As the old adage goes, with age comes wisdom and with experience comes new possibilities. Few bands have demonstrated this quite like Norway's Enslaved, who have continuously pushed the boundaries of extreme music for over thirty years. Forging their own unique sound over time, the end result is an impeccable blend of Viking influences, progressive passages, and icy black metal grooves. Compared to the number of albums released by Emperor (4), Immortal (9), Satyricon (10), an

Since its inception, black metal has long been a style meant to take the listener to a different plain of existence. Sometimes it's to the fires of the underworld, other times it's to a deep forest or a snowcapped mountain. And sometimes, the journey is to an internal battlefield - one where both sides are in a perpetual stalemate despite much destruction over time. It is here where Germany's Imha Tarikat brings audiences with their third length album, Hearts Unchained - At W

Founded 15 years ago, influenced by the likes of Death and Decrepit Birth, and coming to prominence along side bands such as The Faceless and Abiotic, it might be a surprise to think that Fallujah is still a relatively young band. With two of the longest running members barely in their 30's, the San Francisco based progressive tech-death unit still has a long career ahead of them. As a perfect example of the shape of things to come, Empyrean, the band's fifth full length albu

Whether it is fashion, technology, or, in this case, music, Japan has always been a leader of thinking beyond established rules; experts in shattering the status quo. When it comes to black metal, Tokyo's own Sigh has bent and reshaped the boundaries of the genre for over thirty years. Returning after a four year silence, Shiki pushes the envelope even further with its blend of avant-garde elements and traditional black metal grimness. Around every corner is some element that

At a time in the world when real life events are plenty intense and brutal, one might wish for something to bring a little bit of order to things. Enter thrash metal titans Municipal Waste and their upcoming album, Electrified Brain, a high speed adrenaline rush built to inject energy into a solemn society. Perfecting their craft over the last 20 years, Municipal Waste flawlessly blends the melodies of Carcass, the speed of Slayer, and the punk influences of D.R.I. and The Ca

The uniqueness of any heavy metal band can be argued as one part nature, one part nurture. To be specific, the nature is in reference to the sub-genre (black, doom, death, etc.), while the nurture is how the sub-genre is influenced by the world around the band. With this in mind, while the nature of stoner doom metal dates back to metal's infancy, Swedish quintet Besvärjelsen are an outstanding band in the sub-genre thanks in large part to their surroundings. Hailing from Dal

What comes to mind when thinking of being lost in a labyrinth? The claustrophobia among the towering walls? The panic of never finding the exit? The terror that perhaps you are not alone and, if you are not, what else could be wandering the corridors? Like a finely crafted horror story, Static Abyss channels all these feelings and more in their debut album, Labyrinth of Veins (Peaceville Records). Fitting in right at home on the very label that launched the death-doom movemen

It could be argued that black metal is the absinthe of the metal world. It's not for everyone, some try it once and a while to experience it, and then there are those who swear by it. To that point, if black metal is the musical equivalent of a bottle of 'the Green Fairy', then Watain is easily among its finest brands Returning after four years with The Agony & Ecstasy of Watain, the Swedish trio (who actually recorded this album as a six piece) have conjured a majestic blend