Words by Brenden “BodyBag” When Troubled Souls dropped back in 2022, it was the record that made everyone stop and take notice of Sydney’s own Heists. It had that raw emotion and gut-punch energy that set them apart — a band that wasn’t afraid to Read More …
For over two decades, France’s The Old Dead Tree has stood as a pillar of dark progressive metal — a band that bleeds tragedy, artistry, and rebirth in every note. Now, the band returns with “Feel Alive Again”, the first single from their forthcoming EP Read More …
When it comes to pure, unapologetic heavy metal energy — the kind that roars with melody, power, and a touch of theatrical fire — few modern bands stand as tall as Battle Beast. With their seventh full-length album Steelbound set to drop October 17th via Read More …
Germany’s rising modern metalcore force THE NARRATOR continue their rapid ascent through the heavy ranks, unleashing their blistering new single “Pills From The Start” — a groove-driven anthem that hits as hard emotionally as it does sonically. After storming stages at Wacken Open Air and Read More …
I didn’t just watch DEVILOOF’s new track “INSHU.”I got dragged into it — face first, screaming, and loving every second of it. This isn’t your average “guy watches video” moment. This is me sitting in front of my screen and witnessing a sonic exorcism — Read More …
There’s a brutal kind of beauty in finally accepting yourself — in staring down your reflection, flaws and all, and deciding to stop running from who you are. For James Veck-Gilodi, frontman and creative force behind Deaf Havana, that moment of reckoning has been a Read More …
There’s something beautifully paradoxical about Shelter. A band that preaches detachment through the most intense form of attachment — hardcore punk. I hit record for this one not knowing I’d be slammed headfirst into a wave of spiritual fury and devotional groove that only Shelter Read More …
Contributor: Brett Parmenter / ParMetal MediaBand: Ellefson/SotoAlbum: UnbreakableRelease Date: August 2025 Praise the Metal Lord! Grammy Award winner David Ellefson and legendary vocalist Jeff Scott Soto have joined forces to deliver a treat for the soul and senses in the divine album Unbreakable. In August Read More …
What’s going on RiffKeeper! I’m Brenden “BodyBag” and I’m stoked to be jumping on board with the Crannk crew. I’ve been part of the Adelaide music scene for a long time, cutting my teeth back in the mid-2000s with bands like pop-punk outfit Wishlist, which Read More …
Melbourne post-hardcore outfit Post Heaven have dropped their sophomore EP The Space That’s In Between, out now via Greyscale Records, alongside the video for their ambitious new single “Hesitation Lover.” Where last year’s lead single Exit Wound showcased the band’s ferocity, Hesitation Lover widens the Read More …
Contributor: Nathan CollinsBand: Last RetchAlbum: Abject CrueltyRelease Date: 2025Score: 8.5 / 10 Formed in 2021, Last Retch are a death metal outfit from Hamilton, Canada. Abject Cruelty is their third major release, following their 2023 debut album Sadism and Severed Heads and the Ergotism EP Read More …
Album Review by Brenden BodyBag French industrial/metalcore trio Heartlay have dropped their brand-new album The Alteration (Oct 10, 2025), and it’s a dark, heavy ride that pushes their sound into new territory. Coming hot off the back of 2023’s Sovereign Sore—which gave us absolute bangers Read More …
