Virodh |Harvest Of Desolation |Erymanthian Records

Release Date March 6^th, 2026
Format Digital/CD
Genre Technical Death Metal
Country India

Virodh started out as a lone wolf operation by Sourav Koer down in Assam, laying down all the guitars and bass by himself. Eventually, the project recruited a full squad of maniacs, pulling in Pranaw Chhetri to destroy the drums, Rudra Sharma to spit the vocals, and Arun Nataranjan to pummel the bass. This expanded lineup unites on "Harvest Of Desolation", injecting pure hostility into a framework of Technical Death Metal.

The music operates with a filthy old-school death metal stench clinging to the riffs. The guitars rip through dissonant passages and twisted fretboard gymnastics. Everything crashes forward with frantic speed, dropping down into punishing mid-tempo sections. The strings tangle up in complicated fretwork, creating a constant tension running from the opening seconds to the final chords.

Songs like "Swept In Dismay" and "Kafkaesque" deploy rapid-fire drumming against savage riffing. The lyrics dive straight into societal collapse, bureaucratic rot, and financial ruin. "Great Depression" and "Dissolution Of Karma" align strictly with these subjects, vomiting out cynical hostility toward failing systems. The vocal delivery barks out these frustrations over erratic time signatures.

The production keeps things unrefined, making the instruments clash and grind against each other. The bass lines rumble under the frantic guitar picking, anchoring the chaos. The execution is fierce, and the playing is totally aggressive. Virodh unleashes a relentless barrage of extreme noise.

"Harvest Of Desolation" provides genuine technical extremity. The musicians tear through the tracks with a singular violent goal. It gives you a proper dose of twisting death metal without any unnecessary distractions halting the massacre.

Score: 7.0

Links:

https://www.facebook.com/p/Virodh-100084753637782/

https://www.instagram.com/virodh_india/

https://soundcloud.com/virodh666

https://virodh.bandcamp.com/

Dreadful Relic |Ancient Obsession |Nuclear War Now! Productions

Release Date December 31^st, 2025
Format CD, Digital, Vinyl
Genre Black Mythical Metal
Country United States

Dreadful Relic spawned into the extreme underground several years ago, dropping their debut album "Hyborian Sorcery" in 2018. Following a few lineup shifts, the musicians dropped the "Archeomania" demo, giving a savage preview of the black metal devastation they were brewing. Now, they return with "Ancient Obsession," an assault heavily inspired by the primordial roots of extreme music. This new full-length visibly improves upon their earlier material in composition and delivery.

The sonic attack on "Ancient Obsession" relies entirely on the sacred laws laid down by early Hellhammer, Celtic Frost, and Bathory. This is primitive black metal played with strict militaristic precision. The six-string work is heavily composed, locking in flawlessly with militarized drumming. Savage guitar leads and crazed shrieks tear through the mix. The engineering is completely transparent, granting immense force and substance to the entire onslaught. The musicians sidestep cheap mimicry, opting instead to compose genuine, violent anthems.

The lyrical content summons a primordial age where the boundaries between life, death, magic, and combat disintegrate. The words channel archaic heathen cosmology alongside the savage warriors of Robert E. Howard’s realms and the mind-bending terrors of H.P. Lovecraft's Cthulhu mythos. These subjects are treated with absolute seriousness, acting as an allegorical strike against a modern world that crushes noble traditions under cheap, vulgar imitations. The whole package operates as a call to arms for spiritual warfare.

Thomas Holm, the legendary artist behind classic Mercyful Fate and King Diamond covers, provides the visual representation for this release. The painting entirely matches the sinister auditory violence contained within the tracks. Dreadful Relic delivers a massive, aggressive strike with "Ancient Obsession". It is a harsh, militant attack tailored strictly for total underground maniacs.

Score: 7.0

https://nuclearwarnowproductions.bandcamp.com/album/ancient-obsession

https://www.dreadfulrelic.com/

Primaluce |Way Of Perfection |Primaluce Records

Release Date 13.02.2026
Format CD, Digital
Genre Progressive Metal
Country France

Hailing from Paris, Primaluce is a progressive metal machine driven by Stefano Primaluce. After dropping "Dark Mirrors" in 2025, they are back on the grid. Tracked in Austria at Colosseum Sound Factory, "Way Of Perfection" is their newest assault on the ears. This time around, they brought in a dedicated vocalist for the entire runtime, stepping away from their earlier origins and pushing a vision they have been building for over ten years.

"Way Of Perfection" is built on classic progressive metal foundations, bringing heavy structure and discipline to the table. Primaluce shreds the rulebook, ignoring the trap of mindless wankery or technical excess. They focus purely on motion, contrast, and transformation. The songs blast through a serious spectrum of control and release. Melodic intensity clashes with cinematic atmosphere, creating relentless forward movement. They drop serious riffs and back them up with massive keyboards, generating an immense wall of sound.

"The Wind Remains" and "Running Out Of Yesterday" lay down the core themes of the album. The opener establishes an immense scale, dragging the listener into the atmosphere immediately. The latter focuses heavily on momentum and reflection. Imperfection, acceptance, and evolution are the driving forces behind the lyrics and the music. The entire band fires on all cylinders. Andrea Rocchi tears through the solos, Marco Adami and Michele Avella lock down the rhythm section, and Falco delivers vicious vocal lines.

In an era obsessed with digital overload, Primaluce delivers a genuinely human creation. The tension between precision and raw emotion keeps the blood pumping through the entire tracklist. "Way Of Perfection" is a towering collection of progressive metal that demands your attention. The production reaches immense peaks, the musicianship is top-tier, and the songwriting reigns supreme. Primaluce provides an aggressive, massive sonic experience.

Score: 8.3

Primaluce:

https://primalucerock.bandcamp.com/

https://www.facebook.com/primalucemusic

Toys That Bïte |You Have Been Warned |Scare Bear Records

Release Date March 6^th, 2026
Format CD/Digital
Genre Heavy Metal
Country United Kingdom

Toys That Bïte got together in 2022, born out of a long-running writing partnership. The guys crawled out of the practice room in 2024 to play a rock weekender in Ilfracombe, a gig that scored them a distribution deal right out of the gate. They dragged their gear into Axe & Trap Studios down in Somerset with Ben Turner to lay down the tracks, sending the results over to Long Wave Studios in Wales for Romesh Dodangoda to handle the final mix. Now, they are dropping their debut full-length, "You Have Been Warned", looking to make some serious sense.

The music taps into the heavy rock sounds of Judas Priest, Iron Maiden, Aerosmith, and Dio. You get a steady attack of twin guitars and straightforward riffs driving the whole machine. The rhythm section lays down a swinging groove, adding bar-room swagger to the heavy sections. Vocally, the singing goes full-throttle with a dramatic delivery, pushing huge anthemic hooks mixed with street sleaze. It is a chunky, dark-edged assault aimed straight at making heads bang and getting crowds rowdy.

The lyrical themes tackle bad decisions, late nights, and having a wild time. Tracks like "Genius Level Stupid" and "Last Train To Hell" plunge into staying out late and making questionable choices. "Hit That Like" takes a swing at online posturing, before "Pour Me A Whiskey" ends the party with a massive singalong. Focus tracks "Toys That Bïte" and "Gentlemen's Club" pack serious heat, throwing down fast tempos and choruses built for screaming back at the stage. The band gives the listeners real stories and loud riffs to chew on.

"You Have Been Warned" provides a good time for anyone needing a fresh dose of heavy rock. The riffs smash through the speakers, the solos rip, and the choruses stick in your skull for days. It brings a loud, rowdy party that gets the blood pumping and the fists raising. Toys That Bïte turns up the volume, dish out the riffs, and leave the crowd wanting another round.

Score: 7.5

Toys That Bïte:

. Official Website: https://www.toysthatbite.com/

. Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100091563254659

. Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/toysthatbiteband/

. TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@toys_that_bite

. YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@toysthatbiteband

Unchosen Ones |Divine Power Flowing |Independent

Release Date 13.02.2026
Format Digital/CD
Genre Heavy/Power Metal
Country Spain

Unchosen Ones hail from Vigo, Galicia, Spain. They dropped their debut, "Sorrow Turns To Dust", three years ago. Now they return with "Divine Power Flowing", their second full-length output. The Spanish quintet operates purely within the heavy and power metal spectrum, throwing down fast riffs and massive melodies.

The music goes straight for that classic nineties power metal approach. Think of bands like Firewind, Orden Ogan, Nocturnal Rites, and Kamelot. Unchosen Ones deliver fast riffing, loud drums, and big melodic vocal lines. They focus entirely on huge choruses and fast-paced twin guitar attacks. A track like "Idols And Kings" delivers a blistering pace, and the entire album relies on this specific melodic formula right up to the closing moments of "Death And Deliverance". The execution is highly competent. They shred the required notes, sweep through the solos, and bash out the double-bass drumming. It is a very standard affair, offering the precise elements headbangers demand from the genre.

Lyrically, the album tackles internal struggles, sadness, and personal growth. They also integrate heavy references to classic video games and manga. "Caught By The Wind" takes inspiration from Castlevania, "Whirligig Saw" channels Bloodborne, and the title track "Divine Power Flowing" draws from Fist Of The North Star. The production, handled at SMHQ Studios and JFT Producciones by José Fernando Tercero, provides a loud, booming sonic assault. The guitars slash through the mix, and the drums are incredibly prominent. The hand-drawn artwork by Abigail González adds an awesome traditional touch to the visual presentation.

This is a highly energetic heavy metal album. Unchosen Ones supply the goods for traditional power metal maniacs. The songs are catchy. The musicianship is totally pro. Sometimes the reliance on typical genre tropes makes the material predictable. It is a totally worthy spin for diehards of this specific sound, offering plenty of headbanging moments. You get fast metal, epic choruses, and nerdy lyrics.

Score: 7.5

 https://www.facebook.com/unchosenonesmetal

https://unchosenones.bandcamp.com/

https://www.instagram.com/unchosen_ones_metal

https://www.youtube.com/@unchosenones_metal

Parallel Minds |Cairn |Self-release

Release Date March 10^th, 2026
Format CD/Digital
Genre Thrash/Progressive Metal
Country France

Parallel Minds operates out of France as a modern progressive metal force. They smash thrash mechanics together with progressive structures and massive power metal scale. Following three previous albums released through established labels, the band operates as a serious fixture in the European scene. Their fourth album, "Cairn", arrives as a 61-minute concept release dealing entirely with suffering, memory, and human survival across history.

The riffs strike with absolute hostility. The guys fuse the aggression of thrash legends Nevermore and Testament with the brain-twisting math of Symphony X and Pain Of Salvation. Greg Giraudo rips tearing guitar lines through the mix, backed entirely by Eric Mannella battering the drum kit. Steph Fradet howls and soars over the chaos. They throw shifting time signatures and punishing thrash rhythms at you constantly. It results in a highly destructive auditory assault.

"Cairn" acts as a monument to historical tragedy. The lyrics explore brutal events ranging from the Bhopal disaster and the Trail of Tears to the Northern Ireland conflict. Parallel Minds brought in numerous guest musicians to deliver authentic regional textures. Listeners encounter Togolese artists on "Orishas", a sitar on "Bhopal", and Native American chants on "Trails Of Tears". These elements provide massive cultural variety to the crushing metal foundation.

A 61-minute runtime requires serious listener endurance. The constant lyrical darkness demands total attention, and the massive volume of musical ideas takes multiple spins to fully digest. The integration of world music into a thrash framework succeeds entirely. Parallel Minds delivers a massive, ambitious project, executing their vision with maximum aggression and precision.

Score: 8.0

Parallel Minds:

parallelmindsofficial@gmail.com

Site : https://www.parallelmindsofficial.com

YouTube : https://www.youtube.com/c/ParallelMinds

Instagram : https://www.instagram.com/parallelmindsofficial/

Facebook : www.facebook.com/parallelmindsofficial

Terrorizer |Before The Downfall |F.O.A.D. Records

Release Date February 27^th, 2026
Format 2xLP+CD (5^th Pressing)
Genre Grindcore, Death Metal
Country USA

Terrorizer exploded out of the filthy Los Angeles underground during the late eighties. These extreme metal maniacs essentially wrote the ultimate manual for extreme music. Their early tapes traded hands furiously among fans hungry for faster and heavier sonic destruction. Now, F.O.A.D. Records has unleashed the fifth pressing of "Before The Downfall", gathering all those crucial demos, live assaults, and forgotten tracks into one massive double vinyl set. It is an absolute monster of an archive detailing the earliest and sickest days of extreme music history.

Spanning forty-six cuts of absolute audio violence, this collection captures the pure essence of Terrorizer tearing apart underground stages and rehearsal rooms. You get all the classic underground anthems alongside totally obscure material from the years leading up to their defining era. The inclusion of "Collapse", a previously buried track from the "World Downfall" sessions, is a massive reason to get your hands on this specific pressing. The audio rips your face off, maintaining all the primitive distortion and basement-level decay that makes extreme metal so eternally lethal.

F.O.A.D. Records did justice to the physical package. This fifth pressing drops in a thick gatefold jacket with insane silkscreening on the fourth side. Limited to just 300 copies worldwide, the vinyl splits into two hundred black and one hundred purple variants, making it a serious collector's priority. Throw in the massive booklet stuffed with old flyers, photos, and interviews, plus a giant poster, and the physical value goes through the roof. It honors the dirty underground roots perfectly while giving fans a premium artifact to hold.

They also packed in a bonus compact disc that finally corrects a major flaw from the older versions, including the lethal cover of Master and their track "Funeral Bitch" without any missing files. Listening to this entire anthology straight through just destroys your speakers and neck. Terrorizer ruled the late eighties extreme scene, and this compilation perfectly immortalizes their absolute savagery. If you worship extreme metal, this pressing is a total mandatory acquisition.

Score: 9.0

F.O.A.D. Records:

https://www.foadrecords.com/

https://www.scareystore.com/

https://www.facebook.com/foadrecords/

https://foadrecords.bandcamp.com/

https://www.instagram.com/foad_records/

Vide |Aux Enfantes Des Ruines |Antiq Records

Release Date February 27^th, 2026
Format CD/Digital
Genre Atmospheric Black Metal
Country France

France has spawned Vide, a black metal entity that dropped three full albums back in 2022 before disappearing into the frozen dirt. Now they are back under the Antiq Records banner, an imprint active since 2009 churning out obscure art. Vide is fronted by Hylgaryss, known for his vocal destruction in acts like Dark Sanctuary and Le Prochain Hiver. They have crawled out of the underground again to deliver a fifty-minute assault of pure winter worship.

"Aux Enfants Des Ruines" brings a freezing audio storm straight to your skull. Guitars layer endlessly over each other, creating a massive, chaotic wall of noise. You get blasted with relentless drumming that eventually slows down into cold, echoing passages. Hylgaryss screams his lungs out, channeling absolute misery over the swirling riffs. The violence breaks occasionally for strange choral chanting, throwing a creepy, haunted orphanage aesthetic over the bleakness.

The children's choir segments are genuinely eerie and bring serious sorrow to the music. They add a sick, twisted layer to the standard atmospheric blasting. Over fifty minutes of overlapping tremolo picking and relentless frostbite can wear you down. Sometimes the music wanders off into the snow and gets lost in its own freezing noise. The high-pitched riffing drags on a bit too long in the middle sections, making you wait forever for the next blast beat to strike.

Vide definitely brings the freezing darkness French extreme music is famous for producing. The harsh vocals and creepy choir parts give "Aux Enfants Des Ruines" a cool identity. It delivers enough freezing riffs to keep underground maniacs banging their heads, even if the runtime drags its feet occasionally. A decent dose of winter misery.

Score: 7.0

www.hylgaryss.bandcamp.com

www.antiqrecords.com

www.facebook.com/antiq.label

www.antiqofficial.bandcamp.com

Lömsk |Act II - Of Iron And Blood |Vendetta Records

Release Date 06.03.2026
Format LP/CD/Digital
Genre Black Metal
Country Sweden

Formed in the gutters of Gothenburg, Sweden back in 2022, Lömsk rose up to spit back at a world rotting on its own vanity. Their initial strike, "Act I", laid the groundwork of destruction, burning down the stagnant modern landscape. Now, they return with "Act II - Of Iron And Blood", dragging the listener straight into the smoldering ruins. This album abandons the conceptual foundations of their debut to drag you face-first through the ashes.

Total nihilism dictates the assault on "Act II - Of Iron And Blood". Lömsk unleashes a storm of absolute violence, translating the collapse of civilization into audio form. The guitars tear through the mix like rusted blades, while the drums beat a relentless death march into inevitable entropy. Every riff acts as a curse against the collapsing heavens. You hear the flames consuming empires within tracks like "Fields Of Elysium" and "Requiem Of Fire".

The production embraces pure hostility. The drums hammer down mercilessly alongside rabid, flesh-ripping vocals. Riffs spiral downward into total devastation on "Entropia" and "Chimaera". Lömsk focuses entirely on auditory destruction, executing ruthless black metal supremacy. The bass rumbles underneath the chaos, locking in a crushing rhythmic foundation.

"Furia" and "Stare Into The Void" deliver unfiltered aggression. The musicianship remains utterly lethal, stripping away any unnecessary elements to unleash total violence. Lömsk rules over the wreckage with absolute authority. "Act II - Of Iron And Blood" demands your attention through sheer, authentic force. This album proves Lömsk thrives in the fires of chaos. The Swedes deliver a blistering attack on modern existence, rejecting all compromises. The black metal underground runs on this kind of uncompromising hatred.

Score: 8.5 

https://www.instagram.com/lomskofficial/

https://www.facebook.com/LomskOfficial/

https://www.lomsk.se

https://vendetta-records.com

Leaves’ Eyes |Song Of Darkness |Reigning Phoenix Music

Release Date March 6^th, 2026
Format CD/Vinyl/Digital
Genre Symphonic/Power Metal
Country Germany, Norway

Formed in 2003 by vocalist and producer Alexander Krull, Leaves' Eyes built their name on a blend of symphonic metal drama and Viking themed storytelling. Across more than twenty years the band shaped a recognizable style where orchestras, choirs and heavy guitars meet tales pulled from northern mythology and medieval history. Since 2016 Finnish singer Elina Siirala has taken the lead vocal role, bringing a powerful classical voice that balances Krull’s harsh growls. With guitarists Florian Ewert and Luc Gebhardt, bassist Dominik Prykiel and drummer Simon Skrlec in the ranks, the group continues to push their saga driven metal forward, now adding the EP "Song Of Darkness" to their long running catalog.

"Song Of Darkness" sticks closely to the formula Leaves' Eyes built their reputation on, symphonic layers, heroic melodies and a big cinematic approach. The guitars deliver strong power metal riffs while orchestral arrangements sweep across the songs like a film soundtrack. The title track "Song Of Darkness" opens the EP with drama and tension, driven by Siirala’s soaring voice and Krull’s rough vocal lines cutting through the arrangement. The contrast between the two vocal styles remains one of the band’s strongest weapons.

Tracks like "Hall Of The Brave" and "Until The Last Day" lean into the epic side of the band’s sound, with big choruses clearly built for festival crowds. The songwriting is tight and easy to latch onto, though at times it follows familiar patterns that longtime fans will recognize immediately. The guitars push enough bite into the mix to keep things grounded, while the orchestral sections build the grand atmosphere the band is known for. Nothing here drifts into filler territory, though some moments play it a little safe compared with the band’s strongest past work.

"Roots Eternal" closes the EP on a strong melodic note, wrapping everything in the kind of heroic tone that fits Leaves' Eyes perfectly. Production from Alexander Krull keeps everything clear, letting the orchestral parts expand while the rhythm section keeps the songs moving with steady force. The balance between metal muscle and symphonic scale works well, even when the songwriting leans on familiar tricks.

"Song Of Darkness" may not be the most daring release in the Leaves' Eyes catalog, though it delivers what the band does best, dramatic symphonic metal with mythic atmosphere and memorable hooks. Fans of the band’s established sound will find plenty to like here, while newcomers get a compact introduction to their style. It is a well crafted EP that shows a veteran band still capable of writing strong, anthemic metal with a cinematic edge.

Score: 8.0

Leaves' Eyes:

Facebook | https://www.facebook.com/leaveseyesofficial/

Instagram | https://www.instagram.com/leaveseyesofficial/?hl=en

X | https://x.com/Leaves_Eyes

TikTok | https://www.tiktok.com/@leaveseyes_official

YouTube | https://www.youtube.com/user/LeavesEyesOfficial

https://www.leaveseyes.de