Rating: 10/10 Release: 20 June 2025 Label: Napalm Records What is there to say about Scottish Pirate Metal legends /pioneers, Alestorm, that hasn’t already been said? Their sound, once unique, is now ubiquitous and, dare I say, predictable. Let’s be brutally honest here, the one-trick pony gimmick that the band started way back in 2007 … Continue reading →
Rating: 7/10 Release: 23 May 2025 Label: Rockshots Records Italy’s Æxylium formed in 2014 and are now on their third album. I’ll start by addressing the elephant in the room, namely that all too often, they have a tendency to veer into Eluveitie worship territory. While there is obviously nothing wrong with being inspired … Continue reading →
Rating: 8/10 Release: 14 March 2025 Label: Napalm Records Manntra started life in 2011 as a relatively straightforward Industrial Metal band, but in the ensuing decade and a half, their sound has slowly but surely evolved to the unique style they have today. By introducing the more melodic elements of Power and Folk … Continue reading →
Rating: 9/10 Release: 11 April 2025 Label: Reaper Entertainment taly’s premier Folk-influenced Power Metal outfit, Elvenking, are now on their twelfth album and this is the third, and I assume, final part of their Reader of the Runes series. While I’m not and never have been a fan of Power Metal in general, I … Continue reading →
Eluveitie at Pustervik, Gothenburg, January 24th 2025. It’s been five long years since the mighty Eluveitie graced the beautiful city of Gothenburg, Sweden with their presence, the last time being in 2020 and pre-pandemic, a time almost unimaginable after those strange few years. The long wait was finally over and I know it’s a well-worn cliché, … Continue reading →
Rating: 7/10 Release: 22 March 2024 Label: Napalm Records The Australian pirates are back. Alestorm released an EP called “Voyage of The Dead Marauder“, released via Napalm Records. The EP comes as a successor to their epic seventh studio album, “Seventh Run of a Seventh Rum“, and consists of 5 … Continue reading →
Rating: 9/10 Release: 10 February 2023 Label: Threeman Recordings Fredlös are a new Folk Metal band from the small Swedish town of Norrtälje and feature among its ranks, none other than former Entombed guitarist, Alex Hellid. With that elephant removed from the room, I’m sure you are more interested in … Continue reading →
Rating: 9.5/10 Release: 21 October 2022 Label: Independent / Bandcamp Somewhat surprising, but it is unquestionably worth the wait. Bringing to mind such Pagan Folk Metal heavyweights as Obtest, Skyforger and Metsatöll, this is a definite statement of intent from this young (ish) five-piece. When I pressed play on my … Continue reading →
Rating: 9/10 Release: 23 September 2022 Label: Independent At its heart Alvenrad’s sound is a bombastic take on melodic blackened folk metal, but they enrich and elevate it with innovative prog flourishes, orchestral strings, wind instruments and vocals ranging from rasping black metal to soaring clean singing and choral chants. … Continue reading →
Rating: 8/10 Release: 24 June 2022 Label: Independent first came across Hordak way back in 2006 on their “The Last European Wolves” album and have followed them, sporadically, ever since, so I knew what to expect from their new offering. Or so I thought. The opening track is a blend … Continue reading →
