This week’s Heavy Music HQ reviews include releases from Ashbringer, Bloodred, The Browning, Converge, Electric Hydra, Eye Of Purgatory, Greyhawk, Hoaxed, Malefic, Moonchapel, Ponte Del Diavolo and Space Of Variations.
The ratings are on a 5-star scale.
Ashbringer – Subglacial (Böltverk Collective)
Subglacial represents a stark and intentional recalibration for Ashbringer, stripping away the proggier embellishments of their past to embrace a raw, concentrated form of atmospheric black metal. The album feels like a focused siege, built on a foundation of minimalist yet punishing riffs and a gritty, live-session production that amplifies its bleak, immersive power.
This unvarnished approach trades the adventurous spirit of albums like Absolution for a more direct and arguably heavier sonic assault, proving the band’s mastery lies as much in restraint as in expansion. Ultimately, this is a work of confident defiance. By honing their sound to its rawest essence, Ashbringer forge a compelling and cohesive statement. Subglacial may sacrifice some exploratory depth, but it gains a relentless, atmospheric force, solidifying the band’s identity through sheer, uncompromising conviction rather than through outside validation or genre trends.
Rating: 3.5
(Carlos Tirado)
Bloodred – Colours Of Pain (Massacre)
Colours Of Pain is the fourth studio album from the German blackened death duo Bloodred. Ron Merz (Urthum) handles vocals, bass and guitar while Joris Nijenhuis (Atrocity, Leaves Eyes) is the drummer. The albums drifts back and forth between black and death metal, both musically and vocally.
Death growls and higher pitched vocals add variety, as tracks move from blastbeat driven black metal to more moderately paced and groovy death metal. As you can probably garner from the title, the lyrics have a darker bent, addressing everything from censorship to societal decay to environmental collapse. The songwriting on Colours Of Pain is varied and there are plenty of memorable moments.
Rating: 3.5
(Chad Bowar)
The Browning – Burn This World [Evolved] (FiXT)
With Burn This World [Evoved], Kansas City’s electronic metal duo The Browning, consisting of Jonny McBee and Hardcore Keem, resurrect the album that launched their hybrid sound and rebuild it with modern firepower. Every track is reconstructed from scratch, delivering heavier breakdowns, sharper electronics, and a level of production that finally matches the ambition of the 2011 original.
The band’s signature fusion of deathcore, industrial, and high‐energy techno feels more explosive than ever. What makes this reimagining stand out is its sense of purpose. McBee’s renewed vision and Keem’s fresh creative edge transform these songs into something darker, bigger, and more cinematic. Burn This World [Evolved] isn’t just a revisit, it’s a rebirth, proving The Browning are still pushing electronicore into new territory.
Rating: 4
(Jeanetta Briski)
Converge – Love Is Not Enough (Epitaph)
Converge‘s latest album is Love Is Not Enough, and it’s hard to imagine how the band continues to innovate so late in their career. Yet this album proves they can still craft music that is both relentlessly brutal and deeply emotionally compelling.
It begins on a more traditional metal note before descending into the chaotic intensity Converge are known for. In that sense, Love Is Not Enough doesn’t radically change their formula. It offers a few refined tweaks, reminiscent of The Dillinger Escape Plan but with a stronger melodic sensibility. Whether you are a longtime fan or a newcomer, this album has compelling things to offer.
Rating: 4
Carlos Tirado
Electric Hydra – From The Fallen (Majestic Mountain)
Swedish heavy rockers Electric Hydra have had some turmoil since their 2020 self-titled debut. After some lineup changes, they have expanded to a quintet for their new record From The Fallen, which was produced, mixed and mastered by the band’s drummer Dennis Åhman.
The band’s sound has a retro vibe and raw approach, with punk attitude driving their hooky hard rock. Keyboards on tracks like “Prayers Of Fire” accentuate the classic side of the coin, while numbers such as “Contagious” are more contemporary. There are a few guests on the album, including Opeth/Spiritual Beggars’ Per Wiberg, Betwitcher’s Mateo von Bewitcher and vocalist Sanne Karlsson’s dad Bo. From The Fallen doesn’t tread much new ground, but Electric Hydra make it an enjoyable ride.
Rating: 3
(Chad Bowar)
Eye Of Purgatory – Darkborne (Apostasy)
Darkborne finds Swedish‐American death metal trio Eye of Purgatory: Rogga Johansson, Taylor Nordberg, and Jeramie Kling at their most focused and evocative. The album channels the spirit of classic Swedish death metal with its frostbitten riffing, organic heaviness, and unmistakable grit, yet it’s the melodic undercurrent that gives the record its emotional weight.
Tracks like “The Darkborn,” “The Rotting Temple,” and “Formless Figures Dance” breathe with a sense of cold atmosphere, while more aggressive cuts such as “Bodyjumper” and “The Best of
Them Bleed” showcase the band’s sharpened ferocity. What elevates Darkborne is its balance of brutality and melody. The songwriting feels alive, each track unfolding like a chapter in a descent through shadowed catacombs. Eye of Purgatory honors the old ways while carving out a spectral identity all their own.
Rating: 4
Jeanetta Briski
Greyhawk – Warriors Of Greyhawk (Cruz Del Sur)
Warriors Of Greyhawk, the third full-length from the Seattle band Greyhawk is a typical rousing power metal release. The album is drenched in glossy melodies and flowery hooks, delivering that sugar-rush, fist-in-the-air style the genre thrives on. Even if the album doesn’t break new ground, its sheer positivity keeps it from sinking into total genericism.
The musicianship on the album is pretty solid with technical guitars and a vocalist that is high pitched and appropriate for the type of music being performed. The music is similar to other bands like Helloween, though Greyhawk never quite reach the same iconic heights. Warriors Of Greyhawk is solid, though not overly exciting.
Rating: 3
(Adam McAuley)
Hoaxed – Death Knocks (Relapse)
Portland dark rockers Hoaxed released their full-length debut in 2022. The duo is now a trio with the addition of bassist/vocalist April Dimmick a few years ago. They’ve had plenty of time to hone their chemistry for their latest album Death Knocks.
There are plenty of different approaches on the album. Driving rock with heaviness and hooks can be heard on numerous tracks including “Kill Switch” and “Wretched,” while “Dead Ringer” takes a more measured angle and “The Family” is amped up power pop. The vocal harmonies between Kat Keo and Dimmick on Death Knocks add depth and color to the songs, giving them even more impact.
Rating: 3.5
(Chad Bowar)
Malefic – Impermanence (Terminus Hate City)
Work on Malefic’s debut album Impermanence dates back to 2018 as this group from Atlanta, Georgia mixes black, death and thrash metal. The first few songs seem as if a listener should prepare for a frosty experience, yet the record does not continue in that expected direction. “Idiocracy” is held together with a riff more suited for hard rock, giving off black ‘n’ roll vibes.
In the second half of Impermanence, the songs get slightly longer, acoustic guitars are bought out and there’s a progressive slant to the songwriting. Even the sneering closer “It Haunts” has a catchy guitar solo. It was a long road for Malefic to get to Impermanence, and the effort came up positive for them.
Rating: 3.5
(Dan Marsicano)
Moonchapel – Three Faced Trinity For A Two-Faced World (Horror Pain Gore Death)
With Three Faced Trinity For A Two-Faced World, solo project Moonchapel have released their third album in less than a year. That sort of accelerated release schedule is impressive even with the low-fi mechanics of their barbaric black/death metal. The audience for this kind of raw music, with some sections that feel like first takes that were quickly moved on from, is miniscule but the conviction of this wartime battering is resolute.
Each of Moonchapel’s albums have gotten better by minor increments, with slightly better production values and songs that aren’t just a buzz-fest like the closing title track and “Union Of Opposites.” With more songs coming in just a few months as part of a split, Moonchapel are working overtime to keep the tunes flowing like a barrage of artillery strikes.
Rating: 2.5
(Dan Marsicano)
Ponte Del Diavolo – De Venom Natura (Season Of Mist)
De Venom Natura is an alluring plunge into madness, a concoction of doom metal and black metal from Ponte Del Diavolo hopped up on a few substances. There’s a whole nine-minute song dedicated to marijuana, as vocalist Erba del Diavolo repeats the drug’s chemical composition (C21H30O2) over a dozen times. That one is unsurprisingly a psychedelic freakout with synths and bass trombone layered over crawling stoner riffs.
Ponte Del Diavolo employ two bassists in its ranks, providing heavy support for the rhythm guitar. The black metal elements are more prevalent on De Venom Natura compared to the band’s other outputs, as “Every Tongue Has Its Thorns” and “Silence Walk With Me” have a furious temper that is uncontained.
Rating: 4
(Dan Marsicano)
Space Of Variations – Poisoned Art (Napalm)
Coming back to the scene four years after their 2022 release IMAGO, Ukrainian metalcore quartet Space Of Variations third release is Poisoned Art. Much like their previous releases, their style continues to evolve and push the boundaries of the genre.
Jumping straight into the thick of it is the opening track “Tribe” that blends both English and Ukrainian lyrics so smoothly that you can’t tell if you are not paying attention. The use of electronic synths add to the brutality like sprinkles on a sundae to the album as shown in tracks like “Ghost Town.” Metalcore often gets a reputation for sounding the same and the occasional ‘it’s not metal’ argument, but Space Of Variations have shown that all it takes is a little variation and creativity to make something different.
Rating: 3.5
(Dalton Husher)
Various Artists – Iron Man’s Anthem: A Tribute To Ozzy (Witching Buzz)
Every time a rock or metal legend dies, there’s a resurgence in demand for their albums, and there are also numerous reissues, live albums and tribute albums. We saw it with artists like Ronnie James Dio and Lemmy, and after Ozzy Osbourne’s passing earlier this year there’s no doubt a flood of Ozzy-related material will be coming.
Iron Man’s Anthem: A Tribute To Ozzy focuses mostly on early Black Sabbath classics like “Black Sabbath,” “N.I.B.,” “War Pigs” and “Paranoid.” There are a few more modern Ozzy songs, with the most recent 1995’s “Perry Mason” along with well-known solo hits like “Shot In The Dark.” And while the songs are well-known, the bands paying tribute to Ozzy on this album are not. It’s a collection of under the radar artists from across the globe. Iron Man’s Anthem: A Tribute To Ozzy is a mixed bag, with some solid versions and a couple that are really bad.
Rating: 2.5
(Chad Bowar)
