Reviews, Interviews, and Podcasts celebrating the best Extreme Metal music


  • Black Metal 2024
          The past year was quite honestly a problem. So many albums came out every week that were just flat out GOOD. I’m someone who will bail on something if it doesn’t keep my attention…
  • OPEN KASKET – “Trials of Failure” Review
    Ever hear a band and know exactly what they are going to be like to see live? That happened to me with Open Kasket. They’re the ones you’ll be sorry you missed the opportunity to…
  • Lacuna Coil – “Sleepless Empire” Review
    LACUNA COIL- Sleepless Empire Review “Run.” Myself and this band took different paths long ago. I’ve got a great “Once Upon a Time” story that I’ll save for another article. My golden days with this…
  • Saor – “Amidst the Ruins” Review
    Five tracks. That is all you need to fall in love with the beauty of Saor. The Scottish project’s sixth album, Amidst the Ruins, will have you hooked from the very first melody and will…
  • Harakiri For The Sky – “Scorched Earth” Review
    Harakiri for the Sky is my favorite band. Not just recently, but all-time. Throughout my life I’ve likely listened to over a hundred thousand of hours of music, and throughout that entire journey, I’ve been…
  • The Halo Effect – “March of the Unheard” Review
    You miss the 90s era of Melodic Death Metal? Those days when you first discovered In Flames and Dark Tranquillity (first time in 25 years of doing reviews I have spelled Dark Tranquillity correctly… Somehow…
  • Bri’s 2024 in Review
    This was my first time ever making an end of year/”best of” list, and I know there’s a ton of music I missed because I started paying attention to new releases kind of later in…
  • Justin’s 2024 in Review
    Wow, it’s New Year’s Eve already! I can’t believe 2024 is about to end. Back in December 2023, I made the decision to start HarshVocals.com as both a written review site, and a podcast. I…
  • Simon’s 2024 In Review
    That was quick… Already the End of the Year, 2024.Many, many, things occurred this year.Personally, celebrated my daughters First birthday, and my Son’s First Football season!It was another fantastic year married to the Love of…
  • Lament in Winter’s Night – Whereunto the Twilight Leads Review
    First off, I need to say that the melodies in this are SO GOOD and full of emotion. In a year overflowing with strong black metal releases, here is yet another one that vies for…
  • Doc Landles Top10 Albums of 2024!
    Well, this is the first time I have done this publicly, so be gentle.  Some comments first about how my list works, and why. We had to wait four years for this, their fourth album,…
  • Black Metal: The demise of ‘True Cult’, 1996/97
    The years 1996 and 1997 produced some of the greatest black metal albums of all time.  So, for example, we have, Burzum: Filosofem, Emperor: Anthems to the Welkin at Dusk, Satyricon: Nemesis Divina, Enslaved: Eld, Gorgoroth: Antichrist & Under the Sign of…
  • Harakiri For The Sky – New Single/Album and Tour Announcement!
    Despair, loss, love, and existential struggles have always been the foundation of HARAKIRI FOR THE SKY’s distinctive sound. Since their formation in 2011, multi-instrumentalist M.S. and vocalist J.J. have gained recognition for pushing musical boundaries with their…
  • Gaerea – Coma Review
    2019 was a horrific year for many people. Myself included. I relied heavily on music to make it through that year, and no album was more important to my mental health, than the immeasurably cathartic…
  • Concert Review – Fragmenting North America Tour
    Featuring: Skeletal Remains/Bewitcher/Phobophilic/Torture Rack/Wülfskol This past Thursday, I had the opportunity to see this outstanding show at Scout Bar in Houston, Texas. The bands on the tour are a pretty varied mix of styles so…
  • In Case You Missed It…
    Metal: A Headbangers Journey This was something you might have missed, or maybe not, as it does seem to have a cult following. It might seem a bit selfish when I read that back…but I…
  • The New Wave of British Heavy Metal (The Deeper Cuts) Part 2
    Continued … I hope you enjoyed engaging with the first five bands in these articles.  Stand by for the next five.  As before, these bands are alphabetically listed and not ranked – I’ll leave that…
  • Unto Others – Never, Neverland
    From the moment I discovered Unto Others, I knew this band would be legendary. Previously known as Idle Hands from 2017 to 2020, Unto Others have branded their new name into many fans’ hearts and…
  • The New Wave Of British Heavy Metal (The Deeper Cuts) Part 1
    Beginnings The New Wave of British Heavy Metal (hereafter NWOBHM) was heavy metal’s first sub-genre.  It was primarily a British movement but that is not to say that good heavy metal wasn’t being produced around…
  • Discovering New Bands Through Surveys (Orbit Culture)
    I was curious as to what are the most popular bands that people are currently listening to? I wondered how many metal bands on the charts are well known? I don’t usually pay attention to…
  • Vosforis – Cosmic Cenotaph
    As a lover of both black metal and outer space, I was super excited to check out Vosforis. Labeled as “industrial black metal” in the metalhead’s bible, Cosmic Cenotaph is Vosforis’ debut album, released on…
  • Satan – Songs in Crimson Review
    Formed in 1981, Satan were, for a brief period, the hardest and fastest of the NWOBHM bands releasing, in 1983, the magnificent Court in the Act.  The promise the band showed back then was off the…
  • Kanonenfieber – Die Urkastrophe Review
    Whew! I can say that Die Urkastrophe is Kanonenfieber’s best work yet. This album will definitely be in my top albums of 2024. With that said, let’s get into it!  If you aren’t familiar with…
  • Winterfylleth: The Imperious Horizon Review
    Winterfylleth are an English Atmospheric Black Metal band.  They have in the past called their music English Heritage Black Metal and certainly use England’s rich history as inspiration for their music, as well as England’s…
  • The First Wave of Black Metal… or was it?
    Beginnings I remember the day well.  An incredibly cold, steel grey day, Tuesday, 1st, December, 1981.  I had struggled on to a freezing bus, faced a wind chill factor of -4C on the ferry, and…
  • Concert Review – Manual Manic Procedures Tour
    Featuring Upon Stone, Stabbing, Balmora, 200 Stab Wounds This past Friday, I had the opportunity to see a spectacularly brutal show at White Oak Music Hall in Houston, The Manual Manic Procedures tour – featuring…
  • Opeth Announce New Album: “Last Will and Testament”
    OPETH returns. With a great tune, New Album, and a hidden goodbye? They’re touring the USA.. Is this the final curtain? Spawned in the early nineties, Opeth has dabbled in so many styles, from gutterals…
  • Top 3 War Metal releases so far in 2024
    ÖÜGH zone ahead
  • Dark Tranquillity – Endtime Signals
    Back in the early 2000s I was just getting started writing reviews for the website Metalcrypt.com. I was one of those metalheads that initially felt kind of lost in the 1990s when Heavy Metal was…
  • Bad things come in 3’s…
    Except in this case. Cheesy and misleading, but it’s true. If this was a tour, It’d be stacked. And I’d be stoked. Lamb of God, The Black Dahlia Murder, & Fleshgod Apocalypse. Lamb of God…
  • CANCER CULTURE TOUR USA – 2024
    April 14th, 2024The maiden voyage on the US arm of this tour. THE OBSERVATORY – SANTA ANA, CALIFORNIA! This venue has quickly become the epicenter (even more since the tear down of the 5 Point…
  • In Vain – Solemn Review
    2024 continues to be the year that just gives and gives, at least relating to music. In Vain’s most recent opus, Solemn is the latest (and possibly greatest) incredible gift we’ve been given this year….
  • Concert Review – The Orb
    Featuring Crimson Void, The Xebellian Triangle, Hath, Wormhole, Gorod This past Sunday, I had the opportunity to see an incredible show in Houston, The Orb tour – featuring Hath, Wormhole and Gorod. Even better, I…
  • Christian’s Top 30 Albums of 2023
    Top 30 Best Metal Releases of 2023 Is it any wonder I have had a love affair with Heavy Metal music for 40+ years? During that extended period of time, I have seen the growth…
  • Justin’s Top 10 Albums of 2023
    After thousands of hours of listening, making a playlist of 267 albums that I felt merited a 3.5/5 or better score, and pairing that playlist down to 30, then again to 10, I’ve finally arrived at my top 10 albums of 2023! It was an incredible year for music, with over 70 albums ranking a 4.0 or higher for me, which made this year’s list a true struggle. I’m exceptionally happy with the results though.