August wrap-up 2026

Feat. Gorod, Mastodon, Exumer, Electric Callboy, Russian Circles et al.

By now, if you've been following my monthly wrap-ups, you would expect me to mention not having reviewed one or more albums in a certain month because it/they did not get on YouTube, and then making a snarky comment about how not putting your music on YouTube makes for less exposure. Well, last month, I also mentioned one very specific category of albums that I could not bother getting into because they only get put on YouTube in the form of playlists consisting of individual videos which the uploaders rarely make the effort of putting in proper order, and/or interject with videos of their own so as to give their own more or less dubious bands or channels exposure. (Shoutout to one notable exception to this rule: The Rock Office. No affiliation – at least not yet!)

Well, this last month had a minor category of those: The new Beartooth album could only be found as one such fragmented playlist. Same thing went for the new Dinosaur Jr. record, although I'm not sure if that would qualify for a review here anyway – guess we'll never find out. This was also the case for the new album from Cancer Bats, but I found their '23 LP "Psychic Jailbreak", and that was surprisingly cool – had a gritty sound, sneering attitude, and hard edge. Just like punk rock is damn well supposed to be. Also, the self-released full-length debut by Paul and Gene's sons Stanley Simmons didn't get put on YT at all. But with cash-fixated dads like that, of course, maybe we shouldn't be surprised.

Mob Rules put out an EP that I didn't bother listening to because I don't review EPs anyway. Xandria put out a new album which I would have not listened to if I hadn't had a nice experience with them that one night in Budapest with Visions of Atlantis and Ye Banished Privateers. Their take on music with operatic female vocals and distorted guitars is kinda cute and harmless, but that's not really what metal is supposed to be about, and it's ultimately generic and forgettable. Probably not worth pursuing any further unless one could simply not get enough of that whole so-called operatic metal scene.

My fine reunited countrymen in Raunchy released their comeback LP "Prisoner". Now, normally, if there is an album I can tell I'm not gonna be reviewing I will not be listening to it from end to end, but often settle for the first half if even less (and especially if it blows). In this case, however, I listened to the whole thing. It's not that I have a lot to say about this particular corner of modern metal, but I find it a bit impressive how the band manages to combine the hard-hitting with the easily digestible without compromising anything. Drummer-guy even learned how to blast.

Granted, Raunchy did set their listeners' expectations with the title of their 2006 release "Death Pop Romance". But that doesn't mean the 'pop' element isn't tastefully done. On the contrary, while these melodies won't be looping in your inner ear anytime soon, none are hysterical rather than legitimate variations to the grand expression. And while the whole thing does smell like sterile studio and digital plugins rather than rehearsal room, the technical-instrumental execution itself is still impressive. If you're a fan of these guys, you're probably gonna love "Prisoner". And if you're not, it's still worth at least a coupla spins.

Towards the end of the month was the really heavy concentration of albums you'd look forward to. Exumer's "Death Mask Messiah" was a bit thick on the Slayer influences, but still a lovely little round of thrash for those who can't get enough of that and/or for those who simply appreciate new metal once in a while just like they appreciate not having to look at the same porn over and over. (For lack of a better comparison.)

Jason Newsted's really old band Flotsam and Jetsam put out their new LP "Rats in the Temple", a bulk of hard-hitting and uncompromising straight up heavy metal that sounds a lot like fine German bands such as Primal Fear and Grave Digger. It had a solid lower barrier of quality that stayed in the same place pretty much throughout. Some nice melodies, although none of them stuck. It could be said to outstay its welcome for a bit due to its absence of hooks, but still seems like it would be worth a revisit for lack of anything better.

One of the most anticipated releases of the year would have to be Mastodon's reinstatement record "Marrow Deep", their first output since the tragic loss of guitarist Brent Hinds. I heard more than the first half, and as always, I definitely acknowledge that this stuff is, in and by itself, pretty impressively played and thought out. However, I still fail to understand the basic appeal. It still seems like Mastodon is a progressive hardcore band that's not quite as mind-blowing as most progressive bands and not quite as ass-kicking as most hardcore bands. But all respect that they carry on in spite of the loss of Hinds. Rock in peace there, dude.

August was also the month where I finally heard Russian Circles for the first time. I'd heard a lot about them, but never checked them out until now. Turns out it's purely instrumental, which I guess is kinda interesting in and by itself. However, in practice, it becomes repetitive. You can tell that the tracks demand presence and skill from the performers, but the result is no more catchy for that reason. Also, I heard the intro and around the first one minute of the new Kamelot album which stank of Auto-Tune and just all-round Melodyne fakery. Not sure what went wrong at what point, and I never thought I'd write anything remotely like this, but fuck Kamelot. Either way, it's only a model. (And if you don't get that reference, boo to you.)

The title of Unreviewed Album of the Month by far goes to French progsters Gorod for "The Ember Gone". I only heard this one twice: The first time, I was impressed; the second time, I was even more impressed, and discreetly, but undeniably seduced. This is what Opeth would have sounded like if they had kept on evolving in a direction that was both metal and interesting without losing any of their progressive elements rather than just playing random shit. "The Ember Gone" has all the focus and direction that Opeth has been sorely missing for these last couple of albums, growls or no growls. If you like any kind of progressive metal, you have to check out Gorod. You will not be disappointed.

And finally, Stinker of the Month unconditionally goes to Electric Callboy, which, as I pointed out last month used to be called "Eskimo Callboy", which is not offensive, but still had to change their name (not to mention censor several of their own songs) because enough people with enough paranoid victim mentality on behalf of others had been complaining enough about them. This pathetic, defeatist attitude aside, I lasted throughout the first so-called "song" of their new accursed LP only because it was so terrible it was downright fascinating.

Even among much of the dumbass "just-for-fun" metal that's bukkakke'ing the market these sorry years, Electric/Eskimo Callboy is still some of the most hysterically horrendous club pop bullshit I've ever heard – only, of course, with some distorted guitars and shouting added, because that automatically makes it metal, right? No, and fuck you. And then, a song started which, apparently, featured a guest appearance from that disastrous "Babymetal" phenomenon. I didn't even last until the point where they would've supposedly entered, because the few seconds of the track I lasted were too painful. If you support Electric/Eskimo Callboy, you are actively contributing to destroying real metal. Just pointing it out.

Apart from not reviewing any albums last month, then, I did get a guest review of the latest, seemingly second-rate LP by Marilyn Manson. And yes, I do have somewhat of a bad taste in my mouth by featuring anything by a sex offender, but for whatever reason back then, I did choose to have my trusty guest reviewer assess his previous 2024 LP, and since this was a double-album deal, I felt like I had to include part 2 as well. I still have mad love for "Antichrist Superstar" ('96), but yeah… Maybe it's time to let this one go.

Other than that, I've been in Romania, not getting eaten by bears up in those Carpathian mountains that sound so metal on paper, but are actually really pretty and accommodating. Currently, I'm at another nomad festival – there will be a video with an elaboration. Unless this time I get eaten by nomads. Stick around anyway. And stick around for new album reviews, too, because September's already here, and it's got new releases lined up by Sleep, Airbourne, Behemoth, Sigh, Green Lung, Tygers of Pan Tang, Anthrax, Kai Hansen, Uncle Acid & the Deadbeats, Europe, Godflesh, Tom Morello, The Ocean, and… erm, Stryper. Amongst others.

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