Sex, death, isolation and art-rock weirdness? Årabrot’s Norwegian Gothic has them covered By Connie Gordon Noise rock surrealists Årabrot are still orbiting a planet of their own on new album Norwegian Gothic
Melvins’ Working With God: more sonic insanity from rock’s kings of absurdism By Connie Gordon Surf rock, twisted pop, unhinged doo wop – it’s business as usual in the demented world of Melvins
Aspyhx’s Necroceros album: cult death metal overlords in world-eating form By Connie Gordon Dutch veterans Asphyx serve up a tour de force of speed, sludge, riffs and sly humour with first album in five years
Sodom’s Genesis XIX: thrash veterans strip away the fuss – and the thrills By Connie Gordon Euro-thrash mainstays Sodom go back to their roots on new album Genesis XIX with mixed results
Macabre’s Carnival Of Killers: the kings of murder-metal reclaim their crown By Connie Gordon Serial killer-obsessed sickos Macabre return from their slumber on new album Carnival Of Killers
Emma Ruth Rundle & Thou’s May Our Chambers Be Full is the perfect marriage of the grime and the sublime By Connie Gordon Post-rock chameleon Emma Ruth Rundle and sludge metal boundary-pushers Thou team up on brilliant left-field collaboration
Old Man Gloom’s Seminar VIII: Light Of Meaning: a towering tribute to a fallen comrade By Connie Gordon Sludge metal supergroup Old Man Gloom return from the shadows
1994: The albums that changed the world By Chris Chantler, Alex Chillingworth, Ali Cooper, Connie Gordon, Stephen Hill, Dom Lawson, Dannii Leivers, Matt Mills, Dayal Paterson, Jonathan Selzer, Jon Wiederhorn 1994 was the year when metal came of age, bands twisting heavy music into new forms that would echo through the ages. We take a look back at the year's essential releases
Mantar – The Modern Art Of Setting Ablaze album review By Connie Gordon German duo Mantar add more oxygen to the flames with The Modern Art Of Setting Ablaze
Axegrinder – Satori album review By Connie Gordon UK crustpunks Axegrinder dust themselves down after a 30-year hiatus with Satori
Septic Tank – Rotting Civilisation By Connie Gordon Lee Dorrian rounds up a crew of 80s hardcore punk obsessives for Septic Tank
Ministry - AmeriKKKant album review By Connie Gordon Mad Uncle Al Jourgensen resurrects his outlaw industrial harbingers
Howling Sycamore - Howling Sycamore album review By Connie Gordon Ephel Duath frontman leads a roll call of experimental extremity
Primal Rite - Dirge Of Escapism album review By Connie Gordon Bay Area crossover crew battle against the knobs
Marginal - Total Destruction album review By Connie Gordon Belgian grind crew keep churning up the beaten track
Autopsy - Puncturing The Grotesque album review By Connie Gordon Classic death metal battery from Bay Area veterans
Gnaw - Cutting Pieces album review By Connie Gordon Seasoned sonic assaulters reveal more madness than method
Friendship - Hatred album review By Connie Gordon Japan’s shadowy noise outfit find multiple ways to mangle
Nuisance Of Majority - Savage Ritual album review By Connie Gordon German noise-makers kick several shades of shit out of the speakers
Complete Failure - Crossburner album review By Connie Gordon Grind steelers start to wield their own power tools
Usnea - Portals Into Futility album review By Connie Gordon Glacial, cinematic suffering from Portland’s funeral doom crew
All Pigs Must Die - Hostage Animal album review By Connie Gordon Hardcore punk crew widen their radius of destruction
Implore - Subjugate album review By Connie Gordon Bleak but brilliant crust-infused DM from Italian n’erdowells
Rescue Rangers - Join Hate album review By Connie Gordon Gallic heavy rockers find friends in high places
Mastiff - Bork album review By Connie Gordon Northern miserablists play fast and loose with the sludge template
