Xiu Xiu : "Xiu Mutha Fuckin' Xiu: Vol.1"

Cover albums can be hit or miss unless the band doing them is adventurous, as Xiu Xiu. They find the perfect balance of being true to who they are and honoring the song even amid the filter of weirdness they subject the song to, when they open the album with the Talking Heads' "Psycho Killer", the most suited choice for Stewart's voice. He captures the anxiety the song stirs up well. Then things get weirder for Grace Jones' "Warm Leatherette," a song that was already on the fringes when released. The difference between the first two songs is that I like the Talking Heads classic, whereas I was never into Grace Jones as a singer.

They split the difference on "I Put a Spell on You". It builds into jazz-chaos. When you combine Throbbing Gristle with this band for "Hamburger Lady" the result is almost expected as shades of weird turn almost abrasive with the dissonant ambiance. You might need to get stoned for this. Stewart channels his inner Roy Orbison for "In Dreams," which forces him to lean into his falsetto. Once again a case of loving the original artist, making me appreciate what they are doing here. "Sex Dwarf" falls between the cracks of this analogy. 

They give Robyn's "Dancing on my Own" the kind of treatment I want them to. It's darker and more depressing.  This Heat's "SPQR" taps into a different mood for punk that I appreciate. Having not heard the Glorilla song, but aware of what kind of music it is, is all the background I need to go into their cover of "Lick or Sum." If hip-hop normally sounded more like this, I would listen to it more. A Daniel Johnston cover makes perfect sense. It carries a more melancholy atmosphere here. You can apply almost the same thing I said about Throbbing Gristle to these guys tackling Coil. There is more of a pulse that moves this one. 'Cherry Bomb' is not proto-punk but upholds the vibe of the original. I will give this one a 9.5, and see how it grows on me, as it captures the mood needed, while staying true to who they are. 

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Ulver : "Neverland"

This album was released on New Year's Eve, so it will count as a 2026 release. The first track serves as an introduction, featuring a spoken word sample played over ambient sounds. Piano leads into "Elephant Trunk." So far, it seems like they are stepping away from the synth wave 80s sounds of the past couple of releases that have been really strong in terms of songwriting. Though electronic sounds are still in play in a big way, the focus is just not as retrofitted. It has also been instrumental. It sounds like drug music, so perhaps there was something to those Century Media-fueled rumors. "Weeping Stone' does feel more focused on sounds than being a hooky song. 

It is clear from "People of the Hills" that they are dedicated to this more experimental direction. At times, it sounds more like the soundtrack to a weird sci-fi movie.  But this track is more like an idea they did not build into an actual song, feeling more like an intro for "They're Coming the Birds !" which finds more of a groove. Kristofer has such a great voice; it's hard for me to imagine why they would not want to make music that is vocal-focused. But I at least appreciate the mood of this one. "Hark Hark, the Dogs do Bark" feels like an exotic pop song in how it winds around. Then things begin to sail off into the haze of ambiance.

At least there is a defined groove that develops for "Pandora's Box." If you are not going to give me vocals, I at least need that. "Quivers in the Marrow" is less defined and more free-floating floating ambiance. Sadly, "Welcome to the Jungle" is not a cover of the Guns N' Roses song, as that might have been more interesting. The last song musically feels like an instrumental take on the direction they were heading with the previous albums. I will give this album an 8.5; it sounds great, and they weave together an incredible blend of sounds, but their vocal-oriented songwriting is more my thing. 

Kreator : "Krushers of the World"

 Before checking back in on the band for 2017's  "Gods and Monsters,"  the last album I liked by these guys was "Coma of Souls." In its day, this was a change for the band after "Extreme Aggression" had hooked me in. This time around, they are locked into a more rapid, furious form of modern thrash that works better than what they did on their last album. It sztill takes some getting used to when it comes to how Mille Petrozza approaches his vocal delivery that borders more on singing than his once scathing snarl. He also uses more anthem accents on the choruses. It is funny to me lyrically that he declares they are Krushers of the world when he has lamented to the press that disturbing the concept of war is to him. 

Ventor is still pounding the hell out of the drums, having hung tight with Mille over the years. They are joined by the bass player from Dragonforce and the guitarist from Barren Earth. They have refined the art of grooving riffage that carries into "Tranenpalast." The melodic nature of the choruses does its job and is hard to deny even if I want a more aggressive apporach from the band. What they do is more accessible than their earlier work, which keeps them in motion over the years. "Barbarian" has almost a power metal feel.

You can hear how their thrashing attack influenced black with "Blood of Our Blood," where the chorus reminds me more of Accept, who were obviously an influence on this band from the beginning, and do not get enough credit for their impact on thrash. The lyrics to "Combatants' are awkward at best, though the riff makes it palatable. It feels like they are trying too hard to be relevant rather than just being themselves. They do a better job of hitting the mark in this regard on "Psychotic Imperator." There is a Slayer-like intensity they race into the song with. The lyrics are political but in broader strokes. 

"Deathscream" has better lyrics, but kind of races along like methed out Judas Priest. It feels like they set out to write their own version of "Painkiller." They end the album with a bigger gallop for the more power-metal tinged riff that marches the song into a more anthemic nature, but it still works in a very Accept-like manner. I will give this album a 9.5 as it's an improvement over the previous two albums and pretty flawless, though the lyrics are what kept it from being a perfect album, as well as the moments where it feels like they are trying too hard, but some of the riffs, and overall writing and is obviously a sucess when it comes to the band's intentions of ccreating this album. Nuclear Blast releases this January 16th.

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Ellende : "Zerfall"

 I'm excited that my first album review of 2026 will be a new one from this Austrian project that claimed the number one spot in the top 10 Black Metal albums of 2024. They are atmospheric but with stunning guitar work and a haze of melancholy, embossing their waves of scathing picking. The wrathful vocals are perhaps more scornful this time around. Halfway through the first actual song, a melodic swathe of clean guitar with folk elements emerges. It works from the melodic themes established in the song. In other words, it's on point for what you might expect from these guys if you are already a fan. 

The second part of "Wahrheit Teil" starts off as a more melancholic continuation of what they established in the first part, though the difference is that they gain momentum and build this one more aggressively. This does not mean an assault with blast beats. The title track finds them jamming a slow-burning progressive-minded groove into the version of melodic black metal they have clearly mastered. Twin guitar melodies complement their melodic side, going into."Ubertritt"

"Zeiten Wende Teil" is another two-parter, the first part being the kind of sweeping guitar melodies you expect from most black metal that is not singularly focused on blast beats. There is also a sorrowful atmosphere haunting the backdrop. They pick up the attack with a more metallic intensity to the tremolo-picked guitar on the second part. There are some pretty cool riffs on this one as the song progresses, despite not being what I think of as a riffy band. It ends with a great guitar solo. 

The last song sets the stage with a sample of a phone message leading into things with a gradual build. This willingness to experiment is one of the things that makes this one of their best releases so far. A chorus of sung vocals breaks things up as they double down on their commitment to melody and great guitar playing. I will give this album a 9.5, setting the bar pretty high for black metal albums to come this year. 

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