20 Metal & Rock Album Reviews & Collector Buying Guide 2025
Alright, let’s get into it! We're ripping through a killer stack of albums that totally pump us up and shake us to our core. These records ain’t just music; they’re experiences that challenge our souls, tear us apart, or drag us deep into the underground abyss. These quick reviews are our gut reactions to how these albums hit us today, leaving echoes of metal in our bones. Take a read into them one by one, or thrash around through the chaos; each album has its own crazy universe just waiting for you to get lost in. So crank it up, and let the metal take over! \m/
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ALICE IN CHAINS – DIRT (1992)
ALICE IN CHAINS hit emotional depths on "Dirt" that few bands ever dared to explore. It's one of our top 5 albums of all time — raw, vulnerable, and painfully human. Layne Staley’s voice feels like it’s tearing itself open, suspended between suffering and beauty. Every riff drags its weight like a confession.
Coming back to "Dirt" always hurts in a strangely beautiful way. Layne’s sudden disappearance still hangs over the album like a ghost, turning every harmony into a reminder of what was lost. This isn’t just grunge or rock — this is the sound of a soul unraveling in real time.
IMPALED NAZARENE – RAPTURE (2019)
IMPALED NAZARENE have always thrived in pure, radioactive chaos — but "Rapture" feels like the moment where all their feral energy crystallized into something iconic. We’ve always rated this one a solid 9/10: savage, punk-infused black metal that ignites instantly and never lets up.
From “Penis et Circes” to “We’re Satan’s Generation,” the entire album pulses with venom and manic urgency. The riffs feel like they’re carved out of panic and gasoline, the vocals a blast furnace of nuclear derangement. "Rapture" is Impaled Nazarene at their most explosive — unfiltered, unholy, unforgettable.
BIOHAZARD – STATE OF THE WORLD ADDRESS (1994)
BIOHAZARD hit a rare peak with "State Of The World Address" — a record that captured the bruised heartbeat of ‘90s Brooklyn long before the city got cleaned up and polished. This is the sound of concrete, sweat, street politics, and real frustration boiling over into riffs. Everything is delivered with that unmistakable BIOHAZARD dual-vocal snarl and thick, street-level groove.
Tracks like “Down for Life,” “What Makes Us Tick,” and “Tales From the Hard Side” still explode with honesty and urgency. The band was firing on all cylinders — tight drums, feral vocals, and riffs that swing like a wrecking ball. "State Of The World Address" remains one of the most underrated heavy records of the decade, and easily one of Biohazard’s defining moments.
BURIED GOD – SACRIFICED (2004)
BURIED GOD came out swinging with "Sacrificed", a filthy slab of raw thrash energy packed into a tight 7" format. The moment the needle drops, you're thrown into a whirlwind of jagged riffing and frantic drum attacks that feel pulled straight from the late ‘80s underground tape-trading trenches.
There’s no polish here — just venom, speed, and riffs sharpened like rusted blades. "Sacrificed" captures that perfect balance between chaos and control, the kind of recording that makes collectors grin because it reeks of pure DIY fire. A killer little relic for fans who crave old-school extremity.
BODY COUNT – BODY COUNT (1992)
BODY COUNT’s debut shouldn’t work as well as it does — but holy hell, it does. The record is loud, crude, unhinged, and gleefully confrontational. Ice-T delivers every line like a punk frontman on the edge of combustion, while Ernie C. unleashes some of the most reckless, grime-coated riffs ever pressed onto CD.
Beneath the over-the-top humor and controversy lies something raw and iconic. Songs like “There Goes the Neighborhood,” “Bowels of the Devil,” and the infamous “Cop Killer” burn with rebellious energy. "BODY COUNT" plays like a grindhouse film in audio form — chaotic, grimy, violent, hilarious, and absolutely unforgettable.
VERBERIS – ADUMBRATION OF THE VEILED LOGOS (2022)
VERBERIS descend into strange, philosophical shadows on "Adumbration Of The Veiled Logos", an album that feels less like a collection of songs and more like a void opening beneath your feet. The atmosphere is dense, ritualistic, and almost trance-inducing — a spiraling form of dissonant death metal that pulls you inward whether you’re ready for it or not.
Long, evolving compositions blur into one haunted entity, shifting between crushing chaos and eerie, drifting melodies. “Severed Paragon” and the monumental closing track carve through cosmic dread with terrifying confidence. This album doesn’t ask you to listen — it demands immersion.
SEPHIROTH – CATHEDRON (2025)
ULF SĂDERBERG’s “Cathedron” is a mesmerizing plunge into the world of dark ambient that any self-respecting metalhead should not miss. This album feels like an exploration of ancient, forgotten landscapes, where each track captures echoes of haunting places that resonate with a chilling authenticity. It’s impressive how the album balances ambient textures with those moments of rhythmic intensity, creating an atmosphere that pulses like a heartbeat in the dark.
While there are moments when the flow might drift a bit aimlessly, the strongest sections bring an undeniable ceremonial energy that elevates the listening experience. “Cathedron” may not reach the emotional peaks of legends like DESIDERII MARGINIS or ATRIUM CARCERI, but it still delivers a raw, honest journey through sound that feels deeply rooted in history. It’s an album best experienced in solitude, especially at night, allowing you to fully embrace the haunting ambiance — you can almost hear the distant whispers of ancient ruins come alive around you.
CASTLEUMBRA – NAMMU TAMMTU (2022)
Mexican force CASTLEUMBRA may release music at a glacial pace, but when “Nammu Tammtu” finally appeared, it felt like a deep crack opening in the earth. The six tracks channel Lovecraftian dread through a Swedish-leaning death metal sound — raw, heavy, and oddly atmospheric. At first the mix feels unconventional, even abrasive, but once it settles in your ears, the riffs hit with real weight and a twisted melodic sense that feels ancient and unsettling.
The band’s dynamics are razor sharp: slow, suffocating passages erupt into blasts of chaos, glued together by drumming that never loses control. Antimo’s vocals — cavernous growls, torn screams, whispered hauntings — amplify the album’s lurking horror. “Nammu Tammtu” won’t reach the masses, but for those who crave death metal straight from the abyss, this record delivers exactly that.
DAEMONLORD / LUX FERRE / MALLEUS / MORTINATUM – ACERBUS MORTIS (2005)
A true underground relic, "Acerbus Mortis" captures four black metal visions united by rawness and unfiltered spirit. Each band brings its own edge — from cold aggression to ritualistic haze — making this album a snapshot of mid-2000s extremism.
It’s imperfect, rugged, and proudly unpolished, but that’s exactly why it works. This is the kind of split release that collectors treasure: a direct line to the scene’s DIY pulse.
VAHRZAW – HUSK (2018)
Australian fiends VAHRZAW return with “Husk,” a record that feels like a blade sharpened for years just to take its swing now. Following the blistering "Twin Suns & Wolves’ Tongues," this album continues their tradition of fusing black metal venom with death metal muscle — but here the attack feels even more deliberate. Beneath the filth and savagery, you can hear the band carefully shaping each eruption of speed, each violent turn, each moment of mid-paced tension before everything detonates again.
What makes “Husk” so gripping is the depth hiding under its scorched surface. Sure, it rages, snarls, and hates you from the first second, but listen closer and you’ll find atmospheric shadows, clever rhythmic twists, and bursts of melodic phrasing that slip in like a knife between ribs. This isn’t mindless carnage — it’s a hostile, layered creature pretending to be simpler than it is. A nasty, venomous record that rewards repeated listens and absolutely earns its place among the underground’s finest gems.
THERION – VOVIN (2022 Reissue)
With “Vovin,” THERION fully shed their death-metal skin and stepped into the grand, operatic universe they’d been hinting at for years. It’s the moment where Christofer Johnsson’s vision crystallizes — sweeping orchestration, choirs rising like gothic cathedrals, and melodies that feel ancient, ceremonial, and strangely uplifting. Even after decades of symphonic metal excess, "Vovin" still sounds pure, focused, and sincere, as if the band discovered a new language and spoke it fluently from day one.
What makes "Vovin" endure is how effortlessly it merges metal’s backbone with mystical storytelling. Tracks like “Birth of Venus Illegitima,” “The Rise of Sodom and Gomorrah,” and “Wine of Aluqah” aren’t just songs — they’re ritual pieces, charged with mythic energy and crafted with a composer’s precision. This is THERION at their most inspired, building a world instead of just an album. Even now, Vovin stands as a gateway record: the kind that pulls newcomers into the band’s cosmic maze and reminds long-time fans why this era remains untouchable.
VALDRIN – EFFIGY OF NIGHTMARES (2024 Repress)
VALDRIN return to their mythic realm with "Effigy of Nightmares", a concise plunge into their own shadow-ridden universe. What makes this album fascinating is how fully formed their identity already feels — the band channels a blend of melodic black metal, dark fantasy storytelling, and old-world theatricality without ever slipping into excess. The riffs slash and twist like something half-alive, while keys creep through the background like a ghost narrator guiding the listener deeper into their lore.
At barely over twenty minutes, "Effigy of Nightmares" feels more like a cursed manuscript than a full album — short, tightly wound, and relentlessly driven by atmosphere. But that brevity works in its favor: every moment counts, every passage carries weight, and by the time the closing melodies fade, you feel as though you’ve glimpsed a fragment of a much larger, darker mythos. VALDRIN didn’t just write songs here; they carved scenes, visions, and nightmares into sound.
EVOKER – EVIL TORMENT (2020)
EVOKER rip out twenty minutes of pure, rabid death-metal violence on "Evil Torment", an EP that feels like it’s been dug out of a grave still smoking. What starts as bleak, barren ambience quickly mutates into a barrage of serrated riffs, frantic drums, and venomous vocals that hurl you straight into that old-school POSSESSED/VADER zone — the one where everything is sharp, ugly, and gloriously unhinged. EVOKER understand the essential rule of early death metal: hit hard, hit fast, and let nothing survive, and they execute it with absolute conviction.
What keeps "Evil Torment" addictive is the balance between feral speed and those well-placed, doom-drenched drops that make the violence hit even harder when it returns. The production is filthy in the best possible way, giving the EP that authentic grave-rot atmosphere while still letting the riffs cut through like bones snapping under pressure. No filler, no hesitation — just six tracks of scolding darkness, war-charged momentum, and unpretentious brutality. A must-listen for anyone who craves death metal in its most hostile, unrefined, and undead form.
LUTOMYSL – DE PROFUNDIS (2018 Reissue)
LUTOMYSL’s "De Profundis" is the kind of black metal album that doesn’t ask for your attention — it consumes it. The record spirals between bitter, spite-driven riffs and colder, more hypnotic melodies, creating a strangely human ugliness beneath all the frostbite. There’s a raw, depressive streak here that doesn’t feel staged or stylized; instead, it drags you into Lutomysl’s own emotional fractures, balancing aggression with a sense of personal disintegration that makes the album feel intimate, even when it’s raging.
What makes "De Profundis" compelling is its unpredictability. The songs swing from blasting hostility to strangely reflective passages, as if the music is constantly tearing itself apart and stitching itself back together. It isn’t flawless — some moments wander a little too freely — but that imperfection becomes part of its charm. This is black metal driven by pure instinct, jagged honesty, and a refusal to clean anything up for the listener. "De Profundis" feels like a confession screamed into a void: raw, emotional, gripping.
BLODSGARD – MONUMENT (2013)
BLODSGARD deliver a blast of icy, uncompromising Norwegian black metal on "Monument". It’s steeped in classic 90s frost-worship, but executed with a confidence that instantly elevates it above mere imitation. The riffs hit hard and cold, the production is bold and biting, and Rex's rasp is absolutely savage — a throat-tearing presence that gives every track a chilling edge.
What makes "Monument" shine is its balance: blistering assaults paired with just enough atmosphere to carve out depth. Tracks flow seamlessly, with the title track offering a rare calm “eye of the storm” moment before the blizzard resumes. It’s not reinventing black metal — it’s perfecting the feeling. A criminally overlooked gem.
ORDEALS / DAETHORN – SPLIT (2018)
This split is a weird little artifact. ORDEALS jump between three completely different identities — a Maiden-style gallop warped into blackened vocals, a heavier death-leaning DAETHORN cover, and then an ambient outro. All cool on their own, but together it feels like three separate bands stitched into one side of a tape.
DAETHORN’s return after 16 years is the real highlight: raw, blasting black metal with melody clawing through the chaos. It’s violent, atmospheric, and far too strong for a project that's been silent for over a decade. If this is just a brief awakening between Merrimack duties, fine — just don’t disappear again.
CARCASS – SYMPHONIES OF SICKNESS (1994 Reissue)
If you somehow made it into extreme metal without crossing paths with CARCASS, "Symphonies of Sickness" is the door you kick down first. This is where goregrind mutates into something heavier, uglier, and far more dangerous — a grotesque feast of buzzing riffs, pitch-shifted sickness, and that unmistakably rotten UK atmosphere. What makes this album so iconic is that it’s terrifying without relying on hyper-technical chaos. The drumming isn’t about speed for speed’s sake; it’s about weight, filth, and perfectly serving the riffs.
The guitars and vocals are the real rot here — evil, angry, stacked, and bizarrely clear beneath all the grime. CARCASS blend heaviness and creativity in a way that still feels unmatched: creepy samples, disgusting lyrics that are actually well written, and riffs that crawl, slice, and bludgeon. "Symphonies of Sickness" remains a masterpiece of controlled decay, a cornerstone of the entire genre, and one of those albums you hear once and never forget. A mandatory listen.
ABYTHIC – BENEATH ANCIENT PORTALS (2018)
ABYTHIC reshape themselves completely on "Beneath Ancient Portals", stepping away from their early Swedish-leaning grime and diving headfirst into a darker, heavier German death metal underworld. The riffs hit with a thick, bass-ridden weight, shifting between death/doom crawls and mid-paced stomps that echo everything from early INCANTATION to BURIAL INVOCATION. It’s a record built on atmosphere — cavernous, oppressive, and ancient in spirit — yet still sharp enough to keep you locked into every murky turn.
The real power here is in the guitar work: bleak, twisting, and surprisingly memorable, especially on standout moments like “Purulent Phantasm” and “Redemption Through Soul Transfusion.” Vocals stay deep and unflinching, reinforcing that crypt-dwelling tone. "Beneath Ancient Portals" feels like a major leap from their early EP — more focused, more atmospheric, and confidently rooted in true old-school death metal tradition. A must-spin for anyone craving heavy riffs drenched in grave dust.
ASCENDED DEAD – ARCANE MALEVOLENCE (2022 Reissue)
ASCENDED DEAD hit with a venomous blast of early-era death metal chaos on "Arcane Malevolence", channeling the feral energy of NECROVORE, MUTILATED, and the most rabid corners of South America’s proto-extreme scene. The riffs are pure chromatic violence — no melody, no mercy — just a collapsing wall of jagged attacks pushed forward by dry, unhinged howls that feel ripped from a cursed altar. It’s ugly by design, and that ugliness becomes its power.
Beneath the whirlwind lies a surprisingly tight skeleton: simple structures, smart riff rotations, and brief lulls that make the next eruption hit even harder. "Arcane Malevolence" is primitive, raw, and absolutely feral — a throwback to death metal’s lawless beginnings before polish or genre rules existed. Not for Sunlight-tone seekers; this is for those who crave death metal in its most rabid, embryonic state.
BLOOD SPORE – PROLEPTICAL MYCELLI0GENESIS (2022)
BLOOD SPORE erupt with fungal cosmic horror on this EP — a slimy, mutating hybrid of death metal, black metal, and psychedelic rot. It sounds like something alive, growing, and hostile.
The riffs coil like tendrils, the vocals gurgle with alien menace, and the entire sound swims in a surreal biological nightmare. A short but unforgettable burst of mycelial madness.
After tearing through twenty albums of grit, fire, and pure underground spirit, one thing becomes clear — this music survives because we keep it alive. Every tape, every CD, every vinyl slab carries a story, a moment in time, a spark of the madness that shaped who we are as metal fans and collectors. At Pulse Records, we don’t just spin these records — we treasure them, preserve them, and send them off to new homes where they’ll keep roaring for years to come. Thanks for diving into this chaos with us. Keep exploring, keep collecting, and keep the volume mercilessly high. The underground never sleeps — and neither do we.
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