I’ll admit I’d not heard of Bloodbound until I saw them a few years back on the bill at ProgPower USA.  I came away very impressed with their live performance, and subsequently devoured their back catalogue of material which is, in all honesty, is a mixed bag.  Bloodbound have had some great albums – and then some so-so albums.  Their newest release is entitled “Creatures of the Dark Realm”, and follows on their two previous offerings – “War of Dragons” from 2017 and “Rise of the Dragon Empire” in 2019.  The band’s infatuation with dragon imagery apparently sated, “Creatures of the Dark Realm” features lyrical themes spanning the gamut of the demonic, fallen, and ostracized.

To back up and give more context for this review, especially for those like me who weren’t familiar with the band: Bloodbound are a Swedish heavy/power metal act.  They employ a standard twin guitar attack melded with keyboards that aren’t at all hidden in the mix.  The vocals are in a clean rock style augmented by the high end wails that are a hallmark of the power metal genre.  While certainly not clones of these bands, if you’re familiar with the sound of artists such as Iron Savior, Hammerfall, or Battle Beast you’ll have a good general idea of what Bloodbound are trying to accomplish musically.

Their new album “Creatures of the Dark Realm” is well worth a listen, although I have a few faults to address.  We’ll start with the good stuff: the title track is a total banger and very memorable!  Tight, fast-paced riffs and keyboard-drenched melodies.  If you don’t like this one, you just don’t appreciate power metal and I cannot be your friend.  “When Fate Is Glory” opens up pretty well with a powerful and catchy riff that transitions into a solid mid-tempo anthem.  “March Into War” is a particularly strong, anthemic track - varied in the vocal approach that leads to a big, booming chorus that delivers.  Shades of Sabaton on this one.  “Eyes Come Alive” has a very dynamic intro with singer Patrick Selleby ratcheting his vocal attach up a notch before falling back into a choral approach on the choruses.  Still probably the most aggressive track, catchy, and one I really enjoyed.  The lead breaks are all spot on, helping lead the song to culmination while never detracting from the pace or feel.

There are some areas on the album where the clean vocals could have used a bit more harshness, particularly on “The Gargoyles Gate” which was for me a bit too airy in the verse and sing-songy in the chorus.  This was probably my least fav track on the album.  Similarly, while the song “Face of Evil” had a very good melody it never seemed to deliver any punches.  A general critique I would have of this album is that Bloodbound rely too much on the choruses to carry the songs without putting as much effort into building creative structures and tempos to fill the space between.  It’s not that there’s anything wrong here: there are no skippable tracks on the album, which is saying something.  I just wish among the memorable choruses and decent riffs there were more surprises and perhaps some elements that were challenging or even threatening.

A lot of Bloodbound’s sound is cliché metal, but they execute it in a good, positive way.  And perhaps that’s my ultimate appraisal – that Bloodbound adhere exceptionally well to their chosen genre without taking many risks musically.

But, ultimately these critiques are mere nitpicking on my part.  Bloodbound’s music is heads-and-shoulders more metal than 90% of the vapid, fluff marketed as ‘metal’ in the USA.  I give this album a solid 8 ½ out of ten… It is good – it is metal – buy this!  Listen to Bloodbound’s whole back discography and prepare to be entertained by a band that is good at writing and recording power metal.  It is my hope that Bloodbound and other European bands in their vein may contribute to bringing the power metal genre to a new generation of prospective fans.

The Great Metal Debate

Album Review - Creatures of the Dark Realm

Welcome back metalheads - it's your guy Xander dissecting another black metal corpse on the autopsy table. Ttoday we have a band called Tableau Mort with their newest album Visio In Somniis which was released on May 6th. Tableau Mort hails from the UK, and again prove when it comes down to any style of black metal the medieval countries always kick our Yankee asses.

The album begins with the spooky atmospheric sounds along with the sound of a baby crying. Sure, that might be slightly generic but the rest of the album more than makes up for it. The first track is of course called "Metamorphosis". One thing I noticed right away was the vocals. James Andrews has the same higher pitch screams as someone in a new age down tuned deathcore band but still has enough raspyness to qualify as a quality black metal vocalist. The winding guitar riff of "Idolatry" is a clever way of making sure people remember the song's intro. There is an odd sound that occurs in this song that sounds like a distant choir. You can slightly hear it in the background as it changes to what sounds like Mongolian throat singing or chanting monks.

Next we have the album title track "Visio in Somniis". It begins with a calm and soothing musical start before a black metal screech rips your eardrum. It's a warm welcome that is accompanied by yet another fantastic guitar riff played by George Topor. He continues to bring in a solid rhythmic style as the album progresses. The drum work on this is absolutely stellar - NOT another disappointing cluster of blast beats like you get with other generic black metal bands. George Bratosin keeps a steady pace on his kit and makes it all come together in a wonderful tune. "Blood Echoes" follows after and I must point out how I noticed the bass guitar supporting the main riff. Marek Basista does a phenomenal job of making sure that the lead guitarist Cristian Giurgiu has that crisp reverb.

The first minute of the song "Hope Ablaze" sounds like a cross between the beginning of "Sworn To The Dark" by Watain and the beginning of "Vortex of Negativity" by Naglfar. However it uniquely blends into its very own song that could be a great choice for a future music video. That is something I would definitely want to see!

"Their Throats Are Open Graves" kicks things off with some kick drums and some other drums for a very small 10 second solo. By the 10 second mark, the rest of the band joins in to give us a fucking powerhouse of a song and its one of my favorites on this record. Every member of the band doesn't pull any punches when it came to this particular track. Everyone was on point and totally nailed this masterpiece into oblivion. Between the vocalist screaming his lungs out, the drummer going as fast as he can and the guitarist providing us with a nice little solo, it's not hard to see why I get so much enjoyment out of it. The track ends with a haunting fiddle conclusion.

"The Fire, The Star" is what I would call the best example of modern black metal song. It has an old sound but with a clean studio recording. If you're looking for that less grimy Emperor esq feel, look no further than this track ... unless you want to finish listening to this incredible album. Of course you do. 

"Candle in the Darkness" is the grand finally. The sweep picking of the guitars in this song is what grabs my attention along with the rhythmic sounding chugs from the other guitarist. The drum speed on this track fluctuates from a moderate pace to blast beats and continues back and forth. This song also has the brief finger tapping guitar solo that mashes well with this great song. The perfect song to close an album of this scale. If I were to score this album I would rate it no lower than an 8/10. Feel free to show this band some love by buying their music from their Bandcamp page.

Album Review - Visio In Somniis (Tableau Mort)

Welcome back to The Great Metal Debate Podcast. Today we're looking at one of the most extreme bands - the Chinese slamming brutal death grind band The Dark Prison Massacre with their 3rd full-length studio record titled Triple Insanity.

Let's just say that if you're a fan of bands like Torsofuck and Gutalax, you'll enjoy the sickness of this band. The vocals are among the nastiest I've ever heard. That churning sink garbage disposal sound is exactly the type of disgusting gutturals you're looking for in this subgenre. Triple Insanity unfortunately does not begin that way due to the first track being very skippable. All you're missing is the intro album title track which is just an old recording of some guy speaking Mandarin. I obviously have no clue what he is saying but it doesn't matter.

"Stop Slut Humiliation" begins with a very long pig squeal followed by more pig squeals. There is a slow downtuned guitar chugging part accompanied by some very rhythmic gutturals. There is even a 3rd act of the song where the music has that stop and start djenty feel about it and you can clearly hear each drum beat. As for the song's conclusion it ends with some filthy yet groovy gurgling vocals over a slam riff which makes the perfect breakdown.

"Watch Your Life" starts with a washed out chug riff but fades in with a more crisp and polished sound. Of course there is more 'barfing in the shitter with a microphone next to the toilet bowl' vocals where that came from. If you're into this sort of thing then The Dark Prison Massacre will certainly be up your alley. If it seems like I'm insulting this band then I must tell you that I'm actually praising it. The grosser this type of music sounds, the better. At the 0:38 mark, there is a sound that the vocalist makes that sounds just like it was processed with a synthesizer.

"Ghost Island Dalitas" runs at a slower tempo musically but at least you still get the possessed crocodile type of vocals.

"True Metal Bastards" gives us some more of those beloved demonic pig squeals that will remind you a lot of Despised Icon. Imagine the perfect blend of quality deathcore with a slight cyber porno grind infusion like Sperm Swamp. "Dead Hand System" and "Scam Pioneer are other fantastic examples of both Zeyu and Dongda's impressive guttural capabilities.

"Ghost Island Dalits (Snow Sedim)" is a remix of the song you heard earlier that has a different sound mix instrumentally and some of the vocals are either rearranged or are recorded in a slightly different pitch. There's also an operatic backing track on this edition as well.

"No School Violence" is one of the more pig squeal infused tracks on this record and uses quite a bit more distortion is some areas. The final track on this album “Cerebral Failure Projection” is another banger, and I have not complaints about it. All I can really say about it is that it’s the same kind of stuff you’d expect from this band.

I do have some critiques. I’ve always disliked it when a band feels the need to put two versions of the same track on the same album, even if it is a slight remix. I personally believe that a band should choose one version of the song they like best to put on a new album, and then if they have a remix or another version of the song then they should release it later. I didn’t enjoy this one as much as the previous record, or the album before it, but I’m still giving it a rating of 7 ½ out of 10.

This album is definitely not for everybody; this band is not for everyone. But if you are looking to scratch that itch as far as nasty vocals, gutterals, and pig squeals, then this is probably what you’re looking for. You can buy their digital albums on Bandcamp.com. And as for this newest release Triple Insanity, you can listen to it on Amazon Music. If you really want to support this band by buying their merch, be sure to check out Fat Tub Of Lard Records.

Album Review - Triple Insanity (The Dark Prison Massacre)

Welcome back metalheads to another episode of The Great Metal Debate podcast. It's me Xander again and today I'm going to be talking about the Finnish goregrind band known as Torsofuck and their new album Postpartum Exstasy - the band's first album in 19 years!

In the year 2004, I was between the ages of 12 and 13 years old. At this time in my life, the heaviest bands that I knew of were: Slipknot, Lamb of God, Hatebreed, Killswitch Engage, Shadows Fall and Atreyu. Little did young Xander know, one of the most brutal bands of all time had released their debut album titled Erotic Diarrhea Fantasies. It wouldn't be until many years later when I was 19 or 20 when I discovered the infamous song "Raped by Elephants".

We all seem to have that sort of love/hate relationship with Torsofuck mainly due to the first half of most of their songs being sound clips from either real porn flicks or some B horror film. If the sound clips weren't so long, we would probably get into the music itself.  This is evident in the new album title track "Postpartum Exstasy" in the way that it was way too much like their song "Pussy Mutilation" from the first album. Both tracks have the majority of it being movie clip filler.

The only difference is that instead of the whole Blood Sucking Freaks intro, you instead hear someone screaming in anguish for the first 2 minutes of the 4 and a half minute runtime. I guess I'm just slightly annoyed that in almost 20 years, the band hasn't seemed to improve much.

"Self Dismemberment" does the exact same thing. The band Mortician seems to have a similar issue especially with their older albums yet more people have heard of and are fans of Mortician and they are well respected in the scene. Torsofuck have their own form of street cred but it's probably not as well received by most metal fans. I will say the song "The Pig" is probably my favorite song on this new album mainly because it has one of the shorter intros at only 28 seconds out of the 5 minute track. It's good to have a song that is less bullshit and more business. "Animal Lover" only has an 18 second intro but it's a much shorter song.

Despite the vocalist Mikko Friberg being an absolute monster when it comes to his capabilities of sounding like a creature, every live video I have seen doesn't seem to show him projecting his voice loud enough to stand out among the rest of the instruments. This reminds me of how Visceral Disgorge is live. The vocals are too quiet outside of studio mixing.

Let's talk about the musicians. If you're looking for groovy guitar riffs or solos or any type of structure outside of downtuned chugs, you won't find it here. Torsofuck has always been the type of band that is very simplistic in their nature and they aren't about being musicians. They are about being heavy and gross. If you're looking for something loud, purposely offensive and obnoxious; you've found it. This has always been the main goal of the band.

You know what the problem is with this record? It's 15 years too late. Maybe if this album had come out in 2008, they could've played some of the new tracks like "Necropervert" or "Retarded Anal Whore" during the band's final live show in 2009 before they split up for the 3rd time. Each song on this new album just sounds like the same structure that they used in every song on the previous album. That is both a good and bad thing. It's bad because it's repetitious but good because Mikko hasn't lost his vocal capabilities over the years unlike Antti Bowman from Demilich which is another brutal band from Finland who hasn't put out an album in 30 years.

If you enjoy metal that is closely related to the noise genre, then this will be directly up your alley but if you want something with a little more heart and soul put into the music and lyrics then you could find it in the many other subgenres that metal has to offer.

Album Review - Postpartum Exstasy (Torsofuck)

In this interview recorded May 13, 2023, Xander talks with singer Chaney Crabb from deathcore tech-proggers Entheos during their tour stop in Nashville TN opening for Whitechapel!

Excerpts from the Entheos track "Absolute Zero" (Time Will Take Us All, 2023) used with permission from the artist.

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Metal Debate Interview - Chaney Crabb of Entheos (05-13-2023)

Welcome back metal heads to a new episode of the great metal debate podcast. Did you honestly believe that I, Xander wouldn't talk about the new Dying Fetus album Make Them Beg For Death? Of course I'm going to review the shit out of this one.

Those of you who don't know me personally, I am a humongous fan of Dying Fetus and have been since I was 16 years old. I'm 32 now so do the math. That's half of my life! The very first song I ever heard by them was "One Shot, One Kill" from their Stop At Nothing album. But the very first CD I ever bought by them was their 2007 record War Of Attrition. I still know every word to the song "Homicidal Retribution".

But my favorite release of theirs was their 2011 compilation CD Infatuation With Malevolence which included both of their early 1993-1994 demos Infatuation With Malevolence and Bathe In Entrails along with some live tracks. I had also purchased their remastered re-release of their debut Purification Through Violence which has one of my top favorite songs by them "Raped On The Altar".

5 years ago, I had pre-ordered their previous album Wrong One To Fuck With and received the CD + T-shirt bundle in the mail a whole week before the release date. In case you're wondering, I chose the Die With Integrity shirt which has the crossed bloody axes on it. It is just one of my 3 Dying Fetus shirts and you bet your ass I scored the Grotesque Impalement hoodie from the merch table last time I saw them live 2 years ago. I'm going to be seeing them live for the 7th time next month when they play with Despised Icon. I'm fucking stoked! You know what, I can gush about this band literally all day long but I've been stalling so let's get into this review.

A few months ago, I heard the singles put out for this album and the first one was "Compulsion For Cruelty" and then they put out "Unbridled Fury". Being completely honest here, when I first heard these songs I didn't care for them much. My theory as to why was because I was still working 2 full-time jobs and was running on less than 4 hours of sleep and I didn't listen to them on headphones to make the audio quality better. At the time, they were largely forgettable. In fact, I completely forgot about that song "Feast of Ashes". But listening to all 3 of those songs again in my brand new car that I just got last month on a great stereo system and clear speakers, it made me change my mind and now I think those songs kick serious ass!

Trey Williams is just as fast and precise with each drum he blasts away at, Sean Beasley continues to shred on that bass, John Gallagher still bashes your head in with groovy chug riffs and assaults your eardrum with those signature bullfrog croaking style vocals. In fact, John Gallagher is my favorite death metal vocalist. Everything fans love about Dying Fetus is all here on this fucking crushing album!

I have decided that I won't sit here and name off all the tracks like I usually do but I have 2 album reviews I'm recording today along with an additional busy day after this. But I will reveal my favorite song. It's called "Undulating Carnage". The whole song is peak Dying Fetus material and I will be just a little heartbroken they don't play this live next month.

Despite all my praise, I will say that it's a fucking phenomenal record but at the same time, not my favorite. I say that because I have no real favorite Dying Fetus album. It's true, I don't have a favorite Dying Fetus album. I think they're all great. Yeah, yeah I said earlier in this review that the Infatuation With Malevolence compilation CD had their best content but it wasn't part of their main discography. If we're talking about official full-lengths here, I think it's a perfect fit for everything this band has put out over the last 20 years through Relapse Records.

I'm going to rate this a spectacular 9.5/10. Definitely go support the hell out of this band, go see them live, buy their merch and crank their music as loud as you can!

Metal Debate Album Review - Make Them Beg For Death (Dying Fetus)

Welcome back to The Great Metal Debate podcast. Today we will be looking at the Finish black metal band Moonlight Sorcery. This is the band's first full length debut album titled Horned Lord of the Thorned Castle, released September 29th through Avant-garde Music.

Last year's EP titled Piercing Through the Frozen Eternity, we got some noticeable guitar riffs that didn't quite break through that obvious power metal sound yet. Another EP that came out last year titled Nightwind: Conqueror from the Stars was a small improvement on the overall song writing.

Earlier this year we got a single "In Coldest Embrace" which opened the door to much better studio production quality. They also did an amazing job on that Deep Purple cover for the song "Burn". 

For this debut we kick things off with "To Withhold The Day". Instantly we get an epic audible pummeling followed by the lower strings on the guitar fret making the listener close their eyes to take it all in. These sounds eventually lead you into an infectious melodic hook. Surprisingly there's even a wonderful guitar solo in this song as well which is much appreciated. Solos aren't the first thing you think of when you're talking about black metal so even if they're not reinventing the wheel, it's so refreshing.

Next up is that aforementioned single from earlier this year. It's good but we're not going to dwell on it for too long. In fact, we'll skip ahead to "The Secret of Steaming Blood". Love that title by the way. That opening chug riff before vocalist Ruttomieli screams the name of the song "THE SECRET OF STEAMING BLOOD" before the rest of the lyrics definitely got my blood steaming. Maybe the secret is to play this song. Let me tell you, despite its intentionally raw sound, the riffs are still groovy! It's all thanks to the 2 guitarists. One of them who is labeled as the rhythm player goes by the name Haaska and the other who is the lead, also credited as the bassist.

Speaking of not being able to pronounce things, we have the next track which starts with the letter Y. It looks like it says "Yonsilma". Those dots above the O and the A indicated that I did not say that correctly. But one thing I will say is that despite them being in the background behind the vocals, the shredding guitar work is face melting! "Vihan Verhon Takka" continues the trend of the guitar work knocking your socks off with those pinch harmonic style riffs. I didn't think I was going to be treated to such an imposing power metal presence in the overall tone but boy am I glad it's here to stay.

Throughout the album we get so many symphonic elements sprinkled into the songs. There's so much variety here and I doubt that any fan of black metal would get bored. To further prove my point, we have "The Moonlit Dance of the Twisted Jester's Blood-soaked Rituals". It has a winding guitar riff and a few crazy yet maniacal laughs and there's no vocals. That's right, this one is a jaw dropping instrumental track. Most interludes like this are calm, but not this one. This one is relentless!

"Fire Burns The Horizon" takes you straight back to the blistering cold black metal experience and casts a spell on you after its second half which causes the listener to become even more entranced. The echoey sounding voice that you hear feels like it's coming from deep within a dark cave.

"Into the Silvery Shadows of Night" is a relaxing tune with haunting screeches. Dor the concluding song, "Suden Tie (Wolven Hour pt. 2)," "Wolven Hour" was a song title on the Piercing Through the Frozen Eternity - EP so it's cool that there's a follow-up to it. It's an amazing way to end a solid debut album.

When I say that Horned Lord of the Thorned Castle is a solid debut, I genuinely mean that! This is hands down one of my favorite black metal albums of the year and gets a 9.5 out of 10 from me.

Metal Debate Album Review - Horned Lord Of The Thorned Castle (Moonlight Sorcery)

Today we’re looking at the new release from US power metallers Immortal Guardian entitled Unite And Conquer. I’ll begin with the album’s first track, “Ozona.” This one is very representative of Immortal Guardian’s approach generally, and would be at home on any of their other releases, as it displays what the band does so well.  The flurry of melded guitar and keys at the beginning is classic Gabriel Guardian! There are some good riffs to be found here, albeit not super hooky. The versing is kinda so-so, to be honest, but when the chorus hits you there’s some great syncopation and unity of sound and direction. And the time-change accompanying Zima’s plaintive “whoa-oahs” at the end is just icing on the cake – really drawing the listener in to the magic of this song. Like so many of their tracks, I can find imperfections when I break them down into their components, but the sum of the performance is typically greater than the parts.
 
Jumping ahead to song three in the listing we find the energetic yet evocative “Roots Run Deep.” This one features guest vocals from the mighty Ralf Scheepers of Primal Fear.  I love Scheepers as a singer, and think his is a nice contribution, but honestly Zima’s voice is the star here. The baritone intro he gives at the beginning is absolute gold – you won’t hear many genuinely metal songs that include that brand of vocal delivery, much less in a way that fits so seamlessly with the feel of this song.  Uptempo with great kitwork by drummer Justin Piedimonte, I really can’t get enough of this one!
 
Further in we find “Lost In The Darkness,” another track with guest vox, this time from the amazing Vicky Psarakis, formerly of The Agonist. Much like in the previously discussed song, Psarakis’ assist is solid but serves best as a foil to launch Zima’s own stellar crooning. I just love the trade off lead vocals, with each singer trying to out do the other. And Guardian’s solo is fire – the perfect length and tone.
 
My final song to highlight is “Divided We Fall”, and if I had to choose one track on the album it would likely be this. The thing I most love about “Divided” is that, in a number of respects, the band kinda keeps it right on the edge musically. The bridge in particular is a very haphazard sonic skittering where I feel like the band is at any point about to take the song off the rails… but somehow they pull it off and transition into that moderate paced but beautiful verse. Zima really pushed himself to his limits on this one to great effect exuding killer voice control.
 
Those are my favs, but the other six tracks each have something to offer as well. 
 
I’ll admit I’ve not given Carlos Zima his proper due as a singer, initially in my own mind lumping him in with a subgroup of singers having surface vocal similarities. But Zima is a hell of a singer, and he definitely proves it on this album with some of his best performances to date. We haven’t touched on “Un Dia A La Vez,” a song where he opens himself to some ranges he hasn’t on any previous Immortal Guardian track, so very beautiful and in some parts almost feminine in his delivery. And the album finale “Rise Of The Phoenix” has him able to convey emotional subtleties before exploding into a scream machine.
 
Gabriel Guardian is truly remarkable in his approach utilizing both the guitars and keys as true twin lead instruments. Guardian has the keys in the foreground bringing loud, tight notes and driving that lead melody. There’s a lot of work Guardian puts into building these compositions such that the instruments complement and don’t clash. 
 
I’m giving Unite And Conquer a 8 ½ out of ten rating.  It’s absolutely worth your time to check out. Support Immortal Guardian by purchasing Unite And Conquer from M-Theory Audio.

Album Review - Unite And Conquer (Immortal Guardian)

Welcome back metalheads to another episode of The Great Metal Debate podcast. Its Xander back with a new album review. Today we will be briefly talking about my thoughts on the new album from Hulder titled Verses In Oath. Those of you not in the loop, Hulder is a one woman black metal band from Washington State.

I had heard the name Hulder muttered a few times on the internet over the past few years and I mistakenly thought it was an old school black metal band. But sometime last spring, I decided to give her a listen and discovered that Godslastering: Hymns of a Forlorn Peasantry was the one and only album released by her on Iron Bonehead Productions back in 2020.

I remember thinking the album was okay but before I began listening to Verses In Oath, I figured it would be a good idea to revisit the debut. In the past week, I have listened to the debut twice in a row because I ended up being kinda impressed when I really paid a lot more attention.

For Verses In Oath, we see that she has now signed with 20 Buck Spin. And 3 weeks ago, black metal promotion uploaded the first new music video for "Hearken The End". I had listened to the single only a couple times before I got my hands on the promo and even after listening to Verses In Oath front to back 3 times, I can confidently say that ... Godslastering is better. Sorry.

Don't get me wrong, Versus In Oath is a decent record but its a small step down.

It all begins with the obligatory intro track where all you hear is the sound of crows cawing followed by some thunder. Its very generic and cliche compared to the first song on the debut which was "Upon Frigid Winds". That was a great way to kick off a first album, not some build-up to a forgettable track like "Boughs Ablaze".

Going back to that single "Hearken The End". It don't mind the hypnotic chanting/choir esq clean vocals she does but it seems like the guitar throughout the majority of these songs are washed out in the mix with the other instruments. Its certainty a far cry from a song like "Creature of Demonic Majesty".

The album title track didn't really do much for me either but one thing about this record that I thought was silly was the two interlude tracks. Why couldn't the operatic sirens of "Lamentation" just be combined into the same track as "An Offering"?

"Cast Into The Well Of Remembrance" was a song that stood out to me because of the synth work and the acoustic guitar moment. Too bad it was faded out in the studio mix and was overpowered by the drum cymbals being too loud. Plus there was that mild tempo change where the electric guitar and the vocals both sped up together.

The remaining three songs didn't stand out much to me as they all kinda sounded too similar. This type of black metal definitely appeals to a certain crowd being both avant-garde and a little on the raw side. Again, I must clarify that both of Hulder's records are decent but are not what I would rank as top tier.

I applaud anyone who is a one person band because it shows both musicianship and dedication. I can also appreciate how her lyrics are more focused on medieval folklore instead of the tired satanic theme we're all used to seeing. So if you think you'd be into this, I'm sure you'll be able to buy her digital files and merchandise on her Bandcamp page. But in conclusion, I'll rate Versus In Oath with a 5/10.

Metal Debate Album Review - Verses In Oath (Hulder)

Welcome back to the Metal Debate podcast. Today we’re reviewing the new album Myths Of Fate from powerhouse Leaves’ Eyes. I’ll touch briefly on each track in the listing, and then on some individual performances and notable elements of the sound.

“Forged By Fire” is Myths Of Fate’s opening song, and the album’s first single. This one is dark and dramatic, with a dynamic vocal performance from Siirala and contrasting growled lyrics from Krull. A track like “Realm Of Dark Waves” is more straightforward while still giving heroic vibes with a very singable chorus. “Who Wants To Live Forever” has a slower tempo with well-crafted riffs and colorful keys, while “Hammer Of The Gods,” is a classic Leaves’ Eyes anthem along the lines of ”King Of Kings” or “Fires In The North” in terms pacing, energy, and execution. One of the more intriguing songs on the album is “Into Eternity,” an incredibly emotive track - a potent mix of grit and gloss. “Fear The Serpent” feels massive and epic without losing any personality its the delivery.

The second half of Myths Of Fate doesn’t lose any momentum. “Goddess Of The Night” gives a folksy mood before moving to more vainglorious territory. “Sons of Triglav” brings power metal melodies and gothic metal atmosphere with brilliant juxtaposition of harsh and clean vocals. “Elder Spirit” is raucous and groovy, driven by potent riffs, and “Einherjar” (En-har-yar) has a pleasant, plucky sound along with some moments of intense metallic heaviness. The closer “Sail With The Dead” brings even more aggressive yet theatrical flavor, building to a dramatic peak in a superb finale. On Myths Of Fate each track seems painstakingly arranged with plenty of thought put in to creating dynamism and variety.

Instrumentally, Myths Of Fate displays a lot of the hallmarks of past Leaves’ Eyes albums. I’d describe Guitarists Mikki Richter and Luc Gebhardt as restrained in their approach, but always competent when featured. I particularly like the way the guitars come out of hiding toward the end of “Goddess Of The Night” with an evocative lead break beneath the final chorus and then bringing the track to an epic close with crunching riffs. On “Hammer Of The Gods” the guitars nimbly jump between melody and crunch, making a song work that otherwise might have fallen apart under the care of less skilled instrumentalists.

Composer Jonah Weingarten – who some might know from Pyramaze – has provided a killer score. He is great here in splicing ambient melodies and atmospheric tendrils together into a tight sonic expressions. The orchestrations don’t batter you over the head Nightwish-style, but are organic and fit seamlessly with the other musical elements.

Elina Siirala has truly stepped up her game vocally on this one. Not that she didn’t hold her own before, but this is on another level from her previous efforts. The first time I heard the intro track “Forged By Fire” I wasn’t even sure it was Siirala singing. She evinces some real Tarja Turunen vibes on the verse here before moving back into her more accustomed timbre on the chorus. Another example of this change is “Into Eternity.” While I wouldn’t say the song itself is overtly commercial, she does give almost a pop sensibility with the texture of the delivery, crooning and oohing her way through the track. And all along the way Krull gives the perfect growling counterpoint… exactly as much as needed, when its needed, and never overstaying his welcome.

While I have enjoyed Leaves’ Eyes last few albums, I have felt at times the band had bogged down with certain stylistic elements that deviated from the core of what they do best musically. Hats off to producer and mastermind Alexander Krull for delivering one of his best efforts. I’m giving Myths Of Fate a rating of 9/10. Myths Of Fate is released on March 22nd by AFM Records. You can purchase the new album plus other music and merchandise from the band via their official website and many other online outlets.

Album Review - Myths Of Fate (Leaves' Eyes)

Welcome back to the Metal Debate podcast, breaking down the new release from British metallers Ingested titled The Tide Of Death And Fractured Dreams.

The album begins with “Paragon Of Purity.” This song is exceptionally tight and focused, with the band unleashing a healthy helping of slam riffs, but also an outstanding reoccurring melodic guitar lead which, two-thirds of the way through, morphs into an intense solo. The song closes in violent fashion with a rolling breakdown and vocalist Evans exploding in a cascade of demonic spit-growling. Track two, “Endless Machine,” is a mid-tempo number in the classic slam vein, although it wanders toward tech death territory as it progresses. 

“Where No Light Shines” has an eerie synth overlay that creates a simple but effective basis for the song’s melody, with the guitar later replicating the synth. It’s a great example of how to seamlessly integrate the death and slam approach. I absolutely love the atmosphere that’s created - just smart, considered songwriting. Probably my fav track on the album. Next up we hear the brutal harmonization of “Starve The Fire.” Evans pulls out nearly every vocal tool in his arsenal, with growls, screams, vocal fry, pig squeals, and rock singing. Guitarist Sean Hynes stays in a support role on this one laying a heavy foundation on guitar with mostly slam riffs and eschewing any lead break. Unfortunately, and despite some memorable lyrics and melody, “Starve The Fire” didn’t seem to be building to anything as an overall composition, and then it just kind of ended awkwardly. On “Expect To Fail” we have plenty of brutality but also the addition of clean vocals performed by Josh Middleton of Sylosis. It’s another mid-paced track, with Jeffs occasionally revving the engine, but mostly the band taking a moderate, meandering approach throughout.

Mid-way through this ten-track album comes a twist with an instrumental number called “Numinous.”  This one is splendid with gorgeous melodic lead and outstanding backing orchestration. When I first heard this, I thought I had inadvertently started playing some Insomnium, because you get a lot of the same ambience here. In truth, there are hints of that melodic death vibe – albeit with different riffing style – throughout The Tide Of Death And Fractured Dreams. Track seven is “In Nothingness,” a fairly straight-ahead composition, mid-paced, with another guest vocal appearance, this time from Mark Hunter of northern Ohio groove-core act Chimaira. The pairing is an interesting one – not what I would have anticipated – and while there is some appeal to the versing structure, the differential created between singers didn't quite work for me.

The energy gets kicked up a notch on “Pantheon” with more slam riffs and pig squeals if you are in the mood for ‘em, as well as classic breakdowns toward the end. Yet still, if you listen carefully, there’s some melodic elements below the surface, and even a bit of catchiness in the versing. Nothing commercial in any sense, but definitely catchy.

Equal in brutality to any other track on the album, but also with a quasi-epic metal feel to it - is “Kingdoms Of Sand.” Somewhat tech-deathy in its precision, at this point you’ll have to have come to appreciate the sophistication of Hynes as a guitarist and composer. The album’s closer “A Path Once Lost” spends its first few stanzas with undistorted guitar and emotive, melancholic singing from Evans. Further in we get some overlapping cleans and growls. The contrast in sound was great, but the lyrical pacing seemed off. A decent track overall, but not among the strongest in my opinion.

This album is excellent, although admittedly there were a few tracks that didn’t quite resonate for me. I’m giving The Tide Of Death And Fractured Dreams a strong 8 out of ten rating. You can purchase the album digitally and in a variety of physical formats through metalblade.com or wherever you buy music.

Metal Debate Album Review - The Tide Of Death And Fractured Dreams (Ingested)

Welcome back to The Great Metal Debate podcast. Today we will be focusing on a black metal band called Kanonenfieber with their second full-length studio album Die Urkatasthophe.

Admittedly I didn't jump on Kanonenfieber for their Menschenmühle debut, and when I did I was blown away. I loved how this band had melodic riffs but still managed to keep the semi-raw sound yet still be catchy.

I have grown tired of the obligatory intro tracks for every fucking metal band in existence but I actually kinda like "Grossmachtfantasie" because it just kinda fits. The first single they released for this new record was titled "Panzerhenker" and it completely flew under my radar. But then I listened to it and was thoroughly impressed. I loved the repeating word "Deutschland" in the lyrics, especially since it has triple vocal layering between the lead vocalist and the backing vocals from both guitar players. Another nice touch was the reverse breakdown towards the conclusion of this track where all the instruments temporarily cease from blasting away so the vocal lead can have a whispering segment.

"Sturmtrupp" begins with guitar chugging with marching drum beat but you hear an actual war whistle in the background before the song picks up its speed. The entire song is groovy and is undoubtedly a real head bobber. "Der Maulwurf" was the 2nd music video. There's undeniably a rhythm to the melodic sounding chorus that seems like it's being yelled in your face. I love how the song ends with a gun cocking sound followed by a gunshot.

The next track "Lviv zu Lemberg" opens with another radio transmission before throwing you head first into the bullet storm that is this band's music. There's a slow break in here but it swings back with a vengeance to roar your ears off. Moving on we have "Waffenbrüder" which was released a while back with a lyrical video that I never got around to seeing. Nothing really stands out much about this one aside from the wonderful guitar melody towards the middle. Nevertheless, it's bad ass much like the rest of this band's work. The next track which is titled "Gott mit der Kavallerie". I love how you hear not just gunfire but war horses too. One complaint that I have about this one is that it seemed longer due to its somewhat repetitious structure.

"Panzerhenker" was another one of the earliest singles released for this new album and for good reason. This one fucking rocks! It sounds aggressive and there's even a funeral doomy section halfway through this song where the guitars have a soft whine to them while the vocalist preforms these slow deep growls. Definitely my favorite part. Its cool how "Ritter der Lüfte" opens with the sound of an old bomber airplane engine. I love how you also hear the planes flying overhead periodically during this song. "Verdun" is a short intermission track where you hear a German soldier speaking in his native tongue loud and clear with the faint sounds of bombs being dropped in the distance. All the while there's a somber guitar tone being plucked to help add to the background noise.

I won't even try to pronounce the name of this song but its the long A word. "Ausblutungsschlacht" Nothing too outstanding about this one. Its a little lengthy with a five and a half minute runtime. I like the piano at the end of this track. Too bad it’s short lived. The final track on this incredible album titled "Als die Waffen kamen" is presented to us in the form of acoustic guitar and clean singing. It may not be considered metal but its certainly a nice little pallet cleanser.

This album is definitely an improvement from the debut. I wish they would have done a callback to the machine fire drum beat that was used in the song "Grabenlieder". It would've been so cool if they did that again but for a bit longer. I'm going to give this one a 8.5/10 rating. Support Kanonenfieber by purchasing merch from their Bandcamp page. You can also listen to their music on all streaming platforms.

Metal Debate Album Review - Die Urkatasthophe (Kanonenfieber)

Nervosa frontperson Prika Amaral joins the show in this interview recorded in Nashville prior to the band's performance at The End!

Excerpts from the Nervosa track "Behind The Wall" (Jailbreak, 2023) used with permission from the artist.

Metal Debate Interview - Prika Amaral of Nervosa (09-22-2024)

Welcome metalheads to another episode of the great metal debate podcast. It's Xander with another back to back album review. Today, I'm probably going to be giggling a lot during this because we're talking about a parody band. Yes that's right, good old fashion spoof comedy. This band is called Dimmu Bongir which is making fun of the popular symphonic black metal band Dimmu Borgir. This is their brand new album titled Dark Medieval Hash which is making fun of Satyricon's debut album Dark Medieval Times. The black and white album cover even looks similar.

Before I go any further, I have to point out that this band actually is from Norway. That is the one thing about this band that isn't a joke. Also, this band is basically the modern black metal equivalent of the band Cannabis Corpse. Those of you who don't know, Cannabis Corpse is a parody death metal band that makes their own original music but just takes small jabs at other classic old school death metal bands by changing around song and album titles to fit marijuana themes.

The same is happening here, only its black metal and the music isn't exactly original. I just discovered this band the other day thanks to the YouTube algorithm bringing me to their music video for "A Witch is Stoned".

"Bongens kammer del 1" is a two and a half minute instrumental intro track which is clearly a parody title for Dimmu Borgir's instrumental "Sorgens kammer del 1" even if I personally am more familiar with the song Sorgens kammer del 2". Ah, ok I'm looking at the track list. The final track on this album is "Bongens kammer del 2". Makes sense.

I'm not really sure what "Du som røyker brunt" is supposed to be a spoof of but next we have the album title track followed by "Deathkush" which is a jab at Mayhem's "Deathcrush".

"I troldskogen fyrer weed" is a parody of "Troldskog Faren Vild" by Ulver. I had to YouTube the first part of the song title to see what popped up because I'm honestly unfamiliar with Ulver.

However I also have no idea what "Pipens Åpenbaring" and "Tåkeleggelse og røketrang" ... Look, I'm not fuckin Norwiegen here, I have no idea how to read or pronounce this shit. I don't know what they are supposed to be spoofs of. But the idea is still funny.

I assume the word "Pipens" has to do with smoking because it sounds like the word pipe.

Honestly, if I didn't know this was meant to be a comedy band, I would've never known. The music and vocals both sound great albeit nothing groundbreaking.

I'm going to keep this review short since I know this band isn't meant to be taken seriously. As I already mentioned, it isn't bad but it's completely unoriginal. I'll give it a 6 out of 10.
Their music is available on all streaming platforms but their physical media is completely sold out on their bandcamp page. I'm not sure if they have plans to do reprints of their "Hvis pipen tar oss" debut that has a colorized parody album cover of "For All Tid". But I don't currently see hard copies of Dark Medieval Hash or shirts available for sale.

If you're really interested in showing your support for these Norwegian "Weird Al" Yankovics, feel free to contact them on Facebook and ask them about their merch.

Metal Debate Album Review - Dark Medieval Hash (Dimmu Bongir)

Welcome back to The Great Metal Debate podcast for another amazing metal album review.  Today we’re looking at the new one by UK symphonic power metal crew Fellowship with their second full-length album “The Skies Above Eternity” released by Scarlet Records.

Fellowship is a band that appeared on the scene just a few years ago and immediately received a lot of positive perception by power metal fans, so much so that it makes me question if I missed something. I have heard their 2022 debut “The Sabrelight Chronicles” maybe once, and for whatever reason didn’t find it worth revisiting. But Fellowship has definitely blown up and made a name for themselves in the genre, including appearing on the bills of Epic Fest in Denmark and Mad With Power Fest in the US.

I’ll go ahead and somewhat telegraph my conclusions out of the gate: based on this album at least, I think folks who are sky-high about Fellowship should tamp down the enthusiasm, but certainly any haters need to reevaluate their take because there’s a lot to appreciate as well.

First, singer Matthew Corry’s voice is both powerful and pleasant, and he impresses with his ability to manage against the symphonic mix with the strength of his diaphragm. Other than one misplaced falsetto on track one, he hits all the notes and conveys genuine emotion in his tone. That said, one of the problems I have with Fellowship’s approach overall is that there isn’t enough contrast provided between his saccharine-sweet singing and the rest of the music. I really noticed this in the few places where the instrumentation dropping out entirely as on “World End Slowly” and there was at least the contrast with silence. If you are going to have a metal band with vocals that are so slick and sugary – basically a singing style that would be at home in adult contemporary rock – you really, really need something with a touch more rawness for contrast.

Musically – and I’ve hinted at this earlier – the guitars don't crunch as much as I would like throughout.  It’s not so much that I need the distortion up front in the mix but that, again, the contrast with the vocals would be helpful. That said, the guitarwork is effective and I appreciated the subtle infusion of neoclassical playing in places.  Bass guitar is present throughout the album and often noticeable, as are keys. There is a lot of keyboard and vocal layering happening, and Fellowship makes judicious use of effects like bells and various other symphonic instrument sounds. The orchestration generally is solid, although not so impressive as to merit the inclusion of the final track referenced previously. Callum Tuffin's drumming on the album is outstanding and a key element of the album’s overall vitality.

As far as the overall aesthetic, the mood created by Fellowship’s is consistently uplifting, victorious, and frankly, happy. It evokes a fantasy atmosphere – almost Tolkien-esque, which I guess shouldn’t be a surprise given the band’s logo font – with gorgeous sound and adventurous, melodic structures. I wouldn’t say that what Fellowship does here is innovative overall, but there is a freshness to the execution and some creative takes. While there are no overt references to Christianity, if one didn’t know better they would be forgiven for thinking this was a white metal album along the lines of Lightmare or Theocracy.

 “The Skies Above Eternity” is too much sunshine and rainbows for my taste. If I have one suggestion for Fellowship going forward it would be to mix in just a couple of darker, moodier tracks on the next album. Not simply for their own sake, but because the comparison would make the band’s lighter songs shine even brighter!

Fellowship’s “The Skies Above Eternity” is released by Scarlet Records on November 22nd. You can purchase the new album via ScarlettRecords.com, Bandcamp, and other places you find quality metal music.

Metal Debate Album Review - The Skies Above Eternity (Fellowship)

The Metal Debate podcast closes out the year with Xander and Gomthog counting down their top 20 metal albums of 2024.

Intro music by CONTRA. The track "Clown King" by Odious (Clown King, 2024) used with permission from the artist; the track "Rankarumpu" (Rankarumpu, 2024) by Korpiklaani used courtesy Austin Griswold / Secret Service PR.

Episode 78

Victor and Chris from Canadian metallers Lutharo join the show during their tour stop in Chicago to discuss their latest album and upcoming European tour!

Excerpts from the Lutharo track "Reaper's Call" (Chasing Euphoria, 2024) used with permission from the artist.

Metal Debate Interview - Lutharo (11-30-2024)

Xander checks in with the guys in Oinkliteration prior to their show in December 2024.

Excerpts from the Oinkliteration track "Hog Tied" used with permission from the artist.

Metal Debate Interview - Oinkliteration (12-28-2024)

The podcast returns with another amazing Metal Debate album review. This time Gomthog takes on the new one from The Halo Effect titled "March Of The Unheard" (Nuclear Blast, 2025).

Intro music by CONTRA; intro voice by Greg Kyle (RIP).

Metal Debate Album Review - March Of The Unheard (The Halo Effect)

The Metal Debate podcast is back with another amazing album review... in this one Xander breaks down the new one from doom/death collective Clouds titled "Desprins" (2025).

QUOTES
"If you’re a fan of Decembre Noir, Frowning and Ahab you will absolutely adore this album along with everything else this band has ever done... I don’t like just handing away perfect 10/10 ratings like its Halloween candy, especially this early in the year. But for Clouds, I’m going to make an exception. This Desprins album has completely blown me away."

Check out Clouds' music at https://www.youtube.com/@UCEByuBmN2Vi7aXN4i8CJZCA 

Purchase music and merchandise from Clouds at https://cloudsofficial.bandcamp.com/album/desprins 

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Podcast intro music by CONTRA; intro voice by Greg Kyle (RIP).

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Metal Debate Album Review - Desprins (Clouds)

The Metal Debate podcast is back with another amazing album review... this time Xander talks the debut from Swiss melodeath unit Atlas Ashes "New World" (2025).

QUOTES
"I’m mostly impressed by this album… Nicholas and Nathan’s guitar playing is absolutely gorgeous, Yann’s drumming is skillful without a never-ending barrage of blast beats, Lorick’s bass has an even flow in the mix. The overall studio quality is impeccable for being produced independently."

Check out Atlas Ashes’ music at https://www.youtube.com/@AtlasAshesBand 

Purchase music and merchandise from Atlas Ashes at https://atlasashes.bandcamp.com/ 

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Podcast intro music by CONTRA; intro voice by Greg Kyle (RIP).

CONTACT
Business email: TheGreatMetalDebate@gmail.com


Metal Debate Album Review - New World (Atlas Ashes)

In this interview Xander is joined by the guys in Malignancy before their show at The Brass Mug in Tampa!

Excerpts from the Malignancy track "Existential Dread" (2024) used with permission from the artist.


Check out Malignancy's music at  https://www.youtube.com/@MalignancyNY 

Purchase music and merchandise from Malignancy at https://malignancy.bandcamp.com/music 


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CONTACT
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Metal Debate Interview - Malignancy (02-22-2025)

The Metal Debate podcast is back with another amazing album review... this time talking the latest from US power metallers Niviane titled "Queen Of Phantoms" (2025).

QUOTES
"Overall this is one I enjoyed… I’m keeping this one in my playlist rotation, and I’d go see them play live in a heartbeat if they were to have a gig within a day’s drive."

Check out Niviane’s music at https://www.youtube.com/@NivianeMetal 

Purchase music and merchandise from Niviane at https://www.niviane.com 

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Podcast intro music by CONTRA; intro voice by Greg Kyle (RIP).

CONTACT
Business email: TheGreatMetalDebate@gmail.com


Metal Debate Album Review - Queen Of Phantoms (Niviane)

Molly Kent from stoner metal upstarts Omenbringer joins the show prior to the band’s headlining performance at Exit/In in Nashville!

Excerpts from the Omenbringer track "Stir The Cauldron" (Thicc Darkness, 2024) used with permission from the artist.


Check out Omenbringer’s music at https://www.youtube.com/@omenbringerband 

Purchase music and merchandise from Omenbringer at https://omenbringer.bandcamp.com/ 

SOCIAL LINKS:
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Metal Debate Interview - Molly Kent of Omenbringer (03-14-2025)

Xander checks in with black metal upstarts Voidrium prior to their performance in Tampa opening for Belphegor!

Excerpts from the Voidrium track "Vulcanalia" (Vulcanalia, 2024) used with permission from the artist.


Check out Voidrium’s music at https://www.youtube.com/@Voidrium 

Purchase music and merchandise from Voidrium at https://voidrium.bandcamp.com/ 

SOCIAL LINKS:
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CONTACT
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Metal Debate Interview - Voidrium (03-23-2025)

The Metal Debate podcast is back with another amazing album review... this time looking at the new album from avante garde black metallers Imperial Triumphant, “Goldstar" (Century Media Records, 2025).

QUOTES
"I would describe the overall aesthetic of the record as postmodern in the sense it is purposely eclectic and incorrigibly interdisciplinary, which results in the music of Goldstar appearing both splendid and also at times disturbing…  This is glorious black metal nihilism."

Check out Imperial Triumphant’s music at https://www.youtube.com/@centurymedia

Purchase music and merchandise from Imperial Triumphant at https://www.imperial-triumphant.com/

SOCIAL LINKS:
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Podcast intro music by CONTRA; intro voice by Greg Kyle (RIP).

CONTACT
Business email: TheGreatMetalDebate@gmail.com


Metal Debate Album Review - Goldstar (Imperial Triumphant)

The Metal Debate podcast returns with another amazing album review...  the latest release by folk metal titans Eluveitie titled “Ànv” (Nuclear Blast Records, 2025).

QUOTES
"Eluveitie are the gold standard for the genre… I’m giving  a 9 ½ out of 10.  It’s my favorite metal album of 2025 so far!"

Check out Eluveitie’s music at https://www.youtube.com/@NuclearBlastRecords 

Purchase music and merchandise from Eluveitie at https://eluveitie.ch/ 

SOCIAL LINKS:
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Podcast intro music by CONTRA; intro voice by Greg Kyle (RIP).

CONTACT
Business email: TheGreatMetalDebate@gmail.com


Metal Debate Album Review - Ànv (Eluveitie)

The Metal Debate podcast is bring featuring another amazing album review...  Xander reviews the latest from Hate titled “Bellum Regiis” (Metal Blade Records, 2025).

QUOTES
"Even though I enjoy Hate, I gotta say that I have only recently become an even bigger fan... that one new track by Hate destroys everything Behemoth has made in the past five years!"

Check out Hate’s music at https://www.youtube.com/@metalbladerecords 

Find music and merchandise from Hate at https://linktr.ee/hateofficial    

SOCIAL LINKS:
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Podcast intro music by CONTRA; intro voice by Greg Kyle (RIP).

CONTACT
Business email: TheGreatMetalDebate@gmail.com 


Metal Debate Album Review - Bellum Regiis (Hate)

The podcast is joined by guitarist Mat Davis of US metallers following their performance at Legions Of Metal Fest at Reggie’s in Chicago!

Excerpts from the Castle track "Nosferatu" (Evil Remains, 2024) used with permission from the artist.


Check out Castle’s music at https://www.youtube.com/@hammerheartrecords 

Purchase music and merchandise from Castle at https://www.heavycastle.com  

SOCIAL LINKS:
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CONTACT
Business email: TheGreatMetalDebate@gmail.com


Metal Debate Interview - Mat Davis of Castle (05-02-2025)

The Metal Debate podcast returns with another amazing album review, looking at the new album from Italian folk metal crew Æxylium titled “Myth Of Mankind” (Rockshots Records, 2025).

QUOTES
"Truly a joy to experience… I don’t do this often, but I’m giving “Myth Of Mankind” a 10 out of 10 rating. Many thanks to Æxylium for producing an album that I just can’t stop listening to, and one that is definitely contender for my top record of 2025!"

Check out Æxylium’s music at https://www.youtube.com/@RockshotsRec 

Purchase music and merchandise from Æxylium at https://www.aexylium.it/ 

SOCIAL LINKS:
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The Great Metal Debate Podcast:
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-great-metal-debate-podcast/id1037874814
https://soundcloud.com/thegreatmetaldebate

Podcast intro music by CONTRA; intro voice by Greg Kyle (RIP).

CONTACT
Business email: TheGreatMetalDebate@gmail.com


Metal Debate Album Review - Myth Of Manking (Æxylium)

The Metal Debate podcast returns with another amazing album review... today looking at the new album from progressive death metal unit The Biscuit Merchant, “Tempora" (2025).

QUOTES
"If you are interested in a distinctive listening experience, Tempora by The Biscuit Merchant… (is) definitely worth the listen and the support."

Check out The Biscuit Merchant’s music at https://www.youtube.com/@thebiscuitmerchant8554 

Purchase music and merchandise from The Biscuit Merchant at https://thebiscuitmerchant.bandcamp.com/ 

SOCIAL LINKS:
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The Great Metal Debate Podcast:
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-great-metal-debate-podcast/id1037874814
https://soundcloud.com/thegreatmetaldebate

Podcast intro music by CONTRA; intro voice by Greg Kyle (RIP).

CONTACT
Business email: TheGreatMetalDebate@gmail.com


Metal Debate Album Review - Tempora (The Biscuit Merchant)

In this interview recorded June 18, 2015, Brian talks with singer Brittney Slayes of the Canadian metal band Unleash The Archers.  Brittney gets us caught up on some changes in the band as well as an update on their new album, 'Time Stands Still'.   Credits: Excerpts from the song 'General Of The Dark Army'(Demons Of The Astrowaste, 2011) from fan-filmed footage performed live by Unleash The Archers.

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Brittney Slayes of Unleash The Archers (06-18-2015) Interview

The Metal Debate is back with another metal album review... Xander breaking down the debut album from Nashville black metal cultists Lenax, “Infection" (2025).

QUOTES
"… some frightening shit!  (You should) buy this record and.. if you live in the Nashville area (attend their) local shows."

Check out Lenax music at https://www.youtube.com/@lenaxmetal 

Purchase music and merchandise from Lenax at https://lenaxmetal.bandcamp.com/ 

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Podcast intro music by CONTRA; intro voice by Greg Kyle (RIP).

CONTACT
Business email: TheGreatMetalDebate@gmail.com


Metal Debate Album Review - Infection (Lenax)

Xander is joined by Patrick and Van from Nite at Boggs Social & Supply in Atlanta as the band kicks of their eastern North American tour with Savage Master!

Excerpts from the track "Cult of the Serpent Sun" (Season of Mist, 2025) used with permission from the artist.


Check out Nite’s music at https://www.youtube.com/@seasonofmist 

Purchase music and merchandise from Nite at https://nitemetal.com  

SOCIAL LINKS:
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CONTACT
Business email: TheGreatMetalDebate@gmail.com

Metal Debate Interview - Nite (06-13-2025)

In this interview recorded in Nashville TN on July 10, 2015, we talk with L. Ben Falgoust from the American blackened death metal band Goatwhore.  Ben gives insight into what the band has been up to since the 2014 release of 'Constricting Rage Of The Merciless', their current tour with Ringworm, Black Breath, and Theories, as well as their plans for the future.  Credits: Excerpts from the song 'In Deathless Tradition'(Blood For The Master, 2012) from fan-filmed footage performed live by Goatwhore.

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Have a question for the podcast, or a suggestion for an artist you’d like us to interview? Give us your feedback at: thegreatmetaldebate@gmail.com


Ben Falgoust of Goatwhore (07-10-2015) Interview

Aline Happ, lead vocalist for the symphonic alternative metal band Lyria, is featured in this interview recorded March 21, 2016.  Aline talks about the band’s 2014 album 'Catharsis' and upcoming live on-line concert.  Excerpts from the Lyria track "The True War" (Catharsis, 2014) used with permission from the artist.

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Aline Happ of Lyria (03-21-2016) Interview

Russian symphonic metal troupe Imperial Age is back in January 2018 with a new album – The Legacy Of Atlantis.  The current incarnation of Imperial Age boasts an impressive line-up of gifted musicians with a solid metal look.  This, their third full-length release, was quickly followed by the band embarking on an extensive tour of Europe with metal legends Therion.

The album The Legacy Of Atlantis is devised as a metal opera.  The story set in an alternative history of planet earth - somewhat akin to Jon Schaffer’s ‘Something Wicked’ mythos - featuring ancient advanced civilizations, hyper-evolved superhuman biologies, and global cataclysms.  The cover art depicts the protagonist in all his glory with the fantasy world setting framed behind.  This is great metal fare, especially for fans of concept albums!

The album opens with “The Awakening” followed by the title track “The Legacy of Atlantis” – two of the strongest tracks on the album.  “The Awakening” is a solid march that a barrels over the listener with a display of power and poise.  The song “The Legacy Of Atlantis” employs a deft, engaging countermelody on the guitar, gives a killer catchy verse, and great melody throughout.  Another album highlight, the track “Domini Canes” is a lofty anthem that features guest vocals from Therion’s Thomas Vikstrom.  While the album meanders a little toward the end, there are no bad tracks on this release, and the fantastic story carries the listener through any rough patches.  Imperial Age may be at their best with mid-tempo rockers such as “Island’s Of Time”, a song featuring solid riffing that allows space for their triple-vocal attack to do its damage.  

And the singers on this album are impressive, with Alexander "Aor" Osipov giving the male operatic vocals with power befitting a warrior race.  Anna Moiseeva’s classic highs are inspiring, aided by Jane Odintsova’s mezzo soprano, providing a range of emotion and color to the lyrics.  The vocal mix is superb here – even in the chorus and choral portions, you can still hear each distinct voice lending itself to the total sound.

Those looking for virtuoso metal guitar might be disappointed with The Legacy Of Atlantis, as the musicians in Imperial Age keep it simple, with tasteful solos that do their work and then get out of the way.  The music as a whole – never a single instrumentalist – is always the focus.  Imperial Age are able to create a big, epic sound without the orchestral/symphonic elements ever overwhelming the listener.  Indeed, while this is a must-have for symphonic metal enthusiasts, certainly fans of more straightforward European power metal will find much to like here as well.

I give this album a rating of 8 ½ out of ten.  The Legacy Of Atlantis is solid, modern metal – heavy and melodic with capable musicianship, talented singers, and excellent composition.

Album Review - The Legacy Of Atlantis (Imperial Age)

Podcast where Gomthog and co-hosts engage in lively debates on heavy metal music as well as interviewing artists and reviewing albums.  Occasional explicit language.

The Great Metal Debate

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