Sweden’s reigning melodic death metal vikings return with their thirteenth full‑length album, and while The Allfather Awakens is unmistakably Amon Amarth, it marks a noticeable shift back toward the band’s earlier, grittier roots. The overly polished sheen that crept into some of their recent releases is dialed back here, giving the record a more immediate, muscular feel. The riffs sound fresher and more energized than they...

At 78, Tony Iommi, The Godfather of Heavy Metal, returns with From The Dark, a solo album that immediately reaffirms his unmatched ability to craft the haunting, weighty riffs that have defined the genre for more than half a century. From the opening moments, it’s clear that Iommi’s creative spark remains fully intact. For this record, he has assembled a formidable lineup: Norwegian vocalist Jørn Lande,...

It’s not unlikely that my album of the year for 2026 comes from Denmark. Dawn Of Demise have returned with their seventh full‑length release, and while their catalogue has always been reliably brutal, Feed My Absurdity feels like a genuine leap forward. The band stays true to the formula that has defined their sound for years, meaning groove‑laden, predominantly mid‑tempo death metal delivered with precision, but everything here hits...

Endbringer marks the full‑length debut of Swedish melodic death metal outfit Abandon Agony, though attentive listeners will recognize four of its tracks from the earlier Dark Matter EP. True to their national lineage, the band leans heavily into the melodic death metal blueprint forged in Gothenburg more than three decades ago. Echoes of early In Flames and Dark Tranquillity run throughout the record, yet Abandon Agony approach the style...

Someone Is Dying is an album I stumbled upon by chance, but it quickly proved itself to be a discovery worth celebrating. Information about Leprosarium is scarce; beyond their Colombian origins and the fact that this release is independent, the band remains something of a mystery. As such, it’s unclear whether this marks their debut or if there are earlier recordings in their catalog. Musically, Leprosarium...

With Beyond The Will Of Mortals, Kentucky’s Volcandra deliver their third full-length album and a confident continuation of the artistic path they’ve been carving in recent years. Following the impressive The Way Of Ancients (2024), expectations were understandably high, and this new release meets them with striking assurance. Rather than reinventing their sound, Volcandra double down on what already worked, refining and sharpening their approach. The...

Released by Iron Fortress Records in late 2025, End of Eden, the debut album from American duo Primal Scourge arrived as a surprisingly refreshing force seemingly out of nowhere. The band, consisting of Austin Asmus (guitars, bass, vocals) and Rio Mariucci (drums, vocals), delivers a compelling blend of classic death metal and doom metal with a clear artistic vision. End of Eden spans an impressive range:...

Rogga Johansson rides again, this time with Paganizer, arguably his flagship band, whose history stretches back to the late nineties. As Mankind Rots marks the group’s fourteenth full-length album, and as always, Paganizer delivers exactly what longtime fans expect. This is straightforward, no-frills Swedish death metal, leaning far more toward the crushing weight of Grave and Dismember than anything associated with the Gothenburg melodeth sound. Bolt Thrower also comes...

Spanish Caustic is, admittedly, a name that had slipped past me until now, despite a career reaching back to the early nineties. What they deliver on Inner Deflagration is unapologetically classic death metal: blasting drums, thick, heavy riffing, and some surprisingly tasteful lead guitar work woven throughout. The vocals sit in that medium‑low growl register, gritty enough to bite, yet clear enough to complement the band’s muscular sound. ...

Crimson Glory may have been formed as far back as 1983, but their career path has been anything but straightforward, marked by lengthy periods of silence followed by sporadic resurrections. The current incarnation of the band, active since 2023, brings together founding members Jeff Lords (bass), Dana Burnell (drums), and Ben Jackson (guitars) with newer recruits Mark Borgmeyer (guitars) and Travis Wills (vocals). The band’s self-titled...