ALBUM REVIEWS

RECENT ALBUM REVIEWS

  • TERAMAZE – Eli: A Wonderful Fall From Grace

    RELEASE YEAR: 2024 BAND URL: https://teramaze.com.au/ The one genre where I have always found it hard to find works worth listening to twice has always been progressive heavy metal. When I bought CDs I usually had few albums in my collection, some early Dream Theater, some early Queensrÿche, Tool (of course) an occasional unknown band,…

  • TOMORROW’S RAIN – Ovdan

    RELEASE YEAR: 2024 BAND URL: https://tomorrowsrain.bandcamp.com/ With all the excitement of getting a new My Dying Bride album after 6 years, as good as A Mortal Binding²⁰²⁴ is, it’s easy to overlook other albums coming out on the same date, April 19th, such as the 2nd full length Ovdan²⁰²⁴ (released on AOP Records) by the…

  • GRAVE HERESY – Incineration Victory

    RELEASE YEAR: 2024BAND URL: https://godzovwarproductions.bandcamp.com/album/incineration-victory Incineration Victory by the maniacal Swedish bastards collectively known as Grave Heresy is a bone-pulverizing, face-melting delight that merges chaotic black metal and grimy death metal to stunning effect. All the usual quality death metal-related adjectives such as pummeling, aggressive, infinitely dark, oppressive, and utterly malevolent apply to the nine…

  • DEAFCON5 – Exit to Insight

    RELEASE YEAR: 2024BAND URL: https://www.facebook.com/deafcon.de/ The German act named Deafcon5 dabbles in an eclectic mixture of hard rock and metal with a notably progressive touch to it, and this fourth full-length opus of theirs tackles some rather interesting philosophical questions relating to the human condition. What immediately stands out is how varied the song material…

  • HUMAN ZOO – Echoes Beyond

    RELEASE YEAR: 2024BAND URL: https://www.facebook.com/HumanZooOfficial This is my first encounter with the German hard rockers known as Human Zoo and let me tell you right off the bat that I am wildly impressed with these guys and what they offer. We are off to a cracking good start with the bombastic and punchy album opener…

  • LARS FREDRIK FRØISLIE – Un Posto Sotto Il Cielo

    RELEASE YEAR: 2024BAND URL: https://larsfredrikfroislie.bandcamp.com/album/un-posto-sotto-il-cielo Singles are usually not something that this scribe covers in these online pages, but occasionally one has to make an exception, and this beautiful 2-song release by Wobbler’s immensely talented Lars Fredrik Frøislie, which will be released on 10-inch vinyl by Karisma Records, is one such exception. This one is…

  • UNTIME – Fall

    RELEASE YEAR: 2024BAND URL: https://www.facebook.com/untimeband I will be the first to admit that I have never previously crossed paths with the Tønsberg-based outfit known as Untime, but this catchy and easily digestible little 4-track EP of theirs is an enjoyable offering that serves up plenty of earth-shattering riffs, big and juicy grooves, and a punchy…

  • BLACK COUNTRY COMMUNION – V

    RELEASE YEAR: 2024BAND URL: https://blackcountrycommunion.com/ Very few if any hard rock acts that I can think of deserve the “super group” tag as much as the awe-inspiring Black Country Communion do, which comes down to the simple facct that not many star-studded constellations of musicians have released such stellar outputs as Joe Bonamasa, Jason Bonham,…

  • PARADOGMATA – Endetid

    RELEASE YEAR: 2023 BAND URL: https://www.paradogmata.com/ It’s becoming harder and harder to come up with a clever name as all the Megadeths, Medevils and Cryptopsies and Darkanes have already been taken. Paradogmata, presumably adressing fake dogmata, contradictory dogmata (as we will learn) or dogmata as it were, is an Norwegian progressive melodic heavy death metal…

  • X-PLEASURE – His Master’s Voice

    RELEASE YEAR: 2024BAND URL: https://x-pleasure.bandcamp.com/album/his-masters-voice The melancholy His Master’s Voice is something quite different and interesting in that it sees the talented Dan Heide (ex-Zeromancer, Ljungblut) spearheading a great ensemble of more than capable musicians and essentially churning out some exquisitely crafted compositions that hover and float somewhere between gloomy rock, post-punk, and subtle slivers…

  • HYPERIA – The Serpent’s Cycle

    RELEASE YEAR: 2023 BAND URL: https://hyperiametal.bandcamp.com/ Hyperia is a Canadian technical heavy thrash metal band founded in 2018 and they have just released their 3rd (after Insanitarium²⁰²⁰ and Silhouettes Of Horror²⁰²²) full length The Serpent’s Cycle²⁰²³ on November 17th, independently but courtesy of two promotors Jon Asher & Asher Media Relations and Sonja Schlicht &…

  • GJENFERD – Gjenferd

    RELEASE YEAR: 2024BAND URL: https://gjenferdbergen.bandcamp.com/album/gjenferd This stunning and ridiculously well-written not to mention infectiously catchy debut effort by the Norwegian outfit named Gjenferd is one of the best things that has happened to me this year. By Odin, this is so fucking awesome and inspired that I lack words, and that rarely happens, mind you.…

  • DYSSEBEIA – Garden Of Stillborn Idols

    RELEASE YEAR: 2023 BAND URL: https://dyssebeia.bandcamp.com Dyssebeia is a brand new (2020 inception) Swiss progressive technical melodic death metal quartet consisting of Alexandre Bu Sotirov (vocals), André Bogado Merlin (guitarist), Duran K. Bathija (bass), Samuel Jakubec (drums) whose debut album Garden Of Stillborn Idols²⁰²³ was released on November 16th via the ever mightier Transcending Obscurity…

  • BOWMEN – Mission IV

    RELEASE YEAR: 2024BAND URL: https://www.facebook.com/bowmenband/ The German hard rockers known as Bowmen are back with their third full-length album and one that sees them marrying varying influences from 60s blues rock, 70s hard rock, early 90s grunge, and even a bit of alt. rock to good effect. Rooted in the sounds of old yet putting…

  • EMPIRE OF DISEASE – Shadows In The Abyss

    RELEASE YEAR: 2023 BAND URL: https://empireofdisease.bandcamp.com/ I admit that it’s been a while since I reviewed an Xtreem Music release so I’m starting the righting of the Universe’s balance with the 2nd album from the Spanish melodic groove death metallers Empire Of The Disease, Shadows In The Abyss²⁰²³, released on November 7th two years after…

  • SUNFACE – Cloud Castles

    RELEASE YEAR: 2024BAND URL: https://www.facebook.com/sunfaceband/ It has been way too long since we last heard from the Oslo-based rockers known as Sunface, but the eight-year gap between their stunning debut album and this, their highly potent sophomore effort, has been worth the wait, which is testament to just how delightfully enthralling Cloud Castles well and…

  • MY DYING BRIDE – A Mortal Binding

    RELEASE YEAR: 2024 BAND URL: https://mydyingbride.net/ My Dying Bride (named after the middle sequence words in the debut album’s closer “Return Of The Beautiful”) is a British death doom metal band with a penchant for progressive writing which needs no introduction to anyone familiar with the so called British Peaceville Three, along with Anathema and…

  • DEATHCULT – Seven Are They

    RELEASE YEAR: 2024BAND URL: https://edgedcircleproductions.bandcamp.com/album/seven-are-they Yes, this is exactly the kind of thing we all need and what the of the mood of this week calls for – a new output containing exclusive material by what is unarguably one of the very best and most sinister-sounding bands out there, namely Deathcult. With its evocative artwork…

  • JOE BONAMASSA – Live at the Hollywood Bowl with Orchestra

    RELEASE YEAR: 2024BAND URL: https://jbonamassa.com/ This stunning live document by renowned blues rocker Joe Bonamassa is nothing short of a musical triumph that brings even more flavor and depth to the brilliant musician’s arsenal of superbly written, emotionally rich tunes. Bonamassa performed at the legendary Hollywood Bowl with a full orchestra back in August last…

  • HEIMLAND – Tronearvingens Doed

    RELEASE YEAR: 2024BAND URL: https://edgedcircleproductions.bandcamp.com/album/tronearvingens-doed It is fair to say that the incredibly talented Norwegian act known as Heimland made quite a dent in the black metal scene and turned quite a few heads when they unleashed their deeply passionate and perfectly morose Forfedrenes Taarer via the ever-reliable Edged Circle Productions roughly a year ago.…

  • BISMARCK – Vourukasha

    RELEASE YEAR: 2024BAND URL: https://bismarck.bandcamp.com/music The opening few bars of the title track leaves no doubt as to who and what this is; a frightening audio onslaught by the Norwegian doom metal freaks known as Bismarck. Vourukasha takes me back to their debut offering (Oneiromancer from 2020) in terms of its thunderously heavy tone and…

  • LETHE – Alienation

    RELEASE YEAR: 2024BAND URL: https://lethemetal.bandcamp.com/album/alienation This is my first encounter with the splendid experimental outfit known as Lethe and judging by the quality and infinite depth of this, their third full-length album, I feel utterly compelled to check their previous two offerings out. Alienation is anything but predictable or mundane, and the very act of…

  • DYSTOPIA – De Verboden Diepte I: Veldslag op de Rand van de Wereld

    RELEASE YEAR: 2024BAND URL: https://lnk.to/deverbodendiepte1 Dystopia’s take on ferocious and earth-shattering black metal is quite unlike anything else that I have come across. In fact, lumping the band and album into the black metal category is doing them a disservice as they clearly exist beyond the confines of said genre and have more in common…

  • VESTINDIEN – Verdande

    RELEASE YEAR: 2024BAND URL: https://vestindien.bandcamp.com/album/verdande In all honesty, I did not think it possible for the uniquely gifted masterminds behind Vestindien to top or better their flawless debut offering entitled NULL, but by some perverted and wonderful miracle these six twisted souls have conjured up a new work of radiant brilliance that transcends barriers and…

  • THE DREDGE – Torches

    RELEASE YEAR: 2024BAND URL: https://thedredge1.bandcamp.com/album/torches The Norwegian indie rock collective sporting the moniker The Dredge has been around for ages, but it was not until quite recently that this skilled trio finally released its debut offering. Entitled Torches and consisting of eight tunes that are loaded with atmosphere and a subtle sense of melancholy, this…

  • MNHG – Necare

    RELEASE YEAR: 2024BAND URL: https://lnk.to/necare The debut output by the twisted German entity known as MNHG offered a sinister yet incredibly entertaining take on catchy and somewhat groove-laden black metal that was overflowing with muscular riffs and disquieting vocals while also boasting a monstrously punchy rhythm section. Although all the trademarks and characteristics of their…

  • YOBREPUS – A Rhizome Revolution Part 1

    RELEASE YEAR: 2024BAND URL: https://www.apollonrecords.no/ Norwegian art rockers Yobrepus have a knack for crafting richly nuanced songs and albums that are both musically and lyrically absorbing, a prime example being their latest LP entitled A Rhizome Revolution Part 1. Weaving traces and elements of prog, alt. rock, psychedelic folk, and brooding electronica together to stunning…

  • INNER AXIS – Midnight Forces

    RELEASE YEAR: 2024BAND URL: https://www.facebook.com/InnerAxis/ The German heavy metal outfit known as Inner Axis recently unleashed this ten-track affair of theirs via Fastball Music, and just like the single releases and full-length LPs that preceded Midnight Forces it very much leans towards the classic variety of the genre, which is to say that your appetite…

  • IRON ALTAR – Promethean

    RELEASE YEAR: 2023 BAND URL: https://www.ironaltarband.com/ One of the albums I’ve been meaning to get to reviewing in 2023 but something always got in the way was the 2nd (after the independently released Pillars Of Blood²⁰¹⁸) full length by the Scottish progressive metalcorers Iron Altar, Promethean²⁰²³ released on September 29th via Trepanation Recordings. Despite it’s…

  • NEAL MORSE – The Restoration- Joseph: Part Two

    RELEASE YEAR: 2024BAND URL: https://www.facebook.com/nealmorse/ Neal Morse hardly needs any introduction to the prog rock aficionados out there, and his impressive back catalog speaks for itself. Personally, I favor his work with the amazing Flying Colors but that is a story for another day. The Nashville-based musician and songwriter is undoubtedly a virtuoso and his…