Havukruunu are back, which means one thing, all those fans who want a hit of pagan mysticism in their lives, without it being so in over the top, or taken so seriously it just comes across as farcical, can rejoice once more. The first thing listeners will likely notice about this album is the blend of good old-fashioned black metal evil, repetitive tremolo riffing grinding into your skull and blast beats for days, with an undeniable rock’n’roll groove. They’re playing with rhythms which are straight out of the trad metal playbook; imagine Dio deciding to release a black metal album, and you’re somewhere close to what we have here.
That rock vibe is rallied along by some of the truly thunderous bass lines. Apparently someone didn’t get the memo that it you’re writing cold, atmospheric black metal that stuff should be left behind, and thank goodness for that. The bass is played with such a ferocity on this record, it adds depth and weight to the sound without adding warmth, thunking, clanging along like a crazed clock counting down to Armageddon, it is the backbone of this record in the absolute truest sense of the word.
As if that wasn’t enough, solos, solos and more solos. Oft maligned as showy and self-indulgent a true guitar solo, real shredding is a rare phenomenon in black metal, perhaps rightly so. After all, there’s no point to a solo if it’s only there because that’s where the solo goes in a song. Havukruunu have once again thrown out the black metal rule book and fully embrace the decadence of a face melting guitar solo. The best thing is that it pays off every time. Playing off against the crunching stomp in so much of the riffing, and lathered in layers of reverb the solos rip through your ears, echoing around your head, like sprites guiding you through a dark forest, although almost certainly not to safety.
In His Blood is the second full length for London based death metallers Vacuous. If you’re a fan of Tomb Mold, Undergang or Bolt Thrower (and let’s face it, you probably should be) then Vacuous will be right up your street with their own brand of atmospheric, angular, riff driven death metal. From the initial frenzied wail of the title track to the harassing fuzz ridden outro of ‘No Longer Human’, this is a highly listenable release that will get the head banging and the foot tapping, all whilst invoking a image of some sort of demonic rite taking place around a large stone tablet, involving naked people, blood and probably some Gregorian chanting somewhere.
Sometimes these affairs can lack dynamics, and whilst there are times that call for an all out onslaught for half an hour, it can lead to a bit of fatigue in the old ear department. Vacuous stay away from this trap with tracks like ‘Hunger’, which starts off with a quiet melancholic dirge before dropping into some heavily Bolt Thrower inspired riffing, that echoes the starting melody to add a sense of iron clad cohesion to the whole thing. The vocals over the top of this remain demonic, almost on the point of complete break up (RIP Jo Chen’s throat), but this loose energy gives them a much more visceral feel, lending emotion to a genre that can often be void of it.
The sophomore album from the Swede melodic black metallers Häxkapell is not as intimidating as one might assume. It’s the sort of album one might listen to before they do their first black metal band photoshoot, corpse paint-laden and blunted medieval weapons bared in the woods before they ring one of their mothers to come and pick them up because it’s gotten just a bit too dark and scary. This isn’t a criticism of Häxkapell, the music is aggressively capable. ‘In Satan’s Rotter’, which, no, is not a Berlin Technoclub you wouldn’t walk into with someone else’s shoes, Häxkapell‘s harsh riffs and bass-heavy vocals trundle along so pleasantly you can almost smell the woodsmoke, and taste the candle-lit hearty stews complimented by flagons of rich ale in the Nordic medieval inn that the music transports you to.
The vocals hit that perfect pitch, which is often so hard to source within black metal, without turning into a Dani Filth-style screech which could make dogs cry. Häxkapell’s harsh vocals sound like they literally tortured the vocalist with a car battery within the booth, and that’s how black metal is supposed to sound. The listener is looking for anguish, not angst. The next track, ‘Metamorfos’, builds with the confidence of a man who has never once known what it means to truly suffer. Haxkapell is applauded for this because pain is evidently something they are keen to convey, and they do so handily. As the track progresses, a Soulslike health bar could appear before the listener and is then revitalised just as it is almost wholly denigrated, with lyrics now as well – this boss fight isn’t over yet.
As the album next progresses into ‘Urgavens Grepp Ar Ha Hart Och Kallt’, Häxkapell attempts to batter their fans with some kind of mad insistence, and the tempo picks up considerable pace, whilst key signatures of acoustic woodwind instruments pacify the listener with an almost melancholic sadness. The contrasts are tantalisingly well balanced.
Five Canadian emos walk into a desert. It might sound like the set up to a joke but it is in fact the origin story behind Silverstein’s twelfth studio album Antibloom. The Ontario post-hardcore band ventured into an isolated recording studio in California and left with 25 completed demos, which they’ve narrowed down into two eight-track albums. First up is Antibloom, with Pink Moon due to be released later this year. With this year being Silverstein’s 25th anniversary, the pressure’s on to show they’re still that same heavy-hitting band that produced emo anthems like ‘My Heroine’ and ‘Smile In Your Sleep’ back in the 2000s.
Of course, with a band this well-established in the scene, there will always be a solid core of longtime fans, but 2025 is a huge opportunity for Silverstein to capture a new audience. Antibloom comes out swinging with the opening track ‘Mercy Mercy’. It smacks you in the face with a crushing riff and lyrics tackling the modern plague of doomscrolling – something many of us are guilty of – before moving over into borderline metal territory. But where there are highlights like ‘Mercy Mercy’ and the blistering grief-stricken ‘Skin & Bones’ that show why Silverstein are such legends, there are just as many tracks that make you question if they can keep the momentum going.
The powerful, chugging riffs of album-opener ‘The Seige’, has an underlying theme of defiance and perseverance with the lyrics, “No matter what comes my way, I’m here to face it all”, providing a defiant and fiery introduction of things to come on Sleepless Empire. From the star-studded collaborations of Ash Costello (New Year’s Day) and Randy Blythe (Lamb of God), to Cristina Scabbia and Andrea Ferro’s extensive vocal ranges Sleepless Empire provides a huge amount of variety. Add that to Marco Coti Zelati’s thundering bass riffs, chugging guitars and rich production that utilises synths and more high-tech, industrial elements, Lacuna Coil set themselves apart from many of their traditional metal contemporaries.
However, at their core they remain true to their roots and provide the symphonic elements that their fans gravitate towards on tracks such as ‘Gravity’ (no pun intended) and ‘I Wish You Were Dead’. Scabbia’s trademark of dramatic gothic vocals and Zelati’s melodic, yet thundering guitar riffs still provide enough diversity to appeal to both newer fans, as well as fans of their earlier work. The fury of iconic Lamb of God frontman Randy Blythe’s discordant delivery on ‘Hosting The Shadow’, contrasted with Scabbia’s clean vocals and powerful delivery in the chorus is arguably what makes it a clear album standout, with Zelati’s trademark rhythmic riffs providing a post-apocalyptic soundscape of sorts.
With an inviting atmosphere built from captivating production and raw emotion, the EP captures the essence of 2010s Tumblr while introducing elements that keep it firmly grounded in the present. The EP opens with ‘Real Talk’, a slow, melodic track that immediately evokes the feeling of early 2000’s emo. The song’s captivating production and strong vocal presence make it feel like an instant classic. The mix is masterfully crafted, with the vocals positioned front and center, giving them a distinct emotional weight that’s hard to ignore. The track brings back memories of oversized hoodies, ripped jeans, and the deeply personal nature of the current wave emo subculture, offering a sense of nostalgia that connects with listeners on a deeper level.
The ever-so slight venomous swagger of ‘Fickle “Friend”‘ takes a noticeable shift, drawing comparisons to PUP, albeit with that classic emo twang that’s synonymous with our national scene. Yet, it’s the vocals that take center stage here, with Zachery Binx opting for a slower melody reminiscent of Patrick Stump’s signature vocal runs. This unexpected turn is just one of the ways the band separates themselves from the rest of the scene. The mix of upbeat, catchy choruses and downbeat, introspective lyrics builds a dynamic tension throughout Conversations, creating an EP that’s as accessible as it is emotionally resonant.
