Epic Heavy Metal

Cirith Ungol – Dark Parade Review

Cirith Ungol – Dark Parade Review

Cirith Ungol always seemed mysterious and enigmatic to me as a metalhead growing up in the 80s. Their earliest output sounded like it came from a bygone age when Iron Butterfly and Alice Cooper were in their primacy, and no one else sounded anything like them. They were the most cult of bands and that made them all the more interesting. From the clumsy acid rock meets metal of 81s Frost and Fire to 84s massive, doomy, and epic King of the Dead, there was just something odd and fascinating about them. 1986s One Foot in Hell was more traditionally metal but the band’s unique character remained in full force. After a 5 year absence, they dropped the lackluster Paradise Lost and then vanished completely. Thus concluded the strange case of Cirith Ungol. Or so we thought.” No one expects the Cirith Inquisition!

Desolate Realm – Legions Review

Desolate Realm – Legions Review

“Formed by two members of Finnish death metal act, Decaying, Desolate Realm is an old school trve metal project firmly rooted in the classic sword and sandals style. Their self-titled 2021 debut was quite the pleasant surprise and made its way onto my year-end list with its strident, uber-macho blend of Manowar, The Gates of Slumber, Argus, and Visigoth. It was riff-forward, burly, beefy stuff that made my back hair angry and I still return to it when I need a good kick in the ass plate. 2023 sees the project’s twosome return to our realm with sophomore entry, Legions, and little has changed with their battle plan.” Realm whelmed.

Megaton Sword – Might & Power Review

Megaton Sword – Might & Power Review

“Swiss trve metallers Megaton Sword made quite the impression on my war helm with 2020 debut full-length crusade, Blood Hails Steel – Steel Hails Fire. Using my name twice was a sure ticket to getting my attention, and their raw, rough, and epic sound did the rest. It was an imperfect album, but the highs were very high and it reeked of Manopotential. Now a few years on we get the next installment of the Megaton saga and I’ve been eager to wield its unreasonable mass once again.” POWERS.

Darkest Era – Wither on the Vine Review

Darkest Era – Wither on the Vine Review

“Talk about making fans wait for a new album. Way, way back in 2014 I was gobsmacked by Severance, the sophomore release by Irish epic doom act Darkest Era. It had a near-perfect blend of doom, black, goth and Viking genres and felt like a heavy-duty emotional journey through dark, trying times. It stitched together the best parts of Primordial, Atlantean Kodex, Ereb Altor, and Iron Maiden to create an album grander than the sum of its parts. There was a brooding, melancholic beauty and power to it that few albums could equal. I was very anxious to get a followup, and nearly 8 long years later, it finally shows up.” Dark days.

Nechochwen – Kanawha Black Review

Nechochwen – Kanawha Black Review

“It seems like forever since Nechochwen graced our collective lobes with an album. It’s actually been 7 years since the excellent Heart of Akamon, but it feels longer given everything that’s happened since it dropped. Now we finally get new platter Kanawha Black and with it, a different approach for the West Virginia twosome. The Native American themes are still present, and their fusion of genres is still in play, but now the breadth and scope of it all has been thrown wide open.” Mad ambitions.

Ereb Altor – Vargtimman Review

Ereb Altor – Vargtimman Review

Bathory was a touchstone act for multiple metal genres, and though Quorthon has been gone since 2004, his influence still looms large in black and Viking metal. No more proof of this is needed than the 12-year career of Sweden’s Ereb Altor. Their entire output is heavily referential to classic Bathory albums like Hammerheart and Twilight of the Gods and the spirit of mighty Quorthon is never far from their writing. Vargtimman is their eighth platter of classic Bathorycore, and very little is left to chance.” Oversized swords, blackened hordes.