ALBUM REVIEWS

RECENT ALBUM REVIEWS

  • EQUILIBRIUM – Erdentempel

    The fourth studio album from Germany’s Equilibrium is another stirring epic folk/ Viking metal affair. "Erdentempel" contains 12 tracks that feature a lot of extreme elements in terms of Robert Dahn’s gruff semi-growl vocal nature and speedy guitar overtures from René Berthiaume and Dom R. Grey, coupled with René symphonic keyboard layers and the occasional…

  • CASTLE – Under Siege

    The third studio album from San Francisco’s Castle, "Under Siege" is another affair that straddles the lines of heavy metal and doom. A power trio lineup featuring the sultry, mystical voice of bassist Elizabeth Blackwell, the thick old school guitar chug of Mat Davis, as well as the steady backbeat and appropriate fill work from…

  • ODRAZA – Esperalem Tkane

    Dette er polsk black metal av absolutt beste merke. Komplekst, med stor variasjon i låtene, mesterlig produksjon og tvers igjennom et mesterverk der det skjer mye og enda mer hele tiden. Og stemningen som ligger over det hele er bare helt makeløs. Og det sier jeg, som ikke akkurat er kjent for min forkjærlighet for…

  • EVIL MACHINE – War in Heaven

    Det er sjeldent jeg blir så skuffet av et album som det jeg ble her. Polsk death metal studio prosjekt med medlemmer med fartstid fra band som Vader, Dead Infection, Hate, Pyorrhoea og Behemoth. Det burde bli gode saker men dessverre er dette så kjedelig som det er mulig å få det. Dårlig lyd, svake…

  • DEATHWHITE – Ethereal

    Mysterious in their lineup (no regular promo shots, no member listings), this dark melodic metal act Deathwhite formed in 2012 out of the ashes of a few well-established extreme metal acts. "Ethereal" is their debut EP offering, a 6 track, 24 minute odyssey from a US band that look to European horizons to establish their…

  • GRIND ZERO – Mass Distraction

    Grind Zero is an Italian death metal quintet who came together in 2011, releasing a demo "Forceful Displacement" in 2013 and now their debut full-length "Mass Distraction". Employing dual hoarse/ growling vocals, musically the band slash and dash in a mid-tempo to blasting manner, coming up with a sound in line with Morbid Angel meets…

  • CAPILLA ARDIENTE – Bravery, Truth, and the Endless Darkness

    South American doom metal? Capilla Ardiente is my first foray from Chile in the doom realm – fortunately for us, "Bravery, Truth, and the Endless Darkness" contains 6 cuts of pure classic ecstasy. A love of Candlemass, Solitude Aeturnus, and Mercyful Fate comes into focus taking in four 10 minute plus tracks as well as…

  • ODRAZA – Esperalem Tkane

    If I had to describe the music spawned by the Polish black metal filth entitled Odraza, I would probably go with something akin to raw and unpolished sound toppled with a lot of somewhat simple and groovy riffs. For some reason Odraza reminds me of the mighty Marduk in places. The vocals are well-done and…

  • FOZZY – Do You Wanna Start a War

    Notoriety gets a foot in the door, but talent level sustains a pipe dream into a career. Chris Jericho is best known as a professional wrestler, but he also has an intense love for hard rock and heavy metal. Starting in 2000 as more of a cover band, Fozzy has evolved into a full on…

  • HOLLYWOOD MONSTERS – Big Trouble

    Guitarist/vocalist Steph Stevens moved from France to Los Angeles in 2011 to seek out like-minded musicians in the hard rock mold. Befriending bassist Tim Bogert, Hollywood Monsters would gain the veteran services of drummer Vinny Appice and special guest keyboardist Don Airey to flesh out this debut album "Big Trouble". Expect 11 tracks in the…

  • ATHENAS WAKE – Contemplation EP

    Melbourne, Australia’s Athenas Wake arise through a symbiotic deathcore/ black metal style on their second EP "Contemplation". Try as I might, 10 passes in and I can’t get the dual scream/ gruff vocals, the bees nest speed guitar trills, and obvious ‘breakdown’ parts that make "Diagnosis" and "Remission" very tedious to take – and that’s…

  • VANITY BLVD – Wicked Temptation

    The second album from Sweden’s Vanity Blvd, "Wicked Temptation" is a stripped down hard rock affair led by the sultry feminine charm of vocalist Anna Savage and 3 male musicians sure to bring back memories of early Aerosmith, Guns ‘n Roses, and the much missed Saraya. Letting their music do the talking, you’ll feel high…

  • RIK PRIEM’S PRIME – Rik Priem’s Prime

    I feel it’s very important in the melodic hard rock genre to surround yourself with true talent – as the competition can be fierce. In the band project Rik Priem’s Prime, the named guitarist picked some noteworthy musicians that have years of seasoning in other acts. Vocalist Carsten Schulz has been involved with Evidence One,…

  • ASHURA – Mindhood

    Italian thrash band Ashura display a lot of traditional heavy metal traits on their debut album "Mindhood". Vocalist Facundo Gaston Gordillo has a lot of James Hetfield meets Sebastian Bach qualities to his delivery that brings more melody to the forefront – and bassist Luciano Tomas Gordillo has a flair for the Steve Harris upper…

  • RAGE NUCLÉAIRE – Black Storm of Violence

    Next up is the sophomore full-length release from Quebec four-piece Rage Nucleaire. Persons of interest include Lord Worm from Cryptopsy and uber drummer Fred Widigs (sometimes of Marduk) and more. The sound is black metal with a hint of death – reminiscent of Anaal Nathrakh, with Fred’s work recalling Marduk at times. I was never…

  • RAGE NUCLÉAIRE – Black Storm of Violence

    Next up is the sophomore full-length release from Quebec four-piece Rage Nucleaire. Persons of interest include Lord Worm from Cryptopsy and uber drummer Fred Widigs (sometimes of Marduk) and more. The sound is black metal with a hint of death – reminiscent of Anaal Nathrakh, with Fred’s work recalling Marduk at times. I was never…

  • BÖLZER – Soma

    Bölzer took the metal world by surprise with their crushing EP "Aura" back in 2013. Their sole demo "Roman Acupuncture" was good but NOTHING has yet to top "Aura" since. I am serious, that first EP is so good that it´s almost been on daily rotation since I got hold of it some 12 months…

  • CHICAGO – Now – Chicago XXXVI

    This review is going to be very quick- as Chicago is not close to the normal coverage of Eternal Terror. "Now- Chicago XXXVI" is their latest album – and it’s a jazzy form of pop-oriented rock that those who love the sounds of the 70’s will enjoy. Expect multi-part soothing vocal harmonies, a large brass…

  • CHANNEL ZERO – Kill All Kings

    The sixth studio album for Belgian groove/semi-thrash metal band Channel Zero has a lot of commercial appeal to these ears. "Kill All Kings" features some of the best high powered melodies from vocalist Franky De Smet Van Damme – in league with what you hear from modern rock radio yet with a little more stoner…

  • YES – Heaven & Earth

    UK progressive rock pioneers Yes move forward, even as the members age into their twilight years. The current lineup of guitarist Steve Howe, keyboardist Geoff Downes, bassist Chris Squire, drummer Alan White and vocalist Jon Davison do not remain content resting on past accomplishments – choosing to release their 21st studio album in "Heaven &…

  • CHRONOSPHERE – Embracing Oblivion

    The second album from Greece’s Chronosphere is a thrashing affair with death nuances, and a boatload of gang-oriented choruses bringing all the hooks home. It sounds very obvious to these ears that the quartet have studied the work of Exodus, Testament, and a boatload of Forbidden to create material like "One Hand Red Per Saint",…

  • SEVEN IMPALE – City of the Sun

    Seven Impale is a progressive rock band hailing from the west coast of Norway, more specifically Bergen. The members joined forces back in 2010 and released a digital EP last year that was met with critical acclaim, but I will be the first to admit that I have never ever heard of or read anything…

  • OGRE – Bastards of Death

    Irske Ogre har beæret oss med sitt første album på 20 år. Årsaken til dødtiden er at bandet har vært oppløst mellom 2000 og 2013. For min del kunne de gjerne ha fortsett med det, for det de gir oss på «Bastards of Death» er ikke all verden. Brutal death metal kalles dette og det…

  • BLACK TRIP – Goin’ Under

    Starting as an idea between Swedish metal veterans in 2003, the quintet Black Trip contains some serious players very familiar to those who follow heavy metal ardently. Joseph Tholl plays guitar for Enforcer (but sings for this act), while Jonas Wikstrand drums for Enforcer and this band. Guitarists Sebastian Ramstedt and Peter Stjärnvind along with…

  • SPELLCASTER – Spellcaster

    ‘Spellcaster’ is the sophomore full-length release from this Portland-based classic-metal five-piece. To describe this band in terms of others isn’t really that useful, but I suppose Jag Panzer is the closest reference I can think of (which comparison obviously enough contains an element of praise). The sound is this: clean vocals that soar without crossing…

  • MINISTRY – Last Tangle in Paris Live 2012

    Skal man gi ut en aller siste liveutgivelse, er det like greit å gjøre det like skikkelig som det Ministry har gjort her. I utgangspunktet en DVD + to CD, men som presse, dukket like godt også den enkle CD-en opp i samme slengen. Det blir mye av det samme på CD, DVD og de…

  • TUSMØRKE – Riset Bak Spielet

    Anyone for some neo-psychedelic Norwegian prog rock? Tusmorke sound like they were assembled in 1969 when painting flowers on your face was de rigueur and every album had at least one song that was about pixies. ‘Riset Bak Spielet’ has a strong vintage vibe. Harmonised vocals, strings, theremin and flute are the order of the…

  • PLAIN RIDE – Skeleton Kites

    Plain Ride is a strange fish. Minimalist blues rock with a folksy tip of the hat to dark Americana. Out front is scene veteran Janne Westerlund’s smoky rasp – one of the most distinctive in the field today. It works on your senses like a rusty file, but you like it. At times, the long…

  • DARKEST ERA – Severance

    Darkest Era play an incredibly well-meshed fusion of melodic death and classic metal, all with a strong Celtic flavour. Something like Dark Tranquillity meets Primordial with a bit of Thin Lizzy thrown in for good measure. This sounds pretty bizarre until you hear ‘Severance’ and it all makes perfect sense! As you can imagine, the…

  • TANKARD – R.I.B.

    I am fairly sure these alcoholic Frankfurters need little introduction. If my counting is correct ‘R.I.B.’ is their 16th full length studio album, so the chances of you having met them some stage are fairly high unless you’ve been even drunker than they have! The first thing that hits you about this album is the…