Reviews Archives - Page 11 of 601

PUSH! – PLOWING AHEAD

Jan 142026

(Andy Synn is plowing ahead with reviews in 2026, aided and abetted by the new one from Push!)

There’s a line in the song “Movie Night” by Aesop Rock that answers the question “What kind of dog is that?” with the words “That’s a mutt… it’s five-dogs-in-one.”

And while we can’t be sure exactly what breed the spiky hound adorning the cover of Plowing Ahead is, it’s clearly not a pure-bred.

But, then again, neither are Push!, as while the Portuguese quintet are definitely a Hardcore band – one with the likes of Born From Pain, Sworn Enemy, and Merauder in their auditory ancestry – there’s also at least some Metal in their DNA too, as the hybrid-vigour of their new album so plainly demonstrates.

THE BEST METAL ALBUM OF 2025 (RAFI’S PICK): TRIVAX — “THE GREAT SATAN”

Album Reviews, LISTMANIA 2025 No Responses »

Jan 132026

Artwork by Nestor Avalos; recommended for fans of Melechesh, Behemoth, Dark Fortress

(Last month Israeli metal writer Rafi Yovell made his reviewing debut at NCS, and while he hasn’t brought us a year-end list to share in our nearly completed 2025 LISTMANIA series, he has enthusiastically identified his album of the year.)

Black metal almost always comes with rage for religious fanaticism, regardless of where or when you’d argue the genre began. Fascinatingly enough, though, I think the Middle East was where black metal would reach its conceptual summit.

There have been many great black metal releases from the region, but last year the Iranian-born but now UK-based Trivax blessed us with one of the best extreme metal records I’ve ever heard.

Surely, I wouldn’t be the first to point out that awesome metal tends to flourish from hardship. And my pick for the best metal album of 2025? Holy fucking J’hannam, The Great Satan takes that concept to a whole other level… Continue reading »

BEZDAN: “UPON THE ALTAR”

Album Reviews No Responses »

Jan 122026

(Our Norway-based contributor Chile has brought us his first review of 2026, and the subject is the long-awaited debut album by the Croatian extremists Bezdan.)

Where did the time go? Well, that’s not really a rhetorical question. Listmania 2025 started happening and the wheels just seemed to fell off my proverbial writing wagon, so the time mostly went with me pouring over all the published lists and scratching my head at how the hell did I miss this or that album. Nevertheless, as a wise man said once: “Metal is never late, nor is it early. It arrives precisely when it means to”. Or something like that.

As another wise man said once (or twice) on these very pages, it seems like we do spend a lot of our time here at NCS playing catch-up, so here we go once again. This review would have been better suited to have happened around the time of the actual release date of this album back in late November or at least early December, but time is relative anyway, as we are about to find out. Continue reading »

SHADES OF BLACK: COSCRADH, ENDSPACE, MERCULISTARYA, CAGED BASTARD

Album Reviews, SHADES OF BLACK 2 Responses »

Jan 112026

(written by Islander)

This morning I read an unexpectedly engrossing essay written by a woman who unexpectedly became an obsessive fan of a Broadway musical named Operation Mincemeat. She makes very clear that fanatical fandom isn’t typically part of her personality — far from it. She spends the entire essay thinking out loud, trying to understand why she has seen the musical at least 12 times, interspersed with evidence of her obsession and stories about how the musical came to be and what it’s about.

Eventually the writer comes close to an answer, which is that the musical is an exception to the “desert drought of originality and ideas” that surrounds us. She writes: Continue reading »

SEEN AND HEARD ON A SATURDAY: INCANDESCENCE, SPEGLAS, PIGPEN, HEIR CORPSE ONE, DEADWOOD, PATRIARCHS IN BLACK, EXHUMED

Album Reviews, Metal News, RANDOM FUCKING MUSIC, SHORT BUT SWEET No Responses »

Jan 102026

(written by Islander)

I’m obviously still doing what I usually do around here, picking out some new songs and videos to share with you this weekend. But in addition to being overwhelmed by the sudden January surge in new music, the task has been especially difficult because I’ve been so infuriated and depressed by the murder in Minneapolis, the outrageous bald-faced lies spouted about it by Trump and his minions, including the fabricated demonizing of the deceased, and the likelihood that the murderer will face no accountability at all. Only ten days into the New Year, and 2026 already looks devastatingly dark here in the U.S.

I haven’t listened to new music over the last couple of days to take my mind off these events, or other terrible events both here and around the world. I do often immerse myself in music for that very reason, as many people do — to get some relief from more awful aspects of existence. But not now. The rage and the sadness aren’t going to be diverted. Now, I’m just trying to keep my head down and carry on because I don’t have any better ideas, even though it seems on days like this that what we’re doing here is unimportant in the grand scheme of things.

Well, sorry for unloading like that. I still want you to listen to all the songs I picked for today. In my humble estimation, they’re all very good, even though I suspect I’ll appreciate them even more on some distant and brighter day. Continue reading »

KREATOR – KRUSHERS OF THE WORLD

Album Reviews 4 Responses »

Jan 082026

(Andy Synn has loved Kreator for a long time… but does he love their new album, out 16 January?)

Let’s get one thing straight… Krushers of the World is one of the best albums of the year so far.

Of course, we’re only 8 days into the year, so if you really think about it the above statement isn’t really saying much, but it’s a nice way to start the review, right?

Maybe it’ll be more helpful to say this… Kreator have been going for over 40(!) years now, and are considered living legends for a reason, but on their 16th(!!) album they somehow still come out swinging with the energy and intensity of a much, much younger band.

And, really, at this stage in their career, what more could you ask for than that?

THINGS YOU MAY HAVE MISSED (BUT SHOULDN’T)

Album Reviews 3 Responses »

Jan 062026

(Andy Synn has not one, not four, but six albums from 2025 to recommend that may have passed you by)

We might be in a new year… in fact, I’m pretty sure we are… but that doesn’t mean we can leave 2025 behind without one last look at a few releases that might have flown under the radar.

Of course, you may also want to check out my extensive, five-part year-end assessment to find even more stuff to check out before 2026 really kicks into gear (and to help you out I’ve provided the relevant links below):

But before you do, make sure to give each of these artists/albums – which collectively cover a pretty good swathe of styles and genres – a chance, as you might just like what you hear!

SHADES OF BLACK: WOE, INNER CLOISTER, PILLAR AMONGST WILLOWS

Album Reviews, SHADES OF BLACK, SHORT BUT SWEET 2 Responses »

Jan 042026

(written by Islander)

I had grand ambitions for this column but they were derailed when I spent more than five alcohol-assisted hours yesterday afternoon and evening watching an especially important football game with my spouse and friends, and then celebrating the outcome. When all was said and done I must have needed a really long period of sleep, because that’s what I got. As I write this, the day is well underway but my head hasn’t caught up yet.

Well, enough about me. I should turn to the music I’d like to recommend, even though the lateness of the hour and the slowness of my mind have conspired to make this column shorter than originally planned. Continue reading »

SEEN AND HEARD ON A SATURDAY: FROST, EXCAVATED GRAVES, DWELLNOUGHT, A LIGHT WITHIN, GROS ENFANT MORT, NEON SCAFFOLD

Album Reviews, Metal News, RANDOM FUCKING MUSIC, SHORT BUT SWEET No Responses »

Jan 032026

(written by Islander)

Here we have the first Saturday NCS roundup of new songs and videos in 2026. It’s a temporal and stylistic mix of things. Temporally, some of it is from records released in 2025 and some from releases slated to happen this year. Stylistically, it will jump you around like popcorn kernels getting hot, including one new song and video that’s well outside our usual musical focus and a closing selection that’s beyond categorization.

I don’t expect everyone to enjoy everything I’ve assembled here, even though I do. That would be too much to expect. I do hope you’ll find at least one thing to brighten your day (i.e., to darken it like a storm cloud). Continue reading »

ULVER – NEVERLAND

Album Reviews No Responses »

Jan 022026

(Andy Synn begins another new year here at NCS with a new album by an old favourite)

The turning of the year is all about change, about rebirth and renewal… and if one band’s career has epitomised all of these things it’s that of Black Metal’s very own “lost boys”, Ulver.

That being said, as someone who’s been a fan of the band for a long time (especially since they fell out of the Black Metal pram and landed somewhere much stranger), the group’s last couple of albums (Drone Activity excluded) have – in my opinion, at least – fallen into a bit of a creative rut, with their attempts to follow in the footsteps of 2017’s fantastic, career redefining, The Assassination of Julius Caesar resulting in increasingly diminishing returns.

Thankfully, however, if history has taught us anything about Ulver it’s that they’re never too far from another stylistic shift, and with the start of a new year comes the start of yet another new era for the band.

Or does it?

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