By Maxazine South Africa 
Dozens of new albums arrive at Maxazine’s editorial staff every week. There are too many to listen to, let alone review them. It ensures that too many albums are left behind. And that’s a shame. That is why we post an overview of albums that arrive at the editors in short reviews today.
Photo (c) Jorge Fakhouri Filho
Reople – Cyclamen
Reole appears without much fanfare and with minimal embellishment, delivering a debut EP that will immediately feel familiar to listeners who enjoy the quiet emotional tension of artists such as Tamino or the sparse introspection of early Billie Eilish. The project explores the slow dissolution of love, not as a dramatic break, but as the gradual realisation that something had already disappeared before it could be named. In addition, Reole examines identity as something fluid, with different versions of the self convincingly adopted until they no longer hold. ‘Cyclamen’ opens with restrained production that never overreaches, building tension through absence rather than accumulation, while the vocals remain deliberately distant to enhance emotional ambiguity. ‘Eyes’ continues this sparse approach and focuses on the performance of the self under another person’s gaze, with precise songwriting and a consistently controlled whole. The main limitation of the EP is its brevity; a clear sonic and emotional world is established, but it is not fully developed. Although restraint is clearly used as a creative device and effectively contributes to the atmosphere, a wider dynamic range or more material would have strengthened the impact. Still, this is a composed and confident introduction to an artist who clearly knows what they are doing. (Norman van den Wildenberg) (7/10) (Nightingale Records)
André Fernandes – Centauri Chroma
A heavy, dragging groove played on a guitar with strings almost hanging loose, so low is the instrument tuned. This is unmistakably the sound you would expect on a stoner album. Until we hear two saxophones engaging in a duet over that weighty riff. Stoner metal combined with jazz, and indeed the Portuguese guitarist André Fernandes describes his music as stoner jazz. On ‘Centauri Chroma’, there are six pieces that can safely be called unique. After the dark opening ‘Dragon’s Blood Red’, things become somewhat lighter in ‘Amaranthine’, one of the longer pieces on the album. The Portuguese sun truly breaks through in the more upbeat ‘Isabelline’, which sounds strikingly cheerful for a stoner record. Each composition is carried by the playing of saxophonists João Mortágua on alto saxophone and José Pedro Coelho on tenor saxophone. Without their improvised virtuosity, little remains of the six tracks. Too little. Except for ‘Fulvous’, where Fernandes gives his guitar a satisfying beating. No, there is no need yet for a separate section for the genre stoner jazz. (Jeroen Mulder) (6/10) (Dox Records)
Riket – Riket
‘Riket’ is the first album by this Swedish death metal band. Before this album was released, Riket issued three EPs or singles. In 2013, the debut EP ‘Aversion’ was released, immediately gaining the band recognition in the underground scene. In 2014, the single or EP ‘Envola’ was released, which laid the foundation for their sound. The third release in 2016, the EP ‘Oförnuftets Segertåg’, further developed the sound from the previous EPs with their characteristic mix of groove and aggression. What further distinguishes this band from other death metal bands is that they sing in their native language, Swedish. The nine short tracks on this debut album deal with human flaws and tragedies and fit well with the dark, melancholic music. Riket is a highly promising band that makes a strong calling card with their self-titled debut. (Ad Keepers) (8/10) (Black Lion Records)
From Ashes To New – Reflections
From Ashes To New, from Lancaster, Pennsylvania, release their fifth album ‘Reflections’. The build-up was far from simple: sixteen demos were completely discarded, after which the album was built from scratch. The result is a record that uses the band’s hybrid sound, a mix of metalcore, nu metal, hip hop and electronic music, more sharply and deliberately than before. ‘Drag Me’ opens immediately with a heavy electronically charged impact, followed by ‘Villain’ and ‘Die For You’, which show how effective the interplay is between Danny Case’s clean vocals and Matt Brandyberry’s rapped aggression. On ‘New Disease’, everything comes together in an adrenaline surge that fully refines the combination of melodic choruses and brutal breakdowns. ‘Darkside’ moves into trip hop territory, while ‘Falling From Heaven’ becomes an emotional highlight. The album is flawlessly produced and has a wide range, although at times it feels like a refined version of a familiar formula. (William Brown) (7/10) (Better Noise Music)
Holly Humberstone – Cruel World
After her debut ‘Paint My Bedroom Black’, Holly Humberstone returns with ‘Cruel World’, her second studio album. The British singer-songwriter wrote the album partly as a result of leaving her childhood home in Grantham, an event that forced her to rebuild everything outside her familiar surroundings. Produced by Rob Milton, who also worked on her debut, ‘Cruel World’ is a more mature and intentional album. The singles ‘Die Happy’ and ‘To Love Somebody’ are immediately accessible pop songs with a darker undercurrent, while the title track ‘Cruel World’ stands apart with its pounding bass groove and uplifting chorus. ‘Beauty Pageant’ closes the album with a monumental ballad about societal pressure on women and is possibly the best song Humberstone has written so far. Not everything on the record reaches the same level, but ‘Cruel World’ shows an artist moving forward with a clear purpose. (Norman van den Wildenberg) (8/10) (Polydor)
Jan Vranken