I am totally blown away. Haken is the best thing to happen to progressive metal in many, many years. Hailing from England, this relatively young band has unleashed a masterpiece.

Trilobeth doesn’t offer much of in terms of a focused style, but its seeming adaptability and multiplicity are its strengths. It’s a release that is a musical tribute to our technological and frenzied reality.

The music world is filled with similar smoke and mirrors acts. We’re told over and over and over again that so-and-so’s new album is the one that’ll re-define the genre. How many times have you heard in the last couple years that this-and-that’s “stunning” comeback album is “highly anticipated” and their best yet? Better than Bonded by Blood? Not bloody likely! The lies haven’t stop piling up since the music industry released its ad campaign for Elvis’ second record and this month’s Rimshots lifts the veil, cuts through the crap and saves you some money and/or hard drive space.

The full-length debut from UK’s Savage Messiah, Insurrection Rising is a decent cut of thrash metal that ultimately doesn’t transcend its sub-genre.

Find out what HELLBOUND’s contributors are listening to going into the month of October. Each writer has submitted their Top 5 list and have an option to list a book and a film they are into right now too.

Despite being an overall disappointing collection, the latest EP from Southampton, UK, sludge/drone doom metal band Moss immediately gets points for two reasons.

This album is fantastic. Is Esoteric progressive doom? It is certain they are capable of gravitating towards this, but experimental? Definitely.

The debut album from England’s Viatrophy offers an enjoyable collection of melodic death metal tracks that only get better as things progress.