AYREON – Transitus

Over the past 26 years and 10 epic albums, Arjen Lucassen has made a firm name for himself in progressive rock/metal circles with his Ayreon project. Each release has been an epic tale filled with rich characters, impressive chops, and vocal guests from all areas of the metal spectrum. 2004’s "The Human Equation" and the…

CHRONICLE – Memento Mori

The Danish death/thrash metal outfit known as Chronicle released this rather excellent 5-track EP last year, and I must say that I am glad that I managed to get my filthy paws on this one. While I really do like the band’s previous releases, "Memento Mori" is without a shadow of doubt their best one…

INSANIA – V (Praeparatus Supervivet)

The Swedish outfit Insania is back after a long hiatus, but nothing has changed from a purely musical perspective as such, and these veterans still deliver galloping power metal with a strong melodic flair to it and as much bombast as you could possibly want. Double-bass drumming and heavy bass lines, sharp and beefy riffs,…

LAURA SHENTON – Jethro Tull Minstrel In The Gallery: In-depth

Author Laura Shenton’s book on Jethro Tull’s classic "Minstrel in the Gallery" LP (1975) is an informative and nicely structured piece of work where said album by the renowned prog rockers is viewed from various angles and placed in a larger historical context. While I do wish that Shenton would voice her own opinions and…

MEMORIA AVENUE – Memoria Avenue

This Norwegian band is a new addition to the melodic rock scene and their self-titled debut effort is a rather slick and highly polished affair with roots firmly planted in 80s-inspired AOR. While these guys are obviously skilled musicians, the majority of songs on the disc are unfortunately somewhat forgettable and there is neither a…

BLOOD RED THRONE – Imperial Congregation

I have a weird (admittedly) habit of listening in succession to the entire back discography of a band I know well and respect before reviewing their latest album and the Norwegian death metallers, Blood Red Throne (BRT), are no exception. Their previous installment, "Fit To Kill"²⁰¹⁹, was a very good record showing even progressive tendencies…

BONDED – Into Blackness

You would think that a band formed in 2018 by former members of the thrash metal icon, Sodom, Bernd "Bernemann" Kost (Guitars) and Markus "Makka" Freiwald (Drums) would simply sound like its extension, especially given the production handled by the same Cornelius "Corny" Rambadt at Rambado Recordings who produced Sodom, but Bonded, currently consisting of…

MASSACRE – Resurgence

I don’t care what anybody says, "Back From Beyond" was a brutal yet very catchy slab of hardcorish groove/death metal and a worthy follow up to Massacre’s classic debut, "From Beyond". It was also a very good response to the thrash/groove oriented clean sung "Promise" and a natural bridge between the two. It didn’t have…

KNIGHTS OF THE REALM – Knights of the Realm

Featuring past and present members of Tiamat and Eclipse, Knights of the Realm is a marvelous new addition to the heavy metal genre and these wicked Swedes sure know how to keep the listener engaged throughout by means of wildly energetic and hook-laden songs. One can easily draw parallels to such pioneers and legends as…

DEVOID – Lonely Eye Movement

The French outfit Devoid immediately caught my interest the very first time I listened to the album title track, which is the first tune on the disc, from this sophomore effort of theirs. Although these guys’ musical style appears to be rooted in (and highly influenced by) progressive metal, it is surprisingly catchy and accessible.…

GROUNDBREAKER – Soul To Soul

I found the self-titled debut album (2018) by these melodic rockers an enjoyable listen full of hooks and earworms, and so I was looking forward to this crisp-sounding new LP of theirs. Is it as good and memorable as its predecessor then? Well, the insanely talented Steve Overland (FM) is always right on the money…

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