In the wake of Hades’ colossal 2020 success, David Bowes grabbed a conversation with Supergiant Games’ soundtrack composer and audio director Darren Korb to chat orchestras, voice acting and why early access is the key to confidence.

The three have always possessed the sense of being keenly attuned to each other’s conjurations but here, it feels more expansive, the drive less to create their own psychosonic universe than to create a unified space where they, the audience and, by extension the home listener, can merge and drift off.

Sometimes, split releases make for odd bedfellows and on the surface this one falls into that category, but there are commonalities that make it work. Both Nadja and Disrotted are capable of transforming an atmosphere through sound and though they may use differing strokes and palettes, the two are equally adept when it comes to clarity of the outcome.

Whether Kvitravn marks a transition, an evolution or a continuation of Wardruna’s fresh take on Norse folk is best left to those involved in its creation to discuss. From an outside perspective, though, it feels like a move away from Runaljod’s grandiosity and into something that feels more intimate, warmer, and perhaps with a more liberal sprinkling of hope and loss.

This isn’t so much a step up from their debut as it is an evolution in form and skill, a complex and intuitive record that marks Kjeld as a band to watch out for in 2021.

Covid Diaries achieves what few others will – it captures the essence of 2020. It’s grim and foreboding, charting the narratives of the sceptics, the faithful and of Earth itself. It’s a grand satire that works on almost every level and if it’s uncomfortable to listen to, that’s because we are living in uncomfortable times.

That Which Whets The Saccharine Palate is an album that works because it feels wrong and sounds great. It’s almost ungainly, like it doesn’t quite fit in its own skin, but like any good monstrosity, that is its beauty.

David Bowes spoke to Alison Chesley of Helen Money about her latest album Atomic and the joys of being embraced by the metal community.

It’s a ragged rendition of Sonic Youth’s ‘White Kross’ that puts the perfect rusty nail in the night’s coffin . . . a weird and wonderful conclusion to a night of utter sonic devastation.

For an album that could have been a cut-and-paste mishmash of two disparate releases, what Whitehead has instead delivered is an intensely personal work that is beautiful, chilling and heart-wrenchingly inked in sorrow, one whose story comes not from words or melody but rather from the atmosphere of overwhelming solitude that permeates it.

An intriguing look at the roots of a band who have carved out their own place in the death metal universe as well as a glimpse of the state of Australian extreme scene in the mid ‘90s.

If anything really defines Boris’ appeal tonight it’s the double-whammy of ‘Coma’ and ‘LOVE’, two nebulous, droning titans . . . These are where Wata is given her chance to flex her muscles to the utmost, layering distortion and squealing semi-melodies and then ramping up each of them until the room becomes nothing but a fog of sound and dry ice.

Just before the release of the critically acclaimed Death Atlas, we cornered Cattle Decapitation’s Josh Elmore to talk legacy, history and what humanity is doing wrong.

It goes without saying that Cattle Decapitation are one of a kind. They’re a forward-thinking outfit that hit harder than most but underpin their brutality with a globally conscious viewpoint steeped in frustration at every moronic misstep that our species manages to take with each passing day. So why are they so damn enjoyable to watch? Well, that’s what tonight aims to uncover.

Between the set-list, the gorgeous visuals and the curation of the whole evening’s entertainment, there’s a sense of watching something that had been honed to perfection before anyone had even gotten a glimpse of it. The sound is immaculately crisp, Miller’s guitar slotting neatly between post-punk breeze and jagged-pop swagger, and a trio of covers towards the set’s end wink at nostalgia while staying true to the band’s idiosyncrasies.

David Bowes spoke to Nile guitarist Karl Sanders prior to their Glasgow show and rather than have us sling our hook, he was more than happy to answer a few questions about their phenomenal ninth album, Vile Nilotic Rites.

David Bowes spoke to GosT mastermind Baalberith to discuss the important things in life – Satan, synths and heavy metal.

EOS is an imposing album, something that captures the horror and solitude of cosmic nothingness through atmosphere, space and skilful manipulation of all the tools at their disposal, and even if its runtime might be a barrier to some, it’s worth the effort if you long for a black metal album that you can completely immerse yourself in.

Melt-Banana . . . exude a fervent passion for their music and a sense of hyperactive aggression underpins their work that’s not lost on the crowd, who spend the full set in a desperate, sweaty crush to get a foot closer to the riffs.

While much of Valediction finds itself divided between mid-80s Gothicism and unhinged fury, GosT has a deft knack for finding the elements of both that can fit comfortably beside each other and bonding them with a great hook or a deliriously Moroder-esque beat.

Whereas their debut worked due to its haphazard mishmashing of disparate genres and ‘Metal Resistance’ sought to capitalise on their success by adding a more focused, song-driven approach, ‘Metal Galaxy’ somehow crams the best parts from both into a 50-minute explosion of joy, silliness and hooks big enough to snag a megalodon.