This killer compilation is being released in a run of 1,000 LPs and 500 CDs, featuring two new songs from Battle Ruins, three tracks from Heathen Peace, a farewell song from Razorblade, two from Burden, two from Storm of Steel (you might recognize "Creeping Barrage" from their debut LP, but this version is faster), and one from Live By The Sword ("March or Die," known from a demo version on a compilation or EP). All told, that’s nine new songs from heavy-hitting bands that blend Oi!, punk, street rock, heavy metal, and black metal in the perfect ratio. Battle Ruins contribute "Our Eternity" (about the Muslim attempt to conquer the Iberian Peninsula in 711 AD) and "Judas to the Flames." Once again, it’s top-notch stuff, thanks largely to Brendan’s vocals and soaring choruses. Heathen Peace offer a track about the Battle of Atuatuca—where the Romans were smashed from Ambiorix (a subject also covered by Les Vilains, among others)—titled "Atuatuca Eburonum"; then there’s "Agoge," dealing with Spartan upbringing and the survival of the fittest (arguably the most melodic of the three); and finally "Death by Wild Beasts," referencing the Roman punishment of being torn apart by wild animals—a track that delivers a truly awesome, filthy black metal sound, driven by Woutr’s vocals. All three of their songs draw on antiquity and Roman practices like damnatio memoriae or damnatio ad bestias—the latter being the direct inspiration for the title of their third track. Razorblade contribute a farewell track called "Final Hour"—recently released online with a music video—which marks a return to the roots of the sound we loved them for. The lyrics also reference a number of their older songs. It’s a great track. Burden’s contributions are "Blood of Our Fathers" and "The Martyr’s Prayer"; the latter is semi-acoustic, and the band really surprised me pleasantly with it. The new track from Storm of Steel is titled "Dance in the Flames" and follows up on their debut EP, which focused on the trenches and the Great War. Inside, you’ll find photos of all six bands, along with a lyric sheet and brief information about each group. There isn't a single bad thing about this release, and I can wholeheartedly recommend it to absolutely everyone.

The third album of this HC/Oi! from Holland is being released on their own LP (300 copies). In total, you will find 15 songs in English with a playing time of about 31 minutes. The band pours it into you from the first note and does not let you rest, which is fortunately OK considering the playing times of the individual songs (the shortest is 1:15 and the longest is 2:23). The overall sound of Complaint is really dirty, whether it is Randy's pumped up bass guitar or Patrik's singing. Right in the second song Lost or Insane you will hear a light guitar solo and the title track Era of Decline sounds like something from the old Exploited and it will make you rise your index finger under the stage. Another great thing is Still Standing, where the guitar is really rough and it is, by the way, the longest thing on the album. The first time I listened to the album, I quickly got carried away, but over time I got more and more into it and found out that it's not just another soulless flop, but that there are some great hits (like Loose Control or Get the Fuck Out). There are also a few classics with titles like Skinhead, Fight for your Life, Oi! Oi! Oi! or No One Likes Us. I don't have a physical copy yet, so I don't know about the booklet, but the cover is cartoonish and depicts a devastated street. I like it.

Na 500 kouskách různobarevného vinylu naleznete další a tentokrát zbrusu nové album těhlech veteránů a zakladatelů žánru.On 500 pieces of multi-colored vinyl you will find another, and this time a brand new, album by these veterans and founders of the genre. There are ten songs in total, 9 of which are in Swedish (Ge Fan Aldrig Upp – Never Give Up, Sindre & Brokk, Frihet – Freedom, Blod Och Is – Blood and Ice, Nog är Nog – Enough is Enough, Moder Svea Och Folket – Mother Svea and the People, Parasiter – Parasites, Jorden Talar – The Land Speaks, Vid Nordens Hjärta – In the Heart of the North and the last one Roots of Steel which is in English. The album was traditionally released by Dim Records and surprisingly you will find a large paper with lyrics and a thank you note. People who like Ultima Thule will be excited from the first note of Ge fan aldrig upp, because it has everything you love about them – a melodic chorus and playful guitars. On the songs Sindre & Brokk and Moder Svea och Folket the band was helped by their colleagues from Mjölner and where you can hear, for example, harmonica and female vocals. In Parasiter the bassist from the metal band Crashdiet and the rock band Bedårande Barn Peter London helped. Frihet starts, for example, as semi-acoustic thing and after about a minute the other instruments join in. The songs tell, for example, about freedom that needs to be defended, about people from the north who live in difficult conditions, but their nature and nature drive them back, about how everyone should open their eyes and look the truth in the eyes and realize that their country is burning, Similar is the case with Moder Svea of Folket, where the text is a fictional dialogue between Mother Svea and her people who have turned away for days, Jorden talar is also a semi-acoustic thing about the natural cycle of life, when people are born and die, but their legacy lives on, whether in the blood of their children or in the landscape they inhabited. By the way, it is one of the best things on the album, along with the following Vid Nordens hjärta. Excellent thing!

The second album by Wouter's three-piece metal band is released on CD, LP (250 copies on black asphalt) and cassette (50 copies on Zwaertgevegt Records). The album contains a total of eight songs, seven of which are in English and the last Heathen Peace 476 (the end of the Western Roman Empire) is a slower instrumental. Otherwise, the band introduced the album via two singles on the flexi EP, Total Fucking War and Heath Dweller, which are reviewed here. Henke Forss from Dawn helped with vocals on Heath Dweller. You can also hear him on the song Apollyon. Most of the songs are faster-paced (like Apollyon, Rise of Suebian Warlords or Ides of March with devilishly fast drums) but there are also slower, more drawn-out songs (Spells of Ishtar and the last Heathen Peace 476). Lyrically, it's about ancient wars and warriors who destroyed the Roman Empire (Rise of Suebian Warlords), about the war goddess Ishtar and their magic, about the king of the locust army and the destroyer (Apollyon) or perhaps about the Ides of March (The Ides of March), which were the days when Caesar was killed. The cover of the album features the Snartemo sword, which dates back to the 6th century AD and is a symbol of this era when barbarian tribes roamed Europe and when even a long-serving ruler fell. The album will be physically released on May 8, 2026, but according to the labels, both the CD and LP will include a deluxe booklet (8 pages on the CD and a four-panel gatefold cover on the LP). For me, a great thing that breaks down the boundaries of subcultures!

Heath Dweller is another single from Heathen Peace, which will be released on a flexidisk along with another instrumental song. It is also a taster song from the upcoming album. Besides, this is what Christians used to call other people who did not accept their faith in the past. The song features a guest appearance (or rather a great roar) by Henke from the Swedish band Dawn, with whom this collaboration was baked when Cosmic Key Creations released a reissue of their album. While Wouter has more of a deep hoarseness vocal, Henke has more of a yelled/screamed vocal and they complement each other nicely at the end. The song is about three and a half minutes long and it hits you with a great riff from the beginning. The break comes at about 1:41, where there is a solo, but right after it Henke and Wouter came and will knock you out of that break again. Check the song here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cp33JCRM81A. If you like harder music with black metal influences and lyrics that relate to the ancient history of Europe, this is exactly for you.