RATE THEIR ALBUM (s): Gojira - "The Evolution of a French Metal Titan"

Whilst admittedly, I am not the greatest fan of their output over the last decade, Gojira (hailing from Bayonne, France),  certainly carved a lasting impression upon my metal DNA during their 3 album run of “From Mars to Sirius”, “The way of all flesh” and “L’Enfant Sauvage”.  Indeed, over the subsequent years, Gojira have forged an amazing career for themselves, carving a unique niche in the world of heavy metal since their formation in 1996 and are arguably France’s greatest musical export.

As my musical tastes shifted, Gojira’s evolution and artistic ambition grew. Once revered for their intricate musicianship, environmentally conscious lyrics, and progressive style, over the last decade, we have seen Gojira shed their death metal skin in favour of melody and even accessibility, resulting in  what we see today, “The Evolution of a French metal Titan”. 

Check out my favourite Gojira albums below, let me know your thoughts, do you agree and how would you rate them?

7).

⚔️ “Fortitude” issued April 30, 2021

🩸 Stand out track(s) “Born For One Thing”, “Another World”, “New Found”, “Sphinx”, “Into The Storm”

6).
 
⚔️ “Terra Incognito” issued March 19th, 2001

 
🩸 Stand out track(s) “Clone”, “Lizard Skin”, “Deliverance”, “Rise”, “Fire is Everything”, “Love”

5).
 
⚔️ “Magma” issued June 17, 2016

🩸 Stand out track(s) “The Shooting Star”, “Silvera”, “The Cell”, “Stranded”, “Pray”, “Only Pain”

4).
 
⚔️ “The Link”, issued 18th April, 2003

 
🩸 Stand out track(s) “The Link”, “Death of Me”, “Remembrance”, “Embrace The World”, “Inward Movement”

3).
 
⚔️ “L’Enfant Sauvage” issued June 26, 2012

🩸 Stand out track(s) “Explosia”, “L’Enfant Sauvage”, “The Axe”, “Planned Obsolescence”, “Mouth of Kala”, “The Gift of Guilt”, “Pain Is a Master”

2).
 
⚔️ “The Way of all flesh” issued 10th June, 2008

🩸 Stand out track(s): “Ouroboros”, “Toxic Garbage Island”, “A Sight To Behold”, “Yama’s Messengers”, “All The Tears”, “Adoration of None”, “The Art of Dying”, “Esoteric Surgery”, “Vacuity”, “Wolf down the Earth”, “The way of all flesh”,

1).
 
⚔️ “From Mars to Sirius”, issued 27th September, 2005

🩸 Stand out track(s) “Ocean Planet”, “Backbone”, “From The Sky”, “Where Dragons Dwell”, “The Heaviest Matter of the Universe” “Flying Whales”, “In The Wilderness”, “To Sirius”
 

ESSENTIAL METAL RELEASE(S): #WK 37 September 8th, 2025 to Sunday, September 14th, 2025

⚔️ 🩸 Album of the week:
 
#260

⚔️ Artist: Lorna Shore
🩸  Title: “The Feel The Everblack Festering Within Me”
⚔️ Release date: September 12th, 2025
 
🩸 Genre/tag: black metal, symphonic death metal, deathcore

 

🩸 Essential Release (s)
 
 
#254
 
⚔️ Artist: Fister
🩸  Title: ““Graceless””
⚔️ Release date: September 5th^th, 2025
 
🩸 Genre/tags: sludge, doom
 

#255
 
⚔️ Artist: Imperishable
🩸  Title: “Revelation In Purity”
⚔️ Release date: August 29^th, 2025
 
🩸 Genre/tags: blackened death metal

#256

⚔️ Artist: Centuries of Decay
🩸  Title: “A Monument to Oblivion”
⚔️ Release date: August 1st, 2025
 
🩸 Genre/tags: progressive death metal 

#257

⚔️ Artist: Trypanon
🩸  Title: “Through the Portal of Flesh to Achieve Divinity” 
⚔️ Release date: September 5^th, 2025
 
🩸 Genre/tags: black metal, sludge, doom

#258

⚔️ Artist: Cult Burial
🩸  Title: “Collapse of Pattern, Reverence of Dust”
⚔️ Release date: September 5^th, 2025

🩸 Genre/tags: blackened death metal, dissonant death metal, experimental death metal

259).

⚔️ Artist: Leaker
🩸  Title: “HAPPYHOUR”
⚔️ Release date: September 12th, 2025
 
🩸 Genre/tags: noise rock, post hardcore, sludge

 
#261

⚔️ Artist: Between The Buried And Me
🩸  Title: “The Blue Nowhere”
⚔️ Release date: September 12^th, 2025
 
🩸 Genre/tags: progressive metal

RATE THEIR ALBUM (s): Anthrax - "A Foundational Force in Thrash Metal"

Anthrax is band that need no introduction, formed in New York City in 1981 and considered one of the "Big Four" bands of thrash metal, alongside Metallica, Slayer, and Megadeth, Anthrax played a pivotal role in shaping the genre throughout the 1980s and beyond.

Known for their fast-paced, aggressive sound and groove based version of thrash metal, they have multiple acclaimed albums, including “Among the Living”, “Spreading the Disease” and “Sound of White Noise”.

Whilst Anthrax has experienced several line-up changes, they have has consistently pushed musical boundaries and reinvented themselves, incorporating elements of punk, hardcore, and even hip-hop into their music. Their collaborations, such as the groundbreaking track "Bring the Noise" with Public Enemy, demonstrated their versatility and willingness to experiment. Anthrax remains active today, and whilst the gaps between their output has increased, diehard fans can only hope, there is new material just around the corner.  Check it out my favourite Anthrax albums below and let me know your thoughts (do you agree and how would you rate them)

⚔️ 11). “State of Euphoria” issued September 18, 1988

🩸 Stand out track(s) “Be All, End”, “Out of Sight, Out of Mind”

⚔️ 10). “Fistful of Metal” issued January 28, 1984

 
🩸 Stand out track(s) “Deathrider” “Metal Thrashing Mad”

 ⚔️ 9). “For All Kings” issued February 26, 2016

🩸 Stand out track (s) “You Gotta Believe”, “For All Kings”, “Suzerain”, “Evil Twin”, “Blood Eagle Wings”

⚔️ 8). “Spreading the Disease” issued October 30, 1985

🩸Stand out track(s) “AIR”, “Madhouse”, “Medusa”, “Gung Ho”

⚔️ 7). “Volume 8: The Threat is Real” issued July 21, 1998

 
🩸 Stand out track (s): “Crush”, “Inside Out”, “Piss & Vinegar”, “Born Again Idiot”, “Killing Box”, “Hog Tied”

⚔️ 6). “We’ve Come For You All” issued May 6, 2003

🩸Stand out track (s) “What Doesn’t Die”, “Black Dahlia”, “Nobody Knows Anything”

 
⚔️ 5). “Stomp 442” issued October 25, 1995

🩸Stand out track (s): “Random Acts of Senseless Violence”, “Fuelled”, “King Size”, “Riding Shotgun”

⚔️ 4). “Among the Living” issued March 22, 1987

🩸 Stand out track(s) “Among The Living”, “Caught In A Mosh”, “I Am The Law”, “N.F.L”, “Indians”

 
⚔️ 3). “Worship Music” issued September 13, 2011

 
🩸Stand out track (s) “Earth On Hell”, “Devil You Know”, “Fight Em’ Until You Can’t” “In The End”, “The Giant”, “Revolution Screams”

⚔️ 2). “Persistence of Time” issued August 21, 1990

 
🩸Stand out track(s) “Time”, “Blood”, “Keep It The Family” “Gridlock” “Belly of The Beast”

 
⚔️ 1). “Sound of White Noise” issued May 25, 1993

 
🩸 Stand out track (s): “Potters Field”, “Only” “Hy Pro Glo”, “Invisible”, ”Burst”

RATE THEIR ALBUM(S): Deftones - "An Exploration of the Iconic Alternative Metal Band"

Formed in Sacramento, California in 1988, Deftones have been a prominent force in alternative metal, known for their atmospheric soundscapes and genre-blending approach. With the release of their new album “Private Music” (their first in five years), I have decided to rank their studio albums, according to my own personal tastes, the impact they had upon me and most importantly, their repeat playability. Please understand, rankings are subjective and will obviously vary by listener, but this list reflects my opinion and mine alone.  Check it out below and let me know your thoughts (do you agree and how would you rate them)

⚔️ 10). Adrenaline” issued October 3, 1995

🩸 Stand out track(s) “Bored”, “Minus Blindfold”, “One Weak”, “Nosebleed”, “Root”, “7 Seconds”, “Engine No.9”

⚔️ 9). “Saturday Night Wrist” issued October 31, 2006

🩸 Stand out track(s) “Hole in the Earth”, “Beware”, “Cherry Waves”, “Mein”, “Rats!Rats!Rats!”

⚔️8). “Ohms” issued September 25, 2020

🩸 Stand out track(s): “Genesis”, “Headless” “Ohms”, “Urania”, “Ceremony” “Pompeji”, “Radiant City”,

⚔️ 7). “Around the Fur” issued October 28, 1997

 

🩸 Stand out track(s) “My Own Summer (Shove it),” “Mascara”, “Around The Fur”, “Ricketts”, “Be Quiet And Drive (Far Away)” “Lotion”, “Headup”,

⚔️ 6). Private Music” issued August 22nd, 2025

🩸 Stand out tracks (s): “My Mind Is A Mountain”, “Locked Club”, “Infinite Source”, “Ecdysis

⚔️ 5). “Kai No Yokan” issued November 21, 2012

🩸 Stand out track(s): “Swerve City”, “Romantic Dreams”, “Leathers”, “Poltergeist”, “Entombed”, “Gauze”, “Rosemary”,

⚔️ 4). “Gore” issued April 8, 2016

🩸 Stand out track(s): “Prayers / Triangle”, “Acid Hologram”, Doomed User”, “Geometric Headdress”, “Hearts / Wires”, “Pittura Infamante”, “Rubicon”, “(L)MRL”

⚔️ 3). “Diamond Eyes”, issued May 4, 2020

🩸 Stand out track(s): “Diamond Eyes”, “Royal”, “Beauty School”, “Prince”, “Rocket Skates”, “Sextape”,

⚔️ 2). “White Pony” issued June 20, 2000

🩸 Stand out track(s): “Back to School”, “Feiticeira”, “Digital Bath”, “Elite”, “Street Carp”, “Knife Party,” “Korea,” “Passenger”, “Pink Maggit”

⚔️ 1). “Deftones” issued March 20, 2003

 

🩸 Stand out track(s) “Hexagram”, “Needles and Pins”, “Minerva”, “Where Girls Telephone Boys”, “Battle-Axe”, “Bloody Cape”, “Moana”,

ESSENTIAL METAL RELEASE(S): #WK 36 September 1st, 2025 to September 7th, 2025

 
⚔️🩸  Album Of The Week:

⚔️ Artist: Zatokrev
🩸  Title: “…Bring Mirrors to the Surface”
⚔️ Date Released: August 29th, 2025

🩸 genre/tag: post metal, psych, sludge

🩸 Honourable Mentions
 
⚔️ Pains - “Blistering Wrath” issued August 22nd, 2025
 
🩸 Genre/tags: dbeat, death metal, grindcore
 
▶️ https://painsusa.bandcamp.com/album/blistering-wrath
 
⚔️ Farseer - “Portals to Cosmic Womb” issued August 22nd, 2025
 
🩸 Genre/tags: doom, post metal, sludge
 
▶️ https://farseerofchicago.bandcamp.com/album/portals-to-cosmic-womb
 
⚔️ Crown of Anguish - “Giants of The Twisted Sun” issued July 11th, 2025
 
🩸 Genre/tags: death metal, epic death metal, cinematic metal
 
▶️ https://crownofanguish.bandcamp.com/album/giants-of-the-twisting-sun
 
⚔️ Ethereal Wound - “Defile | Demise” issued August 29th, 2025
 
🩸 Genre/tags: dissonant blackened death metal
 
▶️ https://loweredheadrecords.bandcamp.com/album/defile-demise
 
⚔️ Proscription - “Desolate Divine” issued August 29th, 2025
 
🩸 Genre/tags: blackened death metal
 
▶️ https://darkdescentrecords.bandcamp.com/album/desolate-divine