NITE - CULT OF THE SERPENT SUN (Season of Mist)
The Bay Area heavy metal traditionalists notch their most impressive, cohesive presentation to date on album number three. The tandem guitars of vocalist Van Labrakis and Scott Hoffman tap into an era of extreme music that resonates as both classic and contemporary all in one. Well verse with a pedigree that harkens the heyday of NWOBHM, NITE's blackened variation steers the sound towards modernity rather than rehashing familiar riffs for the sake of revival. Top notch songwriting that balances soaring melodic breaks with fist-pumping, adrenaline-fueled anthems, NITE bridge generations while crafting a sound all their own.
COHEED AND CAMBRIA - THE FATHER OF MAKE BELIEVE (Virgin Music Group)
Doubling down on the aggressive first reveal of "Blind Side Sonny" with the incendiary showing on "Searching For Tomorrow" Coheed and Cambria further immerse fans in the The Amory Wars / Vaxis universe built on the 2022 album Vaxis Act II: A Window of the Waking Mind. The 10th full length studio release from Coheed and Cambria offers another resounding show of songwriting virtuosity, anchored by Claudio Sanchez's otherworldly prowess as a guitarist, a vocalist and a storyteller. Pairing entries that expand the Coheed sound with some of the band's most fiery, antagonistic tracks to date, Sanchez and the crew are still climbing new heights ten albums in.
NASTY - BLACK MY HEART (Triple B Records)
Belgium's purveyors of beatdown have spent nearly two decades refining their brand of sonic pummel. On their latest EP, the band takes on new shades of aggression, enlisting the likes of hardcore flagbearer Scott Vogel of Terror and new wave aggressors Paleface Swiss to diversify their brutality. While tracks like "FTW" and "Hell Of A Show" showcase the relentless onslaught that has become the band's signature, Nasty's ability to remain consistent while evolving is what allows them to make new believers with each outing. Hard-hitting and heavy-wielding, NASTY asserts sonic devastation on Black My Heart.
WARBRINGER - WRATH AND RUIN (Napalm Records)
Modern thrash practitioners Warbringer execute a masterclass on their latest full length, Wrath and Ruin. The Napalm Records release marks the follow up to their acclaimed 2020 release, Weapons of Tomorrow and features the oversight of in-demand producer Mark Lewis whose resume includes celebrated entries from Cannibal Corpse, Trivium, and The Black Dahlia Murder to name just a few. Asserting the band's classic thrash pedigree, Warbringer also flex their range with anthems like "Through A Glass, Darkly" embracing a more traditional heavy metal element that speaks to the band's dexterity.
RWAKE - THE RETURN OF MAGIK (Relapse Records)
Arkansas experimental force Rwake have triumphantly emerged after more than decade-long hiatus with The Return of Magik. The album follows the 2011 release, Rest, and serves as a powerful resurrection of the band's combination of heavy psych and atmospheric doom. Along with the addition of new lead guitarist Austin Sublett, the band deliver an engrossing, highly emotional presentation that underscores an articulate quality in its musical extremity. The collection of six tracks play out like individual chapters complete with unexpected turns and musical shifts that assert serious songwriting expertise. Emphasizing substance over spectacle, Rwake's return might have been long in the making, but well worth the wait.
