Power metal is a faster subgenre of heavy metal, widely known for its fantasy themes, uplifting spirit, and high energy. Although it has become one of my favorite genres, there are plenty of dull releases out there—often sounding static and repetitive due to minimal experimentation compared to something like black metal . This time, I’m covering six related releases from different countries. Any familiar names? Any standouts? Let’s dive in. Delain – Lucidity (2007) 73% Power metal, you say? Then why open with Delain ? Hehehe… because I had no idea what to spin first, and this was what I had downloaded on Apple Music. Overall, it doesn’t fully satisfy because it leans more toward symphonic rock/metal rather than emphasizing speed or solid heavy blows. Using slightly pricey earphones actually made the compositions feel raw rather than immersive—even though I do enjoy female clean vocals. Yes, I can hear the bass clearly, but it still doesn’t deliver that hi-res satisfact...

The next session revolves around post-rock and its related genres. Releases by Oh Hiroshima , Non Somnia , and Tidings were ones I had listened to before, but only now do I feel ready to comment on them. Any difference in feeling this time around? Let’s see. The Abyss Inside Us – Aerialist (2020) 79% Aerialist is the band’s fifth album and easily the most emotionally solid among the ones I’ve tried so far. There’s one clear anomaly: the title track. The singing feels rather ordinary—the vocals don’t quite blend in and seem somewhat misplaced. “Summer in Her Heart (Prelude in C minor)” is still tolerable thanks to its darker nuance rather than a heart-piercing one. Aside from those two tracks, I admit the album deserves a place in my favorites playlist—especially “ From Zero to Infinity ,” which uses children’s voice samples and violin to heighten its melancholic weight. Highlight: everything except “Aerialist” Ciśnienie – [Angry Noises] (2025) 73% Wi...

For the next session, I picked releases from Bandcamp —and that’s precisely why I’m a bit reluctant to rely too much on major streaming platforms, even though they clearly host plenty of “top-quality” (read: well-known) artists. This time, I selected based on genre to avoid extreme contrasts. The focus: doom metal and its relatives. Black Capricorn – Cult of Blood (2022) 70% The stoner rock/metal unit Black Capricorn delivers gritty fuzz guitars and slightly “high” vocals over fairly slow tempos. Unfortunately, there aren’t many crushing blows or standout banger riffs aside from “ Worshipping the Bizzare Reverend ” and “Giants of Prama.” With their weed-smoke-style logo aesthetic, I’d say they’re suitable for fans of Stoned Jesus , Mephistopheles , Monolord , or Reverend Bizarre . Highlight: Worshipping the Bizzare Reverend, Giants of Prama Conclave – Darkest Days (2023) 74% Stoner/doom metal with vocals can already feel monotonous—instrumental doom e...

Ah, pop music and streaming platforms are driving me crazy. On one hand, I want references for smaller artists; on the other, I’m reluctant to pay for subscriptions and stay constantly online. Yep—nothing in this world is truly free. There’s always something sacrificed to gain something else. So I subscribed to Apple Music just to clean up some long-abandoned review drafts, even though there are cheaper alternatives. This time, I picked female pop artists to balance out Lana Del Rey from my older notes. Here’s the list: Ariana Grande – Dangerous Woman (2016) 74% Ah—I grabbed the wrong album! I should’ve revisited Ariana Grande 's  My Everything first since I had the full album back around 2014–2016. That’s probably why only “Side to Side” instantly sticks in my head. So… what now? I’m a bit lost. Listening to this after Taylor Swift actually feels good. It sounds simple, sometimes relaxed with R&B touches or leaning into electropop beats. Still, I can’t real...

Chasing the contents of the world will never truly end—nor will it ever feel enough. The same goes for music. Modern music industry has been running for more than 80 years now, producing thousands of releases every year, enough to overwhelm explorers like me. Even 2025 ended with only a handful of albums I managed to try—and now it’s already 2026. So, I’m going to sample a few newer releases chosen somewhat at random. Maybe you’ve already heard one of them. Here are six still-fresh releases from early 2026: Bandi – SSSS (2026) 73% Bandi opens the session with ambient/experimental . It almost feels strange discussing such a simple genre that has existed for over 50 years since Brian Eno . I mean—what really differs from one release to another, especially now in 2026? Structurally, it’s often simple, sometimes repetitive—almost copy-paste—but there’s rarely major innovation in this field anyway. Bandi incorporates synthetic noise textures for variation, and I admit they ...

The cleanup isn’t finished yet, but I think it’s time for an update—or at least a short break after this. So here are six releases from Playlist Clearance, Volume 7 : Akito Tabira – Radio Tower (2022) 63% Maybe the idea behind the field recordings—with occasional bursts of synth noise—is meant to represent radio waves captured by a device. Unfortunately, the expected ambient flow never forms a cohesive concept; instead, each of the three tracks feels like an alternative version of the previous one, which adds to the disappointment. The output is also rather minimal, forcing me to crank up the volume just to hear it properly. So, this Akito Tabira release will probably sit near the bottom of Umé Records ’ catalog for me—alongside releases like Dravier ’s Light Recalls Our Landmark For This Barren Mind . Highlight: – An Tóramh – Echoes of Eternal Night (2025) 68% A debut album from a funeral doom metal band from Minnesota. Emotional weight only starts t...

We’re entering the sixth round with three new names and three familiar ones that I managed to finish in a single day. Yep— Wounds of Recollection shows up again, and it’s not stopping anytime soon! Let’s go! Immortal Slave – Notes on the Quest of Death (2006) 73% The final trace of Immortal Slave comes packaged in four tracks that feel relatively fast and firm, carrying a stronger mystical atmosphere tied to the era that inspired them—more so than Cantilena . It also reminds me of Indonesian gothic metal playing styles, so it might suit fans of Theatre of Tragedy and Cradle of Filth . Highlight: - Sallow Moth – Arcane Treachery (2020) 70% I already struggle to comment on progressive metal with clean vocals—now this is progressive death metal . I’m even more speechless. The two tracks are well-cooked with tempos that never quite explode like typical death metal expectations, and honestly I can’t compare them to any particular release. Opeth ? Gojira ...