Category: Heavy Metal |Power Metal

Nearly three decades of American heavy metal are packed into “Best Of The Witch”, a 27-track career-spanning collection personally assembled by guitarist Jack Frost. Fully remastered, the set runs from the band’s early power-metal fire to darker, heavier later material without losing that unmistakable SEVEN WITCHES steel.

Formed in 1998, SEVEN WITCHES became one of those bands that never needed fashion to tell them what heavy metal should sound like. Jack Frost remained the constant through a rotating cast of strong vocalists including Bobby Lucas, Wade Black, James Rivera and Alan Tecchio, while the music moved between traditional heavy metal, US power metal and sharper melodic hard rock.

Disc One leans heavily into the band’s formative years. “S

ARMORED SAINT return with “Emotion Factory Reset”, sounding less like veterans protecting a legacy and more like a band still itching for another fight. The riffs are thick, John Bush sounds ferocious, and the whole record carries that rare mix of old-school steel and lived-in confidence.

More than four decades into their career, ARMORED SAINT have reached the point where they no longer need to chase trends or prove their credentials. “Emotion Factory Reset” simply doubles down on what they do best: muscular heavy metal, big hooks, intelligent arrangements and riffs that hit with weight rather than speed for speed’s sake.

“Close To The Bone” opens with exactly that kind of authority. Joey Vera’s bass sits deep in the mix, the Sandoval brother

DAWN OF DESTINY hit album number ten with “Ashes Over Tomorrow”, and there is no anniversary softness in sight. The German band go straight for the throat with symphonic power metal built on huge melodies, dark atmosphere and a dual-vocal attack that gives the songs both muscle and drama.

The album feels broader than a simple power-metal workout. There is plenty of speed and uplift, but also darker melodic metal shades, gothic atmosphere and heavier passages that give the record more weight than the polished surface first suggests.

“Still Here” and “Too Weak” establish the tone early, balancing sharp riffing with strong melodic hooks, before “Chasing Dreams” brings Fabio Lione into the picture. His voice fits naturally into the DAWN OF DEST

French metal-opera outfit AVALAND return with “Chemical Poetry”, a sweeping collision of symphonic power metal, theatrical storytelling and old-school melodic rock grandeur. Big choirs, heroic hooks and a stacked guest cast turn the album into something closer to a stage production with amplifiers than a conventional metal record.

“Chemical Poetry” continues the fantasy saga AVALAND began with “Theater Of Sorcery” and expanded on “The Legend Of The Storyteller”, but the musical palette feels broader this time. The band still works with the DNA of AVANTASIA and classic symphonic power metal, yet there are plenty of hard-rock curves, progressive details and flashes of that dramatic ’80s melodic style running underneath.

“When The N

Gothenburg heavy metallers SCARBLADE return with “Guardians Of Time”, a nine-track charge of traditional metal sharpened by modern production and a strong melodic streak. Alicke Kostopoulou leads the attack with a commanding voice, while the band piles on galloping riffs, punchy hooks and just enough darkness to keep the steel from shining too cleanly.

The title track makes the mission statement clear from the start: classic heavy metal bones, a strong melodic spine and enough drive to feel built for the stage. “The Walls” and “Ready For Action” keep the momentum high, while “Craving Heart” leans harder into the band’s more anthemic side.

“Alive” hits with extra speed and aggression, then “Judas Kiss the Serpent” darkens the atmosph

Nottingham heavy metallers RATTLESNAKES come out swinging on their debut album “Shadows In The Night”, mixing sharp NWOBHM steel with speed-metal bite and a darker modern edge. Female-fronted, loud and built for the stage, the band sound like they have no interest in easing their way into the room.

Formed in 2024, RATTLESNAKES quickly built a reputation on the UK underground circuit with sweat-soaked live shows and their 2025 EP “Deeper Shades Of Torment”. After signing with Listenable Records in early 2026, the next step was obvious: push that raw energy into a full-length without sanding off the danger.

The backbone here is traditional heavy metal — twin guitars, pounding drums, galloping momentum and riffs that owe plenty to the early NWOBHM schoo