This week’s Heavy Music HQ reviews include releases from Anger Machine, Gaupa, Keddies Resort, Leonov, Motorhead, Mutant Sex Demon, Phantom Heir, Seasons In Black, Warkings and Wekeras.
The ratings are on a 5-star scale.
Anger Machine – Human Error (Self)
Dutch thrashers Anger Machine have been around for nearly a decade, issuing their debut in 2019. For their sophomore full-length Human Error they have consolidated from a quintet to a quartet, with guitarist Thijmen den Hartigh also handling vocal duties.
They are inspired by the classic bands of the genre, both European and North American. They draw influences from groups like Metallica, Testament, Kreator and Annihilator. The songs have all the hallmarks of the genre: quick tempos and plenty of guitar wizardry. Anger Machine do change things up periodically, like a slower, groovy section on “Deadline Flatline” and the expansive title track that adds some melodic singing to the aggressive thrash vocals. Human Error doesn’t break a lot of new musical ground, but the execution is top notch.
Rating: 3.5
(Chad Bowar)
Gaupa – Fyr (Magnetic Eye)
Fyr, a five track EP from Swedish stoners Gaupa features a good psychedelic aspect that is quite strong and results in a large amount of fuzz and distortion. In addition to heavy stoner rock there are other elements to spice up the mix. It all adds up to a very poignant affair that has the right amount of riff displays and a psychedelic aspect that is interesting.
Fans of bands like Neurosis will find something to enjoy with the EP, which includes four studio tracks and a live song. The flaw of the band being not potent enough is felt heavily through the release and shows through the guitar playing. It is a subtle album and does not have a powerful enough effect upon the listener. The singing is not particularly interesting, and brings the whole thing down a notch.
Rating: 3
(Adam McAuley)
Keddies Resort – American Spirit (Sweatband)
The Portland band Keddies Resort have been around for a while, issuing numerous singles and EPs before dropping their first full-length Kyst last year. Their latest release is American Spirit. Their songs are raw yet melodic, utilizing various styles including punk, alt rock, garage rock and more.
Their songwriting is compact, with most songs in the two-minute range. Keddies Resort manage to cram the maximum amount of hooks and melodies into those tracks, while keeping them raw and loose. The 11 songs fly by in just over 20 minutes, with not an ounce of filler. American Spirit is an energetic and fun album that’s sometimes chaotic but always accessible.
Rating: 3
(Chad Bowar)
Leonov – Shape Of Ash (Pelagic)
The Norwegian doomgaze/post-metal group Leonov follow up 2023’s Procession with the four-track EP Shape Of Ash. The lyrical theme of the record represents fire as a means of purification, becoming better versions of ourselves through burning off our ego and through enduring the suffering of the human condition.
The EP gets off to a mellow start with “Samaritan,” before the heaviness kicks in more than halfway through. It’s a dynamic release, with intensities and tempos shifting throughout, driven by Tåran Reindal vocals that are sometimes ethereal, others time powerful. She teams up with Norwegian folk singer Syvert Feed on the reserved “Bygg En Menneskekropp,” with that vibe continuing for most of the closing title track before it builds to a heavy ending. Shape Of Ash is an engaging album that sets the table nicely for Leonov’s next full-length.
Rating: 3.5
(Chad Bowar)
Motorhead – The Manticore Tapes (BMG)
Back in 1976, Motorhead solidified their lineup of Lemmy, Fast Eddie Clarke and Phil Taylor. They went into Emerson, Lake and Palmer’s legendary Manticore Studio to rehearse and record together for the first time. Now, nearly 50 years later, The Manticore Tapes are seeing the light of day.
There are early versions of songs that would appear on their 1977 self-titled debut like “Motorhead” and “Vibrator” along with instrumental versions of “Iron Horse/Born To Lose.” As you’d expect from a rehearsal tape, it’s raw with both moments of brilliance and mediocrity. They sound much more punk than metal at that phase of their career. The chemistry between the trio is evident, as is their talent, as they soon would take over the world. The Manticore Tapes is an interesting glimpse into the beginning of Motorhead’s classic lineup.
Rating: 3
(Chad Bowar)
Mutant Sex Demon – Cutting Through (Dominance Of Darkness)
What do you get if you take the American Satanic Panic of the 1980s and cross it with a country that is considered an epicenter for black metal? You get Finnish black metal bangers Mutant Sex Demon’s second album Cutting Through.
The album wastes little time in getting to the meat and potatoes of this black metal/hard rock hybrid. From the shredding guitars to the semi-guttural screams in tracks like “Too Fast For Life,” there are no songs in Cutting Through that feel out of place when compared to the rest of the immense catalog of others in the genre. The use of news reports sprinkled in throughout the album gives the album a nice little touch. When compared to their debut album Filth Messiah it feels better in every way.
Rating: 3.5
(Dalton Husher)
Phantom Heir – Fragile Immortals (Self)
The solo entity known as Phantom Heir has mostly been an instrumental affair from the start, save for a few songs with guest vocalists on 2021’s Fear Harness. With Fragile Immortals, their latest EP, two singers are prominent on all four tracks. One of them handles the screams, while the other is more melodic. This allows the message of resistance and anti-corruption to be explicitly stated with words instead of relying on riffs alone.
These songs are sonically the heaviest compositions the band have written, as the post-metal/djent grooves have an extra bit of crunch. In another change, the songs are shorter, as the majority are under four minutes. That works with the use of vocals, though the eight-minute closer “The Harbinger” relies on repetition for a finale that would’ve worked better with a few minutes at the end shaved off.
Rating: 3
(Dan Marsicano)
Seasons In Black – Anthropocene (Apostasy)
Though the German band Seasons In Black have been around for almost three decades, their catalog is very sparse. Anthropocene is just their third full-length, coming a dozen years after The Swansong Diearies. They started as a black metal project, but their sound has evolved and expanded over the years.
The 2025 version of the band plays death metal that’s augmented by everything from gothic to doom to hardcore. Piano adds atmosphere to the groovy “Seasons In Black” while “Yellow Sky” is a slow build. Doom influences drive “Blacksite” while “Hell Again” is one of the album’s catchiest tracks. Versatility is something Seasons In Black exhibit throughout Anthropocene, with all that variety still resulting in a cohesive whole.
Rating: 3.5
(Chad Bowar)
Warkings – Armageddon (Napalm)
For their fifth album Armageddon, the power metal band Warkings brought in several guests. The Tribune is the main vocalist, but as on the last album, Morgana le Fay also lends her talents to the proceedings.
Epic songs about battles with soaring choruses and bombastic riffs are what Warkings deliver. The Tribune shines on the catchy “Kingdom Come,” while le Fay provides an edge to songs like “Circle Of Witches.” Warkings recruited Orden Ogan to appear on “Genghis Khan,” while Dominum guest on the anthemic “Hangmen’s Night” and Subway To Sally join the party on the folky “Stahl auf Stahl.” Armageddon gives Warkings a chance to show many different facets of their power metal approach, resulting in their most diverse album to-date.
Rating: 3.5
(Chad Bowar)
Wekeras – Do wirów, do krzyków (Pagan)
The Swedish black metal band Wekeras formed a few years ago, quickly issuing a demo. Their full-length debut Do wirów, do krzyków is influenced by early Norwegian black metal like Emperor and other pioneering extreme metal groups such as Venom and Bathory.
They shift from blastbeat driven chaotic black metal with feral vocals to groovier, more moderately paced sections throughout the album. The production is fairly raw, but certainly not low-fi. Touches like a brief bass solo on “Urok,” atmospheric instrumental “Mogila” and catchy riffs on “Ohyda” add originality while paying homage to classic bands. Wekeras walk that line very well on Do wirów, do krzyków.
Rating: 3.5
(Chad Bowar)
