CD

SLIPCASE CD, HIGH ROLLER RECORDS

The album Mind Trap by the American death/thrash metal band Inhuman Condition, released on June 27, 2025 by Listenable Insanity Records (USA) and High Roller Records (Europe), is the third full-length album by the trio formed by Jeramie Kling (vocals/drums), Taylor Nordberg (guitar) and Terry Butler (bass). I highlight the consolidation of the band's identity, which distances itself from its origins as ex-members of Massacre, offering an old-school death metal with thrash influences, robust production and social themes.

The band's straightforward and timeless approach to old-school death/thrash draws comparisons to bands like Massacre, Obituary and Cannibal Corpse. Nordberg's home-made production and Deicide-influenced riffs reinforce the raw and nostalgic sound, ideal for fans of classic death metal.

Earlier this spring, SCHEUSAL released their debut album, Urwahn, under the banner of PURITY THROUGH FIRE. Raising those banners again, the so-far-mysterious entity strikes while the iron's red-hot with Fressfeind. Thankfully, not much has changed here on this second full-length. Pure 'n' proud Teutonic black metal is still the order of the day, but just like Urwahn did so stridently, Fressfeind further twists SCHEUSAL's unique iteration of German steel. Maybe going the martial-folkish direction more thoroughly, maybe running routes that are even more restless - whatever headspace you enter Fressfeind, the one-man band goes for the fucking throat, mischievous as ever. Indeed, that apt descriptor encompasses the mainman's vocals again, as the same crew of characters - the screamer, the shouter, the hooligan, the imp, the devil - all fight for breath here on this ever-shifting landscape. That landscape is painted with a production that's raw and rotten and yet somehow crisp and crystalline, making these nine screeds of mania all the more absurdly engaging and antagonizing.

Formed in Orleans in 2022, Les Bâtards du Roi is a melodic black metal band evolving in a medieval framework. Set in a devastated world, this project tells the story of the brothers who committed regicide, the act that plunged the kingdom into decay and torment. From this initial situation, the protagonists embark on a spiritual journey of self-examination in a tortured landscape. This is the story of the beginning of their exile.

For the first time ever, Noregs Vaapen has been remixed and remastered from the original multitrack recordings, bringing new clarity and depth to one of Taake’s most celebrated works. This collector’s edition comes in a 20-page deluxe Digibook, complete with lyrics and rare, previously unpublished photos from the album’s recording sessions. To mark the occasion, the set also includes the first official Taake DVD: the band’s anniversary concert where Noregs Vaapen was performed in its entirety – raw, uncompromising, and captured in full. Originally released in 2011, Noregs Vaapen is the fifth studio album from Norway’s black metal institution Taake – and often hailed as their strongest. It sees Hoest sharpening his trademark riffs, melodies, and biting vocals, while weaving in unexpected turns: black’n’roll grooves, chilling mellotrons, and even the now-legendary banjo solo. Songs like the anthemic Nordbundet, the relentless Myr, and the infamous Orkan have long since earned their place in the pantheon of True Norwegian Black Metal. While Hoest is once again behind all music, lyrics, instruments, and vocals, the album also features contributions from Taake’s then live-lineup — Thurzur, V’gandr, Aindiachai, and Gjermund — alongside a rare gathering of prominent guests: Nocturno Culto (Darkthrone), Attila Csihar (Mayhem), Demonaz (Immortal), Bjørnar Nilsen (Vulture Industries), and Skagg (Gaahlskagg, Deathcult).