This week’s Heavy Music HQ reviews include releases from …And Oceans, Chepang, Crystal Spiders, Lefokolodi, Midnight, Moonlight Haze, Onslaught, Ossuary, Ronnie Romero, Thus Spoke Zarathustra, Unmerciful and Witchcraft.
The ratings are on a 5-star scale.
…And Oceans – The Regeneration Itinerary (Season Of Mist)
…And Oceans‘ seventh studio album The Regeneration Itinerary is a profound descent into the Finnish band’s alchemical blend of symphonic black metal, industrial dissonance, and avant-garde exploration. A cosmic odyssey through existential themes, it channels three decades of evolution into a sound that is both ferocious and introspective. The band’s dynamic compositions, which fluidly shift from reverberant fury to ethereal harmonies, create a captivating interplay of chaos and serenity.
The production of The Regeneration Itinerary strikes an impressive balance between polished clarity and raw intensity, creating a rich and immersive sonic tapestry. This allows all instruments to coalesce into a vivid sound that rewards deep listening. The album’s dense compositions, while occasionally demanding patience, are punctuated by standout moments—like blasts of hypnotic keyboard-driven starry atmospherics in harmony with guitar melodies. For those captivated by genre-defying extreme metal, The Regeneration Itinerary is a bold and intricate milestone in …And Oceans’ storied legacy.
Rating: 4
(Arash Khosronejad)
Chepang – Jhyappa (Relapse)
Nepalese by way of NYC grindcore band Chepang have a quite a bit going for them on their major label debut Jhyappa. Singing in Nepalese and delivering 9 fast and ferocious songs in under 20 minutes hits the proper old school grind ethos but that would be selling the band short.
“Parichaya,” the album’s opener, features an older eastern recording which allows you to delve into the mind of this quintet which aims to blend peace with chaos. “Gatichad” is a track filled with pummeling drums and shrieked vocals a la Brutal Truth’s Kevin Sharp; throat shredding and often felt as though it is in the periphery instead of in the forefront. “Khel” opens with a spoken word recording and gives way to a righteous groove like Wormrot and vigorous blast beats showing influence from both the spiritual world and the utter confusion that is the global landscape. Jhyappa is the proper kind of evolution through aggression one needs for the here and now.
Rating: 4
(Tom Campagna)
Crystal Spiders – Metanoia (Ripple)
Heavily inspired by classic bands like Judas Priest and Black Sabbath, North Carolina based hard rockers Crystal Spiders are known for putting their psychedelic twist on the genre. Coming off of their sophomore album release Morieris three years ago, they have returned with their highly anticipated third album Metanoia.
Much like their previous albums, each track is filled with doom-laden rifts and sprinkles of psychedelic funk. The dynamic duo of Brenna Leath’s powerhouse vocals and Mike Dean’s chunky riffs together make tracks like “Time Travel” and “Blue Death” tie the whole album together. They say third times the charm, and this album feels like Crystal Spiders have found the style that works for them and are running with it.
Rating: 3.5
(Dalton Husher)
Lefokolodi – The Milk Was Finished Cos We Were Thirsty (Self)
The South African band Lefokolodi utilize a few different genres on their debut EP. The Milk Was Finished Cos We Were Thirsty draws influences from bands ranging from Tool To Rage Against The Machine to System Of A Down.
The five songs on the interestingly titled EP run the gamut from punk to hard rock to prog to alt metal. “Butt Hurt” is uptempo and punky, while “Mozzie” is experimental yet melodic. All the songs shift styles and tempos but still remain cohesive. Lefokolodi cover a lot of ground in just 20 minutes, with The Milk Was Finished Cos We Were Thirsty a promising beginning.
Rating: 3
(Chad Bowar)
Midnight – Steel, Rust And Disgust (Metal Blade)
Midnight follow up last year’s Hellish Expectations with the mostly covers album Steel, Rust And Disgust. Mainman Athenar says he wanted to record songs by bands who shared the same sights, sounds and sewage of his region of birth.
The album opens with the original “Cleveland Metal,” paying homage to his hometown in the typical Midnight blackened speed metal style. Some of the more well-known artists whose songs are covered include Rocket From The Tombs, Dead Boys, Electric Eels. He also tackles outlaw country singer David Allan Coe’s “Rock n’ Roll Fever” and the legendary Screamin’ Jay Hawkins’ “Frenzy.” Midnight puts an original spin on the songs, and that along with the eclectic mix of artists represented make Steel, Rust And Disgust more compelling than the typical covers album.
Rating: 3.5
(Chad Bowar)
Moonlight Haze – Beyond (Scarlet)
Beyond is the fourth album from the Italian symphonic power metal band Moonlight Haze. This time around, they worked with veteran producer Sascha Paeth (Avantasia, Epica, Rhapsody Of Fire, Kamelot).
The band’s brand of symphonic power metal is very accessible with big hooks and catchy choruses. Tracks like “Tame The Storm” and “Untold” are streamlined and focused. “L’eco del silenzio” is the album’s most expansive number, a mellow ballad that stretches to the six-minute mark. The album features a strong performance from vocalist Chiara Tricarico, who is able to shift from edgy rock to melodic metal and even a bit of operatic soprano. Beyond is Moonlight Haze’s most well-rounded and polished album to-date.
Rating: 3.5
(Chad Bowar)
Ossuary – Abhorrent Worship (Darkness Shall Rise)
Abhorrent Worship is a “mood” album; the kind reserved for the most desolate souls. Ossuary’s claustrophobic death metal is summoned from the darkest caverns mankind has yet to uncover. It’s a challenge to feel uncomfortable listening to music, even something as grotesque as death metal, yet the band are able to capture this insecurity. It’s not with gimmicks or slight of hand, but from the sensation that everything is wrong.
There’s no escape either, as Ossuary want the listener trapped in this desperation, almost tempting them to call it quits early. Those that stick with it will crawl through a closer in “Barren Lamentation” that goes full death/doom for over eight minutes. The reward with Abhorrent Worship is the knowledge that there’s no refuge from oblivion.
Rating: 3.5
(Dan Marsicano)
Onslaught – Origins Of Aggression (Reigning Phoenix)
Pioneering UK thrashers Onslaught have been around since the early ’80s. Their last studio album was 2020’s Generation Antichrist, the first to feature vocalist David Garnett after the departure of longtime singer Sy Keeler. The band’s latest effort Origins Of Aggression is a double album.
The first disc features re-recordings of ten of the band’s early tracks. That includes songs from 1985’s Power From Hell, 1986’s The Force and 1989’s In Search Of Sanity. The second disc is covers of punk and metal songs that inspired the band, such as Sex Pistols’ “Holidays In The Sun,” Motorhead’s “Iron Fist,” Judas Priest’s “Freewheel Burning” and Black Sabbath’s “War Pigs.” Hopefully the band will release new material soon, but Origins Of Aggression is a look at the past that fans should find intriguing.
Rating: 3
(Chad Bowar)
Ronnie Romero – Live At Rock Imperium Festival (Frontiers)
Ronnie Romero (Lords Of Black, ex-Michael Schenker Group, Sunstorm) released two solo albums of covers before 2023’s Too Many Lies, Too Many Masters, which was original material. It’s that album that makes up most of the setlist of Live At Rock Imperium Festival.
Romero’s pipes are well-known, and the crowd at the Spanish festival shows its appreciation. The set is well constructed, flowing between uptempo rockers and more moderately paced ballads. His backing band, most who played on Too Many Lies, Too Many Masters are tight. Romero wraps up the performance with a cover of Dio’s “Rainbow In The Dark,” paying homage to one of metal’s best vocalists with a potent rendition. Romero shines in a live setting, and with Live At Rock Imperium Festival both a CD and DVD, both the audio and visuals are captured for posterity.
Rating: 3.5
(Chad Bowar)
Thus Spoke Zarathustra – I’m Done With Self Care, It’s Time For Others’ Harm (Prosthetic)
Their name taken from a book by German philosopher Friedrich Nietzche, the second album from Maryland deathcore purveyors Thus Spoke Zarathustra is I’m Done With Self Care, It’s Time For Others’ Harm.
The band utilizes a triple-guitar attack along with the genre’s typical blastbeats and breakdowns to create a potent and aggressive album. Most of their compositions blaze by in less than three minutes, riffs flying with passionate harsh vocals. TSZ change up tempos, slowing to a glacial pace on songs like “Gage Lanza 2: Return Of The Red Hammer” before stomping on the gas. Constant shifts and changes and quality songwriting make I’m Done With Self Care, It’s Time For Others’ Harm a compelling deathcore album.
Rating: 3.5
(Chad Bowar)
Unmerciful – Devouring Darkness (Willowtip)
If the band’s moniker didn’t spell their music out enough, the song titles to Unmerciful’s fourth album Devouring Darkness will prove their point. Abrasive death metal spills out of “Unnatural Ferocity,” “Relentless Malevolence” and “Voracious Lunacy,” all of which live up to their names. They revel in the hostility, done so with an edginess that will drive some people mad.
The title track is their opportunity to shift slightly melodic, boosted by its lengthier format. Its placement in the first half of the record elevates it over the conventional second half, which has an unfortunate tendency to become formless. Unmerciful are veterans in the genre at this point, having been going at it for over 20 years, and Devouring Darkness fits into their assertive stance on brutal death metal.
Rating: 3
(Dan Marsicano)
Witchcraft – Idag (Heavy Psych Sounds)
Idag, the seventh album from the Swedish band Witchcraft has a very doomy flavor to it that recalls the likes of Black Sabbath. This is more subdued than Black Sabbath, however, and has more gentle moments. It is also a bit more psychedelic evoking acts, like Cream. The tunes have a great amount of distortion to them and are effective excursions into the doom genre.
The musical performances on the disc are solid along with typical electric guitars. There are some acoustic moments to vary thing up. The drumming fits into the background nicely, but does not have as much of an impact as the guitar work. The vocals are emotional and a very strong aspect of the work. All in all, Idag is a nice doom album that has the right mixture of gentle and more powerful moments to satisfy.
Rating: 3.5
(Adam McAuley)
