NARGAROTH - APOCALYPTIC STEEL Well he's back, and after an almost decade-long silence (and long after sunsetting his "Kanwulf" moniker) Ash's brand over misanthropic, furious black metal roars with a vengeance once again. If one were to have any sort of reservations after a long hiatus it would indeed be understandable... No shills or stumbling detected whatsoever as "Apocalyptic Steel" plunges itself deep within the hear of the listener and never lets up. After an intro of a

CHAMBER OF UNLIGHT - AVERNUS Emering a decade ago from Finland with an ensemble of the nation's finest black metallers coming together, the symphonic, grandiose style of Chamber of Unlight gives plenty of nods to ethereal black metal from over a generation ago that once made the world tremble. Truly the meeting of these mad minds has created something exquisite and deadly, taking black metal right back to its rightful throne of the deadliest form of sheer audial terror. Nothi

NEDGRAVD - ASCENSION From seemingly out of nowhere they came, a more rare case of death metal out of the land of Norway whose black metal scene is now legendary while having more mainstream recognition than ever before. Still having spawned a wealth of highly-revered death metal that have spawned from their land, Nedgravd is yet another prime example of this and with their "Ascension" debut the underground has been all but literally lit on fire with heaps of praise and acclai

BEWITCHED - DIABOLICAL DEATH MASS Compromised of members of many acts from the early rise of the Swedish black metal scene (you know, back when it was pretty much like a myth) and finally breaking a twenty-year silence, Bewitched once again brings thier Sinister, Satan-obsessed blackened thrash with heavy NWOBHM undertones in our faces, sacrificing us on the altar of modern mediocrity and banal boredom to once again reclaim their throne among many pretenders apeing this class

IRON MAIDEN - BURNING AMBITION DOCUMENTARY As they celebrate 50 years of being an institution and being inducted into The Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame at long last, Iron Maiden have become icons not just of heavy metal music but also with a mass-merchandising empire that makes Elvis, The Beatles, Michael Jackson and perhaps even Kiss seem dwarfed by comparison. If you don't happen to know any band member's names or can even identify any songs then you surely recognize Eddie the H

By now seen as death metal gentry, Mexican maniacs Mortary give us slices of their mastery so far and far between over the decades yet are still met with much anticipation and applause when they finLly get around to it. With 1990's highly-revered "Blackened Images" seeming to come out a lifetime ago yet put them on the map as a rising underground force this latest EP "Great Black Earth" will have to hold us over for now and hopefully not all the way until the end times. Slowl

POSSESSION - THE MOTHER OF DARKNESS By now Possession have gained a foothold in the underground with their classic-style dark blackdeath that can shine with elements from Cogumelo to Gothenburg and all things in-between thrown together in a devilishly good mix. Now with their second full-length after almost a decade without a proper one they have returned with all of Hell's vengeance fiercely alongside them. A foreboding intro of church organ, bells, and distant tortured voic

FANTOME OUBLIE - SECRETS TÉNÉBREUX RÉVÉLÉS PAR LES OSSEMENTS With a handful of demos and a split with the amazing Werewolf Bloodorder in the past few years we finally get a full-length from the enigmatic Fantôme Ouiblé, led by Famtôme himself (who also participates in Brazilian projects Malefício and Nosferatu) along with other diabolical cohorts that definitely has mastered the classic black metal look and feel so far gone these days but far from dead with savage spirits suc