January wrap-up 2026

Dear readers!

Welcome to a new feature on GMB: The monthly wrap-up. The idea is that, instead of double-combo nuking you with two marathon articles concerning all the albums I did and did NOT review during a year (especially the latter category), I will be doing some much shorter overview posts around the turn of each month, primarily concerning the releases that I didn't cover. Saves you some reading energy on my yearly Top 10 list; gets me some more pieces of content, and hence, some more goodwill with Google. Everybody wins.

First new album I heard this year was – finally – my initial visit with Sweden's Bullet. I thought their name was a bit silly, so I hadn't bothered, but I'd been told that it'd be right up my alley. And it pretty much is. Because, you know how once upon a time, heavy rock was an almost legit genre term? Well, that's what we're dealing with here: The leather-gloved, gasoline-fueled middle-point (bullet point, heeey!) on the continuum between AC/DC and Accept.

Granted, those constant, uniform Udo Dirkschneider-style vocals do get a bit monotonous in all their one-track Udo-ness, which is now a word. And also, it's not like these guys are bringing anything new to the table – as in anything. But they do rock impeccably, and they clearly have their collective metal heart in the right place. I'd see them live on a festival if given the chance. The rest of you can check out their new album "Kickstarter" for yourselves – out now on Steamhammer.

Japanese deathsters Invictus just put out their sophomore album "Nocturnal Visions". I heard it once, and while I can't say a lot about it, it's a welcome blast from the rotten past of filthy old-school death metal á la Deicide and Morbid Angel. Also nothing ground-breaking here, but their sound is deep and organic, not sterile and polished. And, perhaps on account of being from Japan, they're damn good at what they do.

Good ol' Helix released "Scrap Metal", which, as the title suggests, is a lowbrow, self-aware round of 50% hard rock, 50% butt-rock. No need to bother here – but you should check out their mid-'80s albums. In fact, you should've done that ages ago.

I remember tripping on Gluecifer's "Automatic Thrill" album back around when it came out, so I was kinda looking forward to revisiting them. But nobody put their new LP "Same Drug New High" on YouTube, which is where I find 100% of the albums I review, because, like everyone else, I have more than enough digital tools in my life, so no streaming services for me. Maybe it would make sense to get into one of them, but then again, meh. So, no Gluecifer review this time around. Do you see how NOT putting your stuff on YouTube may actually get you less exposure? I know, it's the weirdest thing, right?

Same thing goes for the new Buzzcocks album: Might've said something about that; couldn't find it on YouTube. And I can't be bothered checking in constantly to see if it's been uploaded. And finally, in the same, very specific category, their fellow countrymen and old-school punksters The Damned put out a cover album. But you don't have to listen to those.

In the category of things that I DID review, we started out slowly with a coupla semi-inspired and uninteresting albums from Kreator and Megadeth. As for the latter, its chipboard-dry production and lack of inspiration was even more unfortunate, of course, seeing as how it was their (i.e., his) swansong LP.

On a personal note, yours truly started out the year in Cape Verde with the worst case of both food poisoning and diarrhea I've ever had, by far. So, all in all a pretty shitty start to 2026 (pun may or may not be intended).

February's got new releases lined up from KMDFM, Clawfinger, Mayhem, and Rob Zombie, among others. Probably not exactly gonna be overwhelming either. But, y'know, do keep on reading.