ALBUM REVIEWS

RECENT ALBUM REVIEWS

  • SKEPTICISM – Ordeal

    Skepticism are back!The originators of true funeral doom are back. It has been seven years since the finnish powerhouse of sadness and sorrow released their fourth full-length "Alloy", a masterpiece in slow and melodic funeral doom. 2015 sees Skepticism release another formidable output "Ordeal" and the pioneers off just incredible sad (in a good way)…

  • ISENMOR – Land of the Setting Sun

    Folk metal is not just a European phenomenon- it’s a potent worldwide genre, and plenty of American artists are getting into the movement. Take Baltimore, Maryland sextet Isenmor – employing two violinists on their "Land of the Setting Sun" EP release. These 5 songs of Vinlandic folk metal make you feel like you are taking…

  • SNOWBLIND – One Epic Metal Requiem

    Melodic heavy metal with occasional epic and power tendencies from Greece’s Snowblind – "One Epic Metal Requiem" is their fifth studio album since 1999, a 13 track / hour long journey into a quartet that prefer mid-tempo arrangements, a decent amount of guitar trilling that often matches up to the low vocal harmony action. The…

  • SUNLIGHT – My Own Truth

    A name like Sunlight sparks a power/heavy metal image, and this Greek quintet actually possess more of a melodic metal atmosphere with occasional nods to the hard rock scene on their debut album "My Own Truth". Keyboards are as essential to the style as guitars, making the title cut and "Rockin’ All Around" possess more…

  • ENTRAILS – Obliteration

    There’s something to be said about consistency – no matter what style of music. Originality can be a struggle, especially in a genre like metal that is 45 years old – but you have to respect and admire execution of ideas throughout one’s career. Entrails from Sweden certainly perform in the classic ‘Swedish death’ style…

  • A TRUST UNCLEAN – Reality Relinquished EP

    De fleste av folkene som jobber der ute i den store verden med promo av nye album, forsøker titt og ofte og dytte på deg album som er «helt ut av en annen verden bra» og «for fans av det og det bandet» og «denne skiva vil du garantert like» osv osv. Vi som har…

  • DIARMONIA MUNDI – Cold Inferno

    So, this is what the kids call death metal these days. Well, I got some news for you. Its not. Not even close. This is metal-core mixed with nu-metal. Or something like that. Screamo vocals combined with soft and emotional boy-band vocals might impress some teenagers who thinks Justin Bieber is so 2014, but don’t…

  • WASTED PUPPETS – Puppet Show

    Moving up the ranks from EP to full-length album, Finnish rockers Wasted Puppets on "Puppet Show" showcase 9 more tracks of love for the classic 70’s/ early 80’s hard rock scene. Legends from Led Zeppelin and Whitesnake to Jimi Hendrix and Deep Purple come up, sometimes a little funkier for "Lovestruck", heavier on "Black Tar…

  • PHEAR – Insanitarium

    Anyone remember the Canadian band Eidolon? If you do, their early vocalist Patrick Mulock is now the singer for this Canadian metal band Phear – releasing their debut 13 song album "Insanitarium". The quintet straddle the lines of power and thrash, bringing to mind in a lot of their instrumental movements and song construction everything…

  • GOLERS – South Mountain Style (digital)

    Dette er debutskiva til Golers, som etter suksessen med sitt siste album "In ‘n’ Outlaws» ganske kjapt bestemte seg for og re-utgi denne digitalt nå i år. En grei avgjørelse, da debuten fra 1999 er vel så bra som sisteskiva. Knall herlig rå pønk-grindcore-thrash med morsomme enkle tekster. Låtene er av den korte varianten. De…

  • DRAGONFORCE – In the Line of Fire

    Dragonforce er et band de fleste innenfor det mer ekstreme miljøet innenfor metallen elsker å hate. Ingen innrømmer at de liker Dragonforce, det er i alle fall veldig få som tør innrømme det. Jeg innrømmer det gjerne at jeg liker noe av det de har gjort. Sisteskiva «Maximum Overload» var ikke så dum, jeg likte…

  • YES – Like It Is – YES at the Mesa Arts

    This 2CD live set by the progressive British rock gods known as Yes sees the band perform their two classic albums entitled "Fragile" (1971) and "Close to the Edge" (1972) in their entirety on their 2014 world tour. Needless to say, Yes consists of brilliant musicians who have written timeless songs and albums over the…

  • ABNORMAL THOUGHT PATTERNS – Altered States of Consciousness

    Welcome to the art of progressive, technical, shred metal done through instrumental means by the quartet Abnormal Thought Patterns. A California act featuring the Tipton brothers (Troy-bass, Jasun – guitar and keyboards) plus drummer Mike Guy and guitarist Jason Montero – as three of the four also spent years honing their craft in the well-respected…

  • LAMB OF GOD – VII: Strum Und Drang

    The seventh studio album from Richmond, Virginia’s Lamb of God comes after the long-trial that vocalist Randy Blythe faced in the Czech Republic for a fan who died in 2010 at a LoG show – where he was accused of manslaughter by throwing him off the stage. Lyrically Randy used the prison time to write…

  • GYZE – Black Bride

    First of all, the fact that your album is mixed and mastered by the same man who mixes and masters babymetal is NOT a selling point. Just saying… Before I continue my complaining, lets introduce the band; Gyze is a Japanese melodic death metal act, best described as a mix between Children Of Bodom and Dragonforce. So, now…

  • RAGING DEATH – Raging Death

    Some musicians live for the 80’s scene – and Poland’s Raging Death would certainly top the list when it comes to their brand of old-school thrash on their self-titled debut. Heavily influenced by the early days of Destruction and the speedier Bay Area bands, there isn’t much to distinguish "Space Invaders", "Back to the Past"…

  • CRYSTAL BALL – Liferider

    Swiss melodic hard rock/ metal has always resonated well across international waters- names like Krokus and Gotthard have been able to appeal to a wide cross-section of older and new followers. Crystal Ball follow in that tradition, back with their eighth record "Liferider". The main album contains twelve songs, while the digipack has three bonus…

  • SOULFLY – Archangel

    Ping-ponging between Cavalera Conspiracy and his bread and butter Soulfly, vocalist/guitarist Max Cavalera lives and dies for the metal movement. "Archangel" is the tenth and latest studio platter for the latter, featuring long-time guitarist Marc Rizzo, bassist Tony Campos, and Max’s son Zyon on drums. Beyond special guest appearances from Nails’ Todd Jones vocally on…

  • PRION – Uncertain Process

    These Argentinians unfurl a sick, speedy death metal attack on their third full-length album "Uncertain Process". The trio of musicians rip through 10 cuts in a Hate Eternal/ Morbid Angel precise manner – double bass, blast beats, and neck whipping riffs/ leads abound, along with equally caustic and lightning fast word spew from guitarist Gregorio…

  • STERBHAUS – New Level of Malevolence

    Blackened thrash/death on the latest album from Sterbhaus, the follow up to 2012’s very good "Angels For Breakfast…and God For Lunch" outing. Musically straddling the ravenous Swedish death meets Bay Area thrash lines, the caustic vocals from bassist Marcus Hammarström make "Necrostabbing the Corpsefinder" and "Baby Jee and the 3 Stalkers" numbers that will go…

  • ORPHEUS BLADE – Wolf’s Cry

    Moving from a band to a solo project and back to a band again, Israel’s Orpheus Blade is a progressive metal act with dual female/male vocals as well as intriguing songwriting on this hour long odyssey that is their debut offering "Wolf’s Cry". Injecting a lot of their Middle Eastern touches from acoustic/piano passages in…

  • WILDERUN – Sleep at the Edge of the Earth

    Feeling fortunate to embrace a wide variety of metal and living in a healthy local scene across the six states of New England, it’s bands like Wilderun that keep my hopes alive for metal’s future. This quartet hail from the Boston, Massachusetts area since 2008, releasing one previous full-length in 2012 with "Olden Tales &…

  • HAMMER KING – Kingdom of the Hammer King

    France’s Hammer King have a penchant for their name sake appearing in the song titles for this debut full-length "Kingdom of the Hammer King". At least half the material has ‘hammer’ or ‘king’ somewhere in there ("I Am the King" and "We Are the Hammer" as example) – coupled with a true metal stance that…

  • ARTAIUS – Torn Banners

    A 7-piece progressive oriented folk-gothic metal band, Italy’s Artaius will not bore the listener on this second album "Torn Banners". You get everything from clean operatic female vocals, growling death male vocals, flute/violin whirlwind action out of Mia Spattini, a guest appearance from Ne Obliviscaris’ Tim Charles on the majestic head turner "Leviathan" – the…

  • LUCIFER’S FRIEND – Awakening

    The German/British Lucifer’s Friend is a legendary act that released one of the all-time great progressive hard rock/metal albums of all time, the one that was simply entitled "Lucifer’s Friend", which dates back to 1970. Yes, you pathetic weenies, the album is actually that old, but do not for one fucking second think that we…

  • OUTRE – Ghost Chants

    Ever since the band released the "Tranquility" EP in 2013, I have come across the name Outre many times in the underground press, but "Ghost Chants", which is the band’s debut album, is my first actual encounter with the twisted and dissonant music spawned by this Polish asylum. "Ghost Chants" contains 7 dark and otherworldly…

  • THE CITIZEN – Curtain Call

    An interesting, infectious cocktail prepared from the Italian melodic rockers The Citizen on this full-length album "Curtain Call". The quartet possess this guitar-oriented vibe that can be slightly pop/punkish at times, and then go into something more American related like R.E.M. the next song – opening themselves up to a wide fan base. Check out…

  • MASTER MASSIVE – The Pendulum

    22 years in the making, Sweden’s Master Massive release a progressive hard rock/heavy metal opera in "The Pendulum". Containing guest artists from Therion, Lion’s Share, Niva, and Masquerade among others in terms of the six vocalists outside of the main members, guitarist Jan Strandh initiated the idea of this 13 song (plus 4 intros/interludes), 72…

  • BIOTOXIC WARFARE – Lobotomized

    Greece is very active again in the thrash movement – here is Biotoxic Warfare, another young quintet on their debut album "Lobotomized" attempting to bring the 80’s movement to the youth. A strong love for Kreator, Slayer, and maybe Sacred Reich takes place in terms of the twin riffing, transitional parts, and throaty vocals from…

  • GREY AURA – Waerachtighe beschryvinghe van drie seylagien….

    The Dutch atmospheric post-black metal/experimental dark metal duo named Grey Aura released quite an ambitious, epic, and wonderfully detailed album last year entitled…well, look the title up above as it is insanely long, damn it! The double album contains 93 minutes of moody music encompassing drama, theatricality, melancholy, beauty, darkness, and the epic. The lyrics…