Moonlight Haze – Beyond (2025) – Review

Moonlight Haze - Beyond - Album Cover

Moonlight Haze‘s 2022 piece Animus was one of the Power Metal highlights of that very same year. Founded in 2018 by two Temperance survivors – Chiara Tricarico and Giulio Capone1 – they went on to create what today is a well-known band in the Italian PM sub-section of metal.

The 2022 piece took it away with new-found oomph and a pretty healthy swagger. You know, traits that make you win over fans and sell a ton more records than before. So, what’s it gonna be this time beyond those old records? Let the Metal o’ the Light illuminate … [...] Click to raid more!

Magnadur – Beautiful Nightmare (2025) – Review

Magnadur - Beautiful Nightmare - Album Cover

This is what happens when you select your records to review based on the smart looks of the album cover only. And it is indeed a sublime piece of art glaring back at you from Magnadur‘s latest concoction.1

Other considerations surfaced as well, of course. Such as this band hitting the metal underground out of nowhere in 2024. And with two full-length records under their belt that same year, they concocted a third one – Beautiful Nightmare – this early 2025. The RMR crew saw similar action before, and it wasn’t pretty. So, what’s the deal here? … [...] Click to raid more!

Maceration – Serpent Devourment (2025) – Review

Maceration - Serpent Devourment - Album Cover

Rogga Johannson anybody? The RMR crew feared for a moment that the geek-in-chief of Swedeath is on the prowl again. But not so. Instead, we’re faced with an archaic and primordial version of Death Metal brutality. With some – Cthulhu-esque thing from the deep watching you from the cover with evil, hungry, and alien eyes.

And yes, we’re talking about Maceration. An age-old band torturing our eardrums since 1990. A band offering fake Swedish fare because they actually hail from – Denmark? Correct, geographically speaking, but not so fast. Thus, let’s take a step back. After 1995, the band … [...] Click to raid more!

Marko Hietala – Roses From The Deep (2025) – Review

Marko Hietala - Roses From the Deep - Album Cover

Marko Hietala, one of the only artists out there holding the RMR crew’s unwavering respect. He – of course – will remain forever famous as one of Nightwish‘s main pillars. Until he chose to retire from the band back in early 2021, that is, done with a statement that made for somewhat grim reading.

Now, in the meantime, Hietala popped up here and there in a variety of venues and roles. Raskasta Joulua’s 2022 x-mas piece was – surprisingly – the first time he reappeared on our radar already. And this told us that he definitely would stay … [...] Click to raid more!