Paradise Lost have returned with their seventeenth studio album, "Ascension," which delivers a powerful, dignified statement rather than reinvention. The album art, featuring George Frederic Watts' painting "The Court of Death," perfectly captures the album's themes of human futility and grandeur against inevitability. The music feels heavy and dark, with deliberate, unstoppable guitar riffs and Nick Holmes' potent vocal delivery, alternating between guttural roars and weary cleans with authority.

"Ascension" opens with the intense "Serpent on the Cross" and mellows into the contrasting "Tyrant’s Serenade," blending bleak verses with melodic choruses. The album's heart lies in tracks like "Salvation," a mournful lament with a mix of harsh and clean vocals, and "Silence Like the Grave," which balances despair with catchy melodies and deep growls, showcasing the band's mastery in gothic doom metal. The midsection slows the pace with hymnal, immersive tracks like "Lay a Wreath Upon the World" and the flood-like "Diluvium," before picking up the venomous momentum in "Savage Days."

Standout tracks in the latter half include "Sirens," a doom-laden gothic metal jewel with seductive melody, and "Deceivers," delivering bitter, punk-like energy. The album concludes with "The Precipice," a grim, heavy track encapsulating the album's uncompromising mood, ending the journey without catharsis but with cold confrontation.

Performance-wise, Holmes continues to refine his dual vocal style, with gutturals sharp and cleans full of weathered authority. Guitarist Gregor Mackintosh's leads define the album's mournful and cutting melodies, supported by heavy, thick rhythm work and precise drum control that creates tectonic impact without sterility. The overall production balances crushing heaviness with melodic detail.

"Ascension" is not a fast or loud album but a deeply emotional, heavy, and mature masterpiece that requires patience to appreciate fully. It is a record of ceremony, grief shaped into melody, and riffs carrying decades of experience—an album that whispers the longest and establishes Paradise Lost as masters who continue writing their future rather than resting in their past.

This album stands as a dignified, heavy, and melancholic work that remains relevant and potent, securing its place in year-end metal conversations for 2025

In 2020 the band realized a new Video (“Rock and Blood”) + Album (We Rock Hong Kong - 2020 Bootleg Album) as a tribute to the worldwide rockers that never surrender.

Video “Rock and Blood”: www.youtube.com/watch?v=PwNMocNsJpM
Website: blackjackband.altervista.org/

Record Label: Phantom Records – London (UK).
The Video “Rock and Blood” was realized under 2020 Covid-19 lockdown times, and some of the vocal melodies, guitar tracks and video parts were created by the contribution of well-known International artists.
The Album "We Rock Hong Kong - 2020 Bootleg Album" is a real bootleg album, that has stolen to the production studio in Hong Kong before the band recorded the final tracks.
The songs are indeed "guiding tracks" yet in midi mode, like synths, guitars, drums.
The album is available for promotional full free download by this link: blackjackband.altervista.org/#album

Save Blackjack and his band is endorsed by:
#GRbass amplification (www.grbass.com/),
#PKV pickups (www.pkvpickups.com/),
#Rigotti cables (www.rigotticables.com/),
#EarPeace earplugs (www.earpeace.co.uk/),
#Orphee strings (en.orphees.com/),
#Stefyline bags (www.stefyline.com/en/),
#PietroFerrante jewels (www.pietroferrante.com/it/).

Special thanks to:
Anett Horváth (Leecher) – Hungary (www.facebook.com/anett.horvath.39/),
Francesca Tosi (Mediera) - Milan Italy (www.facebook.com/francyxaldinilmetallaro.tosi/),
Vince Nardelli (Flying Daggers) - Hong Kong (www.facebook.com/vince.nardelli.13/),
Ashish Jerry Justin, guitar player of band “OZmium” – Hong Kong (www.facebook.com/ashish.j.silvester),
Angel Rock (The Clan) - Milan Italy (www.facebook.com/angelrock83/),
Laudez Rose (Indya) - London UK (www.facebook.com/natalie.indyawest.9/),
Pino Rizzitelli & Ronnie Alberti (C.O.D.E.) - Varese Italy,
Danny Fury (Tango Pirates) - London UK (tangopirates.altervista.org/),
Andy Basiola (Future Shock) - London UK (www.facebook.com/andrea.basiola/),
Giada Chelli (Violet Bland) - Florence Italy (www.facebook.com/GiadaCChelli/).

'Anthems To My Remains' is the debut release of Polish one-man band Thorns Of Grief, formed by Nebiros. A decade or so back, you couldn't move in the Doom scene for stumbling over one-man Funeral Doom bands but that seems to have dissipated somewhat now, based solely on my own experience. Therefore, it's with a delightful irony that I say that having the opportunity to listen to one now makes a lovely change for me!

Yes, that's right - Thorns Of Grief is 100% Funeral Doom, and if that's not your thing to begin with, then this release won't change your mind. Nebiros sticks to the core principles of Funeral Doom rather rigidly, as all must to an extent I suppose, given the vast number of sub-genres of Doom Metal now. Still, some bands push it and attempt to fuse new elements, but that's not the case on 'Anthems To My Remains'.

Some of you might find this release boring for that reason; I can't deny that. Personally speaking, however, I'm a fan. I like all forms of Funeral Doom with the proviso that it's done well, and I'm pleased to say that Nebiros ticks each box on that front here.

What I found interesting about this album is that he opted to switch between a very forlorn yet longing atmosphere and an altogether more brutal sound with pained harsh vocals and some early '90s raw fuzz to accompany it. I like both but to see them together isn't all that common, in my experience, because it's hard to pull off. The more 'longing' feel fused with some beautiful piano interludes and acoustic guitar makes for natural bedfellows - but not always the aggression that Nebiros has utilised here. It works, though - I could listen to this album whether in a more angry mood or relaxed mood because of it.

In terms of production, I think it could be considerably better than it is, especially when I heard how the fading screams sounded on 'Till Our Rebirth'. Having said that, I believe that having a poorer production aids music of this nature because of the atmosphere it generates so although I mention such, I do so in more of an observational manner than as a criticism. The only real criticism I have of this album is that I found it to be quite short, at least by Doom standards. The growled vocals convey the desired emotion well enough, the guitarwork is good, and none of the instruments are overbearing/too low in the mix often enough to be annoying.

If I had to compare Thorns Of Grief, I'd say that you'd find similarities to the music produced on 'Anthems To My Remains' on early Funeral releases, Ornamentos Del Miedo's 'Este No Es Tu Hogar', and littered throughout the career of Mistress Of The Dead, to name but a few that come to mind. Obviously I could by no means could I call 'Anthems To My Remains' original, but I enjoyed it a lot for what it was. No complaints here!

To summarise, this is a hauntingly beautiful piece of Funeral Doom that we've all heard before, but one I personally will never tire of hearing.

Tracklist :
1. Thorns Of Grief
2. A Longing
3. Till Our Rebirth
4. The Deceit Of Materiality
5. Illusions

Duration : Approx. 48 minutes

thornsofgrief.bandcamp.com/releases

'Melting The Ice In The Hearts Of Men' is the fourth album by Austria's Our Survival Depends On Us. Generally, I consider myself well versed in the ways of Metal. I am usually quite comfortable at evaluating and reviewing Metal albums from a myriad of genres. This album was a bit of a new challenge for me. It made me feel like an outsider looking in, usually I'm in the deep end of Heavy Metal swimming happily. 'Melting The Ice In The Hearts Of Men' put me on the pool deck, wearing water wings, trying to find a safe place to hang my towel. That is not to say the album was unwelcoming or harbored a pretentious eliteness, I think this album just operates on a different scale than I am used to. Think of combat; there are MMA fighters and boxers who specialize in one on one combat, there are security forces such as SWAT that are a small, elite, skirmish units, then there are full blown armies. I feel that this album operates like full scale invasion of a continent, while I'm a guy getting punched in the gut by a ham-and-egger in some dank, musty, boxing ring somewhere. 'Melting The Ice In The Hearts Of Men' operates on a huge scale and occupies a much larger space and breadth then I am used to Metal doing. It is a little intimidating and not my usual listening wheelhouse, but those feelings come from my own shortcomings, not a lack of accessibility by Our Survival Depends On Us.

To craft something on the level of 'Melting The Ice In The Hearts Of Men' it takes talent, artistic vision and first rate production capabilities. Typically, I prefer distorted, stripped down and bluesy over the orchestral, eerie, and atmospheric this album serves up. Our Survival Depends On Us has a way of seamlessly blending dashes of Black Metal rawness, Doom riffage, progressive drums, sports arena organs, and an array of percussion. They whirl all those components into something new and fresh. There is a lot packaged in there, it creates a haunting, dark, piece of art that is breathtaking, they just used way more colors then I am accustomed to.

At times this album feels like it could almost fall into the "soundtrack" category but it has some inexplicable elements that make it seem a bit more multifaceted then what would generally be construed as its peers. It does however beg to be overlaid with visuals.

The second track 'Gold And Silver', my favorite track, is an amalgamation of many different genres. It takes a cheap, tin-can, circular Black Metal guitar opening and quickly shifts lanes into Candlemassian beefy riffs and a huge crying guitar solo. Although the song clocks in at over 10 minutes, tempo changes and elemental genre fluidity that are all beholden to a driving percussion make the song worthy of its length. The run time allows the band to find little pockets and corners within the song to jam out, exploring different sounds yet all under the same banner. It is like riding a train, each town or stop along the way is different and diverse but still lies on a single track. There are many different vistas here but they are all connected.

In some ways this album has left me trying to define the undefinable. 'Melting The Ice In The Hearts Of Men' is an incredibly unique, massive, opus style piece. If I had to categorize it into a genre I would lump it into "Post-Metal". It was interesting and enlightening to listen to, I'm still not sure I fully understand what message it's trying to convey, but it was inspired and entertaining nonetheless.

Tracklist :
1. Galahad
2. Gold And Silver
3. Song Of The Lower Classes
4. Sky Burial

Duration : Approx. 47 minutes

oursurvivaldependsonus.bandcamp.com/

www.facebook.com/oursurvivaldependsonus

This act were one of the many who jumped the classic thrash wagon in the late-80’s as at that time thrash was still the talk of the day pretty much. It was buried later under piles of groove and other numetal innovations, but the underground resistance, which eminent members were also our friends here, stayed alive longer.

The debut demo was a really cool affair with a characteristic, heavy potent sound recalling Infernal Majesty’s “None Shall Defy” and the Brazilians MX’s “Mental Slavery”, but with more technical guitar work than both. Then came this “Intense on the Brain” mindfucker, the title-track being a most tantalizing showpiece of technical schizoid, labyrinthine thrash accompanied by a short balladic respite (“Reach”).

Then came nothing, I mean the demo reviewed here, and it showed the guys spacing out even more, sometimes beyond the strict boundaries of thrash. Still, the final result is nothing short of outstanding the opening “From Shallows to Fathoms” alone worth the price of admission, a bizarre jumpy shredder with super-technical “skirmishes” ala Realm and Deathrow duelling with heavy stomping additives and eccentric speedy bass-driven jolts, the cool mean-ish semi-clean vocals trying to sound as dramatic as possible in order to match the very quirky musical scenery which, taken in its entirety, doesn’t quite resemble anything out there.

Expect orthodox crossover strokes and very hectic jazzy breaks to add more to the otherwordly nature of this most diverse saga that carries on with the stolen from the earlier demo etude “Reach” which grows into jumps and jolts galore served by the thrash/crossover extravaganza that is the title-track which also contains some really hard-hitting thrash with more puzzling riff-spirals, virtuoso lead sections, and merry uplifting speedy dashes the latter taken straight from the Lawnmower Deth and The Accused textbooks; totally surreal stuff with the befuddling time-signatures flowing from all sides replaced by a quiet lead-driven balladic finale. Comes another “Reach”, a 4-min nerve-scratcher with aggressive pounds interlaced with more perplexing technicality and accentuated bassisms, the lead guitarist shining bright for the umpteenth time although it’s the visionary complex riffage that captures the imagination the strongest as there are so may ingenious original riff-patterns to be encountered within a such short span of time. Time to relax with “Intense on the Brain”, a 1.5-min crossover joke having nothing to do with the number of the same title from the preceding demo, and with the The Beatles cover of “Polythene Pam” which is easy to recognize despite the frivolous crossover aura and the next in line stylish lead insertion.

There’s so much to savour within these 15.5-min that the demo title can’t be any more paradoxical, intentionally of course; this is a most eventful concoction of styles and influences which amazingly sounds absolutely compelling and absorbing as even the most mind-scratching moments will be swallowed without any problems due to the optimistic atmosphere that wraps everything, and greatly eases the process. It’s a fairly unique listen that has its rightful place among left-hand-path recordings from around the same time like Omnitron’s “Masterpeace”, Transilience’s “Mouthful of Buildings”, Headcrasher’s “Introspection”, Jester Beast’s “Poetical Freakscream”, also the unjustly forgotten, very obscure heroes from France Les Gnomes, etc. although this effort has not much to do with Voivod, the tangible influence on most of those other albums. The guys were going their own individualistic way, and only god knows how far they were going to reach up this most unusual musical trajectory…

They may have perched on the very top of Mount Bizarro in subsequent years, but this must have happened under a different “cloak” as the band changed their name to Nervewomb a few years later, and had reportedly altered their style to something equally as weird, but outside the metal spectre. Well, I would still be more than curious to check out what this new/old “womb” has been able to bear…

Band:Napalm Ted,  album: Coffin Liquor, genre: Death Metal/Grindcore

'Coffin Liquor' EP is Napalm Ted's third release this year, and fifth in all. They don't build sonic cathedrals, but about a minute or two long grindcore/death metal pieces. Yeah, they can get very intense... So get ready for their newest squirt of fermented load, because they are coming fast!

Well, mostly. There is quite a bit of tempo changes happening. From fast blasts to mid-paced/slower beats. The songs, albeit short, are about changes. The songs tend to move into a new part almost every time they change (sometimes the band return back for chorus or something at ending of songs). Is this a fucking mess? Not composition-wise, even though that that could have been very easy to "achieve". A song keeps changing but this variety is sticky and able. Progressive grindcore/death metal; this is it!

All in all, this has a burn time of almost 12 minutes. During this snippet of time the band are able to give us death metal (bands such as Carcass and Vomitory can be smelled), grindcore (Nasum... Repulsion... Terrorizer) and punk (Discharge). Atmospheres go from insane (on 'Baker' there's a jolly nursery rhyme going on... and Macabre comes to mind) to oppressive and brutal. The band cannot be accused for stagnation or running out of ideas.

The vocals, performed by two guys, vary a lot, too. Guttural, throaty or snarly in Jeff Walker way growling is accompanied by throat-ripping, insane shouting. The lyrics partly include black humour, but on the other hand, can be a look at modern society. Instrumental-wise, this is very good. The guitars offer riffing that can be heavy-handed or fast shredding, and open-string stuff. The drums go from blast beats to d-beats and are generally all over the place. In a great way. The bass mauls and brings in... well, bass!

Any way you ingest it, 'Coffin Liquor' isn't a humorous release, except in a twisted way. It is very able in its trade and one of the best ones the band have ejected to date. Viva progression! Viva the old school!

Band:Anthem, album:Hunting Time (2005), genre: Heavy Metal

Anthem was on quite a run when the band released Hunting Time exactly one year after the incredibly catchy Gypsy Ways. The second album with melodic and skilled singer Yukio Morikawa successfully mixes the energy and speed of the band's first three outputs with the catchy and melodic approach of the critically acclaimed predecessor. Anthem found its very own style with this release.

The record opens with a bang in form of the unchained up-tempo track ''The Juggler'' with gripping riffs and howling guitar sounds, a vividly pumping bass guitar, wild yet precise drumming and a more variable vocal effort mixing an uplifting melodic approach with a rawer undertone. This outstanding opener exemplifies Anthem's unique style on this record.

The record features more vivid tunes like the powerful ''Evil Touch'' with its ferocious instrumental section and outstanding guitar solos that is occasionally lightened up by a few epic keyboard passage reminding me of organ sounds.

On the other side, there are also more melodic, creative and complex songs such as the diversified and almost progressive title song ''Hunting Time'' where each band member showcases his incredible talent in six passionate minutes without ever drifting off towards instrumental wankery.

Another song that needs to be pointed out is the rhythmic ''Let Your Heart Beat'' with its thunderous drum play and surgical opening riff before the song gets more melodic and almost danceable towards the longing and soothing chorus, supported by occasional backing vocals, melodically howling guitars and a few decent keyboard patterns. Just like the more explosive opener, this song that never gets boring or predictable perfectly represents what Anthem stands for and can be considered an overlooked highlight on this release as well as in Anthem's long career.

The excellent song material progresses in diversified yet logical order as heavier tracks are often followed by more melodic tunes. Everything is hold together by a refreshingly organic production by Chris Tsangarides who collaborated with the band for a third time in a row.

Anthem was at the height of its career in the late eighties and early nineties. Ultimately, it's a matter of personal taste whether your prefer the more catchy and melodic Gypsy Ways or the more diversified and heavy Hunting Time. Personally, I slightly prefer the latter because the band sounds so variable, unchained and creative and delivers eight killer tracks without any fillers. Anthem has also found its very own style on this record and can't be compared to any other artists or bands here. The energizing and precise instrumental work sounds better than ever before and the vocals find the right balance between energy and melody. Any fan of classic heavy metal of the eighties should own Anthem's Hunting Time.

Up until maybe this year or so, I really hadn't listened to much Vulvodynia. Sure, I had seen people wearing their shirts at concerts and overall people seemed to really enjoy them. But for whatever reason, I just didn't think much of it. Then I actually heard this album and let me tell you, it's insane. Vulvodynia is a death metal band from South Africa of all places, and fit firmly within the "slamming" brutal death metal genre with traces of deathcore here and there. They take their name from a condition of the vagina which causes extreme pain with no identifiable cause. Pretty gnarly, eh? Lately, I have been on a huge death metal kick again, including the more brutal "slam" style and deathcore. So I think it is about time I reviewed the first album from one of the genre's possibly most important up-and-coming bands, Vulvodynia. This is "Cognizant Castigation", and it's going to impale your anus with a literal school bus full of decapitated special education children.

Join Twilight Force, young girls and boys, on this great quest! Together with brethren such as Gloryhammer and Fairyland, they will defend the Twilight Kingdom against the dark lords of serious metal! Ride with our heroes on colorful dragons to the barren lands of evil, harsh metals, and battle the enemy with weapons such as sing-a-long choruses, lush orchestrations, and pure happiness! The quest will be long, exactly 12 tracks, but the energy will remain high with catchy tune after catchy tune to inspire your fellowship. Grab your enchanted sword, head to the wizard for blessings of mighty magic; we ride at sunrise. (Must provide own sword and unicorn.)

01. Battle Of Arcane Might
02. Powerwind
03. Guardian Of The Seas
04. Flight Of The Sapphire Dragon
05. There And Back Again [feat. Fabio Lione]
06. Riders Of The Dawn
07. Keepers Of Fate
08. Rise Of A Hero
09. To The Stars
10. Heroes Of Mighty Magic [feat. Joakim Brodén]
11. Epilogue
12. Knights Of Twilight's Might

This isn't tight jeans, big hair, "coke off a stripper's ass" heavy metal. But it'll blow your mind in the same way without you really realizing quite what's happening. No, this is "walk softly and carry a big stick" heavy metal.

Sumerlands' is a warm, gentle, dark sound. Dark, and heavy with a doomy mood. There's almost, almost, a retro fuzz in the air, coating the music in an imperceptibly thin layer of haze. Guitar solos are sensual, while the riffs are confidently, gently dominating. The record is wonderfully guitar-driven, though the drumming is a vital organ to this beast; never simply keeping time and always decorating the timeless tunes with luxuries we didn't know we needed but now cannot do without.

01. The Seventh Seal
02. The Guardian
03. Timelash
04. Blind
05. Haunted Forever
06. Spiral Infinite
07. Lost My Mind
08. Sumerlands

Listen at Bandcamp

Ceremonia's album 'La Existencia Humana Debe Ser Un Error' is a great example of Death and Doom metal music to come from Colombian/French musicians. The opening track 'Amanever Fallido' is a blend of cold darkened passages. It haunts your mind. Tempos change, and you never really know what to expect. I love the feel of this and it's balanced really well. The changes are quite dramatic and interesting to listen to.

Opening with the sounds of running water and desperate breathing, 'Дорога в неизбежность' (Russian: 'Doroga V Neizbezhnost', meaning 'road to the inevitable') quickly exposes itself as a melodic piece of Gothic Doom once the first song hits, one that is mixed well and accompanied by catchy vocals. The cover art is a little misleading, as the Анклав Снов (the band also use the translation Enclave Of Dreams) logo looks like it belongs more so in the world of Slam and Death Metal, but the imagery itself is quite accurate, and it evokes the same feelings as the music does. The album overall is an energetic, but Doom filled lamentation that only falls short because of a few poor melodies and uninspired songs.

France's Verdun have been going for around half a decade, in that time releasing a single EP/Demo before the subject of today's review 'The Eternal Drift's Canticles'. They seem to share their name with at least two other bands, so be wary when hunting them down on Spotify – I was stumped how they had gone from Black Metal to Oriental-tinged Gothic Metal (covering Classic Rock tracks no less!) to their current form before I realised that I wasn't listening to the same band.

As for their current form this Verdun are a thick 'n' heavy Sludge/Doom band. Whilst possibly lazy to describe a band in such a way, I think if you took YOB, deleted the high pitched wails, and mixed with one of Neurosis's more recent efforts, say 'Given to the Rising', you would have a pretty clear picture in mind of how this sounds.

Opening with a well written pipe organ piece, Quercus's album, 'Heart With Bread' quickly establishes itself as unique. Following the pipe organ, the opening track falls into the sound of ringing chimes as the band fades in. The opening riff is well put together, complete with long drawn out chords, tragic leads, a distinct bass-line, and an interesting drum-kick pattern that makes an otherwise good intro great. Unfortunately, the momentum the beginning track 'A Canticle For The Pipe Organ' carries doesn't last throughout.

'Heart With Bread''s production may be its strongest attribute. The album is definitively Doom Metal, exuding that noisy, reverb-filled sound so characteristic of the genre, while at the same time giving every part and instrument clarity on the soundboard. This is an impressive thing considering how much is going on in most of the arrangements. The aforementioned pipe organ is present on many tracks, often playing with the band, and even then everything remains clear. In addition to this, there are many soaring leads that never seem to step on the rest of the band, and the vocals sit nicely in the mix as well. Quercus achieves atmosphere without minimalism, and this is a remarkable feat considering that such arrangements usually pull off sounding 'big', but maybe not 'atmospheric'.

The songwriting is mostly well put together, but there a few "uplifting" moments that confused me as a listener. Combine this with some of the goofy song titles, such as 'Illegible Tree Name', and it makes me wonder how seriously Quercus takes their album as a whole. The uplifting moments aren't bad, in fact the fourth track 'Silvery Morning' is quite a good song that seems to hang on these sections exclusively, but they feel out of place, and the album loses coherence in this regard. Playing Doom in the major key is not an easy thing to do, and while Quercus doesn't fail at it, they don't knock it out of the park either.

As for the vocals, there isn't much to say about them. For a band that plays such melodic parts, it would be interesting to hear a few vocal melodies in some places, but Quercus's vocalist hangs mostly on growls, with a few raspy parts thrown in. These neither add nor deduct from the music in my opinion. Except for the second track, there was not a single vocal part that seemed to contribute to the music or act as a genuine piece of the songwriting, but at the same time, the vocals followed the growling Doom convention perfectly, and never seemed to hurt any of the songs. As for their tone, it's generic, but on the good end, as in, I've heard it several times before, and while the vocals do nothing new, they do nothing wrong either.

Coming to the end, 'Heart With Bread' leaves me feeling a little confused. There were parts I loved, and there were parts I found cheesy, but no parts that I hated. My trouble with feeling the vibe of the music - mostly due to those major key parts I didn't quite find justified - isn't attenuated with the goofy song titles, ones that don't seem to flow from the feel of the music or the artwork. If you want to listen to something a little different, I'd give Quercus a shot, but they might not be for everyone.

Opening with a well written pipe organ piece, Quercus's album, 'Heart With Bread' quickly establishes itself as unique. Following the pipe organ, the opening track falls into the sound of ringing chimes as the band fades in. The opening riff is well put together, complete with long drawn out chords, tragic leads, a distinct bass-line, and an interesting drum-kick pattern that makes an otherwise good intro great. Unfortunately, the momentum the beginning track 'A Canticle For The Pipe Organ' carries doesn't last throughout.