Finnish modern metal band Volucrine is releasing their 4th full-length ‘ETNA’ next month via Inverse Records and shared a new single with ‘Riptide’!

Our resident extreme metal reviewer Mazen has a selection of stellar (mostly) black and death metal releases as his favorite of the year with Sulphur Aeon, Varathron, Moonlight Sorcery, Cruciamentum, Suffocation, Dying Fetus, Asphodelus, Marduk, …And Oceans, and Cirith Ungol!

Annet’s favorite albums of the year 2023 involve a mix of punk rock and modern metal, bringing in loads of emotions going from deep and intense, to fun and light with albums from Green Day, Enter Shikari, Hexa Mera, Chris Maragoth, Powerwolf, Nanowar of Steel, Angus McSix, Blink-182, Gloryhammer and Bury Tomorrow!

French tech-death outfit Exocrine sharpen their sights on ‘Eidolon’, the 3rd single/video from their upcoming ‘Legend’ album, set for rel

Italian death metallers Kaivs are starting 2024 with a bang by signing with Time To Kill Records for the release of their debut album ‘After the Flesh’!

One of the highlights of our adventures in the Finnish Autumn/Winter season, was most definitely the 3rd edition of Black Box Mikkeli, with on the 2nd day a celebration of Finnish metal with Lastout, I Am Your God, Balance Breach, Insomnium, the foreign black metal storm that is Gaerea, and of course an amazing set by Bloodred Hourglass, bringing their latest album in full!

Besides starting the new year properly looking to the future, this month we’re also still looking back at all the awesomeness that 2023 brought us. One of those awsome things was the already 3rd edition of the by Bloodred Hourglass curated festival Black Box Mikkeli. They were able to bring a killer line-up again on the 2nd day of their event with besides a fantastic show by themselves, Insomnium, Gaerea, Balance Breach, I Am Your God and Lastout!

From the cold dank fog of Portland, Oregon re-emerges death metal unit Petrification with their highly anticipated sophomore album ‘Sever Sacred Light’, set for release next month via Svart Records! Of which a second single ‘Sepulchral Lesions’ is out now!

Death metal battalion Vitriol unleashed its third new single ‘Shame and Its Afterbirth’, alongside a play through video, which is the opening track from their upcoming album ‘Suffer & Become’, set for release on January 26th via Century Media Records!