Out 12 September, 2025
Via: Bleeding Art Collective and Blood Blast Distribution (Nuclear Blast Records/ Believe)
Words by: JD Punisher
When it comes to heavy metal, nothing really grabs me by the balls and gives ‘em a good old Honeymoon Twist anymore. Well, that changed the moment I heard the opening track of the new Nicolas Cage Fighter (NCF) album, I Watch You Burn.
As the opening track is the title track, I’ll spare re-mentioning it by name. But let it be known that this is Aussie metal at its finest, and you should feel damn privileged to be alive at the same time as this album’s release.
The track listing is a treasure trove of brilliance. With songs like Valley Of Agony, The Executioner and Death In Bloom, you know that NCF has put every bit of energy, brutality and crushing metal goodness into every track. Accept no substitutes, NCF is here to really show the world what the Aussies have to offer. How do I describe this album without making it sound like the same regurgitated bullshit of album reviews for every other release thus far? Well, I’m gonna fucking try.
If you want to have your ears crushed by the fury of blast beat percussive, or keep that ringing in your ears to never vanish, then this is right up your alley. Nick Moriarty sounds like a man possessed, with vocals that you could easily mistake for a shovel being dragged along gravel. The vocal prowess of this man is jaw-droppingly diverse and powerful. But let it be said that he’s not the only formidable talent in this band. As Justin and Tom take the duties of fret work, you feel as though they threw everything down with such ferocious intent that you can’t help but bang your fucking head from the opening chord of I Watch You Burn, all the way through to the ring out of Tarnished Remains. This shit was meant to be played loud, so please, oblige these lads and give this album the volume it rightly deserves.
I was thrown to the wall by the percussives that Matt has laid down on this album. With a precision-driven talent, you can’t help but feel like you’ve been grabbed by the throat and pile-driven into the concrete on every single track. If I could emulate this man’s drum work, perhaps I’d still be behind a kit to this day.
There are no standout tracks on this album, with each one as incredibly intricate and brutal as its predecessor. When a whole album flows like this, it gives you faith that the whole world hasn’t gone to hell in a handbasket as first thought. With too much overplayed pop music out there, NCF is here to inspire future generations to tread the path of heavy metal and really smash the collective faces of the masses.
With no stone left unturned, not one note missed, the overabundance of talent in this band shows no signs of slowing down. If the man himself, Nic Cage, endorses this band, then it can’t be a wrong move in diving deep into this album and their entire back catalogue. Trust me when I say, you cannot sleep on this album or this band, for that matter. NCF came to set the world ablaze, and this album will be the soundtrack to the pyrotechnic demise they intend to bestow upon us.
