Heavy Metal Talks music blog

  Artist: 156/Silence Origin: Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA Label: Pure Noise Records Released: September 4, 2026 Genre: Atmospheric Metalcore Rating: 5/10 Listen/Buy: Bandcamp 156/Silence are back with their sixth album, From a Distance. The album was released on September 4 through Pure Noise Records and follows People Watching from 2024. I have to be honest, this album starts much better than it ends. The opening slowly builds the tension before the heavy riffs and growling hit you straight in the face. It is aggressive as fuck and gives the album a really strong start. After this, the album changes quite a bit. There are some Rammstein and nu metal vibes here, mixed with post-rock, punk and little metalcore. There are both clean vocals and growling, but the clean vocals do not work for me at all. They are simply not good enough, and after a while a lot of the songs start to sound the same. The growling and heavier parts work much better. There are also plenty ...

  Artist: Colliding Worlds Origin: Germany Label: Independent Released: August 21, 2026 Genre: Melodic Death/Gothic Metal Rating: 7/10 Listen/Buy: Bandcamp Colliding Worlds are a melodic death/gothic metal band from Germany, and Iridescence is their fifth full-length album. It was released independently on August 21 and consists of six tracks with a running time of just over 50 minutes. The first thing that hit me was the guitar playing, which is absolutely fantastic. Together with the atmosphere, it creates a dark and melancholic sound filled with both longing and sadness. There are some really beautiful melodic parts here, but the album still has plenty of weight. The vocals fit the music perfectly. The growling is clear, dark and on point the whole album. It becomes even more powerful on Abyss, where the vocals sound fucking insane.  Abyss is a bit more aggressive, and it really stands out for me. The album opens with Enigma, a track that runs for more th...

  Artist: Warning Origin: United Kingdom Label: Relapse Records Released: June 19, 2026 Genre: Doom Metal Rating: 7/10 Listen/Buy: Bandcamp Rituals of Shame has been a highly anticipated album. It's been 20 years since Warning released Watching from a Distance, and now they return with five tracks and around 45 minutes of new music. I'll be honest , i was a bit scared to review this one. This is a strong album. Strong in many different ways. There's so much emotion here, with plenty of longing, self-loathing and all that kind of crap. This is very melancholic doom metal. The music is extremely slow and built around heavy guitars, dark melodic parts and long build-ups. Most of the time it works, but there are moments when it drags out. Some parts could have been a little shorter without losing the atmosphere. The album deals with guilt, shame, longing and love. The vocals carry much of the emotion, and they are very good. Really fucking good! They fit the d...

  Artist: Coma Control Origin: Finland Label: Independent Released: August 14, 2026 Genre: Progressive Death Metal Rating: 7.5/10 Listen/Buy: Official Links Coma Control are a progressive death metal band from Tampere, Finland, and Shed the Sleep is their second full-length album.  There was something about this dark and melancholic sound that capture me right away , and made me curious. There`s a lot happening on this album. At times it becomes chaotic, but it is technical and controlled, and most of the changes work really well. The music can go from heavy and aggressive to something much more atmospheric before changing direction again. Normally, this amount of change could easily become a mess, but Coma Control know what they are doing. The longer tracks made me skeptical at first , because this can easily loose my interest, that is not the case here. At times this is pure chaos, but it is technical and controlled chaos. There are changes everywhere, heavy...

  Artist: SAROF Origin: Lappeenranta, Finland Label: Independent Released: August 7, 2026 Genre: Melodic Death Metal Rating: 9/10 Listen/Buy: sarofband.com Melodic death metal from Finland just keeps getting better and better, and SAROF are no exception! Already after a few seconds, I was sold. There is just something about the sound on this album that hit me immediately. Via Discendi is the second full-length album from SAROF, following Force of Will from 2019. It contains nine tracks and runs for just under 40 minutes, and the quality stays high throughout the whole album. The sound reminds me of the old melodeath scene and that classic Gothenburg sound, and it is so fucking good. Is this the new melodeath sound coming from Finland? I do not know, but it sounds amazing. The vocals are on point all the way through. There are some great variations in the voice, which give the album exactly what it needs. The guitars are sharp, technical and fucking rhythmic, full ...

  Artist: Enshine Origin: Sweden / France Label: Independent Released: January 3, 2026 Genre: Melodic Death/Doom Metal Rating: 5.5/10 Listen/Buy: Bandcamp I thought I reviewed this album when it was first released, but apparently I forgot about it. So with a lack of both creativity and time, I decided it was finally time to bring out Elevation again. This is Enshine’s third full-length album and comes more than ten years after Singularity . It consists of eight tracks and runs for around 50 minutes. You can feel the atmospheric longing and darkness already from the first track. This is a heavily melancholic album. The guitars are beautiful and full of emotion, with some really good riffs and melodic parts. Together with the keyboards, they create a dreamy and almost cosmic atmosphere. The keyboards can become a little too dominant, but for the most part this works really well. The vocals are also good, although they disappear a little into the music from time to t...

  Artist: Sojourner Origin: International Label: Avantgarde Music Released: July 10, 2026 Genre: Atmospheric Black Metal Rating: 6/10 Listen/Buy: Bandcamp After saving "Lunar Tear" i went back to hear it again.I noticed the album had just dropped ,had to check this one out. Never heard Sojourner before. Gateways is Sojourner's fourth album, out July 10 on Avantgarde Music. Atmospheric black metal mixed with folk, doom and gothic elements. This isn't the type of black metal i usually listen to, and I'm not that well-travelled in this part of the genre. Still, the album definitely has some moments. There's a really good melancholic atmosphere throughout the album, with a solid dose of doom mixed into the black metal. The melodic side hits hard with powerful riffs, black metal elements and blast beats, while the growling is solid all the way. I understand the contrast they are going for, putting the clean vocals against the growling , but for me...

  Artist: Dark Side Origin: Gniew, Pomerania, Poland Label: Independent Released: July 10, 2026 Genre: Melodic Death Metal/Metalcore Rating: 9/10 Listen/Buy: Bandcamp Dark Side – W matni is actually an album I should have reviewed last weeked, but it is holiday season, and I do allow myself a few days off now and then. So the reviews are not coming as often right now, but they are not forgotten. This album starts insanely good with “Sadysta”, and it hits me right in the face. Anyone who reads the blog knows that I love melodic death metal, and when you throw breakdowns into the mix as well, then I am pretty much sold. This is dark, aggressive and melodic , that really works for me. The riffs hit hard, the guitar solos lift the songs, and the breakdowns give the album the extra weight. The drums are seriously on point, with great blastbeats, technical precision and a drive that keeps the album alive all the way through. And then there is the vocal , it is so good, li...

  Artist: Sigyn Origin: Finland Label: Noble Demon Released: July 10, 2026 Genre: Melodic Death Metal Rating: 6/10 Listen/Buy: Bandcamp Sigyn came up as a new release and I had heard the name before, so I had to check it out. Turned out they had an album back in 2023 ,not the most well-known band to me, so I sat down with zero expectations other than melodic death metal, and there it was , melo death. Opening track "A New Nation" hits you hard right away and sets a solid foundation for what's to come. This is energetic,technically and solid. The synth is clearly meant to add an epic layer, but for me it ends up being more of a distraction than anything else. The guitars and drums are very on point , lots of double bass blast beats and precise, good riffs. And the vocals are really good ,I mean really fuckin good. Honestly it's the vocals that keep me going from start to finish. This isn't a revolutionary record, and I've heard this before , b...

  Artist: Entropist Origin: Colorado, USA Label: Independent Released: June 26, 2026 Genre: Progressive Death Metal Rating: 9/10 Listen/Buy: Bandcamp I knew this one was dropping while I was on vacation in Spain, and when it finally came out and I got to listen to it on my morning walk , wow-that was something else. Had some expectations for this album and they were met bigtime. This is not just and album it`s a journey,didn't expect acoustic guitar or violin on a progressive death metal record, but somehow it works like hell. Technical, brutal at times, lots of progressive shifts and chaos. Vocals are both growling and clean, and I know I've been negative about clean vocals lately, but here they are absolutely fantastic. Opening track "Intense Warmth" sets the standard right away. "Devour Us" follows close behind. Personally I'm a big fan of "Creation".The 14-minute closer Revelation has to be mentioned ,doesn't feel th...

June 2026 — Best Metal Album For Me June 2026   Fires in the Distance – Circadian Promise Melodic Doom/Death Metal | USA This one hit me right in the chest. Not just an album I listen to — it's an album I disappear into. The best thing I've heard in a long time. Read the full review   Entropist – The Vision Progressive Death Metal | USA A debut that hits hard. Huge and ambitious, with a concept that runs deep. Technical precision without losing the groove. One of the best things I've heard this year. Full review coming.   Loneshore – Nothing Left to Deconstruct Melodic Progressive Doom/Death Metal | Brazil Dark, melancholic and atmospheric. The guitars carry this album from start to finish, and the two strongest tracks — "Straylight" and "To Stride the Black Earth" — are something else. Read the full review   Via Doloris – Guerre et Paix Atmospheric Black Metal | Norway Solo project from Oslo with Frost of 1349 on drums. Dark, atmospheric and r...

  Artist: Soliloquium Origin: Sweden Label: Meuse Music Records Released: April 11, 2025 Genre: Melodic Death/Doom Metal Rating: 8/10 Listen/Buy: Bandcamp There is something about lying on the beach and just enjoying life that makes me reach for something a bit calmer and more melancholic, maybee it is the sun, the sound of the sea and the fact that everything moves a little slower, but Famine ended up following me here in Spain. Not exactly typical beach music, but this album somehow fitted the moment perfectly. It is dark, emotional and heavy, but also has enough space in it to just sit back and let it sink in. This is a melancholic death/doom album, and when Soliloquium move into the more melodic death metal parts, it feels almost like a revelation. Those moments really hits me. There is a lot of emotions running through this record, and the more you listen, the more you start to feel the desperation, the loss and the sadness behind it. I can also hear progressi...

  Artist: Novembre Origin: Rome, Italy Label: Peaceville Records Released: November 7, 2025 Genre: Progressive Melodic Doom/Death Metal Rating: 8/10 Listen/Buy: Bandcamp As I was laying on the beach in Spain, Novembre suddenly popped up in my head.I then realized I had never given Words of Indigo a proper listen. So I did. And I am glad for it. The guitars are really good throughout this album, carrying a lot of the melodies and atmosphere that make Novembre sound like Novembre. There is a heavy sense of melancholy atmosphere hanging over the whole record, and the production brings that out in a strong way. Dark, warm and detailed without losing the heaviness. The drums are a huge strength here. Full of darkness, blast beats and small details that give the songs more weight when they need it. This is a progressive and melodic doom metal album, but it never feels slow for the sake of being slow. There is always something happening. My main issue is still the clean ...

  Artist: Loneshore Origin: Rio de Janeiro, Brazil Label: Willowtip Records Released: June 19, 2026 Genre: Melodic Progressive Doom/Death Metal Rating: 8.5/10 Listen/Buy: Bandcamp Don't know who recommended this album to me, but whoever you are , thank you so fuckin much. Nothing Left to Deconstruct mixes post-metal, death metal, doom and even progressive metal. Long parts with build-up, lots of clean vocals, and just a really good vibe. Lots of riffs, blast beats and melodic parts, vocal is both clean and brutal , both works. This is an atmospheric journey through their universe, and i enjoyed listening to this album.The production feels solid , the soundscape is really good,especially on  "Straylight" and "To Stride the Black Earth", which are probably the strongest tracks on the album for me. A really good mix of everything the album has to offer, this is where they really show what they can do. You can really hear their influences here ,the...

  Artist: Fires in the Distance Origin: Newington, Connecticut, USA Label: Prosthetic Records Released: June 12, 2026 Genre: Melodic Doom/Death Metal Rating: 10/10 Listen/Buy: Bandcamp I don't really know where to start with Fires in the Distance – Circadian Promise, because this album hit me right in the chest. First time I heard this ,I sat there with one feeling: WOW. This is something else. And the craziest thing is that it just keeps gettin better with every listen. A feeling I haven't had in a long time. An album that gives me exactly what I need right now ,an escape, a room to breathe, somewhere I can just exist in my own little world. So thank you. Thank you so damn much. I love melodic death metal, and when it's done like this, it's almost impossible not to get pulled in. Everything works here. The vocals, the drums, guitars and bass,razor sharp across the board. Blast beats hit exactly where they should, the riffs grab you, and the solos will...

June has been a strong month for metal so far. Here are six albums that have stuck with me. Via Doloris – Guerre et Paix Solo project from Oslo, Frost of 1349 and Satyricon on drums. Dark, atmospheric black metal with a folk edge. The drumming alone is worth your time. Read the full review Revolting – Supernatural Anthems Straight up Swedish death metal. No reinventing the wheel, but it doesn't need to. Raw riffs, horror atmosphere and enough melodic hooks to stick. Read the full review Dissentient – Black Galactic Progressive and technical death metal from Ottawa. The cosmic side of this album gives it a whole different dimension. "Black Galactic, Black Galactic" — that chant doesn't leave your head. Read the full review Crocell – Swarm of Insects Danish black/death metal. Solid sound, dark vocals, strong moments — but also stretches that are a little too easy to forget. "Traitors' Blood" is the standout. Read the full review Sinamort ...

  Artist: Crocell Origin: Denmark Label: Emanzipation Productions Released: May 29, 2026 Genre: Black/Death Metal Rating:  6/10 Listen/Buy: Bandcamp Crocell – Swarm of Insects leaves me with mixed feelings,the band has a great sound, dark and brutal vocals, solid production and several moments where it really hits. But it's hard to shake the feeling that we've heard this before ,and maybe heard it better too. That doesn't make this a bad album. Far from it. Swarm of Insects is well executed and at times really strong. I do hear less death metal than expected though, and a lot more black metal, atmosphere and dark melody.On its highlights , there's a nice blend of rawness, melancholy and melodic drive. The highlight for me is Traitors' Blood,this  track that stands out the most,because you can hear a hint of thrash here ,and that's never a bad thing. The vocals are dark, raw and brutal, and fit the expression perfectly. The guitars are sharp an...

  Artist: Dissentient Origin: Ottawa, Ontario, Canada Label: Independent Released: June 5, 2026 Genre: Progressive Death Metal Rating: 8.5/10 Listen/Buy: Bandcamp I've listened to Dissentient – Black Galactic a few times now, and it just keeps growing on me. First impression was good, but the more I hear it, the more details show up. The cosmic side of the album especially gives it another vibe even a bigger picture. This is progressive, technical death metal at its core, but it never gets technical just for the sake of it. There's groove, rhythm and weight, and all the progressive parts add depth. The vocals are spot on death metal. Solid, brutal, exactly what it needs. Guitars and the rest of the instruments are top notch too. This oozes quality, and the band shows they have something to bring to the table. The title track "Black Galactic" stands out the most for me. A real mix of death metal, progressive and technical, and that chant , "Bla...

  Artist: Revolting Origin: Sweden Label: Xtreem Music Released: June 4, 2026 Genre: Death Metal / Old-School Death Metal Rating: 7/10 Listen/Buy: Bandcamp Supernatural Anthems doesn't try to reinvent anything. This is straight up Swedish death metal , delivered with confidence, experience and a clear love for the genre. Fast parts, raw riffs and brutal vocals exactly where they should be.And there is even a darker, heavier side to it, where certain tracks are infused by the doom territory and give the whole thing some extra weight. The guitar work is really good ,the riffs are aggressive and catchy at the same time, and the melodic death metal elements give the songs more character than pure brutality alone. That comes through especially in "Dungeon Overture"  and A Midnight Massacare,tracks where the melodies really get to shine without the album losing its raw edge,  a midnight massacare is probably the most melodic track on the album , a highlight..Tha...

Artist: Via Doloris Origin: Oslo, Norway Label: Season of Mist Released: March 20, 2026 Genre: Atmospheric Black Metal Rating: 8/10 Listen/Buy: Bandcamp Via Doloris is the solo project of Gildas Le Pape , the known guitarist who spent years with Satyricon. Guerre et Paix is his debut, and it hits differently than expected. Dark, atmospheric black metal with a folk edge. Seven tracks, none of them short. The songs take their time, and that is both the strength and the weakness here. There are moments where it feels alittle boring and drags out and a few passages could have been cut. But that slow, heavy crawl is also what gives this album its identity. The drumming is the first thing you notice. Frost of 1349 and Satyricon behind the kit ,and it shows. Blast beats, power, brutality. Fantastic throughout. He drives the whole thing forward without stepping on the melodies,it is marvellous. And the vocal is also very good , it fit this album so much , the bass is in a lea...