This week’s Heavy Music HQ reviews include releases from Amberian Dawn, Bong Wizard, Entropist, Junius, Masterplan, NunSlaughter, Orga Mecha, The Pretty Reckless, Shane Embury, Siamese, Swanwriter and Thaetas.
The ratings are on a 5-star scale.
Amberian Dawn – Temptation’s Gates (Napalm)
Temptation’s Gates is the latest album from the Finnish symphonic power metal band Amberian Dawn, and the first with new vocalist Nicole Willerton. It’s their first album of new material in more than six years, and the follow-up to 2022’s Take A Chance: A Metal Tribute To ABBA.
Even with a new singer, the band’s musical path remains consistent: bombastic and melodic power metal with ample hooks and atmosphere. However, the band explores some new directions on tracks like “The Night Is Waiting For Me,” which has a modern approach and some gothic vibes. Willerton is a good addition, singing with range and expression. She also adds harsh vocals on “Unchained,” a first for the band. Temptation’s Gates does a nice job staying true to Amberian Dawn’s established sound while still pushing forward.
Rating: 3.5
(Chad Bowar)
Bong Wizard – Transilvanian Munchies (Self)
Cannabis and music go hand-in-hand like a peanut butter and jelly sandwich and it is ever-present with Houston stoner metal trio Bong Wizard. Coming hot off the heels of their 2025 EP Clones, Transilvanian Munchies marks the third release of their weed-filled antics.
With tracks titled “Bluntlust” and “Spellbound By The Devils Lettuce,” one would mistake it as a normal hard rock or a weird Afroman parody. But instead you’re treated to some solid instrumentation and heavy vocals indicative of the rest of the genre. Despite the dingy tone, the album has an odd yet subtle sense of comedy to it that you don’t find much in the genre.
Rating: 3.5
(Dalton Husher)
Entropist – The Vision (Self)
Some bands can’t help but see their musical inspirations seep into their own music, especially on a debut album. That’s the conundrum Entropist find themselves in with The Vision, as their admiration of Between The Buried And Me is hard to mistake. Getting that group’s longtime producer Jamie King to produce their own album is an unmistakable sign, as are the less obvious nods (like how “Revelation” ends in a similar manner to “White Walls,” down to the closing guitar and piano solos).
Even if The Vision at times feels less than original, Entropist does try to forge their own way with this hour-long concept. “Devour Us” has a wonderful acoustic guitar/violin introduction, while “Desert Of Limbo” elevates with its soothing first half. Instrumental “The Wandering” is a dizzying six-plus minutes of top-notch performances. These songs are where a listener can hear Entropist securing their own identity.
Rating: 3.5
(Dan Marsicano)
Junius – Sotera (Prosthetic)
Nearly a decade has elapsed since the Boston post metal band Junius last released an album. Sotera is the first Junius album for three members, with original members Joseph E. Martinez (vocals) and Dana Filoon (drums) holdovers from 2017’s Eternal Rituals For The Accretion Of Light.
Junius brings heaviness on the album, contrasted by catchy melodies. Martinez’s emotive vocals give the proceedings an ’80s gothic/new wave vibe. The push and pull between metal and post elements makes for an engaging listen. The songwriting is diverse with many layers and atmospheres, with tracks like “The Oracle” having a more ominous vibe while numbers such as “Darkwater” are mellower and more laid-back. Sotera is a welcome return, giving a whole new group of listeners a chance to enjoy Junius.
Rating: 3.5
(Chad Bowar)
Masterplan – Metalmorphosis (Frontiers)
Like Junius, it has been almost ten years since the German power metal band Masterplan have released an album, but 13 since a record with original songs. Their lineup from the 2017 covers album PumpKings is intact as they unleash their seventh full-length album Metalmorphosis.
The songs have more of a bite than previous records, without sacrificing the melodies and hooks Masterplan are known for. Rick Altzi is a versatile vocalist, shifting from smooth croons to edgier moments. Roland Grapow’s guitar work is excellent throughout, whether he’s providing solid riffs or flashy solos. The songs are relatively streamlined, with “The Call” being the outlier, an epic number than exceed the 8-minute mark. Even after an extended absence, Masterplan show no rust and a revitalized sound with Metalmorphosis.
Rating: 3.5
(Chad Bowar)
NunSlaughter – Satanic Chaos Legions (BLKIIBLK)
Though it has been five years since a full-length, death metal cult NunSlaughter have issued numerous live albums, splits and EPs since then. Satanic Chaos Legions‘ opening title track wastes no time in introducing the death metal with punk ethos and their overt Satanism on full display. It makes for an album that considering the nature of their music, is accessible to the everyday extreme metal masses.
On “Peukharist” things slow down a bit but the vile nature of the music isn’t compromised, putting a larger focus on Don Of The Dead as he shreds his vocals in a slower and more belabored manner than the rest of the album. Throughout the album’s 14 tracks in just over 30 minutes, true to form this Cleveland cult wrestles religion and blasts through blasphemy without batting an eyelash. As this is NunSlaughter’s debut on the BLKIIBLK label, this may be some people’s introduction to the band and Satanic Chaos Legions is a solid entry point to them and their infinite supply of previous singles, splits and overall material.
Rating: 3.5
(Tom Campagna)
Orga Mecha – Humanity.exe (Self)
Orga Mecha synthesize 1980s heavy metal on their debut album Humanity.exe. The abundance of keyboards fits into the science fiction aesthetics, apparent in opener “Rise” with a guest spot from Autopsy’s Chris Reifert providing his take on the rallying cry, “Come on, you apes, you want to live forever?” from Starship Troopers. Slough Feg singer Mike Scalzi also pops in on “Cries Of Redemption” to lend his distinct voice to an uproarious end to the album.
That song is one of many that features guitarist Raoul Rañoa living out his guitar hero fantasies, sending his solos into the stratosphere. “Steel Mandible Swarm” has another great one too, as well as the omnipresent synths that set an ominous, futuristic tone. Humanity.exe may signal the rise of our robotic overlords, but at least we got some songs to add to the end of the world party.
Rating: 3.5
(Dan Marsicano)
The Pretty Reckless – Dear God (Fearless)
Since their 2010 debut Light Me Up, The Pretty Reckless have become a rock radio staple with numerous number one singles. They continue that with their fifth full-length Dear God, which has already spawned two more chart-toppers in “For I Am Death” and “When I Wake Up.”
There are wall-to-wall catchy songs, delivered with Taylor Momsen’s trademark blend of melody, edge and swagger. There are three short interludes, but instead of instrumentals, they are brief 40-second songs. In addition to the two number one singles, there’s a plethora of other radio-radio tracks. One of the album’s most interesting numbers is the title track, a dynamic six-minute opus. Dear God reinforces The Pretty Reckless’ status as one of hard rock’s elite bands.
Rating: 3.5
(Chad Bowar)
Shane Embury – Bridge To Resolution (Dissonance)
Shane Embury has been in Napalm Death for nearly 40 years, and has also been involved in numerous other projects of various genres. During the pandemic, he wrote and recorded his debut solo album Bridge To Resolution, which is now being released.
While much of Embury’s professional life has been spent playing extreme metal, this album is definitely not that. He explores influences of gothic, industrial and post punk with an ’80s vibe reminiscent of groups such as Killing Joke and The Mission. The songs are melodic and catchy, more urgent than heavy. Embury handles all instruments except drums, and he does a solid job on the vocals. There are ethereal songs like the title track along with edgier numbers such as “The Dreaming Abyss.” On Bridge To Resolution, Embury is able to show a completely different musical side than many would expect.
Rating: 3
(Chad Bowar)
Siamese – Dissolution (Long Branch)
Some records arrive on schedule. Dissolution did not. The third album from Danish rock outfit Siamese is one they never intended to make, which may be exactly why it lands with such force. When a primary songwriter departed mid-process, the band was forced to rebuild from the inside out. The result is heavier, more instinctive, and more inward-looking than anything in their catalogue. At its emotional center lies a father-son relationship of genuine, unresolved complexity and one the album refuses to tidy into anthems or resolve where no resolution exists.
Across twelve tracks, from the blunt immediacy of “Dark” through the warmth of “Reveries” featuring Caskets to the unflinching close of “Twisted,” Siamese never shies away from discomfort. Christian Lauritzen’s violin work threads ache through the heaviness in ways guitars alone cannot. The band sounds, for the first time, like people with something urgent to say to themselves rather than to an audience. Dissolution is the kind of record that only becomes possible when something goes wrong. The disruption produced something more cohesive and emotionally true than careful planning might have yielded. It is heavier than their previous work. More than that, it is more real. That is the harder thing to achieve.
Rating: 4
(Jeanetta Briski)
Swanwriter – Melodies Of Despair (Self)
Melodies Of Despair is progressive metal in its truest form, as Swanwriter unburden themselves of any ordinary ways of conducting music. It’s not just the lengths of these songs (three of them being over 11 minutes each) or the broad instrumental breaks that makes this album progressive. Koda, the anonymous solo member behind Swanwriter, sees these compositions from a cinematic viewpoint.
To achieve this, acoustic guitars and piano are commonplace, sometimes exclusively so for minutes on end. There are also slight death/black metal undertones to “Betrayal” and “Girl On The Wall” which put Koda’s effective harsh vocals upfront. Less effective is the singing, which goes too heavy on wavering falsettos. There’s a ton of care put into Melodies Of Despair, which never lacks in passion.
Rating: 3
(Dan Marsicano)
Thaetas – The Irredeemable Age (Profound Lore)
Thaetas‘ (stylized as Thætas) brutal death metal has taken on a technical, somewhat avant-garde, perspective for their sophomore album, The Irredeemable Age. It’s not until the third song “The End Of History” where hints of this begin to pop in with sudden sweeps of crisper-sounding guitars in the background.
They are also utilized on the next track, “For The Hope Devoid,” and from there The Irredeemable Age is no longer held back by the slam metal heard on the first few tracks. From a warped spoken word passage in “Stretched Paradox” to a freakout jam in closer “Digital Locusts,” the weirder Thaetas get, the better The Irredeemable Age turns out.
Rating: 4
(Dan Marsicano)
