Diaries of Doom

There’s something brewing in the Black Country right now, but Kensei are showing the world that it isn’t just the beer. After bulldozing the Birmingham Metal 2 The Masses in 2024 and destroying their slot at Bloodstock Festival - hopefully the first of many - their first full-length outing is a confident, tightly-wound assault that blends razor sharp melodeath with the heft of 00s metalcore. Possibly the biggest pit the New Blood Stage saw in 2024 The ominous Intro sets the scene like an oncoming storm before End of Days makes its entrance with impact, crushing the listener with thrashy, harmonised riffing and tasty drum fills. Vocalist Dave wastes little time snarling venomously across the verse, with a big melodic chorus and a blistering breakdown that’ll see a future bruise or two in the pit. As album openers go, this one lays the foundations well. It's a real statement of intent. Lucid , which follows, might just be the crown jewel here. Its Phrygian-flavoured riffing bring...