Unleashing catchiness and epic Heavy/Doom Metal vibes, today we have Norway’s Avrak and their self-titled debut release. Featuring none other than Ted Skjellum (Darkthrone) and Anders Hegna (Nød, El Kayenne, Svidd Grevling), this outfit presents a very lively take on the genre(s), creating a very polished and enjoyable release. While there are no overtly evident Black Metal elements here as some would expect, there are still some to be found, making listening to this album a bit of a scavenger hunt.

Opening with the sinister riffs of “Forever Mountain”, we get a very lively Rock/Metal introduction to the band’s polished and yet direct sound. The riffs are crisp and Anders Hegna’s raspy vocals are fitting, having a certain Chrome Division/Athera style. The music itself is catchy and engaging, with tight drumming courtesy of Terje Kråbøl (Gjendød, Sarke, Faustcoven), and throbbing bass guitar line from Steinar Gundersen (Khold, Sarke, Satyricon).

Catching the new wave of traditional heavy metal, Sweden’s Ram has constantly been delivering high octane releases filled with nostalgia alongside a clean and modern sound. In their first release in seven years, the band returns with eleven superbly crafted and engaging songs filled with razor sharp guitars, soaring vocals and all kinds of attitude. For over 42-minutes, “Against” showcases a very talented band belting out epic songs that are both catchy and powerful.

After setting the mood with the opening instrumental, the band goes balls-to-the-wall with the epic “Ghost Emperor” and its intoxicating nature. Perfectly balancing potent guitars with crafty drumming and Oscar Carlquist signature vocals, this song brings back some memories. The band’s fast pace unleashes hell on pieces like “One Vs All”, “Abattoir”, and the superbly catchy “Out of Control”. Filled with an old-school attitude, the band’s sound is timeliness and very effective as they crush the delivery and incite frantic headbanging.

Hailing from Canada, today we have high-octane Technical Death/Thrash Metal trio Dissimulator with their sophomore release “Artifice Dissolves”. Featuring nine tracks and around 45-minutes of music, this outfit perfectly balances technicality with melody and catchiness, creating a very engaging release filled with memorable moments. For fans of bands like Miscreance, Revocation and Voivod, this release is as intense and it is expertly crafted.

Blasting away with crafty drumming and vicious riffing, “Apophenic Rage” opens this release with panache. Rolling through “Hungry Ghosts”, “Alloyed”, and “Proprioceptor”, we start to identify the band’s signature style, perfectly infusing Thrash-elements to Death Metal core elements, all while being extremely proficient in their instruments and masterful when composing intricate tempo changes and transitions.

Featuring members, live members, and ex-members of bands like Evergrey, Devin Townsend, Vola and Haken, today we have international outfit Temic and their sophomore release “Ceiba”. With a very expansive and engaging Progressive Metal sound, the band delivers over 65-minutes of highly polished and dreamy music. Highly recommended for any fans of the genre, particularly outfits like Evergrey and Vola, this release is quite crafty and enjoyable.

After a mood setting intro, the album explodes with the bombastic “Ashes”, a track filled with high-octane atmospherics and engaging tempo changes. Things slow down into very Evergrey-esque territories with the lush “Beyond the Voice”, a song that showcases Fredrik Klemp’s talented vocals alongside some killer closing guitar solos. The band’s progressive style allows tracks like “Cease to Be”, “Broken”, and “Casting Stone” to deliver some intricate instrumentation alongside fun tempo changes and melancholic vocal arrangements.

Unleashing a short-but-sweet EP, today we have UK’s The Crawling with “What We Leave Behind”. Featuring two tracks of pure bleakness, the band’s Death/Doom Metal sound is timeless with a slightly fresh edge to it. For fans of My Dying Bride, Swallow the Sun, Insomnium and similar artists, this release heats heavy and quick.

As another one of AOP Records incredible finds, Firtan is a German Black Metal outfit that has transitioned from Pagan Black Metal to regular BM over the last couple of releases. With a very expansive and yet chaotic sound, “Helios” continues the band’s evolution with twelve tracks and nearly one hour of high-octane music. Sounding like a mixture of A Forest of Stars with Thyrfing/Vreid elements, the band’s sound is quite dynamic and engaging, keeping things fresh and heavy at the same time.

Opening with the dramatic “Himsa”, the band sets a very lush and enigmatic vibe that quickly develops into heavier territories as “Kalikas Tongue” and “Ambrosia” come around. The band’s general pace is firm and punishing, but it is the atmospheric and melodic passages that make songs in this release more engaging and diverse. For instance, we get lush arrangements with clean vocals, violins and saxophone through this release. The combination of the violin and the heavy guitars, create a very immersive and yet chaotic atmosphere that strongly reminds us of A Forest of Stars in their latest efforts.

Masterfully blending the sensibilities of bands like Harakiri for the Sky and the harsh brutality of outfits like Behemoth, today we have Germany’s Servant with their latest offering: “Lux Ex Inferis”. Featuring nine tracks and over 41-minutes of highly emotional and intense Black Metal, this outfit strikes the perfect balance between melancholy and aggression in this exciting release. Not really Post-Black Metal, or Blackened Death Metal, the band’s sound takes from both and creates a punishing product.

After a dreamy opener, the atmospherics of “Tabula Rasa” lead the way as the song slowly transitions into heavier territories with crushing guitar riffs and crafty drumming. The perfect balance between the music melody and the harsh vocals create a very engaging vibe that permeates the whole release. The band delivers songs like “Glorification”, “Thanatos", "Embrace of the Night”, and “De Profundis”.

Continuing their musical evolution, The Ocean returns with pretty much a completely new line-up and a revamped sound that is rooted in Post-Metal, but also adds new elements and textures into the mix. “Solaris” features eight tracks and nearly 70 minutes of high-octane music, filled with emotional and experimental outbursts that at times sound familiar and at others sound quite foreign, but equally engaging. For those that felt that the band’s sound was getting a bit tired with “Holocene”, this is the refresh that everybody was waiting for.

Creating an intriguing momentum with the opener “52°30'11"N, 13°26'12"E” and transitioning to “Departure Song”, we immediately get to listen to both new vocalists Enrico Tiberi, which sounds at times a bit like Loïc Rossetti, and Lane Shi, which provides extra dynamism to the music. Some of the electronic elements from “Holocene” also made their way here, as “Light Pollution” starts very lively and slowly progresses with haunting vocal melodies from alongside crafty signature The Ocean guitar riffs, and engaging drumming.

Oozing with melancholy and bleakness, today we have newcomers Orbita and their debut full-length release “Farewell to All We’ve Lost”. Mixing traditional Doom Metal with some Stoner Metal elements, this Italian outfit delivers four tracks and nearly 40-minutes of powerful and heartfelt music. While most bands in the genre kind of sound alike, these guys keep things fresh and interesting with their own signature style.

The mellow “Rotten Flowers” gets the release going with bleak vocal harmonies that slowly transition into piercing Doomy riffs. This song has one of the best openings we have heard in a while, masterfully changing the pace while keeping the bleakness and desolation going. Continuing with the crushing “Nèkyia”, the band slowly builds up the momentum and after desolate clean vocals, the song subtly transitions more into Stoner Metal territories while keeping the oppressive riffs going.