Back catalogue: Metal

Review: Arguably one of the most integral tentpoles of the grunge movement, Alice In Chains' seminal sophomore effort, Dirt, changed the game upon its release in 1992. Featuring some of the band's most classic cuts such as, 'Them Bones', 'Down In A Hole', 'Rooster', and, 'Junkhead', to name but a few; the incomparable dynamic of Wayne Staley's iconic vocals and cryptic, yet brutally honest lyricism combined with guitarist Jerry Cantrell's mammoth riffs and delicate nuance, still resides high in the echelons of alternative rock three decades on. For lifers and newcomers alike, this 30-year anniversary edition serves as an ideal opportunity to revisit a genuine classic, far murkier and riddled with antagonistic depths than any of its would-be peers.

Review: For people of a certain age, their teenage years were defined by the edgy grunge, alt and punk rock sounds of bands like Alice in Chains. Three decades later their seminal sophomore effort, Dirt sounds as good as it ever did and gets an anniversary reissue to mark the occasion. It comes with plenty of powerful drums and big-ass basslines as well as yelping vocals and fuzzy textures that take in a range of emotions and even bigger riffs. This issue features a special insert and comes across four sides of vinyl so it's nice and loud, just as intended.

Review: A true classic, British Steel would serve as the sixth full-length from British metal titans Judas Priest and is often considered to be their crowning achievement. Referred to by Max Cavalera (Sepultura, Soulfly) as the "essential thrash metal; I'm sure you can ask Metallica, if it wasn't for British Steel they wouldn't be here", and with notable footage of the aforementioned Metallica members James Hetfield and Kirk Hammett rocking (nerding) out at a recent Priest headline show, it's really no big secret how lofty of regard this razor-riffed gem is still held today. Boasting their iconic hit single and easily one of the best metal openers of all time with 'Breaking The Law' (which due to the lack of digital sampling at the time the band had to use analogue recording of smashing milk bottles for the desired sound effects), as well as mammoth cuts such as 'Metal Gods' (a subtle omen), and 'Living After Midnight', British Steal still breathes the like giant it is that welcomes all subsequent thrash metal acts to rest on their intimidating shoulders. Repressed on limited lush black and white splattered vinyl for National Album Day 2024.

Review: Originally released in 2003 as the companion piece to the preceding year's equally acclaimed Deliverance, the seventh full-length from renowned Swedish progressive death metal auteurs, Opeth, would mark their first unashamed wade into the waters of retro prog-rock, whilst opting to eschew essentially all metallic machinations. Embracing primary songwriter Mikael Akerfeldt's lush clean vocals, while sonically delving into delicate atmospherics elevated by the prominent use of a mellotron, Damnation has grown in the two decades since its initial release to become a much lauded fan favourite, with many being able to appreciate the sharp turn the group took while noting the reflective balance contrasted against its much more macabre sister album. From the opening notes of essential cut 'Windowpane' onwards, you're pulled into a frosted world of depressive romanticism where the only way out is through. Celebrating its 20 year anniversary with a long overdue reissue, this is a work designed to be spun and absorbed in all its haunting majesty.

Review: Following a successful, vital surgery, Ozzy has left little time to unveil details of his upcoming thirteenth studio album, and follow up to 2020's triumphant, 'Ordinary Man'. Later this year, we'll be introduced to the world of, 'Patient Number 9', which boasts a ludicrously impressive array of guest features from the likes of Zakk Wylde, Jeff Beck, Pearl Jam's Mike McCready, Chad Smith (Red Hot Chili Peppers), Robert Trujillo (Metallica), Duff McKagan (Guns N' Roses), Eric Clapton and the late, great Foo Fighters drummer Taylor Hawkins. Black Sabbath guitarist extraordinaire, Tony Iommi, shall also make his Ozzy solo album debut, which essentially everyone can agree, has been a long time coming. Utilizing his own approach to morality and legacy, the great grandfather of all things metal and malevolent appears eager to whisk us around his hallowed ground yet again.

Review: Ozzy Osbourne remains a rock behemoth. Number 9 is The Prince of Darkness's 11th solo studio album and one that finds the heavy metal singer and former Black Sabbath frontman in fine form after a big performance at the closing Ceremony of the Commonwealth Games in his native Birmingham recently. He has a big team of top collaborators along for the ride such as Jeff Beck, late Foo Fighters drummer Taylor Hawkins and Eric Clapton. It is his second solo album in two years and word is there is a new studio being built at his Grade II listed UK pile so expect much more to come.

Review: Serving as follow up to 2023's acclaimed breakout third full-length Take Me Back To Eden, London's elusive, masked progressive metal mystics Sleep Token return with Even In Arcadia. Renowned for their genre-fluid melding of djent, metalcore, post-rock with further leftfield elements of post-classical, hip-hop, trap and indie-pop, the project led by the enigmatic Vessel has seen a massive expansion in popularity since the release of their last album. Set to headline Download 2025 before embarking on their first US Arena Tour, their newest endeavour promises to maximise all of their sonic abandon and outdo their own blueprint in the process, with lead single 'Emergence' starting life as a piano ballad before morphing into an ambi-trap groove metal anthem until fading with a lush, jazzy saxophone and piano finish. No doubt, this will be one of the highest selling/streaming/controversial/debated/talked about metal-centric titles to be released this year.

Review: Fear Inoculum brought a 13-year Tool hiatus to an end in typically dramatic, knock-your-socks-off and blow wind through your hair style. A fine example of what the group have always done so well - running with wolves like Mogwai, only with far more metal sensibilities, and a damn-sight bigger helping of experimentalism, when this bad boy arrived in 2019 it shot straight to the top of the US Billboard 200, the third consecutive record from the group to do so.

Of course, those charts don't necessarily mean as much in this age as they did when the preceding Tool LP dropped, but 270,000 album-equivalent units within the first week do not lie. Nor does the quality of work here. From the avant-garde percussion and awkward synths of 'Chocolate Chip Trip', to the almost-ethereal ambience of 'Legion Inoculant' and the riff and crescendo heavy 'Pneuma', it's a wild thing of beauty.