ALBUM REVIEWS

RECENT ALBUM REVIEWS

  • AIR RAID – Point of Impact

    Heavy metal is here to stay folks – especially with the new wave of acts taking inspiration from the past and paying homage in the best way possible. Sweden’s Air Raid is one of many bands who perform in a style first made famous by Iron Maiden and Judas Priest, currently on their second album…

  • JASON KOROLENKO – Relentless – Thirty Years of Sepultura

    Rocket 88 Books were so kind to mail me a promotional copy of "Relentless – Thirty Years of Sepultura" by Jason Korolenko, and I must say that we are dealing with one hell of an interesting, entertaining, and well-written account of the trials and tribulations of Sepultura’s thirty year long career. The great thing about…

  • MICHAEL JESSEN – Memories

    Danish guitarist Michael Jessen started playing guitar at the age of 15 in the mid 1990’s, slowly working his way up the scene and finally unleashing his debut solo album "Memories". Featuring the fine vocals of Göran Edman (ex-Yngwie Malmsteen) and backed by a solid rhythm section of bassist Christoffer Hoaas and drummer Mads Grunnet,…

  • DEAD ALONE – Nemesis

    Death metal when done correctly evokes dark feelings, trapped in the recesses of your mind awaiting to be unlocked. Germany’s Dead Alone on their fourth studio album "Nemesis" probably gain a lot of fans because of this aspect, as these 11 tracks reach into the despair you used to experience with early Paradise Lost, Cemetary,…

  • EMBRIONAL – Annihilation 2007 + Live

    Polsk death metal kjenner man godt til etter hvert og Embrional er et band jeg har hørt om en og annen gangen. Jeg mener jeg sjekket ut deres eneste fullengder fra 2012 en gang og med litt søkefunksjonshjelp, fant man raskt ut at man hadde rett.. Bandet ble dannet i 2003. Ikke så fryktelig produktive…

  • MAVERICK – Quid Pro Quo

    Traditional street level hard rock has blossomed over the past decade – the Sunset Strip dominance in the 1980’s stateside sprouting a boatload of impressive second and third generation acts, especially on European soil. Add Maverick to the list of younger bands looking for their stake in the scene, as this debut album "Quid Pro…

  • VARIOUS ARTIST – Uprising 2

    Første gang jeg sjekket denne skiva, fant jeg ut at dette var en punksamling og la den i to-do bunken min. Nå var turen til anmeldelse av skiva kommet og etter en gjennomhøring fant jeg raskt ut at her var det mer enn bare punk. Hardcore, metal i flere varianter, elektronika, sludge og selvfølgelig litt…

  • NERO DI MARTE – Derivae

    Progressive metal is no longer a genre that is solely intricate and predicated on exemplary technical showmanship. Sometimes it’s about painting musical portraits in different shades of light – as Italy’s Nero Di Marte demonstrate to the hilt on their second full length "Derivae". Often post-metal lurks beneath the poly-rhythmic tempos and juggernaut bass/ guitar…

  • RONNI LE TEKRØ – Mein Ampf

    TNT guitarist Ronni Le Tekrø has released the first in a trilogy of solo albums with "Mein Ampf" – and prepare yourself for an odyssey that is very different from his hard rock work through the years. I would say this is psychedelic influenced space pop/rock, a lot of the influences coming from the 60’s…

  • HORN OF THE RHINO – Summoning Deliverance

    Når du har gitt ut plata di på et selskap som heter Doomentia Records, da forventes det doom. Og doom får man her, innimellom, og da ikke så ofte og så mye som jeg hadde trodd og håpet på. Men før jeg tar tak i skiva og musikken, må jeg få blåse ut litt. Hva…

  • NUM SKULL – Ritually Abused

    Hidden behind the true gems of early US thrash where a band called Num Skull.This five piece deserved better and now their formidable debut "Ritually Abused" (originally released back in 1988) finally sees the form of a re-release.This is uber heavy and sonically fast thrash metal in the early veins of Slayer and Possessed and…

  • INFERNAL CONJURATION – Death has Appeared

    Death metal fra Mexico og sørover på det amerikanske kontinentet kan være kult. Som oftest, og det er det i det meksikanske tilfellet Infernal Conjuration. Bandet ble startet opp i 2006 og de har kun utgitt en demo og to EP-er på disse åtte årene. Jeg har fått den siste EP-en i posten. Det er…

  • HIDEOUS DIVINITY – Cobra Verde

    Forming in Norway these Italians would soon return to their homeland by 2010, adept in their technical death metal style. The quintet release a second album "Cobra Verde" that arrests, pumps, and careens against all sides of the cranium. "The Somber Empire" contains swarming guitars, a blitzkrieg of double bass blasts and insane fill work…

  • WEEDEATER – Good Luck and Good Speed (Re-release)

    "Good Luck and Good Speed" (re-release, originally released in 2007) is the third full-lenght from sludge/stoner trio Weedeater and damn this is good. Slow burning metal with Dixie´s unique voice on top puts Weedeater in the same league as EYEHATEGOD and Crowbar on any given day. The production is crispy clear and really lets the…

  • MEDEN AGAN – Lacrima Dei

    A Greek symphonic melodic metal act with virtuoso guitar heroics – not your average Nightwish-oriented band here folks, as Meden Agan inject a hefty dose of musical acrobatics on this "Lacrima Dei" album. Active for almost 10 years, their third full length is the first to feature their new soprano vocalist Maya Kampaki, who does…

  • ANCIENT DOME – Cosmic Gateway to Infinity

    Slugging out in the Italian thrash scene since 2000, Ancient Dome has amassed quite a collection of material through the years: demos, live and split records, and two previous studio albums to this latest effort "Cosmic Gateway to Infinity". The band straddle the line of Bay Area technical thrash and older power metal – you…

  • CONVENT GUILT – Guns for Hire

    This is a debut album from traditional heavy metal artists Convent Guilt – a four-piece from Sydney, Australia. "Guns for Hire" is an 8 song trek back into the glorious 70’s/80’s scene – twin guitars, steady, conventional drumming, and easy on the ears melodies. The tones are primal, the playing tailor made for those who…

  • WHITE WIDDOW – Crossfire

    Australia’s melodic rock /AOR masters White Widdow are back again for their third album "Crossfire" – and again giving the new generation a reason to believe that the best work in this genre can still be current while taking cues from the past. A logical continuation from "Serenade", the material has this shimmering production, crystal…

  • WHITESNAKE – Live in ’84 – Back to the Bone

    The legendary bluesy hard rockers known as Whitesnake were a brilliant live-band back in 1984 (and still are, damn it!), which this "Live in 1984 – Back to the Bone" CD/DVD package clearly shows and proves. The very line-up itself is more than enough to get my annoyingly little zit of a dick hard: Neil…

  • AXENSTAR – Where Dreams Are Forgotten

    Always a long time favorite in my collection, Sweden’s Axenstar release their sixth full length "Where Dreams Are Forgotten"- their first for Inner Wound Recordings. Melodic power metal is their calling card, intertwining a lot of speedy riffs and double bass passages with meaty/ catchy melodies and choruses that resonate fervently for the masses. Obvious…

  • 2 WOLVES – Shelter

    Dark gothic metal here with occasional death nuances from the Finnish act 2 Wolves on their third album "Shelter". The melancholic spirit permeates these 8 songs, even when the melodies or musical accompaniment can be very energetic or upbeat as in the crushing riffs and semi-blast beats meeting an infectious chorus for "Surrounding Fields and…

  • TEMPLE OF VOID – Of Terror and the Supernatural

    Death/ doom sometimes emphasizes one aspect over the other- but Michigan’s Temple of Void accurately meld both into a crushing sonic assault on your eardrums for this debut album "Of Terror and the Supernatural". A low, buzz saw guitar tone and an equally vicious growl plunge head long into plodding tempos and this overall sense…

  • WHILE HEAVEN WEPT – Suspended At Aphelion

    It’s refreshing to find a record label willing to support all creative endeavors that come forth during the lifetime of a group. Let’s face it- we as humans grow and expand as life experience, environment, and influences change us. Remain static to this and you might as well wither away and die. What does this…

  • ENTRENCH – Violent Procreation

    Sweden’s Entrench perform in a speedy, relentless brand of death/ thrash for their second studio album "Violent Procreation". These 9 songs render bodies and limbs numb, guitarist/ vocalist Fredrik Pellbrink harsh in his Mille/ Kreator-ish raspy screams while the music has this raw, in your face edge that brings to mind everything from early 90’s…

  • VEGA – Stereo Messiah

    Vega are a quintet of UK melodic rockers who return for their third studio album "Stereo Messiah" – another 12 song collection that focuses on strong musical and vocal hooks, the right emphasis of harmonies during the choruses, and occasional flashes of instrumental talent in the appropriate places. Too often the struggle for these newer…

  • PAGANIZER – 20 Years in a Terminal Grip

    Paganizer is a true original in the swedish death metal scene. Starting out back in 1998 the death metal outfit have released 9 full-lengths all containing crushing and relentless death metal.The band is primarly the brainchild of Rogga Johansson (who has so many band credentials I won´t even start listing them).Personally I have allways enjoyed…

  • BLOODTHIRST – Chalice of Contempt

    Bloodthirst er et polsk black/thrash band. Dannet i 1999 og med kun tre fullengdere i bagasjen, har de den merkeligste diskografien jeg har sett på lenge. To demoer, så et livealbum, deretter fire splitter før et samlealbum dukket opp. Og så kom den første fullengderen. Og det var i 2007. Etter det nok en split…

  • RATED X – Rated X

    Rated X is an exciting new band consisting of well-known musical figures such as Joe Lynn Turner (Deep Purple, Rainbow), Carmine Appice (Ozzy Osbourne, Blue Murder), Karl Cochran (Ace Frehley), and Tony Franklin (Whitesnake, Blue Murder). The line-up pretty much speaks for itself, and the music spawned by these legends is pretty damn catchy and…

  • FOREIGNER – The Best of 4 and More

    De fleste av oss som vokste opp med Nattrock på den eneste TV kanalen som fantes på den tiden, nemlig NRK, har et visst forhold til band som Foreigner. Bandet hadde sin storhetstid helt på slutten av 70- tallet og på begynnelsen av 80-tallet. Album som «Double Vision», «Head Games», «4» og «Agent Provocateur» høstet…

  • KALEDON – Antillius- The King of the Light

    Pumping out power metal since 1998, Italian act Kaledon are fans of the concept record – developing a six part "Legend of the Forgotten Reign" series that took up all of the 2000’s for their discography. Their eighth studio album is "Antillius- The King of the Light", a leader from the year 1301 so expect…