BAD TASTE! LOUD RIFFS! TOO MUCH CUM!
At The Gates
At the Gates deliver a brutally concise melodic death metal blueprint whose precision, urgency and riff economy remain formidable.
Rhapsody
Rhapsody’s symphonic power metal spectacle is energetic and technically polished, but relentless excess turns grandeur into fatigue.
Tetrarch
Unstable turns anxiety into blunt, heavy hooks, though its narrow emotional vocabulary and repeated structures limit the payoff.
Anthrax
Anthrax return with sharpened riffs, huge choruses and the kind of rhythmic discipline most comeback albums never find.
Moonspell
Hermitage trades Moonspell’s usual theatrical force for reflective weight, and the restraint often reveals more than spectacle would.
Turisas
A triumphant return! Turisas2013 is a glorious, galloping folk metal feast that reasserts the band's unique and brutal vision.
Emperor
More intricate and disciplined than its predecessor, though Emperor’s increased complexity sometimes suppresses the raw emotional force.
Dark Tranquillity
Moment balances melodic clarity with controlled aggression, delivering a dependable Dark Tranquillity record that rarely risks instability.
Unleash The Archers
Abyss has a vivid cosmic atmosphere and several soaring peaks, but its long arc loses tension between major set pieces.
Finntroll
A compact, expertly made Finntroll record whose darker atmosphere is persuasive, though few songs become truly indispensable.
Ad Infinitum
A poised symphonic-metal debut with strong melodic architecture, dark color and a bonus-heavy runtime that dilutes its focus.
Dark Tranquillity
Dark Tranquillity’s melodic death metal landmark is rich in ideas and atmosphere, though its restless complexity sometimes obscures its hooks.