Back catalogue: Metal

Review: The Melvins, known for their unapologetically experimental and abrasive sound, continue their legacy of sonic exploration with Tarantula Heart, set for release via Ipecac Recordings. The album, featuring a five-track lineup, including the sprawling 19-minute opener 'Pain Equals Funny, which displays the band's penchant for pushing the boundaries of conventional music. One of the album's defining features is the incorporation of dual drum parts, with longtime Melvins drummer Dale Crover teaming up with Roy for an impressive display of rhythmic complexity. This collaboration adds a new dimension to the Melvins' sound, further solidifying their reputation as pioneers of unconventional music. Recorded, mixed, and co-produced by Toshi Kasai, a longtime collaborator of the band, Tarantula Heart adds to the album's eclectic sonic palette. While The Melvins may never achieve mainstream success due to their avant-garde approach, this album stands by their unwavering commitment to artistic integrity and innovation, making it a must-listen for fans of boundary-pushing music everywhere.

Review: 'Unfurling' their 15th album - a stonking discographic achievement - My Dying Bride's A Mortal Binding is brought to our attention. The Yorkshire-based quintet deliver this incendiary sonic meditation on loss, distress, and abyssal horror with glee, eliding gothic and apocalyptic themes while playing on bleak aspects of the band members' personal lives, sublimated through wicked doom metal. 'Thornwyck Hymn', 'Her Dominion' and 'The Apocalyptist' betray a belief that one can master the end of times - whatever form they may take - and use them to one's own advantage: such is the implied message.