Despite essentially sticking to the same formula they’ve been employing since bringing on Jordan Rudess, Parasomnia still feels like a breath of fresh air. Maybe it's because this is their darkest, most guitar-driven album since Train of Thought. Maybe it’s the smattering of modern ideas or the way the songs manage to strike a perfect balance – structured enough to feel cohesive yet still bringing the intricate prog elements Dream Theater fans love. Maybe it’s a little of everything. Of course, Mike Portnoy’s return plays a major role, bringing his signature flair to both the drumming and songwriting. After nearly 15 years of middling releases, Parasomnia is a triumphant return to form – possibly their most creative, focused, and engaging work since Metropolis Pt. 2.

Doedsmaghird is a project of Dødheimsgard vocalist and guitarist Yusaf “Vicotnik” Parvez and Camille Giradeau respectively. And the two bands are related in more than name and members. Debut Omniverse Consciousness could believably be another Dødheimsgard record, sounding, as it does, like a natural extension of Dødheimsgard’s signature sound. Exploring further along the vividly electronic path that Black Medium Current set out, Doedsmaghird brings in—or brings back—the wildness and irreverence that Vicotnik largely set aside for that album. Did you hear Black Medium Current and think it was a bit soft, that Vicotnik had lost his edge and everything was far too ‘ordinary’? Do you just want extra Dødheimsgard? Awaken to the Omniverse Consciousness !!!

“Utopia” is the title of the new album by Silent Winter, from Volos, which will be released on November 22. A very different album from those that have been released so far.

What to expect from the songs on the album? Many and significant changes in style and sound. The most representative songs on the album are the following: “Silent Shadows”, the best of the nine tracks, a symphonic song full of rhythmic changes, with Mike Livas’ vocals taking it off. “Heart Is A Lonely Hunter”, the ballad that will move listeners and that speaks to the heart with its elaborate guitar riffs.

“Utopia”, the title track, is fast, aggressive with melodic solos and quite slow parts, “We Burn The Future” starts with this fast song, driving the listener crazy from the first note, and “Reign Of The Tyrants” with its elaborate guitar riffs that change style from pleasant to dark and back, an interesting composition that will impress.

Silent Winter with this album officially become one of the biggest Greek bands in Metal. They give the feeling that they were free to experiment and not remain trapped in Melodic Power Metal, which took them off and I believe that in the future we will see special things from them. Many congratulations to the band that with each album they manage to rise higher and higher. ... See More

Swedish death-thrash legends The Crown are back with their 12th regular studio album. With this one, they go way far back into their own past simply using their previous band name as album title. Not only that but also the cover is kind of retro on Crown Of Thorns. Where the previous album cover was colorful and some kind of epic, what you can find here is some kind of dreary, apocalyptic black-and-white painting. Might this be some anticipation towards what will come out of my stereo? Well, not at all. You can be relieved that the Swedes only changed their sound in nuances.

The songs on “Crown of Thorns” are fierce death metal anthems that combine metal, melody and an anarchic vibe. “Churchburner”, with it’s little reference to Slayer, was the lead single of the album and is a roaring song. Death metal made in Sweden, this is what “Churchburner” stands for. It’s a brutal track with some clever breaks and an infectious groove.

Equally heavy but with a bit of a different expression comes “Gone to Hell”. A throbbing bass and the lead guitar kick off a song with a punky vibe. It’s one of the moments on “Crown of Thorns” when melodies become important without compromising the heaviness of the album.

Merciless when it comes to speed is “The Agitator”. The song is a less than two minute sledgehammer that hits you right in the face. The counterpart to such a pounding tune is “The Storm That Comes”. The title refers to the approaching storm that The Crown musically depict. Starting quietly, the song slowly builds up. You can feel the storm coming as you listen to this tune, which reflects the epic nature of this album. Sticking to the basic pattern, the song still offers enough versatility and twists to make it entertaining from start to finish. It is a very solid way to end an album that also includes three bonus tracks, depending on the format.

If you’re a fan of The Crown, there’s enough here to enjoy and remind you of what you love about them. Yet, in their heavier sound, the melodicism has been sacrificed for all-out speed, while in the slower material, they’ve resorted to unnecessary bells and whistles that give Crown of Thorns a slightly artificial feel. At its best (“I Hunt with the Devil” and “Churchburner”), Crown of Thorns is straight-up fun. But highlights aside, Crown of Thorns just feels a touch tired and The Crown feels like a band searching around for new inspiration. If you’re new to The Crown, this isn’t the place to start. ... See More

Isolert from Volos Greece reach this exact point in their recording career: their pivotal third full length. At the same time, they are just a breath away from closing their first 10-year life cycle (in 2025). There are, of course, some basic characteristics and facts on their way to " Wounds of Desolation" , which we are obliged to understand and take seriously, in order to realize that at this very moment and with this very specific release, black metal history is being written !

There is a key element in the sound of this band which follows them from that first “Isolated Soul” demo of 2015 and which in “Wounds of Desolation” is the ultimate expression of maturity (identifying gradually and evolving each of their releases): Isolert with absolute awareness, they create their music in the context of a shadow, standing between two worlds. On the one hand, the fabric of the second 90's black metal wave and on the other, the modernist upsurge that dominated Europe in the 00's, opening the gap and reaching black metal as an idiom - regardless of the stylistic direction - even more at the ends. From the wonder of “De Mysteriis”, to the discordant obsessions of Deathspell Omega and the sonic drama of bands like Gaerea , Isolert following their own path craft a masterpiece.

They insist on pompous, rough riffing as a base, putting razors in the corners of the tracks. Of course, they will choose the railway formula of development in terms of their guitar themes, when they want to give space to the elegiac chant of rage set up by the vocals, demanding and taking a dominant role as in an Ancient Tragedy.

In their more hypochthonic riffing that usually coexists with more cavernous growls or a vocal approach of detached despair, Isolert put their icy face forward. They go into the process of fragmenting their own melodies and set up these glass themes - which have Manes ' blessings anyway - leading the listener even into a state of momentary anxiety. They knife the harmony just enough to turn in the very next second to a redemptive theme of pure darkness.

Let's not forget, since the conversation brings it up, that essentially Isolert with a few more courageous ones (see Human Serpent) established the above elements as a new path in the Greek black metal scene of the 10's and now they are simply evolving them.

The most mature and complete album of Isolert is a fact. The above is not only about their source of inspiration or talent. It's mainly about the diversity of the material and the way the band has set up and developed their tracks with each individual element being at the absolute right point in each composition.

All of the above will not be noticed during the first listens, because the album will take you like a storm and tear you to pieces. You as a listener have to master it, make it your property and then you will understand that we are dealing with real extreme art here.

The disc's exemplary production must be highlighted as the ultimate strong card here. Don't ruin your listening experience by listening to it on a portable device. Let it play on headphones or speakers. Give a base to the dynamics of the drums, the clarity of the guitar and the incredible volume of the material.

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