Mini Reviews From Around The Bowl (11/13/25)
Mini and mighty
Black Cross Hotel – Songs for Switches
Someoddpilot Records | October 31st, 2025
I love an October 31 release that makes sense without being overtly spoopy themed. I first came across Black Cross Hotel as an early-set band on a mini-festival, which I attended mostly to see the band after them (another local Chicago band that rules, Huntsman), and I’m so glad I arrived early. Their synth-laden industrial punch damn near knocked me out. Vocalist Dee DeEmme has an incredible presence with an intense vocal delivery, and you know you’re going to get some sick melodic hooks from Stabbing Westward guitarist Marcus Eliopulos and Atlas Moth keyboardist Andrew Ragin. Songs for Switches takes a step away from being strictly horror movie themed, but it still retains an arresting sense of foreboding dread. This release launches the band from “fun side project” to “holy shit, everyone needs to listen to this.” – Joaquin
Astronoid– Stargod
3DOT Recordings | November 7th, 2025
Astronoid started to lose me a bit around the self-titled release in 2019. It had some killer tracks, but the production took a step in the wrong, muddled direction, and it got a little same-same from moment to moment. With Stargod, both of those issues are annihilated. It still sounds like Astronoid: a major-key, highly melodic take on modern metal with sorrowful themes that somehow come across as pure fun and joy. The songs are wildly varied, infused with a new retro-synth twist, and most importantly, you can actually hear everything. Vocals are front and center, guitars soar alongside them, and that synth ties it all together. Astronoid’s appeal for me revolves around explosive, emotionally contradictory earworms that make your hair stand on end. Stargod is full of them. We are so back. – Joaquin
The Halo Effect – We Are Shadows
Nuclear Blast Records | November 21, 2025
Swedish supergroup The Halo Effect are back with their second release of 2025 just after putting out their sophomore album, but this time they’re hitting us with an EP of cover songs. Although I liked their debut album just fine, their second full-length release March of the Unheard flew under my radar and has still been unheard by me. Phenomena’s “Dance With The Devil” sounds quickly cobbled together, but it did inspire me to check out the much better original version. I’m shocked I had never before heard of Phenomena given what a post-Ozzy Black Sabbath fan I am (the original project featured the likes of Glenn Hughes, Ray Gillen, Cozy Powell, and Tony Martin). The best track hands-down is Broder Daniel’s “Shoreline.” The cover itself is very good and when I listened to the original, it was absolutely on par. The main melody of the song from the long defunct Swedish alt-rock band lends itself well to this particular supergroup and wouldn’t sound out of place on a mid-90’s In Flames record. If you decide to skip this EP, that’s totally understandable, but if anything from this review made you curious you should at least dig into Phenomena, Kent, and Broder Daniel if you’re otherwise unfamiliar. – Voided Grimace
One of Nine – Dawn of the Iron Shadow
Profound Lore Records | October 31st, 2025
Black metal and the work of J.R.R. Tolkien is basically like chocolate and peanut butter, and has been from the beginning for better or worse. As such, we have USBM act One of Nine which are devoted to both Tolkien and early to mid 90s black metal and are now unleashing their sophomore record Dawn of the Iron Shadow; which basically takes the epic grimness of their debut and dials it to 11, although a major difference from their debut is the larger emphasis on synth-based orchestral flourishes and choir vocals, furthermore, despite being so devoted to Norway and Middle-earth, there’s a quintessentially American bent in the music that I can’t quite articulate in words beyond a much more aggressive and bass-heavy vibe in contrast to the cold Scandinavian sound. Suffice to say if you like black metal and Tolkien, you’re definitely a nerd (like me), and will also really enjoy this record. – Falxifer
Bloodbound – Field of Swords
Napalm Records | November 21, 2025
Sweden’s Bloodbound has mostly been a paint-by-numbers power metal band for their nearly two decades of existence. While their debut album was actually good enough to stand out from the homogenous power metal crowd in 2007 with its heavily Iron Maiden influenced songs, it’s been a downslide into heinous derivation ever since. That being said, their 11th album Field of Swords does have some enjoyable moments, even if there’s still nothing new under the sun. The band has picked up from their usual mid-pace, giving us speedy power metal anthems like “Field of Swords,” which is probably the catchiest song on the album. Other standouts are “As Empires Fall” and “Defenders of Jerusalem,” but the rest of the record sadly blurs together in its sameness. I wouldn’t skip any of the three songs named in this review on a playlist, but I don’t see myself making an effort to play this album end-to-end in the future. – Voided Grimace
