OUR LIST OF 2025’S MOST INFECTIOUS EXTREME METAL SONGS (PART 8): THEMATA, VICTIM OF FIRE, HVRT

 MOST INFECTIOUS SONGS-2025  4 Responses »
Jan 132026
 

(written by Islander)

As I’ve repeatedly stated (to protect the innocent), this is MY list, not some kind of list of THE SITE. But while my own tastes and listening habits drive things, I do try to pay attention to what our readers have suggested, as well as what got our other writers pumped up. That’s pretty much what drove me to package these next three songs together:

Yesterday’s segment was likely to make DGR happy, and today’s installment should make Andy Synn happy… unless he thinks I fucked up and picked the wrong songs from these three albums. Well, we’ll see….

But what I really hope is that these selections will make YOU happy when you hear them. And to be clear, I’m still driving this bus. While my co-writers helped steer me toward these albums and songs, I genuinely did find them very catchy, memorable, infectious in different ways. Continue reading »

2025 – A YEAR IN REVIEW(S): SHORT BUT SWEET

 LISTMANIA 2025  2 Responses »
Dec 052025
 

(Andy Synn kicks off “List Week” a little early with a round-up of all the EPs he’s checked out this year)

All going to plan today is Friday 05 December, which means that tomorrow I’m heading to Switzerland for a mini-honeymoon (the proper one will be sometime next year).

Don’t fret though, as while I won’t be “physically” around the site as much I’ll still be taking over NCS entirely next week to publish my annual lists of everything I’ve listened to (enough to have formed a solid opinion, at least) this year, beginning with the “Disappointing” albums on Monday, then the “Good”, “Great”, “Critical Top Ten”, and “Personal Top Ten” (in that order).

Before then, however, I wanted to round-up all the various EPs (and related short-form releases) I managed to get in my ears this year (more than last year, I think, which is always nice), which also includes – at the end of the article – my personal favourites of the year.

As always you’ll find links to stream every single release here – which, I suppose I need to stress, is not in any way a definitive list! – so hopefully at least some of you will have the good sense to bookmark this page and spend some time over the next couple of weeks checking out some very deserving bands!

Continue reading »

SHORT BUT SWEET: HEAD OF THE BAPTIST / THEMATA / UNDERNEATH

 SHORT BUT SWEET  1 Response »
Oct 162025
 

(Andy Synn encourages you to check out three of his favourite EPs from the last month)

As always I’ve been a little lax in covering the various EPs and related short-form releases which have been put out over the last 10-ish months.

But I’ll hopefully be able to sneak a few more in before the end of the year (when, as always, I’ll be putting together a round-up of all the things I’ve listened to, including those I didn’t get to write about), beginning with today’s trifecta of auditory abuse from Head of the Baptist (Belgium), Themata (Finland), and Underneath (USA).

Continue reading »

SEEN AND HEARD ON A SATURDAY: NO RAZA, EGOCIDE, THEMATA, VILE APPARITION, VÍGLJÓS, JUNEAU, WSTRĘT, HETEROPSY

 Album Reviews, Metal News, RANDOM FUCKING MUSIC, SHORT BUT SWEET  No Responses »
Aug 302025
 

(written by Islander)

This Saturday roundup is larger than usual — one new music video, seven songs from records due for release over the next couple of months, and an EP released a week ago.

Once again, I fell down a rabbit hole of high-powered musical intensity expressed in differing ways, from brutal and bludgeoning to mind-lacerating. I’m also going to give myself a pat on the back (because you’re too far away to do it) for arranging the songs in a way that I think provides a coherent flow (flow really isn’t the right word for the movements from song to song, but I haven’t thought of a better one).

P.S. In the U.S. this is Labor Day Weekend, a three-day break from work for a lot of people (but not everyone). As is our habit around here, we’re not taking a break. As usual for us during holidays, we’re just going to ignore this one and continue fouling the airwaves straight through Monday. Of course we hope you’ll come back to see what we have in store tomorrow and the next day, but even if you aren’t here we will be. Continue reading »