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Hinayana Shatter Expectations With The Haunting Heaviness Of Shatter And Fall

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Whenever we add an anticipated album to our fabled (Get it???) upcoming year preview list, most times without hearing a single note of new music, there’s always this slight bit of trepidation that maybe the band we’ve put our faith in won’t deliver (While some just don’t actually deliver a record in said upcoming year as intended but that’s a whole other post). Texan Melodic Death Metallers Hinayana was one of those bands blindly put on our 2023 preview post without any new music out but based on the strength of 2020’s Death of the Cosmic (Still on repeat here), we had a feeling.

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Singles! Hinayana, “Reverse The Code”

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Saying that we’ve been anticipating what’s to come next from Texas’ Hinayana following 2020’s Death of the Cosmic is a pretty big understatement at this point so you can imagine our excitement when the recent tease of new music not only delivered “Reverse The Code”, the kind of song that you just blissfully bang your head along to while extending those devil horns high no matter where you are (Which you’ll read all about below), but also heralded the arrival of a BRAND NEW RECORD that’s slated to arrive in November through Napalm Records.

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Vexed Exceed Expectations, Ready Stunning Sophomore Shredder With Negative Energy

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If we were creating year end playlists in 2021 like we started doing last year then “Hideous”, the debut single from Vexed off Culling Culture, would’ve for sure been included. What a jarring, jagged introduction to the UK outfit that was being equal parts earworm and extreme Metal mastery which all in all was simply brilliant. That said, expectations would rightly be high for what’s to follow and lucky for us, the fans, and the Metal masses that Vexed more than deliver with Negative Energy.

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DevilDriver Deliver Devilishly Dynamic Disc Of Delights On Dealing With Demons Vol. II

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We love Dez Fafara here, okay? Whether he’s getting his Nu-Metal on with the on again, off again (And on again this summer with Mudvayne on the road) Coal Chamber or raging with post-CC outfit DevilDriver and exploring whatever extremes he feels like in that band (Country! Black Metal!), know that we’re here for it. And we’re especially here for what seems like the year of the Dez with Coal Chamber reuniting for some live shows this summer along with DevilDriver releasing the anticipated follow-up to Dealing With Demons Vol. 1 following a co-headlining run with Cradle Of Filth.

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Katatonia’s Latest Symphony Of Sorrow, Sky Void of Stars, Is A Moody And Massive Masterpiece

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Have you ever gotten into a band after hearing them perform a soundcheck while chillin’ in between back-to-back interviews with members of the other bands on the bill? Just us? Ok. Let’s set the stage: The year was 2012 and RNRF was in Worcester to interview Devin Townsend who was still making music as Devin Townsend Project and Nick Holmes of Paradise Lost. Pl was the opening act for a co-headlining run by DTP and Swedish Doom metallers Katatonia who we happened to catch soundchecking while waiting for one of the two interviews. The moment “Forsaker” hit our Spidey sense went through the roof and we made a mental note to delve deeper into Katatonia following the live music festivities to come and the rest, as they say, is history.

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Infected Rain Initiate Next Level Heaviness With Ecdysis

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What a savagely epic way to kick off the new year, right?!?!? Moldovan Metalheads Infected Rain begin 2022 with their fifth full-length and a record that will leave fans transfixed by its’ next level heaviness. While I’m going to actively try not to declare anything “ONE OF THE BEST OF 2022” barely a week in…I don’t necessarily see a problem with giving Ecdysis a “MUST HEAR” brand because that’s for sure what it is. And as for the former, check back with me in 6 months, okay?

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Alien Weaponry Usher In A New Global Heaviness With Tangaroa

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Less doubling down on the Sepultura/Gojira aspect of Alien Weaponry’s brand of World Metal, Tangaroa is intent to carve its’ own path by creating a defining moment for the young New Zealand trio and solidify their status as one of the brightest stars in the current heavy music scene.

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Andrew W.K. Royally Rawks On Ambitious Opus God Is Partying

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Who’d a thunk that 20 years after hearing I Get Wet over and over and over again while starting in a record store and subsequently dropping Andrew W.K. like a bad habit with every release since that I’d be gushing over a new record today??? But here we are with the imminent release of God Is Partying, Andrew W.K.’s fifth long player, which is a far cry from my record store daze, a far cry from the days of Jackass (Although with a new film on the way from Johnny Knoxville and co., maybe the more things change and all that jazz?), and a far cry from The Wolf which initially caused this reviewer to tune out.

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Dee Snider Wants To Rock (Again) On Vibrant And Vicious Leave A Scar

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There’s something about this recent second coming of Dee Snider that leaves a constant permagrin on my face because there’s very few artists out there today who can masterfully infuse some genuine FUN into Metal the way that Mr. Snider can. On his latest offering, the even more METAL follow up to 2018’s For Love Of Metal (Sweet jeebus, has it really been three years since this beastie?!?!?), Snider does just that with one heavy ass record that’s a cerebral celebration of the loudest musical genre.

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Monster Magnet Bring The Past Into The Present For A Better Dystopia

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As we’ve said in the past, cover albums in general are hit or miss. Give Monster Magnet the reins on one, though, and watch out! A Better Dystopia, the upcoming covers collection from New Jersey’s real favorite sons, sees Monster Magnet at their absolute gnarliest and Psych Rawk best throughout 13 tracks that sounds more like the latest Monster Magnet banger than a consistent nod to the past.

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