Amon Amarth - Berserker (Metal Blade)

Eleven albums in, Amon Amarth continue to dominate these offices, just as the Vikings that make up their subject matter dominated our shores beginning with the Viking raid of Lindisfarne. Following the success of their 2016 concept album ‘Jomsviking’, the veteran Swedish melodic death metal Vikings return with a massive collection of Scandinavian tales of murder and mayhem. Featuring blistering drum work and classNameically Amon Amarth riffs with a few new additions to the band’s repertoire of sounds, this album is a solid addition to the bands catalogue and must listen for any fan.

Origin - Abiogenesis - A Coming Into Existence (Agonia)

Setting the standard to which all American death metal bands must check themselves against, Origin have been writing some of the most blistering metal to ever cross our speakers since the late nineties. In a career spanning well over twenty years, guitarist Paul Ryan has been developing the bands signature sound long before Origin came together as a band. A fact that we are able to hear, as ‘Abiogenesis - A Coming Into Existence’ is a collection of rare visceral tracks from the bands early years and even includes four previously unreleased tracks that predate the bands (ahem) origin, all of which are remastered for the best possible experience of the bands earlier sound.

Ringworm - Death Becomes My Voice (Relapse)

For almost thirty years Ringworm has been pummelling our eardrums with their devastating combination of extreme thrash, death metal and distinctive Cleveland hardcore to create one of the most characteristic metallic hardcore sounds to ever operate within the scene. Surviving countless changes in the fashions of metal, Ringworm have stayed the course always refusing to bend the knee to the mainstream. Packed to absolute bursting point with furious fucking rage, this album will provide thrash riffs sharper than your average razor, a rhythm section that refuses to stop even when you’re on the ground bleeding, and frenzied vocals that invoke a feeling of desperate panic.

Kampfar - Ofidians Manifest (Indie)

Only a small selection of black metal artists are able to constantly develop their sound while remaining true to the tenets of the Norwegian style quite like Kampfar. Delivering seven tracks of sweeping cinematic black metal, the main draw of ‘Ofidians Manifest’ is its ability to carry the listener through its created atmosphere with an impressive mixture of biting guitar work, ethereal keys and cutting vocals that are only made strong through the introduction of selective cleans. Effusing a palpable aroma of darkened triumph, ‘Ofidians Manifest’ sees the band reclaim some of their folkish magic with an album that feels like an organic step forward.