This week’s Heavy Music HQ reviews include releases from The Black Thunder, Body Stuff, Elysion, Gloryhammer, Great Falls, Iapetus, Insomnium, Les Batards Du Roi, Mother Of Graves, Save Us, A Secret Revealed, Shores Of Null, Temperance, Throes and Zero Hour.
The ratings are on a 5-star scale.
The Black Thunder – Time Obliteration (Pagan)
The Black Thunder have amplified a more demanding stance on their latest album, Time Obliteration. Their stoner metal used to have tons of groove to it until they decided that it wasn’t furious enough for them; hence, a general prevalence of death/black metal. Sometimes, it only pops in for a quick verse, as the band waits until closer “Revelation Of Times To Follow” to let it take charge.
Time Obliteration was recorded live in the studio, its four members vibing off each other and accentuating the ferocious riffs. “Turn Into Absence” and “Fractured Time” are where The Black Thunder reverts back to the old days, though twisted into a sludgy pretzel. The Black Thunder have been around for over 15 years and takes steps to be rougher with their music without a complete reinvention.
Rating: 3.5
(Dan Marsicano)
Body Stuff – Body Stuff 5 (The Chain)
Body Stuff 5 is the sophomore full-length release from Body Stuff. Starting as a solo project from Curran Reynolds (Today Is The Day, Wetnurse), it has evolved into playing live shows with a full band. Like previous material, this album spans a variety of genres. It’s rock based, but explores everything from metal to post punk to industrial to hardcore to new wave.
Hooks abound, but there’s also edge provided by Reynolds’ baritone vocals. After a guest appearance from ’80s icon Tiffany on the last album, I was hoping perhaps Debbie Gibson might show up this time, but alas she did not. Still, there are plenty of catchy tracks, with highlights being “The World Is Yours” and “Seventeen.” Body Stuff 5 is an enjoyable trip through a wide variety of styles both retro and modern.
Rating: 3.5
(Chad Bowar)
Elysion – Identity (Massacre)
Elysion are a gothic metal band from Greece and 2026 sees them revealing their fourth album Identity. However, Elysion aren’t a mere throwback to the gothic metal heyday of twenty years ago. The band’s mostly uptempo musical energy and punchy song structures cement them nicely into the present, while thankfully resisting the urge to fill their sound out with symphonic orchestration, relying instead on the considerable strength of their songwriting.
Driving forward with heavy, crunching guitar and rhythms to match, Elysion quickly employ a two-pronged attention grab. They hit you with the impressive vocals of Christianna, which invariably push each song in question towards a dynamic, memorable chorus, ably assisted on a couple of tracks by some juxtaposing harsh male guest vocalists. The band’s enigmatic delivery never lets up as they stride forward with Identity surely their strongest, most focused release to date.
Rating: 3.5
(Andy Barker)
Gloryhammer – Space 1993: Wrath Of Kor-Virliath (Napalm)
Unapologetically bombastic, with swords and mighty hammers held high against a defiant cosmos, Scottish power metallers Gloryhammer launch Space 1993: Wrath Of Kor-Virliath into an unsuspecting universe. It’s the lyrical follow-up to second album Space 1992: Rise Of The Chaos Wizards, but more than ten years and two albums apart. There may have been a change in vocalist since then, but there’s been no reeling in of the fantasy-driven symphonic galloping power metal that the band have become synonymous for.
The theatrical over the top way Gloryhammer throw themselves into every song may not be to everyone’s taste, but no one can deny that this album is a great example of classic European power metal. Silly pseudonyms, tongue-in-cheek lyrics and questionable costumes are all part of the package, so enjoy it for what it is – well performed, majestic and uplifting melodic power metal.
Rating: 3.5
(Andy Barker)
Great Falls – The Bite That Grows Up (Neurot)
The resume of Seattle-based noise/sludge trio Great Falls includes bands like Kiss It Goodbye, Gaytheist, Undertow and Bastard Feast. Their latest release is The Bite That Grows Up. There are a lot of chaotic, dissonant parts on the album, such as the dense “Pinned Against Time.”
But most of the tracks are dynamic, shifting from noisy to groovy and driven by Demian Johnston’s frantic vocal style. The album’s longest track is also its most dynamic, with “Hailstone Numbers” stretching past the 7-minute mark. It’s mellow, it’s heavy, it’s doomy, it’s spare, it’s dense. The Bite That Grows Up has some immediacy, but it’s when you really dig in that Great Falls’ subtleties reveal themselves.
Rating: 3.5
(Chad Bowar)
Iapetus – The Mother Void (Willowtip)
The Mother Void is the third album in a row from progressive death metal group Iapetus that has no room for those on the fence about their complicated songs. Each of their albums to date have ranged from 70 to 75 minutes, as they love taking big swings like a 16-minute instrumental. The Mother Void doesn’t go that far, though two tracks inch their way towards 20 minutes. In a world where attention spans have become limited, Iapetus go the opposite way.
The huge get for Iapetus on The Mother Void is vocalist Fabienne Erni (Eluveitie), who is a featured performer. She has a prominent spot on almost every song, with her inclusion being integral to the cosmic-spanning concept. To comprehend what this duo is pulling off is to fully invest in their huge ideas.
Rating: 4
(Dan Marsicano)
Insomnium – Netherworlds (Century Media)
Insomnium remain one of metal’s most consistent bands, with two career peaks in Above The Weeping Moon and Winter’s Gate. Their new album, Netherworlds, sits between One For Sorrow and Heart Like A Grave, blending their signature depressing lyrics with more folk and “heroic” Amorphis-style elements.
The result is a more magical, upbeat atmosphere — though still plenty soul-piercing. It’s a solid but familiar step. Unfortunately, the album loses steam toward the end. Softer tracks echo the divisive Shadows Of The Dying Sun, feeling overly sentimental. More aggression or conceptual ambition would’ve helped. Still, Insomnium prove they’re the Immolation of melodic death metal — consistent, polished, and reliably good.
Rating: 3.5
(Carlos Tirado)
Les Batards Du Roi – Ici Meurt ma Joie (LADLO)
France is known for some truly experimental bands and melodic black metal quartet Les Batards Du Roi and their latest EP Ici Meurt ma Joie are no exception. Continuing the story left off from their 2025 self-titled debut album, after committing regicide a band of brothers wander out into a forgotten land.
Despite the short thirteen minute runtime, Ici Meurt ma Joie hooks you like a fish, making you want to seek out the rest of the discography to match the high. Each of these three tracks each are equally as powerful, chock full of brutal riffs and haunting yet equally as brutal vocals.
Rating: 3.5
(Dalton Husher)
Mother Of Graves – The Light That Keeps Us (Profound Lore)
Mother Of Graves immediately grab the listener by the throat on their third full length The Light That Keeps Us with “Wingless Soul.” Producer and death metal legend Dan Swano delivers the opening address, eventually sharing the stage with the rest of the band. Death doom is a lightly woven tapestry at times with a level of intensity that wavers. It allows Mother Of Graves to perfectly encapsulate a specific and balanced beauty; an amazing opener.
Whether it be the rolling beauty of “Through The Pale Shade,” the subtle start of the title track, or even the goth-influenced spoken sections of “Eventide Angel,, Mother Of Graves have continued to ply their songwriting trade to masterful effect. The herculean “The Beggar’s Allegory” is bound to be a classic of the band’s discography and is the perfect accompaniment to leaves falling from trees and general fall gloom. Fans of My Dying Bride need to pay attention. In short order Mother Of Graves have become an essential part of the death doom fabric, being able to seamlessly play heavy and beautiful songs with ease. The Light That Keeps Us is their best album to date.
Rating: 4.5
(Tom Campagna)
Save Us – Death To Something (Solid State)
Save Us‘ debut Death To Something is the sound of three people who nearly quit music and found a lifeline in each other. It blends down-tuned riffs, glitchy electronics, and big pop hooks, and producer Landon Tewers draws out Miguel Owls’ most daring vocals, from whispered verses to explosive choruses. “Chains” opens with a dark, seductive groove that favors atmosphere over volume, while “Last of Me” tucks orchestral touches beneath an enormous chorus about letting go of someone toxic. “Seraphim” is the heavy highlight, balancing screams and a chugging, detuned groove with a hypnotic, anthemic hook.
The title track is the cathartic centerpiece. Written as Miguel prepared to become a father, it builds from a trembling whisper into a flood of distortion and a refrain about leaving the past behind. The record isn’t flawless. The quiet-verse, huge-chorus formula grows familiar in the back half. Short cuts like “Runaway” leave a lighter mark, and a few pop-leaning moments could use a sharper edge. The Spanish-titled “Mente Fragmentada” hints at an adventurous side that deserved more room. Still, that sincerity carries it. Save Us lean into vulnerability without apology, and for anyone who has used a song to climb out of a dark place, that honesty lands hard.
Rating: 3.5
(Jeanetta Briski)
A Secret Revealed – The Ruin I Summoned Forth (Lifeforce)
A Secret Revealed know how to make a great first impression by bringing in vocalist Nikita Kamprad (Der Weg einer Freiheit) for “Disheartened,” the heightened opener to their fourth album, The Ruin I Summoned Forth. The group revels in black metal in a way they’ve only teased before, reinforced by Kamprad’s raspy roars. It would be easy just to make a whole record in this style, but A Secret Revealed aren’t that predictable.
The rest of The Ruin I Summoned Forth incorporates death metal, hardcore and shoegaze. “Torn From The Quiet” and “Upheaval” are the closest the band returns to the sounds of “Disheartened,” but even those two weave in melodic guitars, from a rumbling bass break to a snug interlude. A Secret Revealed have found their niche in post black metal with The Ruin I Summoned Forth.
Rating: 3.5
(Dan Marsicano)
Shores Of Null – Homesick (Dusktone)
Since their formation in 2013, Shores Of Null have established themselves as one of the most promising voices in melodic death/doom metal. However, it was their outstanding 2023 album, The Loss Of Beauty, which truly drew attention to a band capable of capturing the beauty of sorrow and the grandeur of human and existential darkness through a highly dramatic musical lens. Now, their latest offering Homesick arrives in the resonant spirit of its predecessor. But has it?
Homesick is neither overshadowed nor diminished by what came before. At key moments, such as “Son Of The Sun,” it immerses itself in a realm of magnificent, melancholic melodies, unveiling a captivating soundscape that holds the listener spellbound. What distinguishes it from The Loss Of Beauty is its refusal to simply become a successful sequel. By stepping away from the gigantic theatrical scale of its predecessor, it establishes an identity of its own while preserving the personal musical language Shores Of Null have cultivated. The result is a journey from profound sorrow to the rage born of deep grief; an impactful and noteworthy release, and one of the year’s significant offerings.
Rating: 4
(Arash Khosronejad)
Temperance – Arcani (Napalm)
Arcani marks Italian symphonic melodic power metal band Temperance’s eighth album in twelve years. Renowned for their impressive female and male vocal approach, this is the second album to combine American singer Kristin Starkey with longer term vocalist Michele Guaitoli. Sharing duties equally, these two voices are the main focal point for the polished compositions, with additional vocals added to create the memorable melodies and soaring choruses that the band seemingly craft so effortlessly.
When a band such as Temperance find a winning formula, and execute it so well, the main question fans want to know is whether the newest release continues this high standard, which of course Arcani emphatically does. From galloping power metal energy right through to a heartfelt ballad, Temperance continue to show great attention to creating arrangements that present each track in the best light possible. If it ain’t broke…
Rating: 3.5
(Andy Barker)
Throes – The Colorless Light Of Emptiness (Church Road)
In the seven years since their last full-length release, In The Hands Of An Angry God, Throes have seemingly gone feral with their sludgy metallic hardcore on The Colorless Light Of Emptiness. This is obvious in the blast-ridden percussion on tracks like “Revenge Death” and “Basura,” as well as the jarring guitar feedback on “Western Violence” and “Beg.”
There are parts of The Colorless Light Of Emptiness that lean close to black metal, though Throes never gets all the way sucked in. It would be easy enough for them to do, yet they can’t resist a good breakdown like in the closing minute of “Ape/Person/Animal/Human.” If the album name didn’t make it clear enough, this is music lacking in sympathy and joy.
Rating: 3.5
(Dan Marsicano)
Zero Hour – No Man’s Land (Self)
No Man’s Land is a short EP from the veteran California band Zero Hour that follows up 2022’s Agenda 21. It is a progressive music album that has strong remnants of other bands like Fates Warning. It has the same type of concept feel that’s not as flashy as that band. They are instead more song focused, and this results in memorable tracks.
The two songs sound rather esoteric, but remain grounded in good song craft, and are fairly restrained instead of egotistical. There are also instrumental versions of “Codes Of Violence” and “No Man’s Land.” The EP has a flashy aspect at times, but it remains grounded in solid progressive fundamentals.
Rating: 3.5
(Adam McAuley)
