UMUR "Songs of Last Resort" is the tenth full-length studio album by Swedish thrash metal act The Haunted. The album was released through Century Media Records in May 2025. It´s the successor to "Strength in Numbers" from 2017 and there have been no lineup changes since the predecessor, making "Songs of Last Resort" the third The Haunted album in a row with a steady lineup.

Compared to the two preceding releases which featured relatively similar music styles combining thrash metal, groove metal, and melodic death metal elements, "Songs of Last Resort" leans a bit more heavily on the thrash metal side of the band´s sound, although the album still features elements from both groove metal and melodic death metal. Album opener "Warhead" is a crushingly heavy and fast-paced thrash metal song and it sets the tone and the standard for the remaining part of the album. The Haunted have audibly changed towards a more sharp and aggressive music style, which is a real treat if you´re fans of the band´s late 90s/early 00s releases like "Made Me Do It" (2000) and "One Kill Wonder" (2003). "Songs of Last Resort" is of course the work of a more mature band and Ola Englund´s (who joined The Haunted in 2013) guitar solos add the occasional more melodic touch to the otherwise relentlessly aggressive thrash metal assault.

The generally faster pace, fierce energy, and increased aggression of The Haunted´s music are welcome after two albums which were maybe a bit too mature and safe in sound and style. "Songs of Last Resort" is The Haunted letting loose and returning to their more savage and gnarly past and it suits them well. In a stream of consciousness it slipped my tongue in my review of "Strength in Numbers" that The Haunted were past their prime, and while that may still be true to some extent, it´s not heard on "Songs of Last Resort" which is through and through a high quality release featuring a powerful, detailed, and heavy sounding production job, high level performances from all involved (it´s probably the best vocal performance I´ve yet heard from Marco Aro), and some effective and powerful songwriting. I appreciate it when artists tell me to shut my music critic mouth with a brilliant return to form, and that´s exactly what The Haunted have done here. A 4 star (80%) rating is deserved.

UMUR "Suffering with a Smile" is the debut full-length studio album by Danish death metal act Rohan. The album was independently released in January 2025. Rohan is a one-man project featuring former Eciton and Jeel lead vocalist/guitarist Thomas Berg, who handles all instruments, programming, and vocals on "Suffering with a Smile". An essential but not well known Danish death metal musician Berg started his musical journey in 1993 in the Copenhagen suburb Virum and played in local death metal band JegErEnLampe which changed their name to JEEL before releasing their debut full-length studio album "Dying Dreams" in 1996. JEEL released their second full-length studio album "As Morning Turns to Day" in 1999 but disbanded after a few years of inactivity. Berg then joined Eciton in 2004 and has been an active member on several releases. Berg has among other things also composed a heavy metal football anthem for his local club Lyngby Boldklub.

Stylistically the material on the 11 tracks, 38:58 minutes long album is in a style of death metal which combines elements of old school death metal with more contemporary songwriting ideas. The vocals vary from growling, to screaming, to shouting (often doubled), and even some semi-clean vocals. The programmed drums are the least interesting feature of the music, and they are wisely placed low in the mix. They are not terrible but they don´t add anything to the music either. They are just there to carry the riffs and the vocals forward. It´s definitely a death metal release where the vocals are the dominant focus in the soundscape.

Upon conclusion "Suffering with a Smile" is a decent quality first release from Rohan. It´s relatively standard for the genre both in terms of the quality and the songwriting style, and in that respect it doesn´t stand out much from a lot of other contemporary releases which also combine the old school death metal sound with a slightly more technical and varied contemporary sound, but it´s overall a good quality release and a 3 star (60%) rating is warranted.

arcane-beautiful Even In Arcadia by Sleep Token is a great move into more mainstream territory for the mysterious project. The rollout of singles on this album and the campaigning was perfect, but when it comes to the finished project, it does start to verve into predictable song formats. But while the ending does show more experimenting promise, the real clincher of this album is the production, performances and lyrics. While not overall being a thrill ride, the quality of material is fantastic with great creative choices throughout with pristine glimmer. On this album Vessel is more comfortable with his own voice, possibly linking to the concepts and themes, overall creating a great almost cinematic narrative. Great mix of styles proving that these guys deserve the attention that they have been currently getting. Lyrically the album is perfect, with great use of language and imagery. While not as grabbing as their previous album, this is still a great follow up and by far no slouch. I'd give this a low to mid 8 out of 10.

UMUR "Parasomnia" is the fifteenth full-length studio album by US progressive metal act Dream Theater. The album was released through InsideOut Music in February 2025. It´s the successor to "A View from the Top of the World" from 2021. There´s been one lineup change since the predecessor as original drummer Mike Portnoy has returned to the fold replacing Mike Mangini, who had held Portnoy´s seat warm since 2011, where Portoy left to concentrate on other projects. Although the split with Mangini was amicable, he was in fact fired to make room for Portnoy´s return.

Portnoy was always much more than "just" the drummer in Dream Theater as an integral part of the songwriting team and the production team, and also as one of the most active band members when it came to media interviews, and his return to Dream Theater has made huge waves on the progressive metal scene. "Parasomnia" has as a result been an even more highly anticipated new release from Dream Theater than usual (and it´s not like every Dream Theater album before this one haven´t been met with almost hysterical level fan expectations and media attention). They are indeed the most well known and respected progressive metal band in the world...

Stylistically "Parasomnia" is one of the darker and heavier releases in Dream Theater´s discography along with albums like "Awake" (1994) and "Train of Thought" (2003). But albums like "Metropolis, Part 2: Scenes From a Memory" (1999) and "Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence" (2002) are valid references too if you want something from the band´s past to compare "Parasomnia" to. It´s like the band have consciously looked back at their turn-of-the-century albums and have found inspiration there for this album. At this point James LaBrie doesn´t sing that many really high notes though and it´s probably a good idea that Dream Theater have composed the material to accommodate LaBrie´s voice. He can still sing and he has a distinct sounding voice, which suits Dream Theater´s sound well, but age and years of touring the world have taken a toll on his ability to hit the high notes (which is audible when you attend a Dream Theater concert these days). While it´s not LaBrie´s fault, it doesn´t help make the vocal part of "Parasomnia" more interesting and varied if you compare it to some of the band´s earlier releases, but of course that´s been a tendency for now many albums, so it shouldn´t come as a surprise to anyone.

Other than that Dream Theater are as well playing as ever. Four virtuoso instrumentalists in the same band writing and playing complex progressive metal is always worth the price of admission, but honestly the incredible musicianship doesn´t mask the fact that the songwriting could need some focus and attention. Even better an outside producer would be nice at this point (guitarist John Petrucci is again credited for producing), weeding out some of the less interesting parts and making the band focus on and develop upon some of the amazing songwriting ideas this album also features. While songs like "Night Terror" and "Midnight Messiah" are immediately catchy and memorable, it takes quite some time to get familiar with the remaining material, because it´s either not as hook laden or sometimes have a tendency to wander off into noodly territory, which of course is what we expect from Dream Theater, but it often feels like the technical playing isn´t a means to an end (read: an integral part of the composition), but just there because the band knows that this is what the fans expect.

The sound production is overall well sounding, heavy, and detailed, and it´s not surprising to learn that Andy Sneap is responsible for mixing and mastering "Parasomnia". There´s a heavy metallic tone to the album, which suits the material well. Upon conclusion "Parasomnia" is an album which leaves me biased when rating it. On one hand it´s probably exactly what most Dream Theater fans expected and wanted, but as a more casual fan it would have been nice if Portnoy´s return had brought some of the 1990s Dream Theater greatness with it...but it really doesn´t. This is just another high quality progressive metal release from Dream Theater in a long line of relatively similar sounding but still high quality post-2000 releases from the band. The only time they´ve truly challenged themselves since the early 2000s was with the release of "The Astonishing" (2016), but I guess the fan reactions (mine included) to that album made them think twice about ever experimenting with their core sound again.

While my review may come off as a bit harsh and negative, it should not be misunderstood as if I don´t think "Parasomnia" is a high quality release, because it certainly is. The dream/nightmare lyrical themes which grace all tracks on the album is also well thought out and implemented, and when all is said and done "Parasomnia" is overall a strong release from Dream Theater. A 4 star (80%) rating is deserved.

UMUR "A Sonication" is the seventh full-length studio album by German death metal act Obscura. The album was released through Nuclear Blast in February 2025. It´s the successor to "A Valediction" from 2021. Only lead vocalist/guitarist (and band founder) Steffen Kummerer remains from the lineup who recorded the predecessor. "A Sonication" was released in the midst of a storm of controversy regarding the songwriting credits, as some former members of the band accused Kummerer of using parts they had written. Parts which according to them, Kummerer had promised to remove from the compositions.

Songwriting controversy or not, Obscura sound more or less like they have done since the release of their second album "Cosmogenesis" (2009). Technical death metal with a progressive edge, influenced by 80s/90s death metal acts like Death and Pestilence (the technical death metal albums by those artists) albeit appearing in a more contemporary skin and sound. Obscura have lifted the foot from the technical playing pedal though, and "A Sonication" overall sounds a bit more straight forward than what Obscura have released since "Cosmogenesis", although "A Valediction" also leaned that way. There are a lot of melodic death metal tendencies here too, and although Obscura have always been quite a melodic inclined technical/progressive metal act, they have increased the melodic death metal elements on "A Sonication". The vocals as usual vary between snarling raw vocals and deeper growling. There are occasionally some raw shouting and slightly more melodic tinged singing on the album too.

Although the material on the 8 tracks, 39:07 minutes long album is overall well written and the album features high level musicianship and a crisp, sharp, and detailed sound production, it´s still like something isn´t right. Obscura sound a bit tame and uninspired and "A Sonication" is an album lacking fire and passion. For a death metal release this is pretty limb, and although no one should ever expect to hear Suffocation or Cannibal Corpse brutality on an Obscura album, a bit more bite and intensity wouldn´t have hurt. It´s not a bad quality release, but it does sound a little sterile and lacking in energy. A 3.5 star (70%) rating is still deserved, but this seems like a crossroads for Obscura, and It´ll be interesting to see where they go from here.

UMUR "Mutilated Testicles" is the first demo recording by Finnish grindcore/hardcore act Extreme Kill Project. The demo was independently released in August 1988. It´s the only release from Extreme Kill Project.

The demo features no less than 31 tracks, which are pretty much all short, noisy, and aggressive hardcore/grindcore. Some are silly "fun" tracks and others are for a lack of a better description more serious. I wouldn´t call much of what is featured on "Mutilated Testicles" serious though, as it all sounds like a bunch of kids cranking out noisy and silly hardcore/grindcore while being drunk and laughing at it.

Of course the demo ended up being distributed so at least Extreme Kill Project thought it was worth releasing. To my ears this is a completely redundant release. If I want to hear silly drunk teenagers puking and screaming, I can listen to the teenagers next door when they are throwing one of their awkward teenage parties. I don´t need to subject myself to this lo-fi and directionless silly recording (and silly in this case doesn´t mean funny and entertaining). A 0.5 star (10%) rating is warranted.

UMUR "Cryptic '89" is the second demo recording by Finnish thrash metal act Cryptic. The demo was independently released in 1989. It´s the successor to "Demo I/88" from 1988. Cryptic formed in 1986 and released only the two demos before disbanding in 1990. All material from the two demos was reissued on the "Revolving Circus" compilation album (July 2022, Old Skull Productions).

The demo features four tracks and a total playing time of 25:48 minutes. The 9:32 minutes long "Tommorow´s Gift" opens the demo with a long instrumental intro. It´s almost 4 minutes into the song before Cryptic change pace and starts playing some fast, aggressive, and raw thrash metal. The song changes back to a mid-paced riff heavy style though, and it´s overall a pretty dynamic composition. The remaining tracks are also in this style. Lead vocalist/guitarist Hannu Kujanen has a raw snarling delivery. It´s artists like Kreator, Sodom, and Celtic Frost that I´m reminded of.

The sound production is raw, a little murky, and unpolished. The savage sounding production values suit the material well, but a little more punch and clarity wouldn´t have hurt. Upon conclusion "Cryptic '89" is a decent quality sophomore demo from Cryptic, but it´s nothing out of the ordinary for the time or for the style. A 2.5 star (50%) rating is warranted.

UMUR "Sick of Standard Living" is the second demo recording by Finnish thrash/speed metal act Morphosis. The demo was independently released in 1989. It´s the successor to the "Nasty and Disturbed" demo from 1988. Morphosis formed in 1988 and released three demos during the period 1988-1993 before calling it quits. Lead vocalist Janne Sova (Demonos Sova) would later find fame in Barathrum. All material from "Sick of Standard Living" would be included and reissued on the "Thrashing Relics Vol. 1" various artists compilation album, released through Bestial Burst Records in April 2006.

Featuring no less than nine tracks, one could make the assumption that this was a full-length demo recording, but most tracks are relatively short and the total playing time is 21:43 minutes. Stylistically Morphosis play a thrash metal style with both crossover- and speed metal elements. It´s pretty basic music (although a few more sophisticated melodic moments occur) packed in a well sounding production job. Considering the time of release, the sound production is actually close to sounding like a professional studio production. The bass is maybe placed a bit too high in the mix, but other than that "Sick of Standard Living" sounds pretty good.

Morphosis are well playing too and although this is a pretty unpolished performance, it´s still audible that these guys can play. Sova has a nicely aggressive and raw vocal delivery and upon conclusion "Sick of Standard Living" is a good quality demo release from Morphosis. The music style is a bit generic and you won´t hear anything here you haven´t heard before and often better, but for what it is, it´s an entertaining release while it plays. A 2.5 - 3 star (55%) rating is warranted.

UMUR "Finished With the Dogs" is the second full-length studio album by German speed/thrash metal act Holy Moses. The album was released through Aaarrg Records in 1987. It´s the successor to "Queen of Siam" from 1986. There have been two lineup changes since the predecessor as bassist Raymond Brusseler has been replaced by Andre Chapalier and drummer Herbert Dreger has been replaced by Uli Kusch. Sabina Classen (vocals) and Andy Classen (guitars) remain from the lineup who recorded "Queen of Siam (1986)".

Historically Holy Moses are one of the earliest speed/thrash metal acts from Germany forming all the way back in 1980, and although Sabina Classen didn´t join until 1981 she must still be counted among the seminal female extreme metal vocalists on the scene (in Germany and internationally). And...she has a very raw voice and an extreme and aggressive delivery. Considering the time of release her vocals on this album are among the most extreme from those years, fully rivalling the most extreme contemporary male vocalists. Stylistically the material on "Finished With the Dogs" is in a savage, loud, and raw type of speed/thrash metal. It´s crushing, brutal, and relentlessly aggressive music, fronted by those caustic vocals courtesy of Sabina Classen.

Featuring 10 tracks and a total playing time of just little over half an hour, "Finished With the Dogs" is a short, effective, and energetic release, which never loses momentum or drops in quality. The rawness of the sound production perfectly suits the material too, and it´s through and through a quality release from Holy Moses. There´s a savage rawness and caustic aggression to the performances which scream authenticity. It can´t be faked...a 3.5 - 4 star (75%) rating is deserved.

UMUR "Labyrinth Of Veins" is the debut full-length studio album by US, California based death metal act Static Abyss. The album was released through Peaceville Records in April 2022. Static Abyss was formed in March 2021 by drummer/lead vocalist Chris Reifert and bassist/guitarist Greg Wilkinson. Both have long careers on the extreme metal scene, and as of 2021 Wilkinson has joined Reifert in Autopsy.

Stylistically the material on the 10 track, 39:36 minutes long album is predominantly death/doom metal and as such the basis of the music isn´t that far from Autopsy´s output. You´ll also find the occasional nod towards hardcore punk. There are still some differences which make Static Abyss stand out though. The tracks are often more atmospheric, nightmarish horror themed, and epic in execution, which are typically not sounds Autopsy produce. Sure there´s a horror element in Autopsy´s music, but it´s typically in the more extreme, gory, and depraved end of the spectrum.

Reifert sounds as brutal, raw, and asylum bound as ever. His tortured growling vocal style is unique and expressive. His organic drumming style is also in place, and Wilkinson´s riffs and especially his morbid lead work are great assets to the band´s sound. It takes a few spins to tell the tracks apart, but I dare say that Static Abyss are a bit more accessible and write more memorable material than what we´ve been treated to on the last couple of Autopsy releases.

A small complaint though would be that most tracks feature the same elements, atmosphere, and playing style, and "Labyrinth Of Veins" therefore does become a slightly one-dimensional listen about halfway through the album. However when Static Abyss are best, they produce what to my ears is old school death metal/death-doom metal gold. It can´t be faked and there´s an authentic brutality and morbid atmosphere here which should please most fans of the style. Featuring a raw, yet clear and detailed sounding production, "Labyrinth Of Veins" is a good quality release on most parameters and a 3.5 - 4 star (70%) rating is deserved.

UMUR "Shadows in the Light" is the seventh full-length studio album by US, New York based death metal act Immolation. The album was released through Listenable Records in May 2007. It´s the successor to "Harnessing Ruin" from February 2005 although the two full-length studio albums are bridged by the May 2007 "Hope and Horror" EP (released only a few days before "Shadows in the Light"). Immolation recorded 13 tracks during the November 2006 recording sessions for "Shadows in the Light". 10 tracks appear on "Shadows in the Light", while the remaining 3 tracks appear on "Hope and Horror".

Stylistically the material on the album is unmistakably the sound of Immolation. Twisted, labyrinthical, and dissonant guitar riffs, abstract lead work, creative technical drumming, and Ross Dolan´s brutal growling vocals in front, spewing out anti-christian/blasphemous lyrics (and other dark themed topics). It´s like a whiff of accessibility has hit the death metal veterans though, and the slightly more accessible sound suits them well. It´s still brutal and challenging death metal, but "Shadows in the Light" is not quite as impenetrable and uncompromising as their previous releases. "Shadows in the Light" also features a clear, powerful, and detailed sounding production, which greatly enchances Immolation´s music. The last couple of releases suffered slightly from thin sounding production jobs, which didn´t provide the material on those releases the best conditions to shine.

Upon conclusion "Shadows in the Light" is one of the standout albums in Immolation´s discography. They changed their sound and style a bit here, and that development and change of sound was necessary. While the last couple of albums are arguably quality death metal releases, Immolation did sound like they had stagnated a bit, but with "Shadows in the Light" they bring in new musical elements and songwriting ideas, a slightly more technical playing style, and a clearly defined sound production, which ensure that the material shine. A 4 star (80%) rating is deserved.

UMUR "In Ways Unforeseen" is the debut full-length studio album by Dutch death metal act Led Astray. The album was independently released in March 2009. Led Astray formed in 2002 and released the "Denying the Inevitable" demo in 2004. Only the "Moral Perception" track from the demo has been re-recorded and included on "In Ways Unforeseen". Led Astray disbanded Shortly after the release of "In Ways Unforeseen".

Stylistically Led Astray play a technical death metal style which reminds me of the Australians in Psycroptic (from the time when Jason Peppiatt joined). Led Astray are generally a bit more accessible and at times even bordering melodic though, and there are other influences and stylistic elements present on the album, which don´t point in the direction of Psycroptic. Some of the heavier atmospheric sections remind me slightly of Gojira. Led Astray are both a really well playing band and they compose some effective and even relatively memorable technical death metal and the influences are just that and don´t overshadow the impact of the material on the listener. The vocals are deep growling and pretty one-dimensional in delivery, but they get the job done.

"In Ways Unforeseen" features a massive, heavy, and detailed sound production, which suits the material well. This is an album for fans of Psycroptic, Decapitated and other technical death metal artists of that ilk. The brutality, the technical playing, and the heavy and fast start/stop riffs, are all assets which are there and accounted for. A good quality release overall and a 3.5 star (70%) rating is deserved.

UMUR "Strength in Numbers" is the ninth full-length studio album by Swedish thrash metal act The Haunted. The album was released through Century Media Records in August 2017. It´s the successor to "Exit Wounds" from 2014 and the lineup who recorded the predecessor is intact. "Exit Wounds" was an album which marked a new beginning for The Haunted after a major lineup shuffle happened after the release of "Unseen" (2011). But it´s interesting to note that four out of the five members of the current lineup were members of The Haunted at various times in the 1990s/2000s, so there´s no issues with the credibility of calling the band The Haunted.

Stylistically the material on "Strength in Numbers" is a continuation of the aggressive thrash metal style also found on "Exit Wounds". The occasional excursion into groove thrash and melodic death metal territories are also heard here and there, but "Strength in Numbers" is first and foremost an aggressive thrash metal release featuring a powerful, sharp, and detailed sound production. Lead vocalist Marco Aro has a commanding raw voice and vocal delivery (somewhere between raw hardcore shouting and semi-growling), and The Haunted are as always a very well playing band. The rhythm section is tight, the riffs are delivered with precision but also an organic groove, and Ola Englund´s solos add a slight bit of melody to the otwerwise relentless thrashy brutality.

Upon conclusion "Strength in Numbers" sounds exactly how I expected it to sound, when being familiar with "Exit Wounds" (and the rest of The Haunted´s discography). It´s a solid good quality release from a seasoned band, which is an entertaining listen but not exactly a standout release in the band´s discography. It´s a bit harsh to state that their prime is behind them, but it´s what my ears tell me. When that is said I´ll maintain that "Strength in Numbers" is a good quality release and fans of aggressive thrash metal could definitely do worse than give this album a listen. A 3.5 star (70%) rating is deserved.

martindavey87 Released in 1984, ‘Bon Jovi’ is the self-titled debut album by hard rock band, Bon Jovi, named after their vocalist and soon-to-be worldwide megastar, Jon Bon Jovi.

Featuring radio-friendly AOR at its finest, the album is a pretty mixed bag. The songs for the most part are all good, some more memorable than others, with perhaps one or two particular standouts. There’s some fantastic interplay between guitarist Richie Sambora and keyboard player David Rashbaum, which certainly helps give the music its mainstream appeal, and Bon Jovi’s voice, not yet ravaged by time, sounds great!

And the songs I consider standouts? ‘Runaway’ and ‘Roulette’, in particular, are early classics from the band, with other notable songs including ‘Shot Through the Heart’, ‘She Don’t Know Me’, ‘Burning For Love’, ‘Breakout’ and ‘Love Lies’. These aren’t as polished as later hits, but considering this is an 80’s rock band making their debut, they’re showing a ton of potential early on in their careers.

And it’s potential that we know they’ll live up to! Of course, the New Jersey quintet will go on to become one of the biggest bands on the planet, and the seeds for what’s to come have certainly been planted here. While ‘Bon Jovi’ is far from their best work, it’s a solid debut, and well worth owning if you’re a fan.

UMUR "The Hive Mind Chronicles Part I - Parasitica" is the debut full-length studio album by US, Colorado based death metal act Exuvial. The album was released through Silent Pendulum Records in November 2024. Exuvial formed in 2019 and features members and/or former members of local Denver death metal artsts like Apotheon, Monumental Discharge, Telluric Effluvium, Well of Sacrifice, and Muldrotha.

Stylistically the material on the 11 tracks, 58:37 minutes long album is technical/progressive death metal and I´m almost immediately reminded of the Germans in Obscura (Edge of Sanity´s 1996 "Crimson" album also comes to mind during the most progressive and epic parts of the album). Exuvial have a similar progressive mindset in terms of their songwriting, and their technical playing style and the tempo changes in the music are also reminiscent of Obscura´s output. Quality wise Exuvial are also up there near the top tier technical/progressive death metal artists. These guys are skilled musicians, and they are clever composers too. The death metal parts are effective, the melodic lead- and harmony work provide the music with variation, and the progressive songwriting and compositional structures make "The Hive Mind Chronicles Part I - Parasitica" an interesting listen throughout.

The vocals are predominantly growling or raw snarling, but there are some clean vocal parts featured on the album too, and they are well performed and work well within the context of the music. "The Hive Mind Chronicles Part I - Parasitica" is a concept album release featuring a sci-fi storyline, and again it´s Edge of Sanity´s 1996 "Crimson" album which comes to mind, but a more obscure release like Detest´s 1994 "Dorval" album may also have served as an inspiration. Featuring a heavy, detailed, and powerful sounding production job, "The Hive Mind Chronicles Part I - Parasitica" is overall quite the impressive debut album from Exuvial, and since it says Part I in the album title, I´m sure we´ll get a sophomore release at some point, and I´ll certainly be looking forward to listening to that. A 4 star (80%) rating is fully deserved.