Each week we dive headfirst into the chaos of the release calendar so you don’t have to, sorting the skull-crushers from the snooze-fests, the molten riffs from the meaningless noise. This week spans everything from pit-starting thrash to fluffy Disney soundtracks, and we’ll tell you what’s worth blasting at full volume and what deserves to be dumped in the bargain bin.

The Good: When it comes to crossover thrash, few bands hit as hard as Cruel Bomb. This four-piece unleashes a ferocious, high-octane assault that distills the genre’s finest elements: the raw aggression of Power Trip, the neck-snapping stomp of Municipal Waste, and the razor-sharp precision of Warbringer. 

On some tracks, Cruel Bomb unleash bone-crushing breakdowns built to spark pure chaos in the pit, pure Hatebreed-style punishment aimed straight at the jugular. Elsewhere, they shift into a mid-tempo, stomp-driven menace ripped straight from Slayer’s darkest playbook. The result? A lethal crossover cocktail, nasty, unrelenting, and as unstoppable as the genre gets.

The bad: A couple of years ago, if I picked up a CD at a store with the Nuclear Blast stamp on it, I knew I was in for some sharp, quality metal. But Auri? That’s another story. Aside from Tuomas Holopainen of Nightwish fame being involved in this project along with his singer wife, this has little to do with metal at all. 

Instead, what you get feels more like Kate Bush wandering into a fairy-tale world of kings, queens, castles, and enchanted forests. Sure, it’s atmospheric, but far from heavy. Honestly, it sounds more like the soundtrack to a fluffy Disney animated movie than something you’d expect from Nuclear Blast. 

The Brutal: New York’s death metal quartet Castrator are back with their crushing second full-length, Coronation of the Grotesque, an album that sharpens their long-honed balance of old-school grit and mosh-ready brutality. It’s heavy, it’s memorable, and it avoids falling into the tired clichés. That doesn’t mean, they’re here to reinvent death metal’s wheel, that’s not the mission. Instead, Coronation of the Grotesque spotlights everything that makes the genre great: razor-sharp riffs, brutal vocals, and relentless headbanging power. A well-executed, bone-breaking death metal experience so what more could you ask for? 

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There was a time when Century Media Records stood at the cutting edge of heavy music, home to some of the most innovative and genre-defying metal and hardcore acts like Tiamat, Eyehategod, and others who all helped reshape the heavy music scene. Now, under the umbrella of Sony Music, the label’s roster feels more diluted. Some of the recent signings seem questionable, lacking the bite and originality that once defined the label’s legacy.

Unfortunately, new Estonian signees Pridian appear to fall into that category. Their brand of modern metalcore: a blend of chugging riffs, polished melodies, and glossy electronics sounds all too familiar, echoing the formulaic approach of countless similar bands chasing the same old and tired blueprint. Not that their debut album Venetian Dark released under the Pridian moniker (they previously went by ÆØNS) is a bad record, but by the time the second track wraps up, I'm already tempted to hit the skip button. Their particular blend of Architects-style modern metalcore mixed with Static-X-flavored industrial gloss wears thin quickly, offering little to hold attention beyond the polished production.

Tracks like “Near Dark” and “Idoldust” follow that formula closely, and whether that works for you will likely depend on your affinity for bands like Static-X or Architects. Personally, I’m not a big fan of either, but if those names appeal to you, there’s a good chance you’ll find something to enjoy in Venetian Dark.

That said, while the band shows technical proficiency, I feel they’re still in the process of searching for a distinct identity and could benefit from a bit more maturity in their songwriting. (5/10)

Jason Hicks

Band info: https://www.facebook.com/pridianband
Label info: https://www.centurymedia.com

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Black Aleph's debut album, Apsides, is a sonic journey that unfolds through layers of atmospheric weight and textural complexity. Consisting of Lachlan Dale (guitar, effects), Peter Hollo (cello, effects), and Timothy Johannsen (percussion), the Australian trio masterfully blends elements of post-metal, ambient, and experimental rock, weaving together influences from the likes of Neurosis, Godspeed You! Black Emperor, Sunn O))), and Earth.

Opening with "Descent," the track immediately sets the tone with a dark, brooding atmosphere that feels almost claustrophobic and ritualistic. The haunting combination of dissonant guitar riffs, throbbing cello lines, hypnotic beats and dark chants instantly draws the listener into a world that feels heavy and foreboding. The use of effects adds an additional layer of menace, making this track a powerful introduction to the album's thematic exploration of space, tension, and inner conflict.

However, as the album progresses, Black Aleph begins to shift gears, leaving behind the almost claustrophobic intensity of "Descent" for a more expansive and contemplative sound. The influences of Arabic music become more apparent, especially in tracks like "Ascension," where the intricate, almost hypnotic rhythms blend seamlessly with the ethereal, echoing sounds of the cello. This shift in tone creates a dynamic contrast, allowing the music to breathe and open up, transforming from moments of tension into waves of introspective calm.

This album is a bold and adventurous exploration of sound, texture, and atmosphere. The lack of traditional song structures gives Apsides a fluid, organic quality, but also a sense of unpredictability. It's a journey through sonic landscapes that feel at once alien and familiar, with every moment offering something new to discover. For fans of dark, atmospheric music with a profound emotional depth, Apsides is an essential listen. (8/10)

Jason Hicks

Band info: https://blackaleph.bandcamp.com

Label Info: https://www.artascatharsis.com

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For someone proclaiming to be a flag-bearer for the new wave of British death-metal, Celestial Sanctuary churn out some generic and sterile old-school flavoured death-metal. 

The band's debut full-length album "Soul Diminished" now available via Church of Road and Redefining Darkness is getting a lot of attention in the underground lately and I can't really understand the hype, not that it's a really bad record per se, but in my opinion it pales in comparison to other robust releases unleashed by Venom Prison and Cryptic Shift. 

For most of the nine tracks of "Soul Diminished", fast and brutal riffs are intertwined with some uninspired and bland mid-paced riffs that owns more to crossover and hardcore rather than death-metal. Try to imagine any run of the mill groovy metal act from the 90's trying to give some leftover songs a filthy and old-school death-metal twist, there's even the occasional breakdown thrown into the equation. Few tracks deviate from this formula,  with some dull and tedious riffs that  never sound nearly as dangerous or threatening as it should be and a bare minimum of lead work.  

There are however some good moments here, "Relentless Savagery" just like the title indicates shows the four-piece distilling a vicious and ferocious death-metal and "Suffer Your Sentience" that recaptures that decadent, moribund riffing of Obituary and Asphyx. But unfortunately it is not enough to offset the negatives and in the long run "Soul Diminished" won't spearhead any resurgence of the British death-metal scene, better leave that effort to Grave Miasma, Cryptic Shift or Venom Prison, who are all doing a much better job. (5/10)

Jason Hicks

Band info: www.facebook.com/CelestialSanctuaryDeathMetal

Label info: www.redefiningdarkness.com | www.churchroadrecords.limitedrun.com

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