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4.0
BEYOND THE BLACKBreak The Silence
'Break The Silence' flirts with genuine grandeur but ultimately buckles under the weight of its own ambition; a frustratingly uneven listen.
4.0
AVANTASIAHere Be Dragons
A sprawling, theatrical odyssey, *Here Be Dragons* offers moments of genuine grandeur but ultimately feels like a retread of well-worn fantasy tropes.
4.0
AS IT ISAs It Is
A polished pop-punk album weighed down by predictable pacing, soft-edged production and too many interchangeable hooks.
4.0
IN FLAMESClayman
A transitional record with undeniable hooks, but one whose streamlined attack often trades depth for repetition and blunt impact.
4.0
SYLOSISThe New Flesh
Sylosis deliver precision and muscle, but too many songs mistake heaviness for drama and technical control for momentum.
4.0
BEHEMOTHThe Shit Ov God
A polished but strangely inert record whose imposing production cannot disguise weak rhythmic ideas and inflated presentation.
4.0
ALLEGAEONThe Ossuary Lens
Allegaeon’s fluency remains obvious, but too much of The Ossuary Lens passes as polished motion without a lasting emotional or rhythmic center.
4.0
KORPIKLAANITales Along This Road
Korpiklaani’s drinking-song energy produces a few infectious moments, but thin arrangements and repetitive writing quickly exhaust the novelty.
4.0
POWERWOLFCall of the Wild
Call of the Wild has atmosphere and hooks, but Powerwolf’s rigid formula leaves too many songs sounding like alternate costumes on one idea.
4.0
RHAPSODYPower of the Dragonflame
Rhapsody’s symphonic power metal spectacle is energetic and technically polished, but relentless excess turns grandeur into fatigue.
4.0
JINJERMacro
Macro is full of striking performances and sharp contrasts, but its emotional and musical fragments rarely form a convincing whole.
4.0
IN FLAMESThe Jester Race
The Jester Race has influential guitar work and several excellent songs, but its thin production and uneven pacing blunt the impact.
4.0
SEPTICFLESHCodex Omega
Codex Omega builds an enormous ceremonial world, but its orchestral weight repeatedly smothers the emotional and musical detail beneath it.