Articles by Tom O'Boyle

Bright & Black's self-titled debut: members of Opeth, Meshuggah, Apocalyptica, Entombed AD and Watain unite to make epic orchestral metal

By Tom O'Boyle published 23 January 24

With an all-star line-up of metal musicians serving as composers, Bright & Black's orchestral debut is the first serious contender for the best metal album of 2024

The 50 best metal albums of 2022

By Rich Hobson published 26 December 22

From Ghost and Slipknot to Zeal & Ardor and Ithaca, these are the best albums of the last 12 months

Best doom metal albums of 2022: MWWB/Crippled Black Phoenix/End Boss/Konvent/BlackLab

The 10 best doom metal albums of 2022

By Rich Hobson published 15 December 22

From Conan and BlackLab to Crippled Black Phoenix and MWWB, these are the 10 best doom metal records of 2022

Woods Of Ypres: the triumph and tragedy of goth-metal’s great lost band

By Tom O'Boyle published 19 March 22

Woods Of Ypres were set to be the Type O Negative of the 2010s – only for tragedy to cut them down in their prime

Celeste's Assassine(s): "Compelling by virtue of its unpredictability"

By Tom O'Boyle published 28 January 22

French avant-metal experimentalists Celeste fuse sludge, post and black metal in a multifaceted expression of genius

Cult Of Luna - The Raging River album cover

Cult Of Luna’s The Raging River: post-metal catharsis and a surprise guest on heavyweight new EP

By Tom O'Boyle published 1 February 21

Cult Of Luna rope in grunge icon Mark Lanegan on album-sized EP The Raging River

Tombs’ Under Sullen Skies: black metal majesty meets New York City grit

By Tom O'Boyle published 19 November 20

NYC’s esoteric black metallers Tombs refine their book of spells on new album Under Sullen Skies

Auðn’s Vökudraumsins Fangi is atmospheric black metal the way they used to make it

By Tom O'Boyle published 29 October 20

Icelandic black metal warhorses Auðn cleave to the elements on new album Vökudraumsins Fangi

Kenyan noise kings Duma make industrial grindcore like you’ve never heard it before

By Tom O'Boyle published 23 October 20

Kenya is metal’s best-kept secret. Two-man noise explosion Duma want to change that

Uada’s Djinn album: kvlt-baiting black metal polished to a technicolour gleam

By Tom O'Boyle published 27 September 20

Boundary-pushing Portland black metallers Uada provoke the faithful’s ire on new album Djinn

Israeli death/doom crew Tomorrow’s Rain call in metal all-stars on cathartic new album Hollow

By Tom O'Boyle published 31 August 20

Members of Paradise Lost, Moonspell and My Dying Bride help bring Tomorrow’s Rain’s bleak vision to life on new album Hollow

Vredehammer: where Stephen King meets death metal

By Tom O'Boyle published 9 August 20

Ever thought that It needed a death metal makeover? Vredehammer have got you covered

Selbst’s Relatos De Angustia: black metal anguish meets Jungian psychology

By Tom O'Boyle published 7 August 20

Epic black introspection from the heart of South America from Chile’s Selbst

Saudi Arabian black metallers Al-Namrood wage war from the shadows on new album Wala’at

By Tom O'Boyle published 6 July 20

Al-Namrood’s Wala’at album is the work of true black metal rebels

Vile Creature’s Glory, Glory! Apathy Took Helm!: sludge metal as you’ve never heard it before

By Tom O'Boyle published 6 July 20

Gender-defying Toronto duo Vile Creature undergo a furious reawakening on new album Glory, Glory! Apathy Took Helm!

The 10 best drummers in modern metal

By Tom O'Boyle last updated 21 April 20

Metal isn’t short of great drummers. But these are the ones who own it

Everything you need to know about Kvelertak's new album Splid

By Tom O'Boyle published 14 February 20

Sponsored To celebrate the release of Kvelertak's new album Splid, we tell you everything you need to know about the band's first album in four years

The A-Z of Opeth

By Tom O'Boyle published 5 June 19

Everything you need to know about Swedish prog metal titans Opeth, in alphabetical order

The 10 essential post-black metal albums

By Tom O'Boyle published 14 May 19

The albums you sorely need in your post-black metal collection

The story behind Behemoth's latest album I Loved You At Your Darkest

By Tom O'Boyle published 14 December 18

Earlier this year, Behemoth unveiled I Loved You At Your Darkest. Nergal tells us why he’s refusing to compromise on his beliefs - and that when it comes to fighting the Church, he’s only just getting started...