Weekly Review Roundup: Monday 19th January 2026 – Friday 23rd January 2026

From meaningful progressive rock and metal, to anthemic modern alternative metal, brutal death-infused heaviness, experimental post rock, and more, we’ve reviewed some great releases this week, and here’s our reminder of what has been covered.

Textures – Genotype (Kscope)

It’s all about evolution, which in progressive rock really shouldn’t be that much of a surprise, but the new layers that Textures offer here will divide to some degree. This is the Textures you know, but they’ve grown that bit more and found a array of new soundscapes to explore. Resulting in a dynamic listen that captures the imagination from the start.

Check out the review here.

Crystal Lake – The Weight of Sound (Century Media Records)

The Weight of Sound is a strong and confident statement from Crystal Lake. It showcases a band that knows exactly who they are while still finding room to evolve. Across the album, they balance aggression, melody, and variety well. Intelligent guest appearances and sharp, focused songwriting help elevate the tracks. While some moments occasionally feel familiar, particularly within the conventions of metalcore, there are plenty of standout passages of brutality, catchiness, and genuine emotion. All of this is delivered with precision and intent.

Check out the review here.

Kanonenfieber – Soldatenschicksale (Century Media)

Kanonenfieber are clearly a hugely talented outfit, and Soldatenschicksale showcases that perfectly. Whether in new songs, or older ones, it feels fresh and exciting. It’s consistently aggressive and intense, bordering on brutal at times, yet remains engaging throughout, delivering levels of catchiness it has no right to in music this heavy. The World War concept is clear and powerfully realised, not just through samples and spoken sections, but through the overall tone and atmosphere.

Check out the review here.

THE HARA – The Fallout (Mascot Records)

It is notable that when focusing on a rawer, more open and honest sound, with personal and relatable lyrics, it does feel like THE HARA reached a whole new level here. I genuinely believe this is going to be the album that helps this band blow up even more, and all because it has the potential to connect with a broader audience.

Check out the review here.

New Miserable Experience – Gild The Lily (Pelagic Records)

With deep rivets of melancholic pop, experimental post rock dramatics, and thick layers of unpredictable synth, there’s no easy way to describe Gild the Lily and even after listening to it several times, I’m still not really sure how I feel about it.

Check out the review here.

Artio – Soul Rot (LAB Records)

As part of a new breed of modern alternative rock bands who utilise electronica in liberal ways, Artio have already made a significant name for themselves so it’s no surprise that this new record comes with expectations. Yet, if the band felt pressure to live up to that demand, it doesn’t show. This album isn’t just the sound of a comfortable band, it’s the sound of a confident band.

Check out the review here.

Casket – In The Long Run We Are All Dead (Neckbreaker Records)

35-years and counting. For any band, that is an immense achievement, but for a band who have remained in the underground extreme scene, sporadically releasing records and playing live, and all while staying true to their core death metal sound, it’s even more impressive. Unyielding and unforgiving, it’s an eleven-track, near forty-five-minute blast of garish ugliness and heaviness that all fans of old-school death will revel in.

Check out the review here.

The Crawling – Live In Belfast MMXXIV (Grindscene Records)

Overall Live In Belfast MMXXIV is just a really enjoyable listen that perfectly captures the essence and spirit of a live performance from a hard working and talented group. If you were there, you will want to pick this up and relive those memories. If you weren’t, you will want to pick this up to experience and a wonderful live performance, exercise your right to crawl and feel like you were there.

Check out the review here.