A toxic agent of destruction, hell-bent on global extermination, in its quest for self-rule; ‘The Swamp’ is the latest single from Ukraine pagan folk metal merchants, Natural Spirit.
Following 5 years in the wilderness, ‘TS’ marks their return. It can now be streamed, online.
Founded in 1998; their reign began with debut album, ‘Star Throne’. Originally rooted in extreme metal, which always kept a toe in the stiller waters of Slavonic paganism, myth and legend; NS gradually grew a strong reputation within Ukraine’s pagan folk metal community, sharing stages with Skyforger, Behemoth and Gods Tower.
In 2004, ‘ST’ was followed by ‘Ruskolun’, released to great acclaim. ‘Sita Rosa’ landed in 2008, via Storm Spell Records USA, receiving worldwide adulation. 2011 brought ‘The Price Of Freedom’, delving deeper into the background influences, via live folk and choral accompaniments.
‘TS’s predecessor arrived in 2020; cementing NS’s place in the Ukrainian pagan folk metal underground.
The Swamp – Lusciously deep steel string intro, soon matched by equally deep, velveteen vocals; showcasing their strength of conviction. Monster masculine snarls join them, before the leads overtake, gradually accompanied by divinely powerful riffage. There’s a real starkness to this sound, unveiling itself, by degrees. Moving into an almost meditative, yet still assertive ambience, as it reaches an end. A darkly enchanting track, with a magnetic pull.
9/10 *********
For fans of Alannah Myles, DARK, Sins Of Infirmity, Vampyre Heart, Element Of Fate, Knifesex, WYKAN, Trick Or Treat, Haxan, Cradle Of Haze.
Released this summer; ‘Whispers Of Death’ is the current album, from Ohio thrash outfit, Vindicator.
Their 5th launch, so far; ‘WOD’ is typical of their fiery, unapologetic trademark.
Following 2012’s ‘United We Fall’ and 2021’s ‘Communal Decay’; ‘WOD’ is deemed their best work, yet.
Formed in Ohio, in 2005; Vindicator completed a 4 city promo tour, for ‘WOD’, alongside Graveripper, this summer.
Co-produced by the band and Ben Bennett, at Chop Daddy Ranch, Seattle. Cover Art by Frank Walls.
Whispers Of Death… Anxiety’s Gr – A sinister creaking sound opens… followed by a typical heavy metal thrash riff. Solid thrash drum rolls and bloodthirsty vocals. Clearly on the more extreme end of the spectrum. Well-fitting backing shouts. Sustained speed. Great audio values, getting louder from the bridge. An effective drum cascade, ¾ in and more blood-soaked vocals. Rattling its way to the very pointed end.
Charnel Pastures – Intro’ing with a raging scream. Into more heavy end extremity. Great rhythm control. Fabulous riffage, bridging. Again, it rattles the room. Those anthemic shouts form a fitting backdrop. As before, all’s really well sustained. Ending with a defined drum drop.
Thirst For Violence – Sharp, booming opening. Polished delivery. Even gorier vocal effort than before. Same rapid rhythms. Lots of riff detail. Especially liking that heightened tone, ¾ in. Rage-filled vocals follow. Here, the backing anthems get slightly echoic. The bloodlust never holds back. Good, smooth, straightforward fade.
Your World Dies In Flames – Banging intro! Now, the chunkier end of the riffage gets an airing. Involved vocals. Good melodic aspect hitting, towards the bridge. Here, the backing anthems merge with the leads; strengthening the song, before the upbeat riff solo follows. This is where thrash and melody combine, bleeding into each other, till the finely positioned closing bass line.
Exhaustion – A blood-curdling shout opens. Dizzying riffs hit next. Drums matching that rhythm. Smashing it, all the way, crashing that speed barrier, right up to the finishing line.
Novocaine – Straight in there, with a thrash heavy refrain. An instrumental interlude, showcasing some psychedelic aspects. Brief, but effective.
Bleed Between The Lines – Right into a fast-paced rhythm, with lots of gore. A more extreme track, well emphasised, vocally. Drums building momentum, on the way to the bridge. Adding an uplifting psychedelic riff melody, just past that point. A section of stop-start stuff, easily mistaken for a brief production glitch, so not the best option. Enraged, blood-soaked vocals and a final bass line take it to the end.
Merry Evenings Make Sad Mournings – In with a powerful, direct riff, with a dark centre. Perfect top end vibrato. Taking it down, to another bloody refrain. Loaded with extreme feeling. Sustaining that tension and hold. Colourful riff melodies follow, before a riff scream follows. Again, the bass is clearer towards the end.
Battle Box – Rattling the cage, right from the get go, plunging straight into a pool of blood-filled venom. Adding in some high-end melody and vocal intensity. A blood-strewn shout closes. Quite Pantera-esque, in places.
Abominable Intelligence – Changing gears, with an unexpected sound effect, opening onto a wah section, with spoken narrative. Stringing it out, with lower end bass and riffs; assisted by booming drums. Ending with the opening effect.
Ripper Attack – Right in, with a higher riff tone, with the lower bass sliding deeper, underneath. Up, into the faster registers. Some blood-soaked vocals. Backing anthems returning, adding an extra strand. Consistent rhythms. A final scream and riff complete it, with a boxing ring-like bell, at the end. ‘Ripper Attack’ sounds noticeably like ‘river of death’.
Obsoletion Complete – Gentle, though ominous shore-line sounds and a dark riff open. Seabirds join in, with thronging calls. The watery sound effects form the ending.
Overall – A powerful thrash centre, with dark overtones and an extreme mood, with filters of light-strewn melodies; ‘WOD’ strikes a warning tone, of encroaching danger. A more than effective production, featuring crystal clear sounds, throughout; ‘WOD’ is a message which can’t be ignored.
9/10 *********
For fans of Almost Dead, Pantera, Carcass, Danzig, Blakenstein, Slayer, Testament, Venom, Anthrax, Satarial, Warpath.
Andrzej Citowicz – ‘Tattooed On The Wind’, Fangslinger – ‘Blood Curse’ and Temtris – ‘The World Is Bleeding Out’.
Temtris – ‘The World Is Bleeding Out‘ – Entering the top 3, for its huge, soulful vocals, unforgettable chorus and wildly impassioned delivery; ‘The World Is Bleeding Out’ hits another level of genre-blurring energy and theatrical drama, entering a separate realm. Staking their well-earned place in the industry; ‘TWIBO’ is taking Temtris places; showcasing their stand-out qualities.
Fangslinger – ‘Blood Curse’ – Hitting another place, straight off, with its cinematic sound, easily memorable chorus line and crunchy country twang, merging with the classic rock spirit; ‘Blood Curse’ hits the top 3, for all those reasons and more, including its clap-along melody. A song showcasing new and surprisingly successful directions, for the hard rock/heavy metal genre.
Rock Queen Reviews Single Of The Year 2025 – Andrzej Citowicz – ‘Tattooed On The Wind’
A track that gets me, from the first note to the last; ‘Tattooed On The Wind’ wins Single Of The Year 2025, for its gloriously heartfelt, soul touching chorus, its pure, melodic centre, stirring lyrics and hugely satisfying traditional rock emphasis; specifically, its uncannily close resemblance to Bon Jovi, Andrzej’s innate ability to make the guitar sing, just as well as his vocals, but most of all, for its absolute sincerity, you believe, without a shadow of a doubt. The most beautifully real and heart-warming single I’ve heard, this year.
A track that gets me, from the first note to the last; ‘Tattooed On The Wind’ wins Single Of The Year 2025, for its gloriously heartfelt, soul touching chorus, its pure, melodic centre, stirring lyrics and hugely satisfying traditional rock emphasis; specifically, its uncannily close resemblance to Bon Jovi, Andrzej’s innate ability to make the guitar sing, just as well as his vocals, but most of all, for its absolute sincerity, you believe, without a shadow of a doubt. The most beautifully real and heart-warming single I’ve heard, this year.
Founded in 2020, taking 3 years to establish a permanent line-up; Necronomicunt merge doom with satanic, D beat punk and a raft of other elements.
Composed of ex-members of Spitroast, Bathom, Murder Of Crows, Belladonna and current members of Tharsis; the quartet consists of Steph (The Cuntess), Aaron (Yeti), Matt and Tommy.
Two live shows were performed under the pseudonym, Electronomicunt, with drum machine programming by Oms (Omsferatu).
Necronomicunt have shared stages with a plethora of acts, including: Mastiff, Viking Skull, Morag Tong, Grave Lines, Blind Monarch, Acid Throne, Commoner, Hiatus, Death Fiend, etc.
Their debut EP, ‘Cuntess’ is out now.
New music’s in production and the band are seeking more live experience.
Face Transplanter – Stomping doom intro, with sinister inflections, enhanced by the organ. Unmistakable darkness oozes from its pores. Well timed, steady beats. Wailing sirens and blackened shouts. Gathering speed. Just a cloak-covered realm of blackness. All timing’s in sync with the vocals. Lyrics very slightly clearer, just before the end. Careful fade-out.
Pyramid Of Death – Opening on ominous atmospherics, courting suspense. Instrumental focus, till the vocals enter. Again, those extreme vocal sounds lend it an evil edge. Impressive stamina in that voice. Lots of pounding bass and percussion.
Cuntess Dracula – Very doom soaked blackened intro, featuring more key focus. More throat-shredding extremity. Speeding up, in places, before bringing it back down to dungeon doom, again. Sudden speed drums bridging. Cartoon tantrum territory in those vocals. Returning to slowed organ, ¾ in, emphasising the darkness and doom. Lyrics only clear in very sporadic phases. Crust-layered ending.
Green Phlegm – Low end bass opens, in a solo return, before the drums join in. Dark riffs follow, then the screamo vocals. A touch more melody, here. Building tension well and always a good production sound. No let-up in vocal extremity. Good general cohesion. The doom flavour intensifies, at the end.
Overall – Does what it says it does. ‘Cuntess’ is very clear blackness, with a heavy doom emphasis. How tolerable the sustained vocal extremity is is subjective, but it’s consistent and well performed, as with the accompaniments. A slow, eviscerating approach; ‘Cuntess’ meets all expectations, sliding comfortably into the genre.
8/10 ********
For fans of Black Sabbath, Satarial, Venom, Venom Inc, Space Parasites, Iron Monkey, Carcass.
Avant-garde metal band, Now I’ve Done It (NiDi) have released the debut album, ‘An Ill Guest’, along with a video for featured lead single, ‘Dilly-Dally’.
Originating in Philadelphia; NIDI features past and present members of prog power metal band, Lor. NIDI incorporates a concoction of swing, punk-cabaret and avant-garde metal into their material.
‘AIG’ was influenced by such bands as Diablo Swing Orchestra, Stolen Babies, Finntroll and Mr. Bungle, though they still make NIDI their own unique sound.
‘DD’ was actually featured on NIDI’s debut EP and has been performed live.
‘AIG’ is intentionally alternative, eccentric and outside the box.
‘Show Me’ is a new independent rock release, from John Rhodes, featuring Darren James Smith, on vocals. It’s out now.
The Canadian vocalist is well renowned for his role in Harem Scarem, playing drums and performing backing vocals. Success has followed him, for many years, via worldwide tours and albums. His part in forming their hallmark sounds has been the linchpin of the band’s accomplishments.
Darren’s long experience has also included other bands he’s fronted and collaborated with. His strong, soulful vocals really bring out the power in JR’s ‘SM’.
Based in fiction; the song recounts an outlaw’s journey to evade capture; the chorus line serving as a deliberate tease, aimed at his accusers and law enforcers. It screams a message of separation from criminal labels and insistence on going his own way.
It’s available to stream, online.
Show Me – Instant hit of hard-rock opening). Melodic groove, with a bucket full of heart. Classic riffs and effortless vocals. A proper feel-good track, with stadium rock atmosphere. All the right ingredients, harking back to the golden 80’s/90’s era of punchy, direct, upbeat rock). Only problem? Too short)! Right here lies the very flavour of authentic heavy rock.
10/10 **********
For fans of Def Leppard, Black Country Communion, Whitesnake, Little Angels, Poison, Daniel Trigger, Fahran, Rob Richardson, Toto, John Farnham.
Out now, on Sireena Records, on LP and digipack CD; ‘Cherrytree Stories And Other Innuendo Tales’ is the latest EP, from Giants, Dwarfs And Black Holes.
Co-produced by the band’s own Tomasz Riedel, Carsten Freckmann and Eroc, at The Ranch.
Recorded February 2025, at Giants Studios, Germany, by the trio, themselves.
Vocalist Christiane Thomasen composed the lyrics to ‘Reframed’ and ‘Under The Cherry Tree’. TR wrote the lyrics to ‘Electric Black’ and ‘A Cent For The Old, Hollow And Stuffed Guy’.
Reframe – Plucky intro riffs and a mysterious mood. Bass and percussion replicating that quirky mystique. Vocals very reminiscent of spy film soundtracks and smoky lounge bars. A somewhat Pink Panther-esque essence to the whole thing, with jazz refrains thrown in. A very different direction from their past material. Soul inflections and dark disguises evoked. Very strong vocals, rocking as much grit as smoothness. Liking that twangy riff bridge. Moving into experimental grooves and clear psychedelic material. Tambourine shakes lead into the final bass lines and gathered riffs; creeping into the end, with a touch more vocal darkness.
Electric Black – Cymbal clashes open. Into closely compressed riffage, percussion and vocal enigma. An almost spooky tone intrigues, as a funk psychedelic aspect overtakes. Loads of funk-driven wah. As much prog as psychedelic and always, that heavily experimental flavour. More light percussion than is average. Vocals adopting an almost mesmeric, ritualistic stance. Injecting more wah funk. Expansive vocal sounds, evoking jungle backdrop imagery. As before, jazz hints enter, with bluesy edge. Continuing, in a vaguely hypnotic fashion; encircling you, to the end.
Under The Cherry Tree – Upbeat, funky riff intro, with more of those enigmatic vocals following. A bit of an experimental edge, once more. Now, bringing in the keys, in a minimal background manner. Again, those vocals get very Shirley Bassey-esque; taking you straight to Bond film territory. Tapping on the cymbals, just before the bridge. It’s very much an improv sounding arrangement. Very unusual structures, styles and melodies. The prog element really gets a blast, here. Lots of versatile features.
A Cent For The Old, Hollow And Stuffed Guy – Fairly downbeat, softer riff opening. Acoustic tones continue, as if drifting down a river, in a melancholic frame of mind. A thankful lift enters, at 02:19, with bass underlying, then Floyd-esque feminine vocals. Only lifting to a point; the volume grows, slightly. That underpinning bass line adds some much-needed heaviness, though it works alone. A largely bleak track. Still, the vocals are consistently strong, with a gritty centre. The bass provides a reliable undercurrent, while the drums are suitably rhythmic. There’s an undeniable thread of intrigue, throughout; especially in those lyrics. It’s a bit of a mixed bag lucky dip of genres and stylistic approaches. Incorporating more wah, in the 2nd ½; building the groove dimension. Throwing in some vocal echo, emulating Floyd. Overtaking that with more funk sound, till the vocals dominate, again. Returning to heavy wah, groove riffage and percussion, once again, till everything blends together. Fluid movements, from one genre/style to another. Fading out on fragile piano keys and deep riff and bass lines.
Overall – The standout features here are the vocal power, the diversity of sound and the consistent quality, spread equally throughout each component. However, it must be said that it’s quite a downbeat production, with a strong mood-lowering capacity. Blurring various genre confines can present potential confusion and diversion, as much as variety and seduction. So ultimately, ‘CSAOIT’ features an equal balance of appeal and disenchantment, within a well-crafted, ambitious package.
7/10 *******
For fans of Pink Floyd, Mike Oldfield, Temtris, Shirley Bassey, Portishead, film and cartoon soundtracks, jazz and soul rock cross-overs.
Nashville classic rockers, Lost Circus showcase their own new spin on the traditional rock sound, via their recent single offering, ‘Sky’.
Utilising a range of inspirations, from old school metal, to modern prog, through to stadium rock, shock/horror rock and punk; LC throw it all into their sound.
‘Sky’ is out now, on Curtain Call Records.
Sky – Sleek, rocky bass line opening). Perfect classic power scream following. Dreamy, contemplative lyrics, convincingly vocalised. Everything here gels). Fluid, laid-back riffs, tight drum rolls, complemented by backing vocals. Very 90’s, in the best way. Structurally, stylistically and melodically perfected. Bringing all that nostalgic mood and atmosphere with it, this is how to create and perform a great, effective rock track. As flawlessly produced as delivered; the world needs to hear this.
10/10 **********
For fans of Whitesnake, Pyroclast, Scorpions, DIO, White Crone, Black Country Communion.
Meet the inventive genre, dark dungeon synth metal, via Cultic, showcasing their recently released album, ‘Lore’; out on Eleventh Key Records.
Featuring a more extreme form of epic fantasy metal, with a doom foundation, in which legends are interwoven; ‘Lore’s themes remain assuringly magical.
The featured singles, ‘Nomad’ and ‘Night Grifter’ are both accompanied by YouTube videos. The latter was premiered by Decibel Magazine.
‘Lore’ can be ordered and streamed, digitally.
Nomad – Curious wobble echo intro and into a deep, dark, Sabbath-esque doom refrain. Cymbals used, intriguingly, with some unusual effects. Very growly vocals, evoking ogre images. Slow-paced, with samey beats, throughout. A very doom-led track, with central extremity.
Perilous Turn – Slight space rock, sci-fi opening. High-pitched synth complements the rest. Lots of experimental effects. A thankfully short instrumental.
Fool – Neat follow-up. Floor-shaking low-end bass and percussion. More Dalek-like growls, spewing menacing lyrics. A bit monotone. Aggressive tones and continuous bass and drum rhythms. Throwing in some wah, just before the end. Finishing too soon.
Twilight – Heavy, cinematic opening. Into a slightly different refrain, mirroring the nature of the title. Another brief instrumental, composed almost entirely of synth effects.
Night Grifter – Big, stomping doom intro. Unarguably heavy. Very muddy, sludgy stuff. Not much diversity in here. Employing the wah about ¾ of the way in, but mostly dominated by monster growls and repetitive rhythms. Early cut-off.
Spellbound – A very early TV sci-fi sound effect opens, onto more synth, with some lighter tones within it. Another short one, with little substance.
Crone – Floor-quaking depths intro, once more. It’s almost all rhythm. Again, that Sabbath influence is clear. Now with some added acoustic tones. Differing vocal styles and insane laughter, in places, but mainly just low-end doom. Crashing closing sounds.
Vast Horizons – More spacey sounds open, onto gong beats and synths. Very samey, with experimental flavours, which don’t really work. Very brief.
Tyrant’s Horde – Heavier intro beat, with central doom, once again. Crushing sounds and textures. Growled vocals return, with some reverb effects. Just a mire of sludge. Barely audible lyrics and of course, more non-descript synths. No real change from the same boring repetition, throughout.
Unyielding Might – A change of tack, now, opening with a military march, with an ominous background sound. That depressive melody remains the same, though.
Warlord’s Quest – A slightly more energised intro, now, but soon revealing the same ogre-ish growls as before. There is a marginally new monk-like background chant, here, but generally, no other real variation. Ending on a wordless echoed shout.
Imperial Procession – Beginning with the same shouts, plus a more cinematic warrior call, via ritual instrumentals. No alternations, till the final drum beats, evoking omen, through premonitory rhythms.
Ancient Kings – Big, booming drum and effects intro! Still through the floor, with those depths. Very sludgy. Monsters and demons and yet more reverb. Stone heavy rhythmic echoes; interminable growls. All the same monotonous features. You may as well play an LP on the wrong speed and bounce a basketball around it, relentlessly. Aural torture you’ll be begging to end.
Mirror Punishment – Chaotic, cacophonous intro, featuring sensory overload inducing nails scratching down a blackboard sounds, so intense, it’s actually distressing to hear. Some war-cry drum and gong beats, in the background. It’s just a blessed relief that it’s so short.
Executioner’s Tale – Mechanical sounds open, with even more of the same dull, monotonous drumming, bass lines and demonic vocals. The best feature’s the wah, from the bridge. A final beastly growl echoes out, at the end, which can’t come soon enough.
Breaking Wheel – The gong returns, at the outset, accompanied by disturbing screams and creaking doors. Dustbin lid sounds crash and echo, at the end.
Warden – Booming repetition, yet again. Utilising the wobble effect a lot. Synths almost screaming. Unbearably dull and repetitive. Shared evil cackles. Stomping sounds and little else, throughout.
Dungeon Wench – Loud footsteps, fencing sounds and cackling laughter open. Replaced by the ogre’s return and the same boring beats and bass. It’s basically just a monster, throwing a temper tantrum and stamping his feet, all the way through. Fading out on vague, feminine, wordless chants. You’ll be glad it fades out slightly early.
Overall – Painful to listen to, with the wah inclusions its only redeeming feature; the agonising drone that is ‘Lore’ is not at all what it claims to be and is frankly, best avoided. Especially the track, ‘Mirror Punishment’. Not just mercilessly repetitive and monotonous drone, but actually torturous, in places, too. Barely any demonstration of real musicianship and an over-reliance on effects and noise, to the exclusion of anything else; ‘Lore’ ranks amongst the worst albums I’ve heard, this year. Not recommended. Do yourself a favour and swerve this one.
1/10 *
For fans of Warrior Pope, Bellhead, World Below, Shape Of Water, Iron Monkey.
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