Harbinger’s Killer Picks – October 2026

Happy Halloween! For some, Christmas is the best time of the year; for me, it’s Halloween with its red and gold leaves on the ground and horror movie marathons galore. It also coincides with the last Saturday of the month, so it’s time for another edition of the Harbinger’s Killer Picks. Here are my top picks that I think are worth your time and money. So, let’s get into it, shall we?

First, the godfather of metal himself, Tony Iommi, just released his latest studio album, From the Dark, on October 23^rd, his first solo record in twenty-one years! This was one of my most anticipated releases of the season. After a handful of spins, I’m still not entirely sure how I feel about it. I don’t love it, but I don’t dislike it either. I was on the fence when Black Sabbath released their final LP (with Ozzy), 13, back in 2013 as I was with Heaven & Hell’s The Devil You Know (with Ronnie James Dio) in 2009. To this day, I still find them very forgettable and only like about three or four songs from each of those albums. In any case, I think I might already enjoy From the Dark a bit more than Mr. Iommi’s two previous band releases. Tony has assembled a terrific lineup for this record: Norwegian vocalist Jorn Lande, Becky Baldwin of Mercyful Fate, and English session drummer Karl Brazil. In terms of sound, From the Dark is a lot closer to The Devil You Know than to 13. There’s also the fact that Dio is one of Jorn’s biggest inspirations and that his vocal style sounds like a Dio pastiche at times—and even like Bruce Dickinson occasionally.

On to the album. “Over the Violent Sun” is a fitting opener with solid riffs and should’ve been the lead single in my opinion. “Black Times” is a decent tune that goes on a tad too long and feels like something we’ve heard many times before. The first single, “World Alone”, is growing on me; it’s catchy enough but doesn’t blow me away. “Beyond the Dead” sounds powerful while the second single, “Stormwatcher”, a track reminiscent of Rainbow’s heyday, features Iommi’s trademark riffage. “Death Wake”, one of the doomiest songs on here, features a guitar solo from Queen’s Brian May. Honestly, had I not known, I wouldn’t have guessed—which is surprising as his guitar tone usually has a very distinct quality to it. “Return of the Arbalist” is a more energetic affair; a good song overall, nothing more, nothing less. The closing track, “Legacy”, might be my favourite; a sweeping epic tune where Jorn channels Whitesnake’s David Coverdale. In the end, this record sounds a little too much like a modern metal album for my taste. Still, it does have some great riffs, amazing vocal prowess, and plenty of doomy atmosphere. The lyrics, though, feel like a pale imitation of Dio’s vintage Rainbow/Sabbath tunes. Only time will tell if I’ll grow to appreciate From the Dark more, but I still recommend it to all Tony Iommi/Sabbath fans, as well as doomers and metalheads everywhere.    

Tony Iommi’s Official Website

Second, just in time for Halloween, American doom-folk metal band Atheist Alien unleash today A Mass of Candles, their reimagining of Swedish epic doom metal band Candlemass’s legendary 1986 album Epicus Doomicus Metallicus in its entirety. Fronted by Robert Lowe—who was a vocalist for Candlemass from 2006 to 2012—the band has taken quite a unique approach to the material. They’ve taken away the guitar and replaced it with a gothic pipe organ, and founder/producer Brian A. H. Labrecque recites mythical spoken-word poetry into each track. The end result is spectacular! I hadn’t listened to Candlemass’s timeless album in over a decade and it made me want to revisit it to compare the two. A Mass of Candles is a perfect companion piece to it and whether or not you’re familiar with the source material, if you’re into atmospheric doom, you simply must give this record a spin. This is the best kind of tribute album—one that doesn’t stay too close or stray too far from the original, but instead reinvents it in a way that fits it like a glove and feels like visiting an old friend, all the while injecting the songs with a bold new energy and adapting them for our times. The six classic tunes are hypnotic, epic, and darkly poetic. Atheist Alien’s A Mass of Candles is a pitch-perfect rendition of a bona fide classic LP; it truly feels like you’re listening to a dark ceremony. They should tackle Candlemass’s sophomore album, Nightfall, for next Halloween!

Stream A Mass of Candles

Get A Mass of Candles on vinyl or CD here

Third, Argentinian stoner doom trio Inferous released their latest album, Mueran Todos, this past October 13^th. Entirely sung in Spanish, the LP’s title translates to Everybody Die. This is a really cool record, folks. Some sludgy stoner doom (more doom than stoner) that is quite heavy and psychedelic. The opener, “Weed Hunter”, is a superb instrumental that channels stoner legends Sleep with flying colours. “Al borde del abismo” (“On the Edge of the Abyss”) follows, an uber atmospheric track that’s thick like molasses. On to the epic “Espada negra” (“Black Sword”), my personal favourite, with its groovy riff and great vocals with shades of Black Sabbath thrown in for good measure. “Ritual ciego” (“Blind Ritual”) is a more mellow piece with a thumping bassline and chill guitar tone. “Brutal conciencia” (“Brutal Conscience”) closes out the album, a speedy song with a punk edge to it. Inferous’s Mueran Todos really hits the spot. Fans of Sleep and Dopelord will dig it a lot. If, like me, you were disappointed by Sleep’s Hempispheres back in September, have no fear; Inferous has got you covered. It’s a first-rate substitute for Sleep. Don’t speak Spanish? Don’t matter. You’ll be hypnotized by this lean collection of massive tunes. Clocking in just under thirty minutes, it’s the kind of album you’ll want to put on repeat once it’s over. Bring on the fuzz!

Inferous on Bandcamp

Fourth, New Jersey hard rock/metal legends Skid Row will celebrate their 40^th anniversary with two offerings in November. First off, a newly remastered edition of their 40 Seasons: The Best of Skid Row retitled 40 Years: The Best of Skid Row for the occasion, arrives November 6^th via BMG/Rhino Entertainment. It covers the Sebastian Bach years, spanning from the self-titled 1989 debut to 1991’s Slave to the Grind through 1995’s Subhuman Race. This was already a terrific compilation back in 1998. but a remaster almost thirty years later is much welcomed. The track list remains the same, in the same chorological order. I only have two gripes about it (and one is very minor): the two new tracks which were unreleased songs from the debut and Slave still wind up at the end of the LP. They should have been inserted to follow the chronology of albums, i.e. “Forever” should follow “I Remember You” as it was a track from the 1989 sessions, and “Fire in the Hole” should come right after the song “Slave to the Grind” as it was a demo from that LP. It would make for a more cohesive listening experience in my humble opinion. As far as the song selection goes, there lies my other minor gripe: the omission of “Wasted Time” is a crime, plain and simple, and I was hoping they’d remedy that by swapping, say, “Psycho Love” for it. Alas, it wasn’t meant to be. Anyhow, other than that, this is a fantastic collection of 16 songs that shows why Skid Row was such a force to be reckoned with during that brief era. Subhuman Race remains to this day a very underrated album. The five tracks that represent it here are all stellar and have been remixed to sound less muddy than on the 1995 record. “Frozen” is the demo version which packs a bigger punch than the original album version in my opinion, while “Beat Yourself Blind” is an energetic live rendition taken from the Subhuman Beings on Tour!! live in London EP found in the Skid Row - The Atlantic Years box set.

Next up, on November 27^th to celebrate Record Store Day, a limited-edition vinyl will be released of their 1989 live set at the Moscow Music Peace Festival. The press release mentions that it’s a 6-track record (which would be their full set, including the opening song, a cover of the Sex Pistols’ “Holidays in the Sun”) but the promotional photo that’s being displayed everywhere clearly shows that it doesn’t include the Pistols cover and is instead only five songs. It would make sense for licensing issues to only feature Skid Row’s own material. In any case, this is a great early show from Skid Row with the band playing tight and Bach’s vocals in their ferocious prime, so if you come across it, do pick it up! Hopefully it’ll get a proper release on CD and digitally sometime in the near future. In the meantime, you can easily find it on YouTube (with video to boot!) and see/hear for yourself what the fuss is all about. Skid Row held open auditions last spring in search of a new lead singer. They’ve finally announced their choice: Broadway singer/actor Justin Sargent. They’ve just released a first single with him, a cover of The Who classic “Won’t Get Fooled Again”. Sargent sounds similar to Jon Bon Jovi in my humble opinion. I’m not thrilled but I’m keeping an open mind. Maybe we’ll even get a new Skid Row record next year!

Skid Row’s Official Website

Fifth, German power metal and thrash metal band Mystic Prophecy return with their 13^th album, In Metal, on November 27^th via Perception, a division of Reigning Phoenix Music. The band’s follow-up to 2023’s Hellriot follows in the same vein of short, punchy songs. Another band—more than two decades into their career—that I wasn’t familiar with and this album was a grower for me, but after a couple of spins, I really dug it. Some highlights: from the opening first single, the earworm “Robots” (also my personal favourite) to the anthemic title track “In Metal”, to the machine-gun rhythm of the second single “March or Die”, to the introspective “My Inner Innocence”, to the melodic guitar delight “Devil’s Son”, to end with a bang with the larger-than-life “Warrior of Asgard”. This ten-track collection is filled to the brim with shout-it-loud choruses mixed with heavy riffs and speedy guitar solos. In Metal is a top-notch metal record through and through. Long-time fans of Mystic Prophecy are sure to get a kick out of this album and power metal aficionados in general should pick it up; it’s well worth your precious time and hard-earned cash.  

Mystic Prophecy’s Official Website

And that’s it for the October edition of the HKP! Have fun trick or treating or handing out candy tonight, and above all, stay safe! Enjoy the parties, horror movies, and of course, the killer music. Until next time, crank up the tunes!