This week’s Heavy Music HQ reviews include releases from Aephanemer, Alpha Destroyer, Barren Path, Bastard Cross, Believe In Nothing, Burned In Effigy, Empire Drowns, Gumm, Howling Giant, Moonspell, Precious Blood, Primitive Man, Trivium and Unprocessed.
The ratings are on a 5-star scale.
Aephanemer – Utopie (Napalm)
It’s been four years since France-based melodic death metal band Aephanemer released A Dream Of Wilderness, which was an incredibly strong follow-up to their previous album Prokopton. So, hearing that the group was finally releasing a new album, Utopie, after so long, there was at least a little bit of excitement to be had. After all, amazing tracks like “Phanta Rhei” and “Antigone” were an incredible pairing of the band’s unique, almost thrashy, melodic style paired with a few symphonic flourishes to mix things up. One could only hope this new album had just a bit more of that. Does it ultimately deliver? Sort of.
Featuring the same signature style heard on their previous albums, Utopie delivers exactly what it promises: more Aephanemer. Or, more specifically, Marion Bacoul, who has yet to falter in her extremely unique and powerful vocal delivery that borders on death and black metal. She delivers the entire album in French, which may or may not be a dealbreaker for some. Yes, there is a new bassist at play, but this hasn’t affected the group’s course at all. Sadly, there really aren’t any more examples of Bacoul’s singing voice at hand. Nor is there really anything genuinely new of note. There is, pretty plainly, just more. Utopie has a lot of elements that should make this whole thing feel exciting and fresh. Orchestral elements abound, but there is a notable sense that just a bit less passion and creative exploration was put into this project. Don’t get me wrong, it’s solid. Fans are going to love it. I did. However, it simply isn’t a strong enough follow-up to their previous work.
Rating: 3
(Keith Ham)
Alpha Destroyer – Fast Lane (Necromantic Press)
In an effort to find another creative outlet, Eric Sexton-Dorsett and Kevin Hahn of Sleepless formed the Portland based hard rock outfit Alpha Destroyer and the debut album Fast Lane to channel these new ideas.
Though Alpha Destroyer have a solid lineup including Buckcherry bassist Kelly LeMieux and Crashdïet’s Martin Sweet lending his vocals, the album as a whole feels a little underwhelming and a bit generic sounding. “Manic Messiah” feels like a Bon Jovi song and is the only track that really stands out among the rest. Despite the generic sound, Fast Lane has its appeal to those who like a clean and simple hard rock sound.
Rating: 3
(Dalton Husher)
Barren Path – Grieving (Willowtip)
Barren Path rise from the remnants of grindcore luminaries Gridlink, as Grieving unites all the members from their last lineup sans vocalist Jon Chang. Maruta/Shock Withdrawal vocalist Mitchell Luna is a great fit for the unrepentant music that harkens back to the days of Amber Gray and Orphan from Gridlink’s early days. Guitarist Takafumi Matsubara is a riff encyclopedia, finding ways to make minute-long songs complex and stimulating.
Only one tune (“The Insufferable Weight”) on Grieving goes over 90 seconds, which is the right spot for grindcore. That slight extra time given to the song allows for some technical lead guitars. “Celestial Bleeding” is a 43-second interlude of noise and spoken word that is the closest Barren Path come to a resting point. Gridlink’s reunion a few years back was short-lived, but hopefully Barren Path doesn’t follow the same pattern.
Rating: 3.5
(Dan Marsicano)
Bastard Cröss – Crossripper (Morbid And Miserable)
Bastard Cröss’ blackened thrash metal has plenty of hooks throughout their debut album, Crossripper. It’s almost like finding an endangered species in the wild to get a band capable of that, not to mention one in a genre known for its aversion to doing so. The vocals are traded between guitarists Blasphemous Axe and Heathen Chevalier (yes, all the members have pseudonyms like this, and yes, it is goofy in the best way).
“Demons At Midnight” glams up their black/thrash with a glitzy stomp. “Behead The Priest” is a blasphemous treat, closing Crossripper out with two different extremes: a swift eruption followed by an extended outro of acoustic guitars and female vocals. The fact that Bastard Cröss can make both work shows they are above being just pugnacious instigators.
Rating: 4
(Dan Marsicano)
Believe In Nothing – Rot (Church Road)
“Man’s greatest achievement will be the destruction of itself,” Believe In Nothing vocalist Caine Hemmingway pronounces at the conclusion of the closing title track off their debut album, Rot. It’s a statement of fact for this Eastbourne, East Sussex, England group, clawing through the privilege and inequality that spreads from a resort community. To them, people are compassionless, more concerned about social media presence than assisting someone in danger.
That forms the basis of “What Would You Do?” as Hemmingway puts us in the shoes of a person being attacked while others watch on as a passive audience. These songs drown in feedback and noise, comfort coming from the inevitable demise ahead. Rot is not meant to be a feel-good record, as its sludge metal drones with the ire of ones struggling to survive.
Rating: 3.5
(Dan Marsicano)
Burned In Effigy – Tyrannus Aeternum (Self)
There are great changes going on for Burned In Effigy on their sophomore album, Tyrannus Aeternum. Two new guitarists have been brought in, which may have played a role in the band’s further foray into technical/progressive death metal. Orchestration is another fresh wrinkle to their music, tastefully used in “The Racking.” The instrumental “Procession” brings a Spanish swing with its flamenco-style guitars and danceable percussion.
Their plans for expansion don’t overlook the strident melodic death metal of “Masquerade” and “Wage Of Exile.” Vocalist Mark “Smedy” Smedbron really digs into these songs with his stockpile of growls. Though Burn In Effigy are different in a few ways compared to their 2022 debut, Rex Mortem, what hasn’t changed is their tectonic take on death metal.
Rating: 3.5
(Dan Marsicano)
Empire Drowns – Endless Nights (Mighty)
Endless Nights is the sophomore album from the Danish band Empire Drowns, whose members are also in groups such as Urkraft, Withering Surface, Street Fighter and Thorium. They draw inspiration from the Peaceville three of Paradise Lost, My Dying Bride and Anathema, playing death/doom.
Tracks like “A Choir Of Fallen Angels” and “The Great Flood” have a classic approach with harsh vocals. Other songs such as “Volcanic Funeral” and “Santiago Sunrise” are more gothic-tinged and add some accessible vocals to the aggression. Endless Nights explores well-treaded musical ground, but Empire Drowns’ execution and songwriting keeps things fresh.
Rating: 3
(Chad Bowar)
Gumm – Beneath The Wheel (Convulse)
Opening their sophomore album Beneath The Wheel with the title track, Chattanooga, Tennessee’s Gumm start things off in an unassuming way. They start to amp things up as the track takes on a noise vibe before the very punk rock “New From The Pain” jumps in chock full of righteous riffs and a fat bass that isn’t always emphasized on most hardcore adjacent records. “One Thing At A Time” has some big dissonant riffs reminiscent of Drug Church’s big songs complete with their own shouted vocals, allowing the mid-paced vibes to ride out with the song but with hardcore in their collective hearts.
“Learn Nothing” is a surge of violent energy with jangly guitars punctuated by vocalist Draw Waldron’s vocal bark all while riding out Harrison Battles’ supreme drumming. They cover a lot in short order especially with the album only being 26 minutes long. Gumm are a hardcore band on the surface but with ample noise, sweet guitars and a lack of fear to experiment with those sounds in powerful and unique ways, Beneath The Wheel is an exception to most hardcore norms and a total blast.
Rating: 4
(Tom Campagna)
Howling Giant – Crucible & Ruin (Magnetic Eye)
For their third album Crucible & Ruin, Nashville’s Howling Giant have expanded from a trio to a quartet with the addition of guitarist/keyboardist Adrian Zambrano (Lo-Pan). They’ve also moved from recording in a home studio to a proper studio.
The band’s brand of stoner metal moves at a brisk pace much of the time, leaving plenty of time for solos and musical interludes. There are also a couple of instrumentals. With several songs clocking in at over six minutes, they are able to fully flesh out musical themes without overstaying their welcome or becoming monotonous. The heavy riffs are contrasted by the accessible pop/rock style vocals. On Crucible & Ruin, Howling Giant bring a lot of memorable melodies along with first-class musicianship.
Rating: 3.5
(Chad Bowar)
Moonspell – Opus Diabolicum – The Orchestral Live Show (Napalm)
Moonspell are releasing yet another solid live performance with Opus Diabolicum – The Orchestral Live Show on just about every worthwhile format. If anything is worth knowing about Moonspell, it’s that this long standing Portuguese band has stood the test of time. Since 1989, they’ve shamelessly toyed with their sound and mixed things up. Browsing their library, you can expect anything from black and industrial metal to symphonic and progressive rock. To pinpoint the exact subgenre the band follows would be downright impossible, but this is what makes them so great. And, here we are again, as the band decides to incorporate the 45-piece Lisbon Sinfonietta Orchestra to somehow extend the group’s capabilities even further.
While the official wording states Opus Diabloicum’s focus is heavily on 1755, which is in and of itself an impressive concept album based on an earthquake occurring in that exact year, the live performance actually covers quite a bit more than that. This is, put simply, something that covers the songs most compatible with an orchestral arrangement. And, thankfully, that happens to be some of the band’s best tracks and most popular singles. So yes, “Scorpion Flower” and “Alma Mater” are here. And, as someone who has seen the band live and owned several of their live albums and DVDs, I have to say this is probably the best I’ve ever heard the band perform. If you’re a fan, I don’t think this is one that should be missed.
Rating: 4
(Keith Ham)
Precious Blood – False Prophets (Self)
Precious Blood are a trio of doom metal aficionados from NYC taking the genre on with sheer power alone on their debut album, False Prophets. The group has had a busy 2025, releasing multiple singles and an EP already in the lead-up to False Prophets. They work within their means on the production side, with some of the transitions and backing vocals fitting into the music like two unmatched jigsaw puzzle pieces slammed together.
When they get on the right track, they know their way around a strong chorus, as evident by “Shadow Of The Cross” and “Footsteps Of Babylon.” Guitarist/vocalist AJ is a shredder when given the opportunity on the latter track. There’s even a death metal streak running through “Bludgeoned & Charred” with its growls and bludgeoning rhythms.
Rating: 3
(Dan Marsicano)
Primitive Man – Observance (Relapse)
Primitive Man‘s latest album, Observance, is another exploration into their signature world of sonic heaviness. While described as their “positive” record, this is a relative term; the album trades sheer aggression for a more atmospheric, experimental form of dread, creating a slow-burning and unsettling nightmare.
The production is characteristically clear, magnifying the oppressive instrumentation and deranged vocals. It remains an intense endurance test due to its length and unrelenting darkness. While it may not surpass their foundational classics, the band earns respect for genuinely pushing their sound forward, offering a new flavor of misery for their dedicated listeners.
Rating: 4
(Carlos Tirado)
Trivium – Struck Dead (Roadrunner)
Trivium are no longer the brash young upstarts boldly proclaiming themselves the next Metallica. Two decades on, they’re a well-established metal act billed highly on any festival. And now, after cranking out 10 studio albums, they’ve issued a three-track EP, Struck Dead. The band has been celebrating the 20th anniversary of breakthrough record Ascendancy, and clearly been looking to those days for inspiration. “Bury Me With My Screams” certainly references that era’s blend of aggressive riffs, bipolar vocals and arena-baiting hooks.
The chorus on “Six Walls Surround Me” also carries a noticeably Ascendancy-style feel, fused with the grandiose vibe of latest LP In The Court Of The Dragon. These tracks could easily slot alongside the group’s formative material in the live set, sitting somewhere between thrash, metalcore and heavy metal, and punctuated with clear, punchy production values. Meanwhile, drummer Alex Bent has since left the ranks, but farewells the band with a dexterous performance. Whether indicative of the direction of their next record or not, these songs should please Trivium diehards and build anticipation for the next full-length.
Rating: 3.5
(Brendan Crabb)
Unprocessed – Angel (Self)
The German band Unprocessed have now been around for over a decade, expanding their progressive/djent sound with each new release. That’s also the case with their latest effort Angel. They lean into more alt metal and commercial moments without turning their backs on the dynamics and diversity of their past work.
That’s especially the case on tracks like “Sleeping With Ghosts” and “Terrestrial,” which are complex and progressive but also have clever melodies. Even the most overtly commercial songs like “Beyond Heavens Gate” and “Where I Left My Soul” still inject subtle flourishes of complexity. They bring aboard a couple of guests: Paleface Swiss’ Zelli on the groovy “Solara” and Fever 333’s Jason Aalon Butler brings his rap metal style on “Head In The Clouds.” Unprocessed continue to evolve, with Angel their most accessible work to-date, but it still has plenty of unpredictable moments.
Rating: 3
(Chad Bowar)
Various Artists – Killed By Deaf – A Punk Tribute To Motorhead (BMG)
Motorhead influenced countless bands in a variety of genres. Their impact on metal is unquestioned, with legions of metal musicians from multiple generations crediting Lemmy and company. But they were also a strong influence on punk with their attitude, volume and breakneck speed. Killed By Deaf – A Punk Tribute To Motorhead features some of punk’s biggest names along with some up-and-comers.
Most of the arrangements are pretty faithful to the originals, with each band providing their unique twist. Pennywise tackle the rousing “Ace Of Spades,” Rancid bring passion and fury to “Sex & Death,” The Bronx deliver melody and fun to “Over The Top” and GBH blaze through “Bomber.” Other artists participating include Lagwagon, Fear, The Casualties, Anti-Nowhere League, Slaughterhouse and more. Even Motorhead appear on their own tribute album, teaming up with The Damned on the previously unreleased rendition of The Damned’s “Neat, Neat, Neat.” If any artist deserves a tribute, it’s Motorhead, and Killed By Deaf – A Punk Tribute To Motorhead is a worthy homage.
Rating: 3.5
(Chad Bowar)
