This week’s Heavy Music HQ reviews include releases from 7 Miles To Pittsburgh, Aborym, Bloodstain, Brat, Burner, Cloven Hoof, Europe, Gargant, Metalite, Noctule, The Ocean, Pure Reason Revolution, Sicksense and Stryper.
The ratings are on a 5-star scale.
7 Miles To Pittsburgh – Beyond Repair (M-Theory)
Not hailing from Pennsylvania, 7 Miles To Pittsburgh are a Dutch hard rock band with members from bands including Sleeze Beez, Elegy and Komatsu. Their third album, following up 2019’s Revolution On Hold, is Beyond Repair.
The band utilize a few different approaches. They emphasize prog on tracks like “All Men Are Created Equal,” while bluesy riffs rise to the forefront on much of “Saving Grace.” There’s a good combination of instrumental exploration and hooks, along with plenty of tempo changes to maximize variety. Vocalist Andrew Elt shines, but isn’t used to his full potential. He also fronts a Led Zeppelin tribute band, so obviously has power and range, but that’s only on display periodically on Beyond Repair.
Rating: 3
(Chad Bowar)
Aborym – Metachaos (Avantgarde)
Metachaos, the latest release from the long-running industrial black metal band Aborym is a good release that is both grim and progressive. It is very aggressive and caustic that is quite fun to listen to. It is very fast and interesting and has the necessary ingredients to be very effective and have a great impact.
There is a large variety and compelling moments to be found and this is quite noteworthy. Though not as eloquent as some of the band’s linchpins, Metachaos is still a very thoughtful and engaging release and has the right ingredients to make a huge impact on the listener. 30 plus years into their career, Aborym are still making interesting albums.
Rating: 3.5
(Adam McAuley)
Bloodstain – Bloodstain (Threeman)
The Swedish band Bloodstain formed in 2023 and quickly released an EP. For their full-length self-titled debut, there has been a lineup change and guitarist Oskar Lindroos has also taken on vocal duties. Guitars are front and center on the album, with Lindroos and Tobias Ozzy Lindstrom providing numerous solos and quality riffs.
The music straddles the line between hard rock and traditional metal, bringing heaviness and hooks. Epic opener “Annihilation Line” has atmosphere, variety and catchiness, setting a high bar. “Taint Me” has an old school thrash vibe, while “Carved Into Stone” is radio ready and “Conspiracy” amps up the heaviness without neglecting the melodies. Bloodstain pays tribute to classic bands like Metallica but the band also has a lot of modern influences, creating their own sound.
Rating: 3.5
(Chad Bowar)
Brat – Manslayer (Prosthetic)
Louisiana powerviolence provocateurs Brat‘s sophomore effort Manslayer includes 17 tracks in nearly 40 minutes, almost doubling their 2024 debut Social Grace in length. Vocalist Liz Selfish barks her way through a track about Monster maniac Aileen Wuoronos, adding fuel to this female-inspired fire. It sure doesn’t stop there as it goes directly into “Speculum Bleed” and later to “Bloody Mary,” “Femicidal Violence” and to pay back the disrespect women unfairly receive, the title track and “Spit On His Grave” more than do the trick.
“Trophy Hunting” and “Asking For Hell” see the band stagger their attack as it stops and starts which seems to let the overall assault wash over the listener in a more complete way. If you like complete chaos laced with a narrative about a serial killer, delivered with fervent trips through death metal and hardcore, Brat are hard to beat. Manslayer is a bountiful beast.
Rating: 3.5
(Tom Campagna)
Burner – No One Is Coming to Save Us (Church Road)
The image conjured by the album’s title is intensely bold and sorrowful; the product of a mind that recognizes decline and collapse as inevitable. The album cover completes that vision: honest, bitter, and cutting. And if you already know Burner, you can almost tell yourself with certainty: “Wow. This is going to hit hard and ruthlessly.” Indeed, their second studio album does exactly that.
No One Is Coming To Save Us is a furious collision of death metal and hardcore, sharpened with touches of black metal. It launches an unbridled assault, delivering its social commentary through the terrifying roar of war, destruction, and human calamity. Featuring Matthew K. Heafy (Trivium), Josh Middleton (Sylosis), and Anthony Lucero (Cult Leader), the album confronts our devastated present with a crushing work that feels considerably more mature than its predecessor in composition, arrangement, and production. Bitter in its title and brutal in its imagery, No One Is Coming To Save Us echoes System of a Down’s “Tentative”: “No one’s gonna save us now, not even God.” Burner turn that sentiment into something furious, visceral, and difficult to forget.
Rating: 4
(Arash Khosronejad)
Cloven Hoof – Never A Prophet In Your Own Land (High Roller)
2024’s Heathen Cross, the first Cloven Hoof album with vocalist Harry “The Tyrant” Conklin (Jag Panzer, Satan’s Host) was outstanding. Now their second album with Conklin and 11th overall comes along and amazingly it’s just as good, if not better. Embellished with the artwork of Dimitar Nikolov (Ancillotti, Keep It True Festival), Never A Prophet In Your Own Land strikes that sweet spot between classic NWOBHM and U.S. power metal.
Boasting powerful riffs, strong melodies and the occasional Hammond (which fits in really well) this is traditional metal in its full glory. The Tyrant undoubtedly elevates the songs with his vocal range and power and none more so than in “Conquistador” and the excellent “Prodigal Son.” The title track’s lyrics are about Jesus Christ not being accepted in his own land – it’s an anthemic song that will surely go down well in live scenarios. Never A Prophet In Your Own Land is not a perfect album, but it gets damn close.
Rating: 4.5
(Chris Galea)
Europe – Come This Madness (Silver Lining)
Swedish rockers Europe got their start in the late ’70s, with their third album The Final Countdown vaulting them to worldwide fame behind the title track. The band’s current lineup is the same one as that album (Joey Tempest, John Norum, John Leven, Mic Michaeli and Ian Haugland). It has been 9 years since their last studio album, with Come This Madness a rousing return.
Tempest mostly sticks to his lower register, but sings very expressively and does bring out the higher notes from time to time. Orchestrations add atmosphere and depth to several songs, like “Scandanavian Eyes” and “This Time Of Year.” There are also straightforward rockers like “Takin’ It Back.” The band also recruited Tobias Forge (Ghost) and Mikael Akerfeldt (Opeth) to sing backing vocals. Europe’s songwriting is on point with Come This Madness, a collection of dynamic and catchy songs that shows they still have a lot to offer.
Rating: 3.5
(Chad Bowar)
Gargant – Dead Night Defiance (Fireflash)
Brazilian heavy/power metal band Gargant’s impressive independently released debut Dead Night Defiance gets a fully deserved international release from Fireflash a year after it made waves last year. The band were formed by already established members of the Brazilian metal scene, giving Gargant an immediate professionalism, as well as helping the band to hit the ground running.
There’s a simmering darkness to this album, that seems to lend even more impact and ferocity to a record already brimming with energy and power. The dynamic gravel-coated voice of Guilherme Sevens makes sure the vocal hooks carry enough weight to compete with the heaviness of the intelligently arranged music, which is no mean feat. If you like your power metal with a good dose of dark brooding intensity, alongside energetic speed and impactful melodies, be sure to check out Dead Night Defiance.
Rating: 3.5
(Andy Barker)
Godflesh – Decay (Relapse)
Guitarist Justin Broadrick and bassist Ben Green of long running industrial metal outfit Godflesh are set to call it quits on their final album Decay. The songs were created during the same sessions that birthed its 2023 predecessor Purge as the large pool of songs had more life to live.
Opening with the otherworldly “Master And Slave,” listeners are slowly dragged through the pained archetype of aural anguish for over 8 minutes before being met by “Living/Ending.” As it begins there are industrial highs and the trip hop beats Godflesh have delivered over their nearly 40-year career, never skimping on the sledgehammer to the face level of heaviness. The heftiness continues to roll along through “Feral Colony,” “Fear of Man” and “Fodder” as the overt slow and titanic approach knows no bounds for a master of this craft. In unison with its fellow bookend “Consume Me” makes up a large portion of the end of the album in its own ambient way, slowly drawing this album and discography to a close. Decay is a proper end to Godflesh’s primitive punishment.
Rating: 4
(Tom Campagna)
Metalite – Discovery (Perception)
Swedish metal band Metalite emphatically nailed down their sound with their second album Biomechanicals in 2019, their first to feature vocalist Erica Ohlssen. They’ve since been developing their own brand of modern, futuristic-themed melodic power metal to arrive at album number five, Discovery.
Since Biomechanicals, the band have been gradually courting more commerciality in their songs. Metalite are always in a hurry to get to a catchy chorus and this doesn’t change on Discovery, but this time around there’s more energy and a notable return to a heaviness and power, that give the synths and samples more impact when driven forward by powerful rhythms and heavy guitar. Maybe this is partly due to the recording debut of new drummer Erik Juntila, but whatever the cause, with Ohlssen in fine form and the other members flourishing, Discovery might be the band’s strongest album to date.
Rating: 3.5
(Andy Barker)
Noctule – Extinguish Thy Flame (Self)
During the Covid lockdown, Serena Cherry (Svalbard) wrote and recorded the solo album Wretched Abyss under the name Noctule. It was inspired by and about the RPG video game The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim. For her second album Extinguish Thy Flame, Cherry pays homage to the game Elden Ring.
She says it’s not just her favorite game, it also saved her life and helped her overcome the darkest challenges of mental illness. The album blends black and melodic death metal with songs about different bosses in Elden Ring. Tracks like “Grafted” and “Lord Of Blood” are epic and atmospheric, while songs like “Become My Blade Once More” and “Age Of The Stars” are both grandiose and extreme. Cherry’s potent harsh vocals contrast the melodic moments. Video games have inspired a lot of albums, but not in the way Extinguish Thy Flame did, giving it even more emotional heft and impact.
Rating: 3.5
(Chad Bowar)
The Ocean – Solaris (Pelagic)
The Ocean’s Solaris has grandeur and experimentation, all while channeling the intensity of their older work. Despite lineup changes, the band pushes post-metal into fresh territory — ambitious, sprawling, and surprisingly cohesive as a space opera that avoids cringe.
The narrative of crisis and exploration comes full circle, with heavy moments used sparingly to raise stakes, though the closing tracks — two near-electronic pieces — feel like redundant interpretations of one idea, ending the album on a confusing rather than satisfying note. Still, Solaris showcases immense talent and a refusal to stick to formula. It’s a return to form and an innovation at once, mixing the familiar with the new. If you’re up for a journey that doesn’t follow a straight line, this vast, surprising record is waiting.
Rating: 4
(Carlos Tirado)
Pure Reason Revolution – Terrifying Angels (InsideOut)
British prog rockers Pure Reason Revolution have been prolific since reuniting about seven years ago. Terrifying Angels is their seventh album overall, and second with the current lineup.
The album is heavier than 2024’s Coming Up To Consciousness, evident on songs like “Haywire Heartm,” but there are ample introspective and mellow moments as well. Annicke Shireen and Jon Courtney share singing duties throughout, with harmonies adding the secret sauce. PRR are equally adept at focused compositions like “Below Radiance” and lengthy numbers like the title track and closer “Hold Your Wrath.” Holding attention during the entirety of such long songs is a challenge, but one Pure Reason Revolution are up for it on Terrifying Angels.
Rating: 3.5
(Chad Bowar)
Sicksense – Funerals (Self)
Sicksense have been among a series of acts riding the wave of nu-metal’s recent resurgence. They’ve also established a sizeable work ethic, now issuing three EPs and a full-length album since 2022. The Funerals EP features four new tracks showcasing their heavier take on a much-maligned yet popular sound. The band is spearheaded by husband and wife team Vicky Psarakis (formerly of Canadian melodic death act The Agonist) and Robby J. Fonts of rap/metallers Stuck Mojo.
The duo understandably possesses a potent chemistry as they interchange vocals; rapping, screaming, clean singing and growling with intensity. That said, the entire group sounds a little more comfortable in their own skin and the mash-up of styles this time around, with metalcore and djent touches throughout the hooky “Artificial Irrelevance” and groovy “Newsflash.” Also, “A Moment Of Violence” adds another intriguing direction, a moody affair showcasing Psarakis’ considerable vocal prowess alongside haunting piano and orchestral strings. Funerals‘ genre-bending approach won’t be to everyone’s taste, but Sicksense sound more assured than ever here.
Rating: 3.5
(Brendan Crabb)
Stryper – Throne Of Thorns (Frontiers)
I grew up listening to Stryper as a teenager, and my first time seeing them live was on their God Damn Evil tour, an experience that’s stuck with me ever since. So, when I say their eighteenth studio album Throne Of Thorns feels like an event, it’s personal. Since the early ’80s, Stryper’s yellow-and-black image and faith-driven metal carved out a lane nobody else occupied, culminating in 1986’s To Hell With The Devil, the first Christian metal album to go platinum. That legacy came full circle in 2024 when For King & Country and Lecrae reimagined the title track as “To Hell with the Devil (RISE),” with Lecrae dropping a sharp verse and Michael Sweet re-recording his own solo, a genuine passing of the torch.
Throne Of Thorns builds on that momentum. The album opens with the pounding, defiant title track before easing into the melodic “Here in Your Heart” and the driving “Falling.” Michael Sweet’s voice remains commanding throughout, moving between piercing highs on cuts like “I’m Alright (I’m Okay)” and “Waiting For You” and something more grounded and reflective on “Carry The Flame.” Midway through, “Hollywood” injects some swagger, while “Beautifully Broken” and “Ashes To Roses” lean into real vulnerability before working their way toward hope. The back half closes strong. Having followed Stryper since my teens, I can say this record stands proudly among their best.
Rating: 4
(Jeanetta Briski)
