Brady Irwin 2/3/25 Brady Irwin 2/3/25

[Review] Blackened Dred - ‘Satan Is The Law’ LP.

Not all of Canberra is as authoritative and complacent as stereotypes may have you believe. Nay, not if Blackened Dred and their blackened-thrash/trad-metal rocking debut Satan Is The Law have anything to say about it! Check out our latest review by Brady, who explores this deliciously evil (and fun) homage to everything from NWOBHM and punk to classic rock. See also for full album stream, artist links and ticket links for tour dates with Abigail and Stalker!

Brady Irwin 2/3/25 Brady Irwin 2/3/25

[Review] Abduction - ‘Existentialismus’ LP.

The UK has been gaining increasing notoriety of late when it comes to black metal, and albums such as Abduction’s Existentialismus provide solid examples of why attention should be paid. Follow ISC staffer Dean through a philosophical and comprehensive review of this equally heady and mind-bending 6-track LP via the link. Also included are artist links, music videos and more! Courtesy of Candlelight Records.

Mal Keecher 27/2/25 Mal Keecher 27/2/25

[ALBUM REVIEW] FANALO - SELF -TITLED LP.

From Bumblefoot's European lead guitarist comes Frenchman Fanalo's bold new foray into progressive rock with genre-spanning sounds. This self-produced solo album takes the listener on a journey through three instrumental tracks reminiscent of his Plug-In days and seven vocal-driven collaborative tracks.

Brady Irwin 24/2/25 Brady Irwin 24/2/25

[Review] Homeward, a Zinequest solo RPG

This week, resident dork Élodie finally tries the dorkiest hobby of all, solo roleplaying. Read on to find out how her chosen game, Homeward by Robert Jamison, holds up. Peep the link for the review, as well as links to Jamison’s Kickstarter!

Brady Irwin 21/2/25 Brady Irwin 21/2/25

[Album Review] Lacuna Coil - ‘Sleepless Empire’ LP.

Italy’s longstanding melodic-metal success story continues via Lacuna Coil and their latest LP, Sleepless Empire, which released on February 14th via Century Media. Dean gives the album a thorough track-by-track rundown, and it’s a good’un! Check the link for full review plus links to artist socials/official website, album order link plus latest single videos, live footage and more!

Brady Irwin 20/2/25 Brady Irwin 20/2/25

[ARCHIVE/Review] Opeth - 'The Last Will and Testament', 03.12.24.

Originally posted to our sadly, as of NYE 2024, unexpectedly now dead/defunct old website (RIP), I’ve exhumed a fantastic review of The Last Will and Testament Swedish progressive death metal titans Opeth, crafted by fellow ISC staffer Hamza early Dec 2024. Check the link for full review, links to tracks/artist commentary, plus a few little nice extras around the upcoming tour. Also, listen to Sliknita. My man Hamza can write and drum.

Brady Irwin 18/2/25 Brady Irwin 18/2/25

[Review] Alarum - ‘Recontinue’ LP

Featured Image/Footer Image Credit: Wilkography. One thing you can certainly tell with reviews is when a musician reviews them! Hamza’s breakdown of Alarum reaches similar intricacy and depth to that of the band themselves on progressive death-metal/jazz-fusion opus Recontinue, which dropped in 2024 to high critical acclaim. Check the full review which is, like the band, both heady and passionate! Plus artist/album order links, clips, and more.

Brady Irwin 18/2/25 Brady Irwin 18/2/25

[Review] Mandroid of Krypton - ‘Cosmic Sarcophagus’ LP.

One of many, many reviews on my backlog as podcast/blog host, stymied by an unfortunate demise of our old website on NYE 2024. Nevertheless, check out the full review of Cosmic Sarcophagus, an LP released Nov 2024 by Swiss progressive thrashers Mandroid of Krypton! It’s an expansive and ambitious effort, and worth a listen. Check link for the full review plus full album stream, artist links and more! Bring a spacesuit for this one.

Brady Irwin 12/2/25 Brady Irwin 12/2/25

[Review] - Newest ISC Staffer Dean Explores Saor’s ‘Amidst The Ruins’ LP.

On mutual agreement, latest staffer Dean and myself have agreed to let the words speak for themselves for his formal addition to the Inner-Strength Check Podcast canon. And what beautiful, evocative words they are indeed! Check the link for our newest staffers’ resplendent coverage of atmospheric folk/black metal act Saor’s latest LP, Amidst The Ruins. You can also find album order links, multiple recent singles, full album streams and much more. Another fantastic staff introductory piece, the first of many!

Brady Irwin 12/2/25 Brady Irwin 12/2/25

[Review] Into The Void - ‘Dysphoria’ LP.

Introducing our first piece of fresh content from new addition to the Inner-Strength Check team in Spiro (a.k.a The Hype Guy)! For his first piece, Spiro has elected to provide a great review of the 2024 album Dysphoria, by Michigan-based alternative-rock/nu-grunge outfit Into The Void. Check the link for the full review, album and singles links and more. As well, we’ve re-included an important appeal Spiro recent put out in support of Jampot Studios. Many thanks for an awesome review!

Brady Irwin 9/2/25 Brady Irwin 9/2/25

[Archive Review] Nest - ‘Metempsychosis’ LP.

This post has been through the wringer! Originally posted to Overdrive Music Magazine in 2019 (many thanks to Sebastian for permission to repost) in my time as Senior Contributor, it then made it onto our old blog in December ‘24 - right as our previous website met its’ demise. This is one well worth revisiting, however, as Nest’s bludgeoning LP Metempsychosis is an abrasive, expansive sludge/death metal bruiser that clearly stood the test of time.

Brady Irwin 21/1/25 Brady Irwin 21/1/25

[Archive] ISC Podcast Ep. 28: FROTH AND FURY FESTIVAL REVIEW PT 2 (Frothie-A-Deux).

[Originally posted via our old website which suffered an unexpected and untimely death on NYE 2024, RIP]. Check in for Part 2 of Brady and Mal’s extensive coverage of the HUGE event that was Froth and Fury in Adelaide, SA, November 2024. Within this post is the full two-part narrated podcast version, as well as an analysis of vendors, events and setlists from: Thornhill, Brand of Sacrifice, Organectomy, These New South Whales, Psycroptic, Day of Contempt, Fear Factory, Northlane, Bodyjar, Thy Art Is Murder and Pestilence!

Brady Irwin 21/1/25 Brady Irwin 21/1/25

[Archive] ISC Pod EP. 28 (Part 1): Review of FROTH AND FURY FEST, Sat 9th Nov 2024 - A Day of Metal & Mayhem.

See here for Part 1 of Brady and Mal’s MASSIVE coverage of 2024’s Froth and Fury Festival in Adelaide, South Australia last November. We cover a swathe of detail raging from site and venue to the first half of our gig reviews from the day - Bifurcation, Sundowner, Signals, Lumen ad Mortem, Pizza Death, FANGZ, Future Static, Great American Ghost, Hands Like Houses and Dharma. Plus some of the wrestling and medieval fighting events (you heard right), cool vendors and more!