My Top 5 Metal Discoveries
Throughout the past months, a handful of astonishing metal bands crossed our paths for the first time. Here are some of our editor's favourites.
The power of metal to captivate and enthral its listeners is truly unique. The intense sound created by heavy riffs, thundering drums, and hellish vocals evokes deep feelings in those who appreciate the genre.
Especially when experienced live on stage, the music's raw energy and emotional expression bring people together, creating a sense of unity that is hard to find in other forms of music—something I witnessed once again when I attended this year's Summer Breeze Festival in Dinkelsbühl, Germany.
Although only a small portion of my personal heavy rotation accounts for metal, the sound these bands produce is undeniably fascinating. Today, I share five metal acts I recently discovered—some of them rather late, others on their way up.
Blackbraid
Sgah’gahsowáh, the artist behind the one-man band Blackbraid, combines Black Metal's heavy sounds with a focus on nature. Stumbling over a New York Times feature anticipating the second album, Blackbraid II, the combination of themes rooted in his Native American heritage and the raw sound of Norwegian's Black Metal origins instantly intrigued me.
Initially, I expected a more progressive approach to the Black Metal sound, as seen with Zeal & Ardor. However, Blackbraid's sound remains traditionalist, offering pure, aggressive, but excellent compositions.
