthly Rites have taken their ecofriendly stance into darker territories that suits their enraged attitudes.
Rating: 3.5
(Dan Marsicano)
