Insomnium – Netherworlds (2026) – Review

Insomnium - Netherworlds - Album Cover

So, we are at Ze Number Ten. The sleepless ones have been at that Melodeath thing for almost 30 years and produced a critically acclaimed record every 3 years on average. And the fire still burns bright. The RMR crew covered all records from somewhere around 2009 to this day. 2016’s Winter’s Gate was without a doubt the strongest piece this band produced under our watch. That’s not to say that Heart of a Grave and Anno 1696 weren’t great records in their own right.

And that begs the question: has the act around Niilo Sevänen kept the high-octane levels … [...] Click to raid more!

Shores of Null – Homesick (2026) – Review

Shores Of Null - Homesick - Album Cover

2026 has turned into a Year Ov Doom over at the RMR Review Desk. And I wonder why that is? It ain’t the RMR crew in depression mode, though. So, is it just that the melancholy pieces passing through here are simply legion? Nobody really knows. But the crew also found quite a few albums studded with woe-infested diamonds strewn over the long, hot summer months of tribulation and despair. So, it may well be that the overall quality of melancholy vinyls has improved ever since we last checked.

And it’s funny how each year can turn out differently when … [...] Click to raid more!

Finsterforst – Still (2026) – Review

Finsterforst - Still - Album Cover

Mach Dich Frei was the first Finsterforst piece to grace this fledgling zine’s pages back in 2015. Rastlos provided that firm foothold into the RMR roster necessary for repeat reviews. Now, it’s been 7 years since the mysterious, Greta-infested Zerfall hit us in 2019. A kinda weird blackened record that didn’t really land on our best side for long stretches. But it finally managed to convince in a few obscure ways. Somewhat.

Now, the mudfaces of Finsterforst are back with Still. The name would translate into ‘silent’, as in ‘total silence’ or ‘still’, as in deadly silent. Pun intended, … [...] Click to raid more!

Fires in the Distance – Circadian Promise (2026) – Review

Fires in the Distance - Circadian Promise - Album Cover

It has been a long time since a true Melodic Death Metal piece crossed our hawse. The RMR crew discovered a bunch of ‘-ish’ guys but nothing as strongly forged as any Insomnium piece would be.

But what about some refreshing new sound that should dig this (tired old) genre out of its hole and let it soar again? They do exist, you know. The US act Fires in the Distance appears to be one of them. They kinda flew by our review pipe in 2023 when their piece Air Not Meant For US was released. But for some reason, … [...] Click to raid more!