You can trust Louder Our experienced team has worked for some of the biggest brands in music. From testing headphones to reviewing albums, our experts aim to create reviews you can trust. Find out more about how we review.

Even though these Germans are combining disparate elements like death’n’roll, 70s metal, desert rock, ‘holy terror’ and tough-guy hardcore, the clunkiest thing about them is their moniker. Savage Ritual is their fourth offering in 15 years and offers smooth and seamless transitions amongst the aforementioned elements. One minute, the sounds are of Integrity’s caustic textures trading blows with Madball’s knuckle-drag, as on the title track, then it’s all about Converge-like trill riffs bounced off infectious chord progressions and Volbeat-esque vocal patterns (Time Travel Protocol) before Motörhead mud-wrestles with The Dead Boys (16 Valve Year). NOM are sonic chameleons who sway like a pendulum without the jagged alienation of an overly technical band cobbling together a million notes into a thousand riffs. A varied but inviting listening experience.