This week’s Heavy Music HQ reviews include releases from 30,000 Monkies, Abstracted Mind, Anthrax, Blodtar, The Cartographer, Domino Drive, Early Moods, Holding Absence, Kai Hansen, Mourning Wood, Ombra, Profeci, Sea Sleeper, Terra Black, Uncle Acid & The Deadbeats, Villagers Of Ionnina City and Voodoo Highway.
The ratings are on a 5-star scale.
30,000 Monkies – Super Rebound (Fvn Kult)
Self-described as “champagnemetal,” Belgian noise-rock quartet 30,000 Monkies have made a name for themselves over the course of the decade in the European underground. During that time they have been getting louder, heavier and stranger; it has culminated into their latest release Super Rebound.
Despite the brutal riffs paired with Ruben Savelkoul’s equally brutal heavy vocals, the overall tone of Super Rebound is surprisingly whimsical in a fashion that is unconventional for fans of the genre at large. The ending track “[Bells Ringing, Tale Melting]” best encapsulates this unconventional whimsy feeling by having the first half of the song as a chorus of bells that evolves into a hybrid of doom metal and noise rock that is completely unexpected.
Rating: 3.5
(Dalton Husher)
Abstracted Mind – Break Down Your Fears (Self)
Comprised of two members from Argentina and two from The Netherlands, symphonic metal band Abstracted Mind unveil their self released debut Break Down Your Fears, after a plethora of single output over the past five years. This complete current lineup has only been in place since last year, but as the songs on this album prove, they’re already gelling well as a unit.
Power ballad “Rise Again” was the album’s lead single, which certainly showcased the talents of vocalist Juli Hope, a trend that continues throughout the album as it evolves to capture the band’s own brand of artistic symphonic metal in greater detail. Occasional harsh male vocals add aggression, while progressive elements inject additional interest. With swathes of sweeping orchestration filling out each arrangement, Abstracted Mind are off to a fine start in a hopefully a lengthy career.
Rating 3.5
(Andy Barker)
Anthrax – Cursum Perficio (Megaforce)
It took a while for Anthrax to craft their latest album, spending several years writing and recording the songs that became Cursum Perficio. It’s the follow-up to 2016’s For All Kings, which was very well received. The album’s title translates to “my journey has come to an end,” though the band says this will not be their last album.
After the opening interlude “Persistence Of Memory,” (a nod to the title of their 1990 album Persistence Of Time) they launch into “The Long Goodbye.” Joey Belladonna is in fine form, and the song is catchy and accessible. “It’s For The Kids” showcases moments of old-school thrash, while “The Edge Of Perfection” has a lengthy intro and blends intensity and groove, even injecting some black metal vibes. Decades into their career, Anthrax are still pushing in new directions. They also pay homage to the past on tracks like “NYC 93.” Though they haven’t been prolific over the past couple of decades, recent Anthrax albums have been really strong, and Cursum Perficio continues their run of excellent releases.
Rating: 4
(Chad Bowar)
Blodtar – Monark (Nordvis)
Folk-infused black metal is back on the table for Blodtar with their second album, Monark. The group cut back on the meandering instrumentals and stretchy lengths from 2023’s Det Förtegna Förflutna to keep the record on track. There is a lone sidestep into pure folk music with a cover of Swedish group Kraja’s “Nu är det synd om de döda.”
Monark is not far ahead of Det Förtegna Förflutna from a creative standpoint, as Blodtar remain steadfast in their low-fi black metal with jaunty lead guitars. The duo is always moving, yet doesn’t completely succumb to a rigid implosion of percussion and tremolo riffs until the second half of the title track. That’s where glimpses of their past selves circa 2021’s audacious self-titled EP emerges again.
Rating: 3.5
(Dan Marsicano)
The Cartographer – The Collapse Of A Bitter End (Self)
The Cartographer eye a return to the days of deathcore that were built upon the intentional, malicious side of music with their debut album, The Collapse Of A Bitter End. The guitars whine and squeal as electronics screech out noise, with breakdowns an eventuality in each of these nine songs.
There’s nothing inherently wrong with The Collapse Of A Bitter End, but there also isn’t much that leaves a listener wanting more of it. “Apparitions” has an exhilarating burst in its tempos that could’ve been a chance for The Cartographer to go off the rails, but they quickly reign that in for more bouncy chugging. If their only objective was to prove they are threatening enough to fit in with the rest of the genre, they succeeded.
Rating: 2.5
(Dan Marsicano)
Domino Drive – Cosmic Theater (Pride & Joy)
Carrying on the time honored tradition of classy Swedish hard rock/melodic metal bands, Domino Drive allow sophomore album Cosmic Theaterto continue right where they left off with 2023’s Smoke and Mirrors. Sing-along choruses, solid guitar and sparkling keyboards are once more the order of the day.
This is a classy album of polished hard rock with splashes of melodic metal energy, whilst often relaxing into heavy AOR territory. Vocalist Jonas Tyskhagen carries those aforementioned melodies well, with intelligent arrangements never pushing the music out of the genre’s target zone. The production is a bit crisper than their debut which is another benefit. Personally, I prefer the occasions when the band push things a little heavier, but there’s a good variation of hard rock styles on offer here, adding to the overall enjoyment.
Rating: 3
(Andy Barker)
Early Moods – Ready For The Grave (RidingEasy)
American doom metal stalwarts Early Moods third album is Ready For The Grave, complete with the expected traditional doom antics. On the opening title track there is a nice little groove that could be taken from Sad Wings Of Destiny and then on “Inquisition” it draws on more of the Vol. 4 heavy Sabbath riffing. These guys have surely paid respects to the idiosyncrasies of their elders, and are at their best when throwing around sounds from the days of yore also including bands like Saint Vitus and the aforementioned Judas Priest.
With “When Light Fades” you get a barn burner of a solo that gives way to beautiful ambience allowing for vocalist Alberto Alcaraz to stand at the forefront before large and bombastic doom riffs provide a plodding path through the rest of this song. Early Moods excellently plumb the depths for their latest doom dirge and it’s the proper amount of worship without feeling like the bands that influenced them. Ready For The Grave is one of the best doom metal albums of the year.
Rating: 4
(Tom Campagna)
Holding Absence – Modern Life Is Lonely (Sumerian)
Modern Life Is Lonely, the fourth album from the Welsh post-hardcore outfit Holding Absence, is the most restless, genre-agnostic record the band has ever put their name on. After a decade spent building a catalog out of vocalist Lucas Woodland’s own unfiltered internal wreckage, including 2023’s The Noble Art Of Self Destruction, the record that first pulled me into the band’s orbit, Modern Life Is Lonely pivots outward, capturing what it means to exist in a world that keeps everyone in constant contact while somehow more isolated than ever.
Opener “Reanimate” throws the listener straight in. “Reflection” hits hardest of all, playing like a diary entry that isn’t yours but somehow is, especially for anyone navigating college life’s shift from self-loathing to self-acceptance like I have. “Heaven” and “Take Me With You” sit in that same push-pull of hope and despair, while the title track anchors the whole thesis. Interludes give the record room to breathe between “Whisper Of A Dream” and “Lucid Love,” both spacier and more atmospheric. “Scorched Earth” brings the teeth back before the closer “Kyoto Snow” exhales the record out. Modern Life Is Lonely doesn’t just document disconnection; it offers something to hold onto inside it.
Rating: 4.5
(Jeanetta Briski)
Kai Hansen – Born With A Hammer (earMusic)
Over the past several decades, Kai Hansen has been one of the most prominent voices in power metal, fronting some of the genre’s iconic bands in Helloween and Gamma Ray. Ten years after his solo debut, Hansen’s Born With A Hammer includes three returning members from XXX – Three Decades Of Metal: guitarists Eike Freese and Alexander Dietz (Heaven Shall Burn), along with drummer Dan Wilding (Carcass).
Hansen isn’t veering into a completely different approach on the album, he embraces the styles that he does best. That doesn’t mean there isn’t some exploration, like a reggae-influenced section on “Welcome To Life,” but it’s mostly heavy/power metal with big hooks and prominent guitars. Most of the songs are streamlined, but they stretch the title track to the 8-minute mark, beginning as a ballad before amping up the tempo and intensity, then mellowing back out at the end. Born With A Hammer is a fun showcase of Hansen’s skills, with tracks like “I.D.G.A.F.” that you wouldn’t hear on a Helloween or Gamma Ray record.
Rating: 3.5
(Chad Bowar)
Mourning Wood – Rise & Shine (Self)
As their name suggests, folk metal group Mourning Wood are a band who don’t take themselves too seriously, and the musical evidence on their equally suggestively titled debut Rise & Shine backs that statement up. However, having shared the stage with acts such as Wind Rose and Alestorm over the past four years, this hard-partying band from the Netherlands clearly know how to craft a catchy track or few.
There’s plenty of fun to be had on this album, but Rise & Shine also dips into serious melodic death metal on occasion, giving the folk melodies even more impact. It’s easy to imagine how much impact tracks like “Redneck Redemption,” “Blastafari” and “Seamen Shanty” will have in a live setting, with those song titles alone giving a clue to the folk-fueled frivolity you can expect on this album.
Rating: 3.5
(Andy Barker)
Ombra – Night Terror (Self)
Our fears can come not only from events around us but from our own imaginations, deep in the slumber when we’re vulnerable. Ombra look to capture that terror with their debut EP, Night Terror. They wanted a continuous cycle where each song feeds off the other, from the manic stance of opener “Hysteria” to the sudden denouncement of closer “So It Goes.”
That’s at least their vision, though there’s not much connective tissue between the tunes to warrant having to consume this 22-minute EP all at once. Ombra’s thrash/heavy metal has its appeal, though their foray into a stomping haze-like state on “Blue Dream” is very intriguing. Night Terror wants the listener to live out their worst nightmares, though it’s not as scary as it seems.
Rating: 3
(Dan Marsicano)
Profeci – Troska (Godz Ov War)
Profeci, one of the notable recent acts on Poland’s black metal scene, return with their fourth studio album, Troska. Once again sung entirely in Polish, the album takes the listener on a deep and dramatic journey through humanity’s misanthropic relationship with nature, emotional wounds, existential anxiety, and the search for refuge in the silence between man and the natural world.
At first glance, Troska may present Profeci’s fragmented musical landscape in a challenging light. The songwriting moves further into post-black, atmospheric, and progressive territories, while an avant-garde edge occasionally pushes the album into less familiar territory. Yet repeated listens reveal the subtle connections beneath its seemingly decentralized structure. What initially feels fragmented gradually takes shape as a crushing existentialist meditation on humanity, nature, and our place between them. In terms of atmosphere, structural ambition, and composition, Troska draws clear inspiration from the diverse songwriting of the greats of contemporary Polish misanthropic black metal, while carving out its own place within that tradition.
Rating: 3.5
(Arash Khosronejad)
Sea Sleeper – Burden Of Antlers (Self)
Sea Sleeper have furthered a progressive agenda on their second album, Burden Of Antlers, without losing their desire for immense songwriting. Opener “Machines Of The Bombing Runs” immediately makes this apparent with a song ready to collapse in on itself from the sheer weight of the riffs. The next song, “Manifestor,” uses its eight minutes to be open-minded to melodic vocals and guitars.
The pull between different styles is all over Burden Of Antlers. All four members of Sea Sleeper contribute vocals, growling and screaming in harmony and over each other on “They’ll Miss You.” The band emerges five years after Nostophobia with a new lineup and a unique way forward.
Rating: 3.5
(Dan Marsicano)
Terra Black – Mirage (Bonebag)
After a couple of EPs, the Swedish stoner/doom metal band Terra Black emerged with their debut album in 2023. For their sophomore effort Mirage, they recorded it live, going for an organic sound that still has some imperfections.
They bring the heaviness on this collection of songs, with lengthy instrumental interludes alongside Ezgi’s ethereal vocals. They change things up on the mellow “Thorn,” with male spoken-word vocals. Tempos shift often, from the uptempo stoner vibe of “Maze” to the plodding doom of “Pareidolia” to the mid-tempo and sparse closer “In Stars.” There are some lulls in Mirage, but for the most part Terra Black keep things interesting.
Rating: 3
(Chad Bowar)
Uncle Acid And The Deadbeats – Shapes Of Midnight (Killer Candy)
On Shapes Of Midnight, Kevin Starrs and the psychedelic doom metal stylings of Uncle Acid And The Deadbeats are back to being in a freer form approach as opposed to their last release, the concept album Nell’ora Blu. The 1-2 punch of “House By The Grave” and the title track have the wonderful, haunting and drug addled vocals you have become used to and they are chock full of sweet and slow riffing. It’s the perfect start for what’s to follow.
The infectious groove of horror laced mayhem paces “Psycho On The Loose,” feeling as though you were tailing a masked murderer going about illicit activities. Uncle Acid have always done a great job of painting a crimson-laced crime scene. “I Won’t Sleep (‘til You’re Gone)” features superb drum fills and horns to add to this mad mix as riffs and solos litter the rest of this expertly crafted song. On their seventh full-length, these Cambridge crazies have not lost a step. With an eye for variety, Shapes Of Midnight is the perfect encapsulation of all things dark and heavy.
Rating: 4
(Tom Campagna)
Villagers Of Ioannina City – Venceremos (Napalm)
From the time they emerged more than 15 years ago, the Greek band Villagers Of Ioannina City have had a unique sound. It has evolved over their discography, getting heavier while still utilizing folk instruments and a progressive approach. That’s the case with their latest album Venceremos.
They are able to write songs that are both complex and catchy, with tracks like “Ghosts In The Sky” having hooks along with progressive forays. The songs are lengthy, giving plenty of time for ebbs and flows and variety. “Here And Now” is just shy of 12 minutes, unfolding slowly, but remaining compelling with memorable riffs. Tracks like the instrumental “Epitaph” aren’t essential, but for the most part Venceremos keeps the momentum going and is a rewarding listen for prog and post metal fans.
Rating: 3.5
(Chad Bowar)
Voodoo Highway – The Satan Inqviesta (Pride & Joy)
Formed in Italy back in 2010, hard rocking quintet Voodoo Highway put out three albums up to 2017, then seemingly took a bit of a break until a live album emerged last year. That’s now followed by The Satan Inqviesta, a comeback album full of dynamic, groove-laden riffs, striking vocal lines, attitude and swagger.
With rhythm and lead guitar front and center, Voodoo Highway also craft plenty of memorable vocal hooks over a solid, meaty backing, all the while weaving some great Hammond sections in there too. There’s a good variation of classic heavy rock and melodic metal throughout this collection of nine punchy tracks that have echoes of retro familiarity, but delivered with an addictive modern energy. All of which combines to make this an impressive album that’s hard to ignore.
Rating: 3.5
(Andy Barker)
