Der Weg Einer Freiheit – Innern [Things You Might Have Missed 2025]

By Thus Spoke

My experience with Der Weg Einer Freiheit differs quite substantially from our resident Eldritch reviewer. Perhaps because my first taste was 2017’s Finisterre, I never saw it, nor later Noktvrn (2021) as disappointing steps down from previous Stellar heights. In my eyes, the path that Der Weg Einer Freiheit followed in the last decade is not only a natural extension of their introspective, emotionally-charged black metal, but it has also enabled them to expand and enhance this consistently potent core to new levels. Whilst sliding into post-metal, and opening themselves to the admittedly unrefined use of gaze, the group nonetheless fold them into the speed and fury of their heavier side, ramping up the climaxes, and making Noktvrn a staggeringly impactful work whose official score here I can only respectfully disagree with. It was largely due to my love for that record that I was so excited at the approach of Innern earlier this year.1 Little did I know that it would fall to me, come list season, to give Der Weg Einer Freiheit their due.

Innern takes the fragments of Der Weg Einer Freiheit’s personality and combines them in a way that demonstrates their evolution across the board. Their flair for continual escalation, with a darkly humming atmosphere, urgent guitar lines, and a cascading torrent of percussion, has only improved. It gives first track, “Marter,” a strange yet inexorable ability to make me feel excited for an album I’m already listening to, and this tug deep in my core will resurface repeatedly as “Xilbaba,” “Eos,” and “Fragment” rush upwards toward, or collapse downwards into their own devastating climaxes. The group’s recent experimentation with softer textures is manifest in yet more layers that make the intense sound more intense (“Marter,” “Eos”) and the introspective more introspective (“Fragment,” “Forlorn”), pulling its listener in deep either way. Innern does mean ‘inside’, after all.

The music has—somehow—more presence than ever. Guitars sound downright cinematic in their grandiose, sweeping paths or resonant chimes, but whether surging or sighing, you listen. It doesn’t hurt that they carry some of the most gorgeous melodies of Der Weg Einer Freiheit’s career (“Xilbaba,” “Eos”). The final act, signified by the return of piano in late instrumental “Finisterre III” and the closing, English-sung “Forlorn,” does not weaken Innern’s resolve nor its magnetism. With decisive chords and dreamily sad scales as carefully placed for reflection as those that began the album in “Marter” were for anticipation. And the shoegaze is no longer shoehorned and segregated; unlike Noktvrn’s maligned “Haven,” “Forlorn” has bite, and it rises as it should out of the conflicting emotions of apathy and longing that final track expresses. Once again, Tobias Schuler’s drumming propels violent, beautiful storms from calm to fury and back with a graceful savagery that could send death metal percussionists packing. Innern’s use of tempos to construct an ebb and flow that rushes and crashes around the listener, and allows space for a forlorn tremolo to ring in the air, and Nikita Kamprad’s scream to hold, is little short of magnificent.

So monumental in aura is Innern, and yet, so easy to listen to. Not even 45 minutes long, and dripping with feeling, suffused with captivating melodies and compelling rhythms, the silence at its close comes with a jolt as the portal suddenly closes. Needless to say, I’ve been hitting it on repeat for a while now. The sterner side of me would acknowledge the album’s quiet(er) death—from “Finisterre III” onwards—may irk some, but as I indicated earlier, not only does the seamless and natural exhale of “Finisterre III”-“Forlorn” flow perfectly, there’s a decisiveness and a finality to this closing act that I’ve come to appreciate more and more.

If somehow you’re reading this and either a) like Der Weg Einer Freiheit but haven’t got to Innern yet; or b) have never listened to them before, but like the sound of anything above. Stop what you’re doing immediately, please, and give Innern a spin. This might be the best Der Weg Einer Freiheit ever sounded.

Tracks to Check Out: “Marter,” “Xilbaba,” “Eos,” “Forlorn”

#2025 #atmosphericBlackMetal #blackMetal #derWegEinerFreiheit #germanMetal #innern #postMetal #seasonOfMist #thingsYouMightHaveMissed2025

For #GrindayFriday this week, how about an older grind classic. CYNESS are from Potsdam, Germany, have been around since 2000, only have 2 LPs, and this is their most recent one, 'Our Funeral Oration for the Human Race' from 2006. Wow, next year is its 20 year anniversary. They've done two splits since, the last in 2016. Will we get a new Cyness album in 2026? Probably not, but we can always hope. 😂💥

https://cyness.bandcamp.com/album/our-funeral-oration-for-the-human-race

#grind #deathgrind #Germany #Potsdam #GermanMetal #GermanGrind #grindcore #metal #ClassicGrind @vanessawynn @HailsandAles @brian @guffo @rtw @c0m4

Waldgeflüster – Knochengesänge I and Knochengesänge II Review

By Killjoy

Waldgeflüster has been around for a while. Based in Bavaria, Germany and led by Winterherz, they’ve been weaving nature-themed atmospheric black metal since 2009. Waldgeflüster has passed through the hands of several atmoblack aficionados before me. El Cuervo enjoyed the Panopticon/Waldgeflüster split in 2016 but was less impressed by Ruinen later that year. Doom_et_Al found 2021’s Dahoam to be disappointing and unmemorable. Waldgeflüster used the four years since then to create double albums Knochengesänge I and Knochengesänge II. I is a more traditional atmoblack record, while II is a reconstruction of the same melodies from the standpoint of various non-metal musical genres. An intriguing idea, to be sure. Is Knochengesänge so nice you’ll want to listen to it twice?

That may not be entirely accurate because, despite being born from the same place, Knochengesänge I and II grew into very different beasts. I will sound much more familiar to those who know Waldgeflüster’s prior work. It shares a deep kinship with the folksy trem-picking of Panopticon, not to mention that both groups put out double albums this year. Austin and Bekah Lunn even directly contributed their musical and photographic talents to Knochengesänge. II is a patchwork of different musical styles. It ranges from acoustic folk (“Das Klagelied der Krähen”) to overcast post-rock (“Frankfurt, 19. März,” “The Little King and His Architect”) to semi-upbeat alt-rock (“A Crusade in the Dark”). Both records conclude with different renditions of the traditional Scottish song “The Parting Glass.”

Knochengesänge I sees Waldgeflüster attempting to escape the shadow of similar, more influential atmospheric black metal groups. It’s telling that, despite the band’s longevity, no AMG writer to date has ever tagged Waldgeflüster in another band’s review as a reference point. Indeed, much of I passes uneventfully in a Harakiri for the Sky haze, but I tend to like it best when Waldgeflüster adds their own folksy flavor. The melodies of “Der kleinste König und sein Architekt” are especially crisp, and the song really comes into its own at the end when it transitions to a warm folk section with hearty clean singing and subtle violin strings. Charlie Anderson’s violin appears frequently, adding a great deal of poignancy. “Knochengesang” and “Bamberg, 20. Juni” are other notable examples of Waldgeflüster using strings to elevate their sound.

Since this is a double album, you already know what the primary flaw of Knochengesänge is—bloat. However, the problem runs deeper than mere minute count. Even if each track were halved in length, many would still have an uphill battle maintaining my attention. This is the case with both parts but particularly true of II, most of which seemed to drag on for an eternity. The greatest exception is “Singing of Bones” almost at the very end of II, a pleasant folk number with acoustic guitar and violin working in tandem. Even though II is all over the place stylistically, most of it isn’t so wildly different from I that it couldn’t have conceivably been integrated. I even tried reordering the tracks into each album’s corresponding pairs and found that many covered each other’s weaknesses decently well (again, except for bloat), which supports my suspicion that these two mediocre albums could have been distilled into one really good album.

Knochengesänge began with an interesting double album premise that, sadly, yielded little of note during its 109-minute combined runtime. I and II may be highly symmetrical but they are only mildly codependent. I can’t recommend listening to them back to back and, in fact, II can be safely disregarded by most listeners. Fans of the Panopticon aesthetic should find enough to enjoy in I, but it may fall a bit flat for everyone else, especially given that newcomers like Autrest are offering a much more potent take on this type of atmoblack. A frustrating refusal to self-edit is what holds both records back the most; nearly every track is 8 minutes or longer, and few fully justify their length. I respect Waldgeflüster’s desire to explore new musical avenues and I’ll keep an eye on them in the future, but I don’t expect to return much to Knochengesänge.

Rating: I: 2.5/5.0 | II: 2.0/5.0
DR: 7 | Format Reviewed: 320 kbps mp3
Label: AOP Records
Websites: blackmetalwaldgefluester.bandcamp.com | waldgefluester.com | facebook.com/blackmetalwaldgefluester
Releases Worldwide: November 7th, 2025

#20 #25 #2025 #AOPRecords #AtmosphericBlackMetal #Autrest #FolkMetal #GermanMetal #HarakiriForTheSky #KnochengesängeI #KnochengesängeII #NotMetal #Nov25 #Panopticon #Review #Reviews #Waldgeflüster

#ElliBerlin Tour

https://www.elliberlin.com/

#MetalheadConcerts #GermanMetal

I understand that this week's #TuneTuesday is #RipAndTear, and so I present to you this ripping, tearing single 'Hammer, Knife, Spade' by Reutlingen, Germany's CASKET. They have a new LP coming out in January. Can't speak for the rest of the record yet, but FUCK, this song certainly rips and tears.

https://casketdeath.bandcamp.com/track/hammer-knife-spade

#NowPlaying #metal #DeathMetal #Germany #GermanMetal #GermanBands #Reutlingen #2026Albums #2026Records @brian @HailsandAles @swampgas @rtw @guffo @c0m4 @flockofnazguls

Stillbirth – Survival Protocol

By Samguineous Maximus

I take a seat in a cramped, rusted chair. Across from me sits a gorilla in some sort of crown and a man whose face could only be described as Abbathian. It’s time for my first performance review at AMG Headquarters, and things aren’t looking great. “Atmospheric nü metal/free jazz? German dance music? What are we, discount Pitchfork?” Druhm bellows between frustrated simian grunts. I turn towards the head honcho for mercy, but instead, he fixes me with an eldritch stare. The words don’t pass his lips—they appear directly in my skull like a psychic command: “Brutal death metal.” He hands me a grime-encrusted CD which reeks of beer and seaweed. German brutal death metal veterans Stillbirth are responsible for this fetid package, which lies before me. It’s Survival Protocol, their ninth full-length. The attached blurb promises “a dystopian landscape” that’s “equal parts destruction and party.” The last time this group of fun-loving krauts appeared here with 2020’s Revive The Throne, it was deemed competent, but nothing impressive. Does Survival Protocol break this cycle? Or are we once again strapping in for forty minutes of well-crafted bludgeoning destined to dissolve into the great gory morass of brutal death mediocrity?

The sound present on Survival Protocol is a particularly modern and clean take on the subgenre, which bridges the gap between brutal death, slam, and deathcore. Stillbirth employ chugtastic beatdown riffs and dexterous chromatic tremolo runs atop ever-present double bass gallops in a way that we’ve come to expect from this style. On this record, however, the band showcases some more melodic and prog-leaning moments alongside impressive technicality in a way that reminds me of countrymates Cytotoxin. The best songs weave between stankface-inducing over-the-top slam breakdowns and surprisingly tasteful guitar harmonies (“Baptized in Blood,” “Sacrificial Slaughter”). There’s just something magical about the juxtaposition of impressive death metal licks and stupidly gauche “BREEE”1 frog noises. The band showcases a sly songwriting wit that, when deployed correctly, brings a grin to my jaded face. Unfortunately, not every slab of meat on this cornucopia of carnage has festered appropriately.

The biggest issue with Survival Protocol is that large sections fall into a kind of monotonous death metal “grey zone,” where everything is maximally heavy, so none of it feels particularly impactful. I appreciate Stillbirth’s take on the classic “Liege of Inveracity” riff when it surfaces for premium ape-brained satisfaction (“Existence Erased,” “Cult of the Green”), but you can only hear so many slam riffs into tech-adjacent fast riffs into more slam riffs before things start to dull a bit. To the band’s credit, guitarists Leonard Willi and Szymon Skiba are clear devotees of the ancient texts, and their riffcraft is consistently enjoyable. They demonstrate both instrumental mastery and a playful energy that’s just fun to bask in. This shines most on the closer, “Kill to Rule,” which is built around a repeating chord progression and gives both players room to show off with dueling leads. Unfortunately, standout moments like this aren’t consistent, and even after repeated listens, I find myself struggling to remember which parts belong to which songs.

That’s not for lack of effort, though. Stillbirth inject bits and pieces of other musical styles here and there to keep things fresh and the pit moving. “Trapped in Darkness” opens with a fun electronic interlude before diving into classic brutal death riffing, while album highlight “Baptized in Blood” begins with a playful, salsa-inspired acoustic section that reappears during the bridge to introduce a tasty solo and melodic outro. Moments like these add welcome levity and variety to the tracklist, while also showcasing the band’s solid grasp of their death metal fundamentals. Stillbirth clearly know their way around a Suffocation riff (or twenty), and their delivery of the brutal death formula on Survival Protocol is at least entertaining. It checks all the expected boxes, but it checks them well enough that the full album remains an enjoyable listen.

With Survival Protocol, Stillbirth once again deliver a competent, meaty slab of brutal death/slam that gets the job done without breaking a sweat or a boundary. The riffs are chunky, the grooves are mean, and the band’s veteran polish is unmistakable. This is an album that bludgeons efficiently but rarely leaves a lasting dent. There’s no question these guys know their craft. Several tracks here hit hard and hit right, but Survival Protocol ultimately feels like a victory lap rather than a challenge. It’s a fun listen while it’s on, and it’ll get a pit moving without issue, but once the dust settles, there’s not much urging me to spin it again.

Rating: 2.5/3.0
DR: 5 | Format Reviewed: 320 kb/s mp3
Label: Reigning Phoenix Music
Website: facebook.com/StillbirthParty
Releases Worldwide: October 31st, 2025

#25 #2025 #BrutalDeathMetal #Cytotoxin #DeathMetal #Deathcore #GermanMetal #Oct25 #ReigningPhoenixMusic #Review #Reviews #Slam #Stillbirth #Suffocation #SurvivalProtocol

Thron – Vurias Review

By Grin Reaper

For the uninitiated, German quintet Thron peddles black metal in the vein of Dissection and Naglfar. They’ve had a sporadic history with AMG, where their self-titled debut and third outing Pilgrim earned very good marks, while sophomore album Abysmal never made it to the promo sump. In 2023, fourth record Dust put Thron on my radar with their seemingly effortless skill to fuse hooky leads and traditional black metal with snatches of black ‘n’ roll. After two-and-a-half years, Thron returns with Vurias, their fifth platter in a decade. In his review of Pilgrim, Eldritch Elitist noted that Thron continues to get better with each release. I agree that Dust improved on Pilgrim, but does the trend hold true for Vurias, and if so, is it enough to crack the barrier into greatness?

While black metal comprises the bedrock of Thron’s core sound, it never burdens them with tired genre tropes. Since their 2017 debut, Thron has artfully constructed slow-burn builds into ferocious second-wave hostility, bestowing their albums with a distilled dynamism uncommon in a genre largely known for direct, unencumbered aesthetics. The sophisticated approach to songwriting creates music bursting with lush layers and ample replayability. Thron imbues their melodies with a plaintive ache that touches the coldest and deadest of hearts, and their prowess in evoking open, desolate atmospheres and interweaving them with blast beats and trem picking collides like Wayfarer and Necrophobic. Vurias picks up where Dust left off, taking elements that distinguished Thron and advancing them with an even bolder vision.

Though still unmistakably Thron, Vurias incorporates new components for an even broader sonic footprint. The most noticeable enhancements are the expanded synth presence, courtesy of guitarist PVIII, and the addition of saxophone.1 Drummer and presumed cephalopod J (from Aard, Malphas, and Ghörnt, among others) pummels the skins with menacing single-mindedness (“A Paradox”) and exacting fills (“One Truth, One Light”), while also supplying texture with deft cymbal work (“Griefbearer”). PVIII’s and Ravendust’s guitars emote tones dulcet and cruel, painting profound soundscapes with dramatic depth. And though the axe-work is intricate, it’s rarely showy, making the solo from “Hubris’ Crown” a ripping good moment. Meanwhile, SXIII’s rumbling bass slinks near the bottom of the mix, unobtrusive yet complimenting the rest of the band (“The Metamorph’s Curse”). Through it all, Samca rasps with grating clarity, driving songs forward and commanding attention despite the whirling maelstrom of instrumental might. Thron excels at establishing an identity for each of Vurias’s tracks. From the Opethian retro synth in “Ungemach (Stilles Ende)” to the sultry sax swagger in “The Hunter and the Prey,” every song is punctuated with standout moments.

Vurias is a calculated slab of meloblack that thwarts the criticisms of albums past. Every instrument gleams with vibrance thanks to the balanced production and mix, which afford the requisite space for each part without drowning the others out. Besides Thron’s debut, this is their shortest album, clocking in at forty-seven minutes with nary a moment of bloat. I’ve listened through Vurias many times seeking gripes and derailers, and each time I come away compelled to appreciate it even more—to love it, even. The only thing holding Vurias back is that a couple of songs don’t reach the same exquisite heights as others. Rest assured, this is a minor quibble, as there are no bad or unessential songs. In fact, Thron has assembled a record that is more than the sum of its parts, boasting a streamlined cohesion that falls apart if the tracks are reordered or a select track is removed.2

It should come as no surprise to fans that Thron has written their best album yet, as every new record they release ascends to the top. Vurias, by the way, translates from Latin to English as ‘You Are Beautiful.’ The rationale behind the name is a mystery to me, but the album seethes with an inevitable beauty that transcends genre labels and deserves a spin from any fan of extreme metal. I’m dozens of listens in and continue to discover aspects I previously overlooked. That’s alright, though, because it reinforces the addictiveness that makes Vurias so accessible in the first place. In fact, I think I’ll spin it again.

Rating: Great!
DR: 6 | Format Reviewed: 320 kbps mp3
Label: Listenable Records
Websites: Bandcamp | Facebook
Releases Worldwide: October 31st, 2025

#2025 #40 #Aard #BlackMetal #Dissection #GermanMetal #Ghornt #ListenableRecords #Malphas #MelodicBlackMetal #Naglfar #Necrophobic #Oct25 #Opeth #Review #Reviews #Thron #Vurias #Wayfarer

Stuck in the Filter: August 2025’s Angry Misses

By Kenstrosity

The heat persists, but now the humidity comes in full force as storm systems wreak havoc upon the coasts. I hide in my cramped closet of an office, lest I be washed out once again by an unsuspecting deluge. However, I still send my minions out into the facility, bound by duty to search for those metallic scraps on which we feast.

Fortuitously, most all of those imps I sent out came back alive, and with wares! BEHOLD!

Kenstrosity’s Galactic Gremlin

Silent Millenia // Celestial Twilight: Beyond the Crimson Veil [August 26th, 2025 – Self-Release]

Have you ever seen such a delightfully cheesy cover? Probably, but it’s been a while for me. I bought Celestial Twilight: Beyond the Crimson Veil, the second raw symphonic black metal opus from Finnish one-man act Silent Millenia, on the strength of the artwork alone. Little did I know that what lay beyond this crimson veil was some of the most fun melodic black metal this side of Moonlight Sorcery. The same low-fi roughness that personifies Old Nick’s work grounds Silent Millenia’s starbound songwriting as it traverses the universe with an energetic punch reminiscent of Emperor or Stormkeep (“Awaken the Celestial Spell,” “Daemonic Mastery”). To help differentiate Silent Millenia’s sound from that of their peers, a gothic atmosphere ensorcells much of this material to great effect, merging eerie Victorian melodies with galactic adventurism in an unlikely pair (“Enthrone the Spectral”). Swirling synths and sparkling twinkles abound as well, creating blissful moments of interest as frosty tremolos and piercing blasts take full advantage of the false sense of security those entrancing clouds of synthetic instrumentation create (“Benighted Path to Darkness Mysterium,” “Reign in Cosmic Majesty”). Simply put, Celestial Twilight is an unexpected gem of a symphonic black metal record, bursting with killer ideas and infinite levels of raw, unabashed fun. You should hear it!

Kronos’ Unexpected Unearthments

Street Sects // Dry Drunk [August 15th, 2025 – Self Release]

Dry Drunk sticks to your inner surfaces, draining down like cigarette tar along paralyzed cilia to pool in your lungs until the cells themselves foment rebellion. Once it’s in you, you feel paranoid, wretched, and alone. So it’s the proper follow-up to Street Sects’ visionary debut, End Position. Like that record, Dry Drunk plumbs the most mundane and unsavory gutters of America for a cast of protagonists that it dwells in or dispatches with a mixture of pity and disgust, with vocalist Leo Ashline narrating their violent crimes and self-hatred in a mixture of croons, shrieks, and snarls that cook the air before the speakers into the scent of booze and rotten teeth. And like that record, Shaun Ringsmuth (Glassing) dresses the sets with a fractal litter of snaps, squeals, crashes, gunshots, and grinding electronics, caked in tar and collapsing just as soon as it is swept into a structure. And like End Position, Dry Drunk is a masterpiece. The impeccable six-song stretch from “Love Makes You Fat” through “Riding the Clock” ties you to the bumper and drags you along some of the duo’s most creative side-roads, through the simmering, straightjacketed sludge of “Baker Act” to the chopped-up, smirking electronica of “Eject Button.” Swerving between addled, unintelligible agony and unforgettable anthems, Dry Drunk, like End Position before it is nothing less than the life of a junkie scraped together, heated on a spoon, and injected into your head. Once you’ve taken a hit, you will never be quite the same.

Thus Spoke’s Frightening Fragments

Defacement // Doomed [August 22nd, 2025 – Self Release]

There’s music for every vibe.1 The one Defacement fits is an exclusively extreme metal flavor of moody that is only appreciable by genre fans, made tangibly more eerie by their persistent idiosyncratic use of dark ambient interludes amidst the viciously distorted blackened death. Audiences—and reviewers—tend to disparage these electronic segments, but I’ve always felt their crackling presence increases the analog horror of it all, and rather than being a breather from the intensity, they prolong the nausea, the sense of emptiness, and the abject fearfulness of head-based trauma. This latter concept grows more metaphorical still on Doomed, where the violence is inside the mind, purpose-erasing, and emotionally-detaching. The ambience might be the most sadly beautiful so far (“Mournful,” and “Clouded” especially), and the transitions into nightmarish heaviness arguably the most fluid. And the metal is undoubtedly the most ambitious, dynamic, and magnificent of Defacement’s career, combining their most gruesome dissonance (“Portrait”) with their most bizarrely exuberant guitar melodies (“Unexplainable,” “Unrecognised”). Solos drip tangibly with (emotional) resonance (“Unexplainable,” “Absent”) and there’s not a breath or a moment of wasted space. Yes, the band’s heavier side can suffer from a nagging sense of homogeneous mass, but it remains transporting. While I can appreciate why others do not appreciate Defacement, this is the first of their outings I can truthfully say mesmerised me on first listen.

ClarkKent’s Heated Hymns

Phantom Fire // Phantom Fire [August 8th, 2025 – Edged Circle Productions]

While I waded through the murky depths of the August promo sump, Steel implored me to take the eponymous third album from Phantom Fire. “The AMG commentariat love blackened heavy metal,” he said. I disregarded his advice at my peril, and while I ended up enjoying what I grabbed, it turns out this would have been solid too. Featuring members from Enslaved, Kraków. Hellbutcher, and Aeternus, Phantom Fire play old school speed metal that harks back to the likes of Motörhead and Iron Maiden’s Killers. Thanks to healthy doses of bass and production values that allow the instruments to shine, each song is infused with energetic grooves. The music sounds fresh, crisp, and clear, from the booming drums to Eld’s “blackened” snarls. Early tracks “Eternal Void” and “All For None” show off the catchy blend of simple guitar riffs and a hoppin’ bass accompanied by energetic kit work. While placing a somewhat lengthy instrumental track in the middle of a record usually slows it down, “Fatal Attraction” turns out to be a highlight. It tells a tragic love story involving a motorcycle with nothing but instruments, an engine revving, and some police sirens. The second half of Phantom Fire gets a bit on the weirder side, turning to some stoner and psychedelia. There’s a push and pull between the stoner and Motörhead speed stuff on songs like “Malphas” and “Submersible Pt. 2,” and this blend actually works pretty well. It turns out that they aren’t phantom after all—these guys are truly fire.

Burning Witches // Inquisition [August 22nd, 2025 – Napalm Records]

With six albums in eight years, Swiss quintet Burning Witches has really been burning rubber. While such prolific output in such a short time frame generally spells trouble, Inquisition is a solid piece of heavy/power metal. Burning Witches dabbles in a mix of speedy power metal and mid-tempo heavy metal, often sounding like ’80s stalwarts Judas Priest and Def Leppard. With Laura Guldemond’s gruff voice, they produce a more weighty, less happy version of power metal than the likes of Fellowship or Frozen Crown. While the songs stick to formulaic structures, tempo shifts from song to song help keep things from growing stale. We see this variety right from the get-go, where “Soul Eater” takes a high-energy approach before moving into the more mellow “Shame.” There’s even a pretty solid ballad, “Release Me,” that grounds the back half of the record. Songs of the sort that Burning Witches write need catchy choruses, and fortunately, they deliver. “High Priestess of the Night” is a particular standout, delivering a knock-out punch in its delivery. It helps that the instrumental parts are well-executed, from crunchy riffs to subdued solos to booming blast beats. Anyone looking for a solid bit of power metal that’s not too heavy on the cheese will find this worth a listen.

Deathhammer // Crimson Dawn [August 29th, 2025 – Hells Headbangers Records]

Celebrating 20 years of blackened speed, Deathhammer drop LP number six with the kind of energy that exhausted parents dread to see in their children at bedtime. This is my first foray with the band, and I am in awe of the relentless level of manic energy they keep throughout Crimson Dawn’s 39 minutes. If science could learn how to harness their energy, we’d have an endless source of renewables. The two-piece out of Norway channels classic Slayer on crack and even has moments reminiscent of Painkiller-era Judas Priest. They play non-stop thrash cranked to 11, with persistent blast beats and some dual guitar parts that leave your head spinning from the rapid-fire directions the riffs fire off in. The heart of the mania is singer Sergeant Salsten. His crazed vocals are amazing—snarling, shouting, and shrieking in a way that took me back to the manic pitch Judge Doom could reach in Who Framed Roger Rabbit? He sings so fast that on the chorus of “Crimson Dawn,” it sounds like he says “Griffindor,” which had me searching confusedly for the Harry Potter tag. This was probably my favorite song, not just because of the Griffindor thing, but because that chorus is so catchy. Either way, it’s tough to pick a standout track because they all grip you by the throat and don’t let go. Crimson Dawn is a ton of fun and a must listen if you like your music fast.

Grin Reaper’s Bountiful Blight

Kallias // Digital Plague [August 14th, 2025 – Self Release]

Machine gun drumming, spacey synths, Morbid Angel-meets-Meshuggah riffing, Turian-esque barking and Voyager-reminiscent vocal melodies…what the fuck is going on here? The only thing more surprising than someone having the moxie to blend all these things together is how well they work in concert. Kallias doesn’t hold back on sophomore album Digital Plague, and the result is a rocket-fueled blast through forty-four minutes of eclectic, addictive prog. The mishmash of styles keeps the album fresh and unpredictable while never dipping its toes in inconsistent waters, and staccato rhythms propel listeners through eight tracks without losing steam. As with any prog metal worth its salt, Kallias brandishes technical prowess, and their cohesion belies the relatively short time they’ve been putting out music.2 The mix is well-suited to spotlight whoever needs it at a given time, whether the bass is purring (“Exogíini Kyriarchía”), the drums are being annihilated (“Pyrrhic Victory”), or a guitar solo nears Pettrucian wankery (“Phenomenal in Theory”). The end result is three-quarters of an hour filled with myriad influences that fuse into a sound all Kallias’s own, and it’s one I’ve returned to several times since discovering (also, credit to MontDoom for his stunning artwork, which helped initially draw my attention). Check it out—you’ll be sick if you avoid this one like the Plague.

Luke’s Kaleidoscopic Kicks

Giant Haze // Cosmic Mother [August 22nd, 2025 – Tonzonen Records]

Whereas many of my colleagues are bracing themselves for cooler conditions and harsh winters to come, in my neck of the woods, things are warming up. While my own wintry August filter proved scarce, there was one particular summery gem to lift moods with burly riffs and fat stoner grooves. Unheralded German act Giant Haze seemingly emerged out of nowhere during a random Bandcamp deep dive. Debut LP Cosmic Mother channels the good old days of ’90s-inspired desert rock, featuring grungy, doomy vibes via a groovy batch of riff-centric, hard-rocking and uplifting jams, evoking the nostalgic spirit of Kyuss, Fu Manchu, Clutch and perhaps even a dash of Danzig. Punching out raucous, groove-soaked hard rockers with skyscraping hooks (“Geographic Gardens Suck,” “King of Tomorrow,” “Panic to Ride”), summery, funk–psych jams (“Sunrise”), and bluesy, punk-infused fireballs (“Crank in Public,” “Shrink Age”) Giant Haze get a lot of things right on this assured debut. The songwriting is deceptively diverse and punchy, bolstered by solid production, tight musicianship, and the swaggering, ever so slightly goofy vocal charms and powerful hooks of frontman Christoph Wollmann. Inevitably, a few rough spots appear, but overall Cosmic Mother showcases oodles of budding potential, an impactful delivery, cheeky sense of humor, and infectious, feel-good songcraft.

Spicie Forrest’s Foraged Fruit

Bask // The Turning [August 22nd, 2025 – Season of Mist]

Last seen in 2019, Bask returns with fourth LP, The Turning, a concept album following The Rider as she and The Traveler traverse the stars. They still peddle the unique blend of stoner rock and Americana Kenstrosity reviewed favorably in 2019, but 2025 sees them looking up for inspiration. The Turning incorporates a distinct cosmic bent (“The Traveler,” “The Turning”) and post-rock structures (“Dig My Heels,” “Unwound”). These augmentations to Bask’s core sound are enhanced by the masterful pedal steel of new official member Jed Willis. Whether floating through the firmament or tilling earthly pastures, Willis creates textures both fresh and intensely nostalgic. The infinite shifting vistas of The Turning’s front half coalesce into singular timeless visions on the back half, supporting its conceptual nature in both content and form. Like a combination of Huntsmen and Somali Yacht Club, Bask weaves riffs and melodies heard across the plains and through the void above with an unguarded authenticity felt in your soul.

Dolphin Whisperer’s Disseminating Discharge

Plasmodulated // An Ocean ov Putrid, Stinky, Vile, Disgusting Hell [August 1st, 2025 – Personal Records]

Stinky, sticky, slimy—all adjectives that define the ideal death metal platter. Myk Colby has been trying to chase this perfect balance in a reverb-wonky package with projects like the d-beaten Hot Graves and extra hazy Wharflurch, but vile death metal balance is hard to achieve. However, An Ocean ov Putrid, Stinky, Vile, Disgusting Hell contains a recklessly pinched Demilichian riffage, classic piercing whammy bombs, and spook-minded synth ambience that places Plasmodulated with an odor more pungent than its peers. With an infected ear that festers equally with doom-loaded, Incantation-indebted drags (“Gelatinous Mutation ov Brewed Origin,” “Trapped in the Plasmovoid”) and Voivod-on-jenkem cutaways to foul-throated extravagence (“The Final Fuckening”). An air of intelligent tempo design keeps An Ocean from never feeling trapped in a maze of its own fumes, with Colby’s lush and bubbling synth design seguing tumbles into hammering deathly tremolo runs (“Such Rapid Sphacelation”) and Celtic Frosted riff tumbles (“Drowning in Sputum”) alike, all before swirling about his own tattered, trailing vocal sputters. Steady but slippery, elegant yet effluvial, An Ocean ov Putrid, Stinky, Vile, Disgusting Hell provides the necessary noxious pressure to corrode death metal-loving denizens into pure gloops of stained-denim pit worship. Delivered as labeled, Plasmodulated earns its hazardous declaration. We here at AMG are not liable for any OSHA violations that occur as a result of Plasmodulated consumption on the job, though.

#2025 #Aeternus #AmericanMetal #Americana #AnOceanOvPutridStinkyVileDisgustingHell #Aug25 #Bask #BlackMetal #BlackenedDeathMetal #BurningWitches #CelestialTwilightBeyondTheCrimsonVeil #CelticFrost #Clutch #CosmicMother #CrimsonDawn #Danzig #DarkAmbient #DeathMetal #Deathhammer #DefLeppard #Defacement #Demilich #DigitalPlague #Doomed #DryDrunk #DutchMetal #EdgedCircleProductions #Emperor #Enslaved #Fellship #FinnishMetal #FrozenCrown #FuManchu #GermanMetal #GiantHaze #Glassing #Hardcore #HeavyMetal #Hellbutcher #HellsHeadbangersRecords #HotGraves #Huntsmen #Incantation #Inquisition #IronMaiden #JudasPriest #Kallias #Kraków #Kyuss #MelodicBlackMetal #Meshuggah #MoonlightSorcery #MorbidAngel #Motörhead #NapalmRecords #NorwegianMetal #OldNick #PersonalRecords #PhantomFire #Plasmodulated #PowerMetal #ProgressiveDeathMetal #RawBlackMetal #Review #Reviews #SelfRelease #SilentMillenia #Slayer #Sludge #SludgeMetal #SomaliYachtClub #SpeedMetal #StonerRock #Stormkeep #StreetSects #StuckInTheFilter #StuckInTheFilter2025 #SwissMetal #SymphonicBlackMetal #TechnicalDeathMetal #TheTurning #TonzonenRecords #Turian #Voivod #Voyager #Wharflurch

Ravager – From Us with Hate Review

By Lavender Larcenist

What can one reasonably say that hasn’t already been proclaimed in the halls of AMG over and over again about throwback thrash bands? In a genre that continues to pump out music for over forty years, breaking the mold is like chiseling out of your prison cell with a spoon. Doable? Maybe. But true escape is improbable. Germany’s Ravager peddles in the same stylistic trappings that you have seen a million times before from bands like Havok, Lich King, Warbringer, Gamma Bomb, and so, so many others before them. While many of these throwback acts ended up evolving their sounds and peeling themselves free of the mozzarella mosh of pizza thrash, will Ravager do the same on their fourth LP, From Us with Hate? Or, is it doomed to rest alongside the proverbial pineapple topping, as loathed as it is loved?

How does one even begin to talk about a band like Ravager without reaching for the same old cliches? You have heard all this music before; nothing here will surprise you, especially if you enjoy fast-paced, no-frills thrash with mostly generic lyrics about fighting the system, living hard, and loving metal. During my review, I decided to spin From Us with Hate while playing some rounds of Helldivers 2 (the title of a popular co-op video game for you olde folks). Ravager’s style of no-holds-barred violence, combined with its oddly uplifting lyrical themes, made it a perfect match for the on-screen chaos. But really, this would work for almost any high-octane experience; driving fast, working out, sitting on your ass shooting aliens in a video game, you name it. I couldn’t help but crack a smile as the cheesy yet earnest lyrics of “Alone We Won’t Survive” matched up perfectly with the actions in the game, as I rescued a hapless rookie player from the jaws of death. The best thing I can say is From Us with Hate makes for a decent soundtrack when mowing down alien bugs in a sci-fi fascist hellscape.

Ravager plays to all the thrash tropes. The opening track, “Freaks Out of Control,” starts like many genre staples before it: a slow kick drum lead with a little high hat that rolls into a rollicking riff. In fairness, each band member fills their respective role well, and Marcel Lehr and Dario Rosenberg’s dual guitar assault is a highlight. From Us With Hate is full of tight riffs and ripping speed. “Aggressive Music for Aggressive People,” the title track, and “Legends of the Lightning” are all fun, easy-to-digest thrash staples that get the blood going even if they don’t break the mold. Vocalist Phillip Herbst sounds dangerously close to Lich King’s Tom Martin, and it seems like he might crack at any given time. The vocals sound strained throughout, and rarely change things up outside of a few inspired moments and catchy choruses, such as on “Curse the Living, Hail the Dead” and “Defender.” While Ravager plays with that “barely keeping this thing on the tracks” energy that epitomizes great thrash, it misses elsewhere. It is clear they have more than enough heart, but the songwriting doesn’t quite match it.

Thankfully, the band’s latest is competently played and features tight production (although the bass is occasionally lost in frustrating ways). Album closer “Defender” is stuffed with tight riffing from Lehr and Rosenberg as well as some standout lead work and multiple blistering tag-team solos from the guitar duo. Herbst never breaks the mold, but competently trucks alongside the bouncing groove of the tracks. Vocals remain the weakest element overall, and the album’s closing cover of Exodus’s “Bonded by Blood” highlights this with Herbst’s voice sounding as if it is going to crack at any point in the song, especially in the chorus.

I appreciate a band that knows their whole schtick is a little silly without making themselves the butt of the joke. Every Ravager album cover is adorned with its goofy snake man, as buff as post-crisis Batman, and clad in ripped jeans and sneakers, but the music itself never becomes too silly. From Us With Hate is the record you’ve heard many times before, and tolerance may vary as a result. If you love throwback thrash bands and eat up anything in the genre, Ravager will keep you sated like a familiar piece of pepperoni pizza at your local shop. If, like me, you are over this style of played-out retro worship, From Us with Hate is just empty calories.

Rating: 2.5/5.0
DR: 7 | Format Reviewed: 320 kb/s mp3
Label: Iron Shield Records
Websites: ravager.bandcamp.com | ravager-thrash.de | facebook.com/ravagerthrash
Releases Worldwide: September 19th, 2025

#25 #2025 #GammaBomb #GermanMetal #Havok #IronShieldRecords #LichKing #Ravager #Review #Reviews #romUsWithHateReview #Sep25 #ThrashMetal #Warbringer

Erdling – Mana Review

By Samguineous Maximus

If you’re like me, then your experience with German industrial metal largely revolves around Rammstein, the fun, if not inconsistent, institution that still somehow sells out arenas worldwide with their patented brand of simple riffs, simpler grooves, and deep-voiced German monotone “singing.” If you’re also like me, then listening to Rammstein became a lot less appealing when allegations surrounding frontman Til Lindemann arose, tainting my ability to enjoy the band. Thankfully, Germany is nothing if not efficient, and for every aging industrial Goliath there’s a newer, sleeker unit revving up on the assembly line. Erdling is one such machine, and they’ve been honing their brand of Neue Deutsche Härte since 2014. 1 My simian overlord, Steel Druhm, found their 4th record, 2020’s Yggdrasil, to be competent enough, if not a tad underwhelming. Since then, the Krauts have kept busy, releasing 2 albums in quick succession and garnering a respectable (and I presume mostly German) following. Now, they’re back with Mana, a lean collection of 11 tracks readymade to soundtrack a Berlin nightclub. Has Erdling crafted a delectable enough display of dance-inducing industrial to fill the void?

Mana is what happens when Rammstein and Crematory’s industrial template slams into the glossy, market-tested sheen of Amaranthe. No, Erdling doesn’t have over-processed female vocals or cringe-inducing rap parts (thank Wotan); instead, they take the clear craftsmanship and studio-minded sheen of a more commercial-oriented Euro sound and apply them to a beefy industrial metal core. The result is a batch of sleek, pop tunes that feel precision-engineered to get your fist pumping and stick in your head for days afterwards. The essential ingredients—straightforward Nü-tinged riffing, simple but danceable grooves, and monotone but charismatic German spoken vocals are all here—but they’re arranged in razor-tight formation and often spruced up with garish synth leads or autotuned choirs. Nearly every track on Mana sits around the 3-minute mark, featuring absolutely zero fluff or overlong vibe-killing sections. We have the tried-and-true methodology of ABABCB 2 applied throughout with just enough variety to keep things interesting. For most albums, this slavish devotion to formula would turn me away, but luckily for Erdling, they’re incredibly proficient in their execution.

A full listen of Mana delivers industrial metal banger after banger in rapid succession. The single “Dominus Omnium” showcases Erdling’s command of the style, skillfully building from eerie, restrained verses that highlight vocalist Neill Freiwald’s sinister delivery, into massive, synth-drenched choruses backed by layered guitars. Throughout the album, Erdling nods to various major European metal acts, adding variety and keeping the tracklist feeling fresh. “Los Los Los,” for example, is driven by an Amon Amarth-style melodeath riff but leans more into dance territory, complete with a flashy EDM lead that shines throughout and, of course, an earworm of a chorus. “Miasma” draws from the folk metal playbook, centering its chorus around a natural minor progression you’ve probably heard in dozens of Alestorm tracks. Another element that sets Erdling apart from many of their industrial peers is their lead guitarist. Ole Anders delivers several impressive solos and tasteful lead melodies across the album, adding a dynamic edge to even the more traditional cuts. Tracks like opener “Aurora” are pulled out of complacency by fiery, harmonized guitar work that keeps things from feeling too safe.

Now, it’s not all glühwein and glowsticks. Mana is a formulaic record by design and by limitation. Erdling commit to their template with near-militant discipline. There are no breathers, no tempo shifts, no moody detours. If you’re hoping for a left-field ballad or something vaguely introspective, keep walking. That said, the B-side introduces some welcome variations, like the blast beats and blackened vocals on “Alles dreht sich,” or the somber clean guitar textures on the closer “Sternenschimmer.” The album doesn’t evolve so much as it sprints headfirst into your chest for 37 minutes straight. But that also makes it endlessly re-listenable. Where most industrial albums sag under the weight of their own cyberpunk cosplay, Mana just keeps throwing punches. It’s the kind of record that’s over before you notice, only for your body to demand you hit play again like some kind of blood sugar-crashing dancefloor junkie.

At the end of the day, Erdling aren’t here to challenge the genre’s boundaries; they’re here to perfect it. Mana is a polished, addictive blast of industrial metal that would feel equally at home in a sweaty Berlin club or as fuel for your next deadlift PR. The songwriting is tight, the hooks hit hard, and the band understands exactly what kind of experience they’re delivering: 100% efficiency, zero filler. Is it deep? No. Is it innovative? Not really. Is it a blast and addictively replayable? Absolutely. Until Rammstein either implode or redeem themselves, Erdling just might be the Neue Deutsche Härte fix we need.

Rating: 3.5/5.0
DR: 7 | Format Reviewed: 192 kbps mp3
Label: Out of Line Records
Websites: erdling.rocks |erdling.bandcamp.com
Releases Worldwide: October 17th, 2025

#2025 #35 #Alestorm #Amaranthe #AmonAmarth #Crematory #ElectronicMetal #Erdling #GermanMetal #Industrial #IndustrialMetal #Mana #NeuDeutscheHärte #Oct25 #OutOfLineMusic #PopMetal #Rammstein #Review #Reviews