New releases this week: Metal

Review: Originally formed in 1983 in Los Angeles, Alcatrazz are one of the pioneering metallic-tinged hard rock acts of the decade of change and cheese. Often noted for once being the musical home of an at-the-time unknown Yngwie Malmsteen who served as lead guitarist for a year, before being replaced by Steve Vai, in the later years, the band have become somewhat comically known for their splitting off into separate factions of the same group, both performing under identical monikers since the release of 2020's Born Innocent with lead vocalist Graham Bonnet embarking on his own version of the band complete with Nevermore mastermind Jeff Loomis, while guitarist Joe Stump, Jimmy Waldo on keys, Gary Shea on bass, and Mark Benquechea on drums have remained united. Released as part of Record Store Day 2025, All Night Long In Japan 2019 originally arrived a year prior to all of this internal conflict, showcasing a series of shows unlike the band had ever done before, featuring two sold out nights at TSUTAYA O-EAST in Tokyo on 28th & 31st May 2019, with night one including their classic debut album No Parole From Rock 'N' Roll performed in its entirety in the intended track sequence the band originally wanted to be released back in 1983, while night two would include Graham Bonnet's Rainbow era 1979 album Down To Earth performed in full by Alcatrazz.

Review: Originally released in 1995 and celebrating its 30th anniversary this year, Symbolic would serve as the sixth (and originally intended final) full-length from Floridian death metal pioneers Death. Following on from 1993's Individual Thought Patterns, the work has become highly regarded and often perceived as the band's most intricate and culminative display of their tech-death wizardry, largely due to its use of acoustic and clean guitar tones, dissonance, arpeggios, and "Egyptian" style melodies, while mastermind Chuck Schuldiner would reimagine his guttural bellows in a more gritted teeth shout akin to hardcore punk. With lyrics touching upon topics including political corruption, surveillance and class consciousness, the cerebral messaging married to such intricate, progressive, nigh on unsurpassable musicianship would simultaneously feel like a far cry from the gore-obsessed brutality of old, yet the natural route the legendary act would ultimately take their heady vision.

Review: First released in 2012, Broken Bones would serve as the 11th full-length studio effort from glam metal-tinged Los Angeles hard rockers Dokken. The first album in the band's entire tenure to not feature drummer Mick Brown due to scheduling conflicts (replaced for the recording sessions by studio drummer Jimmy DeGrasso), as well as their only work to feature bassist Sean McNabb (Quiet Riot, XYZ, Queensryche), the album served as follow up to 2008's Lightning Strikes Again while initially perceived as a swansong due to the major decade-long gap until 2023's Heaven Comes Down. Packed to the brim with triumphant riffage and soaring choruses, it may not entirely capture the Dokken magic of old but still delivers a retro-fitted 45 minutes of classic-style cuts with its standout track easily being their unique rendition of Jefferson Airplane's 'Today'. Reissued for Record Store Day 2025 on super cool and artwork complimentary blue & black splattered wax.

Review: Having recently struck internet-age meme-gold thanks to iconic frontman (and sole original member) Bobby Liebling's iconic, seemingly "drugged out" gaze whilst performing live on stage, there really could be no more ample time for doom metal pioneers Pentagram to be releasing a new album. Returning a full decade on from 2015's Curious Volume, the band's ninth full-length Lightning In A Bottle offers up yet another entirely new revitalised lineup featuring guitarist/producer Tony Reed (Mos Generator, Big Scenic Nowhere), drummer Henry Vasquez (Legions of Doom, Saint Vitus, Blood of the Sun) and bassist Scooter Haslip (Mos Generator, Saltine), while the decades of performing, touring and admitted drug addiction have done little to dilute Liebling's looming presence and powerful vocal cadence. Unmistakeably still Pentagram, complete with heaving grooves and occult charisma, the material doesn't simply rethread past glories, but makes a vital case for the band's inarguable place in the doom metal cosmos, with Liebling balancing his aura with sobering introspection of his own years of opioid abuse on standout cuts such as 'Dull Pain' or the haunting 'Lady Heroin', where he ponders - "Lady Heroin, have I seen the last of you?" We hope so, Bobby, but we hope to see plenty more of you eyeballing fans in the front row whilst getting your macabre groove on.

Review: Originally released in 1982 via Earache Records (who're also handling this long overdue reissue), The Ultimate Incantation marked the debut full-length from Polish death metal pioneers Vader. Originally recorded at Sunlight Studio in Stockholm, Sweden with Thomas Skogsberg, both the band and label were ultimately unhappy with the final mixes due to their admitted lack of studio equipment, especially the studio's in-house electronic drumkit which simply could not handle the barrage of blastbeats, leading them to relocate and re-record the album in its entirety at London's Rhythm Studios with producer Paul Johnson. Whilst commended upon release for the band's technical proficiency that helped guide the extreme metal movement, some critics found the desired raw recording quality as too abrasive to truly enjoy, but those critiques have become somewhat redundant over the decades with any extreme metal act worthy of the term and the scene as a whole prioritising raw intensity over studio gloss.