ALBUM REVIEWS

RECENT ALBUM REVIEWS

  • VOODOO GODS – Anticipation for Blood Leveled in Darkness

    A US Death Metal supergroup of sorts, Voodoo Gods contains notables like Cannibal Corpse vocalist George ‘Corpsegrinder’ Fisher, guitarist David Shankle (who worked with Manowar for 7 years), and Sceptic guitarist Hiro in its ranks. This second album has a lot of progressive influences, especially in terms of bassist Jean Baudin who tears up his…

  • OPETH – Pale Communion

    I was a huge Opeth fan back in the early 2000´s when their fifth full-length  "Blackwater Park" was released and I still listen quite a lot to all of Opeth´s music except for maybe 2011´s "Heritage". Even the superb "Damnation" is on heavy rotation so Opeth´s musical diversity has good grip on my metal heart.…

  • BURDEN OF GRIEF – Unchained

    Is it acceptable for a German act mainly known for melodic death metal to advance their style into sub-genres like thrash and classic rock? Burden of Grief believe so on their 6th album "Unchained". Injecting enough variety in terms of the riff choices, tempos, and even manner of aggression to create everything from a modern…

  • ELUVEITIE – Origins

    The sixth album from Swiss folk death metal act Eluveitie is another whirlwind affair of extreme riffs, bagpipes, violins, and hurdy gurdy instrumentation, and dual male/female vocals that whip out lyrics of Celtic/ Helvetian history. Two member changes (Nicole Ansperger – violin, Rafael Salzmann- guitars) do not keep the eight-piece band from moving along, fluctuating…

  • VICTORY – Don’t Get Mad Get Even (Re-issue)

    Germany’s Victory may not have been a huge hit in North America, but they have made a decent European impact through their melodic brand of heavy metal. Featuring vocalist Charlie Huhn, Accept guitarist Herman Frank, and infamous producer / guitarist Tommy Newton, along with bassist Peter Knorn and drummer Fritz Randow, the second album "Don’t…

  • BELPHEGOR – Conjuring the Dead

    Etter å ha lest kollega Ole-Kristians anmeldelse av denne skiva her på Eternal Terror og en del andre anmeldelser rundt omkring på internettet, måtte jeg sjekke ut den siste skiva til Belphegor selv, for det var stor sprik i hva anmelderne mente om skiva. Var skiva så bra som enkelte mente eller var den ikke…

  • HOUSTON – Relaunch II

    Swedish AOR band returns with an album in "Relaunch II" – an unusual move in their career as there are 4 new original songs and 6 covers made famous by artists like John Farnham, One Republic, Rick Springfield, and Lady Gaga among others. Let’s get to the originals first: "Don’t Look Back" has a strong…

  • APHYXION – Earth Entangled

    After 3 self-released EP’s and a single, we finally get the debut album from Danish death/thrash metal act Aphyxion with "Earth Entangled". I don’t know if I would really consider this classic death metal, as the vocals of Michael Vahl along with some of the down tuned riffing and similar grooves could be more so…

  • BRIMSTONE COVEN – Brimstone Coven

    Dark occult rock, retro hard rock, whatever you want to call it – there’s definitely a buzz about this style that takes the sounds of the 60’s and 70’s and brings it forth in a way to appeal to a new generation that wasn’t even alive. Hailing from Wheeling, West Virginia, Brimstone Coven is a…

  • DRAGONFORCE – Maximum Overload

    Maximum Overload is the sixth gallop through the universe for OTT power-metallers Dragonforce. I didn’t check out the last full-length release, so this is my first time hearing vocalist Marc Hudson plying his trade. I am happy to report that I prefer his style of vocals. He’s more conservative and a safer bet all round…

  • BIG BLACK CLOUD – Lessons in Fuck You 2

    Up next is "Lessons in Fuck You 2," the latest in psychedelic space punk from World Hipster Capital Portland. Big Black Cloud are garagey, messy, dark, surf rocking at times, but always authentic and immediate sounding. The guitars jangle and jar as if East Bay Ray was looking after the FX. The tracks channel an…

  • BLOOD & IRON – Voices of Eternity

    Originally seeing an independent release last year, German label Pure Steel saw fit to sign this Indian traditional/power metal band to a contract with their third album "Voices of Eternity". Guest vocals from ex-Dragonsclaw frontman Giles Lavery give this a high pitch sheen, musically in line with old Manowar, Iron Maiden, and possibly a touch…

  • STALLION – Rise and Ride

    The German speed/heavy metal brigade returns for a full length record, impressing audiences all over the globe with last year’s "Mounting the World" EP. "Rise and Ride" contains 10 songs, 2 of which appeared on the EP in "Canadian Steele" and "The Right One" – so let’s look into the 8 newer tracks, shall we?…

  • ACE FREHLEY – Space Invader

    Ace is back and as allways it´s a pleasure. Being a huge Kiss and Ace fan my opinon on his latest opus "Space Invader" may not be completely subjective. After his "comeback" a couple of years ago with "Anomaly", an album that was both good and not so good it was doubtfull that he would…

  • DRAGONFORCE – Maximum Overload

    The international extreme power metal act Dragonforce are back once again, ready to prove to the world that there is more to their style that shredding, speed, and dive bomb guitar maneuvers over the top of larger than life happy melodies. Their sixth studio album "Maximum Overload" is their second with latest vocalist Marc Hudson,…

  • TERRY CHIMES – The Strange Case of Dr. Terry and Mr. Chimes

    Crux Publishing were so kind to mail me a promotional copy of this autobiography by Terry Chimes entitled The Strange Case of Dr. Terry and Mr. Chimes for me to review, and I will be forever thankful for that, because this book simply rules. It is nothing like the countless other biographies by various different…

  • SCARVED – Dynamite

    A Belgian female-fronted hard rock band, Scarved started in the fall of 2012 and now release their debut album "Dynamite" – an 11 song affair that has the quartet dipping one toe in the classic template while the other crosses modern rock lines. Luc Van Dessel can certainly rip out a great energetic lead break,…

  • DYSANGELIUM – Leviaxxis

    Up next is this 3 track demo from German black metal quartet Dysangelium (Not to be confused with a band of the same name from the Czech Rebublic). Again WTC have gone for a limited tape only release, which makes about as much sense to me as rubbing your nob on a cheese grater, but…

  • HOD – Book of the Worm

    ‘Book of the Worm’ is the second full-length from US blackened death metal act Hod. That’s right – Hod is the name – not H.O.D. as some might expect. Musically, we are looking at something dark and brutal – a little like Impiety in feel. The sound isn’t as murky as we have seen on…

  • WOLF – Devil Seed

    There is something so amazingly frustrating about heavy metal. It can deliver majestic, generation defining material just as easily as it can deliver contrived, uninspired cliché after cliché. It is a genre that can be painstakingly serious one moment, then childishly playful the next. Not to mention that within this one genre you can have…

  • MASTODON – Once More ‘Round the Sun

    Six albums in and Mastodon are still firing on all cylinders. Over time their sound has become more streamlined. Ok, they are still as idiosyncratic as ever, but now if feels easier to swallow and the overall consistency is tighter. All of the elements – from the prog rock leanings to the more sludgy vibes…

  • GODSMACK – 1000hp

    True story: back in the early stages of this Boston band, I had the opportunity to witness an opening set from them supporting The Organization (ex-Death Angel) at the Rockpile in Saugus, Massachusetts. At the time, they had a horn section in their band, attempting to fuse together hard rock with the Mighty Mighty Bosstones.…

  • ENTOMBED A.D. – Back to the Front

    R.I.P Entombed, long live Entombed A.D. The grandaddies of pure swedish death metal has called it quits after almost three decades of keeping the death metal flame burning. Entombed is officially on hiatus but internet gossip seems to be confirming that the legends have done their part under the moniker Entombed. Vocalist L.G. have therefore…

  • BLOOD GOD – Blood Is My Trademark

    The German heavy metal/ hard rock subsidiary of the death metal act Debauchery, "Blood Is My Trademark" contains 10 songs in a straight forward Judas Priest meets Motörhead style, as Mr. Debauchery (aka Thomas Gurrath) handles the vocals/ guitars and his band mates (Mr. Kill- guitars, Mr. Blood- bass, Mr. Death- drums) tackle the rest.…

  • MIND CONTROL – Heptagon

    Ah, glorious progressive death metal – how much I miss your shape shifting segment changes, intricacies, and bevy of moods/ feelings that can come across through one full length album. Italy’s Mind Control are a newer act to these ears performing in this style, and on their debut album "Heptagon" throw some intriguing music our…

  • MIDNIGHT – No Mercy for Mayhem

    Midnight, the "onemanband" consist of mastermind Jamie Walters. His Midnight plays a mixture of blackthrash and punk and it just works, not more to say about it really. Since starting out back in 2003, Midnight have released too many to mention splits,EP´s and the debut "Satanic Royalty" in 2011. Now mid 2014 he unleashes his…

  • ASTRAL DOORS – Notes from the Shadows

    Discovering this band as a result of vocalist Nils Patrik Johansson’s other work in Wuthering Heights and Lion’s Share, Sweden’s Astral Doors perform in classic heavy metal template – using the influences of Rainbow, Deep Purple, and Dio to create their own anthems and occasional epic forays. They came out of the gates very impressively…

  • SUDDEN FLAMES – Under the Sign of the Alliance

    Quebec, Canada’s Sudden Flames have been active since 2001, and the quintet are in a fertile country for metal support these days. "Under the Sign of the Alliance" is the power metal act’s second full length album, and these 9 songs seem to be in alignment with a lot of their European heroes such as…

  • 4TH DIMENSION – Dispelling the Veil of Illusions

    The Italian contingent has this airy nature when adding symphonic/ electronic keyboards to their power metal styles. I don’t know if its related to their love for the 80’s scene, dance music, or classical strains – but for some reason, keyboard virtuosity is held in as high regard as axe shredding. Together since 2005, "Dispelling…

  • DISKORD – Oscillations

    Skal jeg dra frem et godt norsk death metal band som jeg mener fortjener litt ekstra omtale, så må det bli Diskord. Dette er et band jeg er blitt særdeles glad i de senere årene. De spiller glimrende progressiv death metal med en god del overraskende overganger og partier og personlig syns jeg dette gjør…