And we’re off to a typically sloth-like start to 2026, with the Record(s) o’ the Month posts already well in arrears. We have no excuses beyond institutional malaise, dysfunction, and slackwagoning. We will endeavor to be better, but there are no guarantees in life or blogging. Let’s get the ball rolling and jump into January before it becomes a distant memory, shall we?
Of the Big Three of Germanic thrash,1 Kreator had the weirdest evolution and the most consistently good output. While 2022’s Hate Über Alles was a minor letdown, these unkillable krauts roared back in a major way with Krushers of the World [out January 16th, 2026, from Nuclear Blast Records, buy it on Bandcamp!]. Taking all the things they’ve done well over the decades, Kreator spiced the brew with Gothic, traditional, and power metal elements to land on a sound that is at once olde and new. The thrash feels potent and heavy, and the Gothic vibes from Endorama work well, giving the album a dark mood. What really excels is the songwriting. Krushers is full of face-melting metal anthems with bite and force aplenty, and Millie and crew sound young and mean. I’ve loved these guys since I was a dumb teen, and Krushers reminds me exactly why while beating my ass into assdust. As I summed up in my review (in which I may have underrated the album), “The Kreator sound is still there after all these years, even if it gets gussied up with lighter moments occasionally.”
Runner(s) Up:
Hällas // Panorama [January 30th, 2026 | Äventyr Records | Bandcamp] — Sweden’s retro psychedelic prog rockers Hällas returned to the fray with Panorama, and fans of older sounds and slick musicianship took notice. If you hunger for Uriah Heap channeled through the NWoBHM, Hällas have the goods for you, and across Panorama, they unleash a torrent of old-timey, richly textured prog-rocking goodness. Slick guitar noodling bounces off keyboard excesses, and it’s all wrapped up in a rich, 70-centric production that sounds like a portal to the past. Panorama is a larger-than-life tapestry for a talented band’s ambition, and as Creeping Ivy gushed, “It’s only January, but these Swedes may have already dropped the neo-proto-metal album of 2026 (and a list-topping contender for yours truly).”2
Invictus // Nocturnal Visions [January 26th, 2026 | Me Saco Un Ojo Records | Bandcamp] — Blending various shades of old school death metal brutality with a slightly modern sheen, Invictus set out to maul you from the first notes of Nocturnal Visions until the last. They aren’t doing anything new in the classic sense, just blending genre tropes in such a way as to sound fresh and vicious. Riffs satisfy the hunger for abrasive abuse, and hellish, subterranean vocals gurgle and croak in ghastly ways. The writing is slick and delivers the good, and all is as it should be on a killer slab of death metal. A much impressed Kenstrosity was heard to exclaim, “Nocturnal Visions is, simply put, a staggering monument to old-school death molded for the modern era.” Get yourself InvictedER.
#2026 #Hällas #Invictus #Kreator #KrushersOfTheWorld #NocturnalVisions #Panorama #RecordSOTheMonth
Il #film di oggi è #invictus #linvincibile di #clinteastwood #rugby #unofilm #cinema #unocinema #filmastodon #recensioni #nelsonmandela #morganfreeman #francoispienaar #johncarlin #amailtuonemico
https://www.valeriotagliaferri.it/invictus-linvincibile-di-clint-eastwood/
iscriviti gratis al #podcast #lafogliadacanto e ascolta tutta la #recensione
In the midst of a recent metal deep-dive, Romania’s Scythe skulked out from a Bandcamp back alley and bludgeoned me with the flat side of their blade, knocking me senseless with scuzzy shenanigans. We weren’t graced with a promo for Scythe’s self-released debut, but Boiled Alive packs in so much grimy panache that after my first listen, I had it shortlisted as someThing You Might Have Missed. Rather than wait several months before bringing attention to Boiled Alive, though, I volunteered to burn some midnight oil and write about this quartet from Constanța. Why did Boiled Alive get me so hot and bothered? Scythe’s brand of death metal grips you by the throat and never relents, evoking many influences while creating something uniquely their own. After the dry spell I’ve had with death metal lately, I finally found something I unapologetically adore. So step right up, put your head on the chopping block, and let Scythe have a whack at your earhole.
Scythe doesn’t make grand statements about existentialism or introspection, nor do they redefine a genre. First and foremost, Scythe is here to serve up sickly, sticky licks with blithe recklessness. This fearsome foursome drops track titles that ooze with enough viscera (“Liquified Entrails,” “Of Pure Goriness”) to squelch onto a Cannibal Corpse setlist while harkening to soundscapes defined by Pestilence and Autopsy. Throughout Boiled Alive, the pace oscillates between frenzied paroxysms and plodding crawls, often within the same song (“Necrophilic Corpse Orgies”). Though it would be easy for these dynamics to jostle listeners, the savvy songwriting avoids clumsy transitions and affords an entrancing experience. Ultimately, Scythe guides listeners through a curated gallery of horror that’s as thrilling as it is fulfilling.
Interweaving Asphyxiating drudges with Mercilessly hectic eruptions, Scythe concocts a unique brew all their own. Boiled Alive simmers with ever-shifting tempos, imbuing the album with vivacity and a disarming blend of chops and accessibility.1 Where “Liquified Entrails” opens with a cannonade evoking an unholy union of Priest’s “Riding on the Wind” and Merciless’ “Souls of the Dead,” “Of Pure Goriness” flits between a mid-paced slink and rabid surges of hostility, and sounds like the crossbred bastard of Cannibal Corpse and Dismember. “Necrophilic Corpse Orgies” and “Tenebrous Decease” expose Scythe’s ability to nimbly jump between accelerated clips and more measured velocities, electrifying with their seamless agility as they navigate whipsawing tempo changes with a sophistication that is all the more impressive considering the band has no other projects or credits to their names.2
The musicianship on Boiled Alive is especially tight for a band formed just three years ago, and the mix highlights the band’s technical acumen. Rather than feature the glossy veneer popular with bigger labels, Boiled Alive sports a dry, natural texture that allows Scythe’s instrumentation to glisten. Reminiscent of the production on Invictus’s release last month, every whack on a tom and clang on the bass is afforded an organic timbre, imparting a raw aesthetic that lets Scythe sizzle. Whether rattling off meticulous snare rolls (“Necrophilic Corpse Orgies”), punky, snare-kick combos (“Plastered in Phlegm”), or playful cymbal splashes (“Of Pure Goriness”), David Rolea flays the skins on every track. Meanwhile, bassist and vocalist Andrei Constandache wields a gorgeously fat low-end tone3 as he assaults the mic with a menacing rasp. Not to be outdone, guitarists Mihai Panait and Andrei Oglan buzzsaw their way through Boiled Alive’s eight tracks, focusing on knotty riffs over wankfest solos. While the drums are the star of the show, Scythe suffers no weak links.
Part-thrashy, part-doomy, and all deathly, Scythe swings for the fences on Boiled Alive. And dammit, it’s Great. This beast writhes and squirms with purulent pizzazz, and I’m guilty many times over of restarting Boiled Alive as soon as the final track concludes. I wish solos were more prevalent across the album, and Constandache’s vocals, while effective, could use some variety, but these nitpicks should be taken as wishlist items for ol’ Grin rather than anything inherently off with Boiled Alive. Scythe discharges riffs and fun with an enviable effortlessness that should have death metal dealers and appreciators paying attention. In a genre with so much competition, Boiled Alive stands above the rabble, and I anxiously await the next time the Scythe comes down.
Rating: Great
DR: 5 | Format Reviewed: 320 kbps mp3
Label: Self-Released
Websites: Bandcamp | Instagram
Releases Worldwide: February 1st, 2026
New & Noteworthy: Eon Of Releases – 1/30/2026:
#NewNoteworthy #JanuaryReleases #Stabbing #Mol #Invictus
Link: https://metalinsider.net/columns/new-noteworthy-columns/new-noteworthy-eon-of-releases-1-30-2026
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