Langdon Hickman
Tribulation Enters A Numinous Realm “Where the Gloom Becomes Sound” (Album Review)
Tribulation's fifth full-length marks their last with guitarist Jonathan Hulten and a further refinement of their now-established sound, solidly rounding out this chapter in their career. Read our full review.
“The Mountain” and “Affinity”: Two Records That Elevated Haken to Progressive Metal’s Cent…
Langdon Hickman dives deep into the progressive metal landscape that Haken developed from and sent shockwaves through, focusing on two of their standout albums which have recently been re-issued (and that we've got exclusive, limited edition vinyl variants of in our shop).
Gatecreeper’s Two-Pronged Surprise EP Reveals “An Unexpected Reality”
Eschewing typical hype cycles, the vaunted Arizona death metallers dropped an EP in the middle of last week that branches out from their usual fare and pushes the boundaries of their sound. Read our full review.
Frozen Soul’s Chainsaw-Sculpted “Crypt of Ice” (Album Review)
Frozen Soul starts 2021 death metal off strong with a record that delivers on their early potential, taking clear notes from the genre's lineage but putting their own frosty spin on it. Read our full review.
Langdon Hickman’s Top Albums of 2020
Langdon Hickman's top picks for the year range from the emotionally harrowing to just plain kickass.
“Throes of Joy in the Jaws of Defeatism”: Napalm Death Claws to New Heights
The longtime grindcore stalwarts' new album continues to push the envelope, one that the band helped define long ago.
From Behind an Eclipse: Five Late-2020 Albums to Echo Life’s Bedlam
In this special roundup, Langdon Hickman details five varied but recent heavy albums to highlight his trials with depressive/anxious episodes, heightened self-expectations, and a world at large gone mad.
Cytotoxin’s Brutal Death Metal Spawn Rules “Nuklearth”
Applying the maximums of brutal death metal with a thoughtful extension of technicality, Cytotoxin mutates their formula for their fourth full-length album. Here's our full review.
Unleash the Archers: Shining Steel Surging From the “Abyss”
Langdon plunges into the Canadian metal band's latest album, which weaves together European power metal and melodic death metal into a virtuosic spectacle.
“Reflections of the Void” is Question’s Answer to Forgettable Death Metal
Finding a crucial balance between brutality and complexity, Question's second full-length is a skillful effort -- here's our full review of the album.