Age Of Rage — 2025 - Immortal — [EP]

One of the leading bands in the New Wave of Russian Heavy Metal has released their latest mini-album Immortal, featuring four tracks. A number of musicians took part in composing and recording the material — in addition to vocalist Anton Gruzinsky, who is also the leader and driving force behind the project.
The mini-album stands out for its solid clarity and, at the same time, monumental sound, instrumental precision, and the fierce melodicism that has long been AGE OF RAGE’s trademark. Despite its short format, the record is a fine alloy of Heavy and Power Metal with modern touches.
Right from the start — opening with a riff in the spirit of Black Sabbath and an enchanting vocal line — we are drawn into the world of Immortal. Use the best-quality audio you can, so you can fully catch the melodies, the tones, the echoes, and especially the hidden signals AGE OF RAGE is sending to the listener. As a reviewer, I’ve noticed this before, but I want to draw special attention to how carefully — and, ultimately, passionately — Anton shapes his vocal parts. Honestly, it’s as if every song is the most important song in his life. The guitar work is no less intricate and packed with lush, elaborate solos.
In Not Mine, the musicians play a kind of musical swing — from gentle pressure to collapse and melancholy — and then the guitars break away into melodic flights, joined by the vocalist, who knows when to push and when to sink into gloom. A keyboard player also took part in the recording, and the added melodies and synthetic flourishes only enhance the music. It’s worth noting that the songwriters don’t overload the arrangements with wild instrumental excess, but the genuine, old-school metal power is present throughout — along with those Black Sabbath–style riffs.
Be sure to check out Chase My Dream — particularly for the vocals. There’s a good range of emotions and melodic movement (what’s called “vocal melody”), with soaring high notes and deliberate roughness. Highly professional. Here, too, the guitar either matches or challenges the dramatic melodicism — it’s almost a contest between guitarist and singer to see “who can outdo whom” in intensity. Frankly, it’s a truly virtuosic collaboration.
The mini-album format doesn’t allow for any throwaway tracks (not that AGE OF RAGE has ever done that). The closing piece, New Dawn, is cleanly executed and neatly arranged. I thought there might be slightly more keyboard presence here, which perhaps makes it stand out a bit. The vocalist delivers as he often has in past AGE OF RAGE releases — with a performance that pierces through the track like a steel rebar (picture any Final Destination movie for reference). His delivery is simply powerful — by default.
A definite 10 out of 10.

https://vk.com/age_of_rage
 

Electric Land – 2025 - Love 67 — (Album)

Rock, Hard Rock, Gothic Rock, Glam, Street Rock, Rock ’n’ Roll
In the summer of 2025, the Moscow band Electric Land released their third album — “Love 67”.
A completely unexpected record. No one saw it coming. And how could they? It’s a total game-changer. Killer Hard Rock and Gothic Rock, with a touch of Heavy Metal straight from the 70s — yet with a modern sound, those powerful low frequencies, sharp production, and little details that remind you we’re still in the 21st century.
Electric Blues Rock has made a timely return from the 70s, breaking into our world through your speakers with vintage guitar effects and old-school playing techniques. And just look at the album tags — another explosive mix. Nothing here is simple. And the music? Pure enjoyment.
It kicks off with “Scars on the Hearts” — an energetic banger with a hammering riff and raw, unfiltered vocals, just like in those ancient days when there were no rules. The vocal arrangement in the chorus even dares to be complex. And there are many such examples throughout the record — they give the album its distinctive color and, dare I say, charm. The opening track, by the way, even brushes against that wild sub-genre known as Death Rock.
The band decided to surprise with the guitar work, arrangements, and effects. And why not? Thanks to that, the full-length turned out to be remarkably diverse. Take “Low Winter Sun”, for instance — slower in tempo, with doom-like, elegiac tones, reinforced (or justified) by the vocal line. Here, the guitar writhes with emotion, finally bursting into a solemn drive.
The track “Supersonic Baby” — it’s hard to believe it was written in this century, and in the Eastern Hemisphere no less. The piano part fits perfectly, as does the refined guitar solo. The arrangements across the album deserve their own professional praise — as does the stellar sound, clearly crafted by seasoned experts.
They hit Gothic Rock head-on with “Mr. Disco” — a track made for the gothic dance floor. Vintage, effect-laden strings à la brutal Hammond organ weave an unheard-of thread from the early 70s through the 80s and straight into the present day.
In “My Earth”, the vocals unexpectedly take on a velvety tone, full of true gothic melancholy and sorrow. Not the kind of emotions you’d want to use to decide the fate of the universe.
But the track I was waiting for from the very beginning is “Ocean Drive”. Once again, a tasty distorted riff, mid-tempo dynamics, a desperate “speaking” guitar, squealing synths — a track that doesn’t even need human vocals. A perfect interlude.
Then comes “Tucker Torpedo” — pure post-punk, and a great fit near the album’s finale. Oddly, “Wolves and Butterflies”, which could easily have stretched longer, lasts under two minutes. I see this as the composer’s seriousness toward his work — he’s essentially saying: “That’s how I see it. Period.”
The album closes with the explosive “Electric Sorrow” — a track with a powerful, hard-driving riff and spirited vocals that seem to say: no need to be sad, see you again soon on the airwaves.
Listen (in high quality) — a must. Add to your collection — if you wish.
Definitely a contender for “Discovery of 2025.”

Ka’aper — 2025 - Half Alive, Half Dead (eleven63 Live Sessions) - (EP)
The Cypriot band KA’APER has released an interesting piece — a Live EP. They recorded three old tracks and one new one live in the studio. So what’s the point, and where’s the thrill in that?
Well, simply in the fact that a significant number of bands in metal (and even more so outside of metal) usually record in the studio part by part — instrumental and vocal tracks separately, later to be stitched together by skilled producers in the mixing process.
BUT. As we know, the giants of rock — for example, Black Sabbath (among others) — recorded their first albums live, all the musicians setting up their gear and then — off they go! By the magic touch of a sound engineer’s wand, the band delivered their material as if they were playing a concert.
Of course, it’s worth noting that both BS and other pillars of rock music had already road-tested their material on tour and were fully prepared to record it in the studio.
And speaking of gigs — KA’APER actively tours and takes part in all the festivals and concerts available to them. I think that’s precisely why the musicians decided they were ready to “step onto the studio stage” and record live. Honestly, that’s the best proof of professionalism and band chemistry. So — listen closely, with interest. Especially since the finale gives us a brand-new track, “Pharaoh.”
Did I feel like it was recorded live? Were there any noticeable flaws? Well, not really — though sometimes psychology tricks you into “hearing” things that aren’t there. Back to reality — to the tracks. What I notice is the great atmosphere of the opening piece “Looking for a Human”, the monolithic, fat guitar delivery, and THE SOUND! As for the vocals... you can tell the singer didn’t spend endless hours tweaking in the studio — he delivered them as they came out. Not bad at all, of course — but free, relaxed, unrestrained. That’s the real value of this kind of recording. And the vocal lines here are complex — shifting from extreme aggression to clean, balanced singing.
The second track, “Ta-Sekhet-Ma’at,” I remember well from the album “While Flows the Nile.” It’s a killer, hook-driven piece of Sympho Dark Melodic Death Metal, built around a gripping, deceptively simple melodic riff, with a bridge of calm vocals and strings. Honestly, it’s one of the band’s best tracks. IMHO.
“Lullaby” is also a strong piece, and it feels like the vocalist delivered more emotion and energy in the live version. Why? Easy to explain. When you can re-record a part for the 21st time, you’ll go for the 22nd. But when you’re playing together with the whole band, you take responsibility not just for yourself, you go all-in. Add to that the teamwork, the synergy.
The new track “Pharaoh” didn’t exactly blow me away at first. A solid track in KA’APER’s style. Meditative and gloomy at the beginning. Makes me wonder if the band is drifting toward Doom Death Metal... The atmosphere definitely hits hard, with otherworldly keyboards in the mix... But in its movement through a semi-Doom-infused Power Metal structure, the band drills a small well into ancient Egyptian times, drawing both melodic strength and mystical voltage. The track will surely find its rightful place in the album among others — that’s where it’ll feel more at home.

https://kaaperofficial.com/

Cryptic Conversion — 2025 - Crown for the Headless — (Single)
Dobryanka, in the Perm region, is known worldwide thanks to the Perm GRES power plant and the Brutal Death Metal squad CRYPTIC CONVERSION. The musicians have been around for quite some time — since 2018.
As a vivid representative of the New Wave of Russian Death Metal, the band released a pair of full-lengths in 2023 and 2024. Now they’ve fired a new single — “Crown for the Headless.” Perhaps something more monumental is in the works.
For now — “Crown for the Headless.” The track begins with a powerful sweeping string attack, soon joined by deep guttural growls at the junction with ultra-low growling. The CRYPTIC CONVERSION vocalist never doubts his own demand — and his presence is felt heavily in the first part of the track. Another vocal avatar appears as well — not so much a dialogue theme, more like a “second self” — the voice of the subconscious.
As for the vocals — plenty to be proud of here. In the second half of the track, extreme vocals dominate, locking our attention with a practically endless molten delivery.
The guitar work is driven by brutal riff madness and rapid-fire mini-solos, tightly fused with the rhythm section’s bombardment.
Standing out are the lonely, sorrowful solo guitar bursts, which give CRYPTIC CONVERSION’s runaway-train track an impression of emptiness and “otherworldliness.”
The rhythm section is tense — and with good reason. We’ve got plenty of speed in musical narration, tempo breaks, and diverse rhythm constructions at our disposal. Nothing simple here. And we wouldn’t expect simple solutions from CRYPTIC CONVERSION anyway.
The sound is top-grade — nothing surprising these days, but it is what it is.
As a single — solid. As an album track — even better.
Why? Because if you take it as a single, a standalone idea, maybe it would have benefited from a more elaborate musical structure or at least a hint of intrigue. But as an album track — perfect, just another artillery shell pulled from the crate.

https://vk.com/cryptic_conversion
 

Renunciation - 2025 - Make Babylon Great Again — (Album)
Death Metal, Black Metal, Black Death Metal, Technical Death Metal
The Moscow Black Death Metal squad RENUNCIATION kicks off their second album with full power and crushing guitar artistry — plus vocal madness that accounts for nearly half of the ferocity and brutality.
Paradoxically enough, right from the start the band unleashes high-speed melodic Black Death Metal, adorned with intricate stringwork — just listen to those solos, masterfully fused into the body of the track “Apex of Frustration.” And every now and then, symphonic overtones flare up within the composition.
The vocalist, in blackened harsh style (at times dipping into a lower growl, and even approaching clean), works like a welding torch, raising the temperature of the track and forming real reinforcement bars — quite literally. A desperate beginning, a straight highway into the lower depths…
Obviously, the band can’t keep going like this forever at such a tempo and intensity. But… the strings in the next composition “Make Babylon Great Again” take on a kind of Babylonian Eastern melodic excursion — at about 1.5x speed — and RENUNCIATION once again flip into turbo mode. It gets fascinating to see how long they can keep it up...
Thankfully, the vocalist shifts his frequency grid of delivery — and that’s the right move, because in this emotional, blazing furnace, even small variations are vital for perception (and for the listener’s ears). By the way, I’ll note immediately: in almost every track, the vocalist builds a new vocal architecture, employing different techniques and approaches. Let’s be honest, that doesn’t happen very often.
Throughout the album, RENUNCIATION construct an instrumental wall of sound, with the rhythm section, of course, playing a decisive role. And above all — the DRUMS. They hammer away as if the golden age of Black Speed Metal were not behind us. Though, with this approach… no, definitely not behind us.
Where RENUNCIATION found this guitarist — or whether he found them — doesn’t really matter by the time of their second full-length. I’m convinced he works only with professional sound engineers, because this string-driven tech-death apocalypse (a fine example being “Idols and Ideals” — though really, almost every track) needs to be placed only in reliable hands. I listened to the album on headphones, so I know exactly what I’m talking about.
One certain drawback of “Make Babylon Great Again” is the lack of a “rest location,” where the listener could not only catch their breath but also, at half or even a third of the declared speed, revel in some slow lyrical guitar picking or a gentle solo. Even without vocals. Or wait — with vocals too, since this frontman is capable of delivering soul-stirring parts as well.
A few words about the standout factor. Among the seven ballistic missiles, the track “Shiva Invictus” stands out. Strangely enough, it reminded me of mid-period Slayer multiplied by Cynic of the new millennium — only with vocals so dramatic and intense that you could practically light a cigarette off them.
A landmark album of mid-2025 on the Russian metal scene.

https://vk.com/renunciation.band

https://band.link/Bi7k9
 

Akromusto - 2025 - Lux Et Nox – (Album)
Black / Death MetalOne of the most unhinged True Black / Death Metal bands has released its new album. It should be noted that AKROMUSTO launches records into orbit quite regularly — unlike many other underground acts. At least, that’s how it seems to me.
Once again, the listener is plunged into a black haze of desperate and grim storytelling, where no rules exist by default. Only darkness and atonal musical drive. Occasionally interrupted by Black Doom–styled experimental passages.
True Black Metal in essence is always like an arthouse horror movie — so you must be ready for the dramatism of the meat-grinder and the skillful fencing with blood-splattered axes.
And here’s what matters — although True material hardly ever adjusts itself for the listener, the creators can still be divided into two main categories.
The first will cook up destructive chaos across ten albums, only to burn out in the end (though not necessarily).
The second type of directors — even if they shoot and record their audio-film in a metaphorical basement — will at least vary their craft a little, creating their own Universe with intriguing detail, shadows, and half-tones.
AKROMUSTO leans toward the second legion, since on this album Lux Et Nox there is room for gloomy synthesizer tricks and unexpected but excellent female choirs (“Man of Babylon”). Don’t faint — the blissful singing is used strictly by script — local, measured, as a design element of the scenery.
For the most part, the creator employs two vocal styles in this ritual — growling and screaming. And it’s not a dialogue, but more of a complementary split, divided — as I see it — by emotional and semantic intent.
The album’s fantastical, chaotic (like life itself) Black / Death Metal flow resists categorization and systematization — except for being confined within the boundaries of this record.
In the mid-tempo pounding and frenzy (which at times shifts almost imperceptibly into highly dynamic parts), the composer feels one hundred percent in his element. This main rhythmic drive of the album allows the maximum delivery of tragic ideas to the listener.
Among the standout tracks, “Gold of the Emperor” deserves special mention. Beginning with acoustic guitar, it suddenly explodes with fiery Immortal-like vocals and sheer chaos — so much so that you can’t even tell whether it’s fast (yes) or slow. Within this composition, certain spatial dimensions — length, height, and eventually width — suddenly dissolve. The listener hangs suspended in deep space, scorched by interstellar comets and the sunlight of neighboring galaxies.
Also strong is the powerful track “Imperial Spirit” — chaotic Doom Black Metal.
In the virtual world of True Black Death Metal, a profile album cannot have flaws. In the real world (with the “Lux Et Nox” reality-destabilizer blasting through the speakers), flaws exist for everyone. On this disc, stereo-widening effects are used in some places. At times they come across as a mixing or recording defect. But if this is yet another deliberate act of reality distortion — then yes! — the trick worked.

https://akromusto.bandcamp.com/

INTO THE FRAY – 2025 - Deofolist – (Album)
Military Groove Metal, War Groove Metal

Fans of Groove Metal, the band INTO THE FRAY released their fresh full-length Deofolist back in the spring of this year. Many have already checked it out, but of course not everyone — so let’s fill the gaps.
Groove Metal is all about drive, pressure, and sheer sonic force. From the very first track, INTO THE FRAY show they know the style inside out, and they’re more than willing to present their own vision of the genre. In the opening track “I, Borealis”, besides the essential components, the “slow” lead guitars stand out — as if holding back the track’s overall flow, but in fact only highlighting the unstoppable intensity of the chosen groove. Quick, artistic solos follow right on cue.
Here too, the vocalist delivers his part, making his presence felt with the kind of manic energy Groove Metal bands are famous for. On “Teufelsbrücke”, by the way, Mikhail Shayev from the band Plan Lomonosova takes part. Mikhail is a multi-instrumentalist, in addition to being a vocalist. I assumed he sang here, since this track is groove-thrashy, hardcore-driven. Its wild frenzy would make any punk-metal brigade jealous, and the soaring solos take off like frontline aircraft in the midst of an offensive.
The album gets nicely diversified with the beginning and the very nature of “776” — a track that belongs to the category of Atmospheric Groove Metal, paradoxical as that may sound. Headbanging at live shows is guaranteed. Thoughtful, stern, and ultimately powerful, it feels like a valuable piece in the Groove Metal album. The vocal architecture is at its peak here, with several layers of singing involved.
The track “Warfighter” (Ramin Djawadi cover) — most will know it already, but still worth noting — is a two-minute cover of the soundtrack theme from the game Medal of Honor: Warfighter. A serious metallic rendition. Connoisseurs will appreciate it. And almost as a continuation comes “Vale of Tombs”, opening with an Eastern motif and carrying the same Eastern-flavored groove. At moments, the vocalist shifts into thrash-like delivery, with full commitment… A great track in terms of melodic intensity.
Somewhere past the halfway mark — or perhaps even earlier — I almost completely forgot that this is supposed to be Groove Metal and “sound like Groove.” Luckily, INTO THE FRAY are first and foremost metal musicians, organically blending near and far substyles — which makes them interesting for the entire metal community. And it seems to me that the groove theme in their work functions more like steel framing, within which the band finds plenty to perform with their signature mastery and dynamism.
The album closes with “The Oath”, featuring vocalist Alexandra Sidorova, who performs both clean and extreme parts. A pathos-filled, complex composition in terms of vocal acrobatics and layering — it clearly stands apart from the rest of the album.
It’s been four years since their previous record. Credit to the musicians for writing, compiling, and recording so much material (a huge effort!) — over an hour of music. In addition to the digital release, a limited CD edition is available. All for the fans. But here lies the album’s main tactical drawback — it’s too long by today’s standards.
All in all — a high-scoring album, with excellent sound and strong musical cohesion.

 

Intaglio – 2021 – II - Solitude Productions – (Album)
Funeral Doom Metal, Atmospheric Funeral Doom Death Metal, Progressive Doom Metal
How time flies. It seems like only yesterday, back in 2005, the lyric-dramatic full-length by the Oryol band INTAGLIO was released. And now, some …teen years later, we are witnessing their second album, simply titled II. There had been a pause in activity, but around 2019 the band decided to resurrect itself.
The content of their pair of singles (2019, 2021) was subjected to a tough analysis by niche fans, and to an even harsher scrutiny from the musicians themselves. As a result, the final album material turned out to be more symphonic and polyphonic compared to those singles. The musicians decided that a full-length “would speak for itself,” especially in those “corona times.” And it did.
For music lovers, here’s the key: Atmospheric Funeral Doom Metal, as INTAGLIO sometimes describes themselves. Somewhere nearby they also wrote that they “push the boundaries.” So I’ll nail up another sign here — Progressive Doom Metal.
Thus, in these 42 minutes of twilight, captivating, and elevated music, no particular standards are noticed. On the contrary, you can see the aspiration to break away from the earthly and the grey, and to slowly drift into the unknown expanses (wait — am I retelling the album cover here?).
I should also note that on this full-length the band assembled an impressive lineup of vocalists. First of all, the main extreme voice, “soft growling,” is handled by Evander Sinque from the Neoclassic Funeral Doom Metal giants WHO DIES IN SIBERIAN SLUSH. In addition, there are six more vocalists: baritone, bass, soprano… Though they are engaged sparingly, never disrupting the work scheme of the main singer.
Naturally, INTAGLIO also lays claim to the Neoclassic Funeral Doom Metal label. And here one cannot fail to mention the role of Evgeny Semenov — the project’s chief ideologist, composer, arranger, and multi-instrumentalist. Those in the know say that in the studio he creates… (I wanted to write “miracles,” but you can already hear it. On the CD, the sound is simply magnificent).
The neoclassical touch is obvious — for example, in the arrangement of vocalists in the tracks Midnight Sonata – I. The Night Sky and Midnight Sonata – II. Melting like Ice...
What I highlight as a musical phenomenon of the band is how the performers generate the main heavy pressure while, right nearby, pastoral fields sway and the ordinary-yet-magical flow of life takes place.
The music of INTAGLIO possesses a special magic of a full-fledged compositional product — not suddenly, but gradually, the listener finds themselves under the power of melodic ideas and compositional decisions. Suddenly… 20 minutes have flown by, and it feels like the first track is still playing.
Transparent Funeral Doom Metal — strange, but not hopeless. Moreover, INTAGLIO lights slow black candles along the course of the album, candles that shine and even warm. They reveal the map of the creative spirit’s journey and, in fact, pull the listener along with them. Magic, without a doubt.
In 2022, the album was released on vinyl.

https://intaglio.bandcamp.com/album/ii
 

AMOR E MORTE – 2025 - Bat - (Single)
Love Gothic Metal, Gothic Rock

Today we’ll listen to the latest creation of the Russian goths, titled “Bat.”
The composition begins with a tender, gentle intro, which, clutching with its tiny claws, makes its way into a steady gothic rock beat. The guitars, unexpectedly (and pleasantly), turn out to be slightly tinted with synth effects. And then, without much delay, the vocalist steps up to the mic — fully in line with the gothic rock trend. The Love Gothic Metal substyle requires special qualities from a singer: clean, emotion-soaked vocals, subtle lyricism, and a complete absence of any harsh or brutal overtones (well, I admit, the AMOR E MORTE vocalist did add a touch of “roughness” for contrast). All of this played its role in the single “Bat” and gave him the chance to manipulate emotions and quicken the pulse of literally thousands of fans — especially female ones.
We should also not forget to mention AMOR E MORTE’s keyboard player, who was first thrown into the thickets of multi-layered, high-quality sound, but was later brought closer to the listener with his sentimental part.
The drawback of the single, as I see it, is that the guitarist wasn’t given the chance to unfold his potential. It seems that right after the keyboard solo — that was exactly his moment.
The rhythm section performed with sensitivity — even mid-range equipment delivers the drums’ deep lows and the velvety tone of the bass guitar. Overall, the tightness of the band (and the work of the sound engineer at NJ Sound Productions) deserves high marks.
This track has its own aura to stand alone as a mono-release — a single, happily finding its way into the playlists of devoted fans. BUT, it would also fit perfectly well on a full-length album.
P. S. The band notes that this music is for fans of: HIM, Entwine, The 69 Eyes, Reflexion, Gloom, Charon, For My Pain..., Soulrelic, To/Die/For, Negative, Sentenced.

https://vk.com/amoremortesweet